| The most recent film starring the American icon, the | | | | sales. Conservative, middle America in the 50's was |
| Harley Davidson motorcycle, was called 'Wild Hogs'. | | | | not willing to support what Harley Davidson had |
| Named after the nickname given to its riders in the | | | | become and the youth generation that idolized the |
| 1970's, this family comedy with an all star cast | | | | films and their stars were not yet in charge of the |
| including John Travolta didn't quite meet its hyped | | | | finances to supplement their dreams. |
| expectations. Falling flat in plot and more importantly, | | | | Whilst commercially Harley Davidson was in trouble, |
| script, the movie was a disappointing attempt at | | | | its portrayal in movies continued to flourish. The |
| capturing the lure of the Harley and the thrill of the | | | | notable peak in came in 1969 with the movie 'Easy |
| open road. It should have been no surprise. Putting | | | | Rider'. Once again cast as the bad boys favourite |
| Disney together with Harley Davidson was a little like | | | | mode of transportation, the Harley Davidson Chopper |
| asking John Carpenter to do a remake of Bambi. " | | | | cruising the open highway, will always epitomize |
| Nice death scene, but it didn't quite capture the | | | | freedom and rebellion. Maybe it is this dichotomy of |
| mood of the original!" | | | | emotions, so fundamental to American history and |
| Hollywood however, has had a love hate relationship | | | | the 'American Dream' that has been the backbone of |
| with this most unlikely of stars for more than half a | | | | the Harleys endurance. |
| century. It unwittingly threw the spotlight on what | | | | The nineties saw Mickey Rourke and Don Jonson |
| had been an American standard of industry, only to | | | | take up the gauntlet, although in this film it was |
| demonize the name to the extent that The Harley | | | | Mickey Rourke's character that bestowed the Name |
| Davidson Motor Company nearly went bankrupt. As | | | | Harley Davidson to the title of the film. Harley |
| with most relationships though, time heals all. It would | | | | Davidson and the Marlboro Man once again cast the |
| be the elevation into cult status of the very same | | | | character of the rough neck to, yes you guessed it, |
| movies that nearly destroyed the company, that | | | | Harley Davidson. |
| would raise the phoenix of Harley Davidson from the | | | | As the nineties progressed, the teenagers that had |
| fire, and turn it into the iconic symbol that it is today. | | | | idolized Marlon Brando and those early biker movies in |
| As with the careers of most movie stars, early | | | | the 50's were maturing into the wealth of America. |
| appearances and bit parts are mostly forgotten. You | | | | Like an old friendship lost but never forgotten, it was |
| may catch a glimpse of a Harley in WWII movies. | | | | these middle aged rebels of yester-year that would |
| (The motorcycles were supplied to the army as | | | | rekindle the corporate fortunes of Harley Davidson. |
| utility transport during both World Wars until the Jeep | | | | they customized their bikes to stand out in a crowd |
| took over as the main utility vehicle in 1942). The big | | | | and create for themselves a separate identity apart |
| break for the Harley Davidson came in 1953 when it | | | | from the rest of the corporate clones. They were |
| was cast alongside, or should I say under, Marlon | | | | rebels that may have succumbed to the corporate |
| Brando in The Wild One. The movie, which told the | | | | ladder but now had the finances to relive the youth |
| story of Jonny, the bike gang rebel, reflected the | | | | they could never afford. |
| tone of rebellion sweeping America at the time | | | | So, it is with somewhat of a saddened heart, that |
| amongst the nations teenage youth. | | | | the movie that was to portray the story of this |
| Unlike today however, 1950's society was not one | | | | revival and tell the story of those 50's youth reborn, |
| driven by youth culture. The impact of the openly | | | | should have turn out to be such a damp squib. Maybe |
| anti-establishment images that the genre portrayed | | | | Harleys executives still feel the pinch of the bad boy |
| did not spark a boom in sales for Harley Davidson as | | | | image and this is why they turned to Disney to tell |
| it would later achieve for such products as Ray-Ban | | | | the story. Personally, I think they should have gone |
| sunglasses following the 1982 movie Top Gun. The | | | | with Tarrentino, the guts and the glory, the true |
| effect in fact, was the opposite, leading the | | | | Harley Davidson. |
| motorbike manufacturer into a period of declining | | | | |