In 1967, written and directed by Tom Laughlin, The Born Losers was the first of the Billy Jack series and was a commercial success. The film’s tagline, “Billy Jack is coming,” sent chills down moviegoers’ spines.
The title character, played by Tom Laughlin himself, is a vengeful Vietnam vet and former Green Beret who uses his martial arts skills to fight injustice. The film also stars Sue Ane Langdon and Victoria Principal.
After The Born Losers’ massive success, Laughlin started working on the next installment in the series, Billy Jack.
The second Billy Jack movie was released in 1971 and was an even bigger success than The Born Losers. Several sequels were produced, including The Trial of Billy Jack (1974) and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977).
Billy Jack is considered to be ahead of its time, as it deals with serious topics such as racism, violence, and child abuse. The films still have a large cult following and are considered to be classics of the exploitation genre. The Billy Jack Film series is a series of four films released between 1971 and 1977.
The film is about a Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who becomes a teacher at an inner-city Los Angeles school beset by violence and racism. Billy Jack is constantly defending the kids at the school against the bigoted local authorities and vigilantes.
List of All Billy Jack Movies in Order of Release
- The Born Losers (1967)
- Billy Jack (1971)
- The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
- Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
The Born Losers (1967)
Director: Tom Laughlin | Writer: Elizabeth James | Stars: Tom Laughlin, Elizabeth James, Jeremy Slate | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: 1 hour and 53 minutes. | Release Date: July 12, 1967 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are action, drama, thriller, and western. | Filming Locations: Huntington Shores Motel – 21002 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, California, USA | Production Companies: American International Pictures (AIP), F.P. Productions | Budget: The budget for the movie was $0.36 million. | Box Office: The film grossed over $36 million.
The first movie was released in 1967 and was named after the 1967 Vietnam War film, The Born Losers. The movie follows the story of a Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who becomes a teacher at an inner-city Los Angeles school beset by violence and racism.
The movie was directed by Tom Laughlin and written by Elizabeth James. The movie stars Tom Laughlin, Elizabeth James, and Jeremy Slate. It was a commercial success and grossed over $36 million.
A malicious motorcycle gang harasses the residents of a small town, and the leader’s girlfriend decides to leave him. He retaliates by kidnapping her and holding her captive. As the gang attempts to threaten the women in the town, one of them hires a former Marine to protect them. The gang escalates its violence, leading to a confrontation between the Marine and the gang leader.
When Billy notices that all bystanders do nothing to help the girl, he brutally beats up the gang leader. As a result of his actions, he is arrested and put on trial. The trial becomes a media circus, with Billy’s supporters protesting outside the courthouse.
Although the court only gives him a two-year prison term after the jury finds him guilty, He returns to the town and picks up the struggle with the gang after being freed from prison.
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Billy Jack (1971)
Director: Tom Laughlin | Writer: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor | Stars: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: 1 hour and 54 minutes. | Release Date: May 1, 1971 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are action, drama, and thriller. | Filming Locations: Prescott, Arizona, USA | Production Companies: Eaves Movie Ranch, National Student Film Corporation, Warner Bros. | Budget: The budget for the movie was $0.8 million. | Box Office: The film grossed over $32.5 million.
The second movie in the series was released in 1971 and was named after the title character, Billy Jack. The movie follows the story of a vengeful Vietnam vet and former Green Beret who uses his martial arts skills to fight injustice.
The movie was directed by Tom Laughlin and written by Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor. The movie stars Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, and Clark Howat. It was a commercial success and grossed over $32.5 million.
Director Jean Roberts runs a Hippie-themed coffeehouse in a small town that a group of racist rednecks terrorizes. When the rednecks attack one of her employees, Jean hires a former Green Beret to protect her business. The rednecks escalate their violence, leading to a confrontation between the Green Beret and the ringleader.
Billy viciously beats the ringleader after observing that none of the onlookers assists the sufferer. He gets detained and tried as a result of his deeds. With Billy’s supporters staging a demonstration outside the courthouse, the trial turns into a media circus. The jury finds him guilty, but the judge sentences him to only two years in prison. After he is released from prison, he returns to the town and resumes his fight against the rednecks.
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The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
Director: Tom Laughlin | Writer: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor | Stars: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Victor Izay | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: 2 hours and 50 minutes. | Release Date: November 13, 1974 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are action, drama, music, and thriller. | Filming Locations: Florence, Arizona, USA | Production Companies: Taylor-Laughlin Productions | Budget: The budget for the movie was $2.5 million. | Box Office: The film grossed over $12 million.
