C.C. & Cia

Released in 1970, "C.C. & Company" is a low-budget biker flick starring none other than Joe Namath as C.C. Ryder, a quasi-member of The Heads motorcycle gang. When C.C. hooks up with a pretty fashion designer, played by Ann Margret, it causes friction with the other gang members, particularly Moon, played by William Smith. It all comes down to C.C. and Moon squaring off in a bike race at a high school football field track.

This is a fun biker flick and not as dead serious as 1966's "The Wild Angels" – the first and best biker flick – or 1969's popular "Easy Rider," which was just as good in its own way. "C.C. & Company" also seems to have a lower budget. For instance, there's some noticeably bad acting by Smith and Teda Bracci, the latter who plays biker chick Pig, but – then again – maybe they were intentionally shooting for camp (ya think!). The obvious draw here is Namath's larger-than-life charisma and cutie Margret; it's inexplicable that Namath didn't develop a lasting acting career (maybe that infamous pantyhose commercial did him in, lol). The rockin' late 60's soundtrack is also a treat. The whole cast obviously had fun making the film and it comes off on the screen.

Besides Margret, the movie features a couple other standout women, like Jennifer Billingsley as Pom Pom and Jacquie Rohr as Zit Zit. Billingsley is rather tall with model-like beauty, albeit hidden behind her wild biker chick garb, while Rohr is petite and curvy. The latter could've easily stolen the show if she had more screen time.

While worthwhile just for the two stars and amusing as light biker fare, "C.C. & Company" is unable to overcome its limitations, which explains my mediocre rating. Nevertheless, if you appreciate the biker genre that ran from 1966-1974 "C.C. & Company" is mandatory viewing, sort of.

The film runs 83 minutes and was shot in Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas.

GRADE: C

This is one of the best Biker-Movies ever. It has it all: heavy bikers, great action, good music, humor and a lot of sexy girls. Ann Margret and Jennifer Billingsley look really wonderful in their outfits. I think this was Joe Namaths film debut but the brilliant William Smith as Gangleader Moon steals everybody in the show. If you are a fan of those kind of movies, don't miss it!

Largely forgotten now, this movie was viewed by a lot of people in the 1970s. Parents saw it, mainly for Ann Margeret, in movie theaters during its 1st run, older kids caught it, mainly for Joe Namath, during its drive-in run and all us youngsters saw it when it made it's way to TV in the mid-1970s. I remember it fondly.

A product of a by gone era, it's really not as bad as some have made it out to be. Worth it for the novelty of Joe Namath and the 1970s cheese factor alone. Broadway Joe isn't really half bad because he did have tremendous charisma and a screen presence which somewhat compensates for his lack of acting chops. Plus as his adversary, we have quintessential 1970s bad guy, William Smith (the unforgettable Falconetti from Rich Man, Poor Man mini series or bad-ass Jack Wilson in Clint Eastwood's Any Which Way You Can) who turns in a fine performance. Throw in Sid Haig, Crispin Glover's father Bruce (of Diamond's Are Forever fame) and a delightfully campy performance from Teda Bracci and you have a pretty memorable Biker gang.

I wonder if Ann Margret and her husband originally thought of Elvis for the title role because this film is similar to many of his mid-sixties on screen personas (misunderstood rebel woos wary girl, defeats opposition in race at end). Fortunately for Elvis, his career, unlike Miss Margret's at the time, had just been spectacularly reignited with his TV Comeback Special and Vegas headlining. Anyway, Ann always possessed a great screen presence of her own; enough, along with all the outdoor scenery, to keep the viewer interested.

I think if you take this movie for what it is, a mindless artifact of late 1960s/early 1970s culture starring one of that era's biggest icons, you won't regret having spent 90 mins. watching it on a dreary Saturday afternoon.

While Joe Namath was likeable in his role, William Smith, who made a living mostly playing "bad guys" in many B pictures, gave the best performance in this movie. Smith looked like a biker, unlike Namath. He was nasty, grizzled, and mean. Just what you would expect from a "Hells Angel." With an R rating it would have been nice to see a little more skin (especially on a young Ann Margret) but the movie is worth seeing anyway.

Attempting to parlay athletic success into movie stardom is fairly common. Namath is likeable, but his acting talent was nil. I saw this when it came out theatrically, and I also remember William Smith being a very nasty bad guy, and Ann Margaret's nude sex scene with Namath.