Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper, two of the stars of the iconic 1969 "Easy Rider" film, in March 2010
In May 2009, exactly one year before Dennis Hopper passed away from the ravages of cancer, he was in Taos, New Mexico, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie “Easy Rider”, where much of that iconic 1969 movie was filmed.
I had the great good fortune of meeting him and interviewing him there, to talk about motorcycles, Hollywood, the Vietnam War, art, and Taos.
Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson ride Harley-Davidson bikes in 1969 "Easy Rider"
Mr. Hopper, who also directed “Easy Rider,” told me he fell in love with Taos in 1967 when he was scouting locations for the movie, and has lived here part time ever since, including doing much of the film editing there.
He told me that he was not making a motorcycle movie as much as a comment on the cowboy way of life – good guys vs. bad guys – and the political turmoil of the ’60s, In case you have forgotten, that included the Vietnam War and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Also, he said, nobody had yet made a movie about the counterculture hippie movement.
“Easy Rider” turned Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and a then-newcomer named Jack Nicholson into instant stars. It also created a thriving culture of freewheeling, free-spirited open-road drives on motorcycles, and the culture of customizing bikes, like the ones the trio drove into our psyches. The Captain America Chopper, with its flaglike stars and stripes tank, and the Billy Bike, with its air-brushed “flames” and orange body, still inspire chopper shops and motorcycle riders today.
Dennis Hopper, actor, director, artist, photographer
In addition to acting and directing, Dennis Hopper was a respected artist and photographer. In May 2009 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Easy Rider”, he was still healthy enough to be the curator of an exhibit by artists who have been living in Taos since the original Summer of Love in 1969. Those artists include fellow actor Dean Stockwell. Some of Mr. Hopper’s own work was included in the exhibit at the Harwood Museum of Art in downtown Taos.
Taos is still nirvana for bike riders, and is home to several motorcycle festivals, including the annual Bavarian Mountain Weekend BMW Motorcycle Rally on Labor Day Weekend, held just outside town at Red River. This event includes all-day rallies and rides along spectacular S-curves through the mountains, high desert plains and the Rio Grande gorge, and around Taos, through some of the same scenery as in the movie.
Great Drives — Even though I was in a car, not on a bike, the long, the long, empty stretches of road and the spectacular landscape kept me smiling.
Easy Rider Trivia –The motorcycles in Easy Rider were Harley-Davidson Hydra Glide models, all former police bikes, purchased at auction and customized for the film. There were four bikes – two were backup duplicates. Captain America was built by Fonda, bike customizer Tex Hall and fellow actor Dan Haggerty. Today, there are hundreds, but they are replicas in automobile and motorcycle museums around the world.
“Easy Rider” was just one of many movies filmed in Taos. So were parts of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Terminator,” “The Milagro Beanfield War,” and “No Country for Old Men.”
Dennis Hopper — actor, director, photographer, artist — will be missed by his fans, friends, and most of all, his family. He was buried in his beloved Taos on June 2, 2010.
by Evelyn Kanter
[...] At least it doesn’t sound like Harley is planning to move manufacturing overseas. They wouldn’t dare! The Harley is the most American of bikes, with a devoted following. It’s the bike the late Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda rode into our psyches in the iconic 1969 film “Easy Rider”. [...]
Hi Linda –
What a lovely story and a great memory for you. When I met him last year, before his illness took a serious turn, he was gracious and energetic. Yes, he will be missed.
Thanks for your comment.
Evelyn Kanter
I was so sorry to see Dennis pass – I have a story to share:
In, 1969 – I think it was around June – I was sitting in a coffee house (the 3 Kings) on the hill in Boulder, Colorado with some friends when a woman we new came in and said: there is this guy outside and I know I’ve seen him in movies…curious, we all decided to take a walk and see who this person was – he was leaning against the building right outside the door – we walked by and up to the corner – all of us recognized him – but had no idea who he was – well, we wanted to go back to the 3 Kings – but didn’t want to be obvious – so we walked around the entire block to come back – the guy was still standing there – we walked back into the place and ordered another round of Coors 3.2 and forgot all about it – we were the only ones in the place that afternoon and after a few minutes this guy walked in and walked over to our table and asked us if he could sit with us – and of course – we said yes…when he was sitting down he looked at me – stuck out his hand and said “Hi! I’m Dennis Hopper – I just finished filming Easy Rider – it’s a movie you ought to go see”…he sat with us and revealed that he had hitched from California to find some chick who was a waitress in the place we were sitting in – and also told us that Peter Fonda was riding up and down the west coast on his chopper…we did not know the person he was looking for – - then the owners came out and recognized him – made a big deal and Dennis left – last I saw him hitching — I am sorry I didn’t really try further to find out where this woman was – she obviously meant something to him since he had come all this way to find her…with every movie – every commercial on TV – Dennis always reminded me of a special time on that hill in Boulder…”keep on trucking Dennis” – you were a fabulously talented actor – we will miss you