The third movie in the series was released in 1974 and was named after the 1974 novel, The Trial of Billy Jack. The movie follows the story of a man on trial for the death of a senator’s daughter.
The movie was directed by Tom Laughlin and written by Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor. The movie stars Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, and Victor Izay. It was a commercial success and grossed over $12 million.
After the events in the previous film, Billy Jack gets arrested and put on trial. The trial becomes a media circus, with Billy’s supporters protesting outside the courthouse. The jury finds him guilty, but the judge sentences him to only two years in prison. After he is released from prison, he returns to the town and resumes his fight against the gang.
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Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
Director: Tom Laughlin | Writer: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor | Stars: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, E.G. Marshall | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: 2 hours and 35 minutes. | Release Date: April 16, 1977 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are drama, thriller, and political. | Filming Locations: Washington, District of Columbia, USA | Production Companies: Billy Jack Enterprises
The fourth movie in the series was released in 1977 and was named after the 1976 film, All the President’s Men. The movie follows the story of a senator who hires a former Green Beret to be his aide.
Tom Laughlin directed, and he and Delores Taylor co-wrote the screenplay for the film. Delores Taylor, E.G. Marshall, and Tom Laughlin all appear in the film. With almost $16 million in sales, it was a financial triumph. Billy Jack gets appointed as United States Senator and quickly realizes that the government is corrupt. He starts to investigate the corruption, and he soon discovers that the President is involved in a conspiracy. Billy Jack tries to expose the President, but he is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He goes on the run and eventually confronts the President and his conspirators.
Everyone opposes him and plans to remove him from office, but he refuses to back down. He eventually gets impeached but vindicated when the truth is revealed. Billy Jack resigns from the Senate and returns to his hometown.
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Movies in order by IMDB Rating
| Movies | Rating on IMDB |
|---|---|
| The Born Losers | 5.9/10 |
| Billy Jack | 6.2/10 |
| The Trial of Billy Jack | 4.5/10 |
| Billy Jack Goes to Washington | 4.5/10 |
Other Popular Action Film Franchises
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FAQs
Are All of The Billy Jack Movies Part of The Same Series?
The first two Billy Jack movies are part of the same series, but the third and fourth movies are not. The Trial of Billy Jack is a sequel to Billy Jack, and Billy Jack Goes to Washington is a standalone movie.
Do You Need To Watch Billy Jack Movies In Order?
No, you do not need to watch the Billy Jack movies in order. However, if you want to follow the story of Billy Jack, it is recommended that you watch the movies in the order they were released.
Are The Billy Jack Movies Connected?
Yes, the Billy Jack movies are connected. The first movie in the series, The Born Losers, is a prequel to the second movie, Billy Jack. The third movie, The Trial of Billy Jack, is a sequel to the second movie. The fourth movie, Billy Jack Goes to Washington, is a sequel to the third movie.
What Is The Best Billy Jack Movie?
The best Billy Jack movie is considered to be Billy Jack. The movie was a commercial success and grossed over $12 million. It is also the highest-rated movie in the series on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Happened To Billy Jack?
In the fourth movie, Billy Jack Goes to Washington, a sniper kills Billy Jack.
Do The Billy Jack Movies Have Any Sequels?
No, the Billy Jack movies do not have sequels. However, two spin-off movies were released in 1987 and 1988. These movies are titled The New Adventures of Billy Jack and Return of Billy Jack
Conclusion
The Billy Jack franchise is one of the most popular action film franchises of all time. The movies are connected and follow the story of Billy Jack, a man who turns to violence to fight injustice. If you are a fan of action movies, you should definitely watch the Billy Jack movies.
In this article, we have answered the question: What is the order of the Billy Jack movies? We have also provided a brief overview of the movies and what they are about.
We hope you found this article helpful. If you did, please share it with your friends or family members who are also fans of the Billy Jack franchise. Thank you for reading!
Hey, My name is Charles Eames, I am a designer, filmmaker, and lover of photographic arts. And I usually write about movies, Famous/Influential People. I am running this blog with my girlfriend Bernice.
My name is Andy and I was about 9 years old when The Trial of Billy Jack came out. My parents & I waited in a very long line that wrapped all of the way around to the back of the walk in theater & let me tell you it was well worth it!!! 👌