Electra Glide in Blue is a 1973 action film written by Robert Boris and Rupert Hitzig, directed by James William Guercio, and starring Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush, Mitchell Ryan, Jeannine Riley, Elisha Cook Jr., and Royal Dano.
John Wintergreen (Blake) is an Arizona motorcycle cop who longs to be a homicide detective. When an old hermit named Frank seemingly commits suicide, Wintergreen correctly deduces his death was actually murder. Wintergreen is then transferred to homicide, where he works with Detective Harve Poole (Ryan). As the investigation proceeds, however, Wintergreen becomes increasingly disillusioned with Poole's ugly methods.
Guerico also composed the music score, which was performed by Chicago, whom he managed. (Four of the band's members also appear in cameo roles.) A young Nick Nolte is an uncredited extra as a hippie.
Electra Glide in Blue contains examples of:
- Agitated Item Stomping: After one man is knocked off his motorcycle, he angrily stomps on it.
- Book Ends: The story proper begins and ends with a man being fatally shot in the chest.
- Desk Sweep of Rage: After Jolene drunkenly tells Poole and Wintergreen that she's supposed to be in a monogamous relationship with Poole, but is having an affair with Wintergreen because he's better in bed, she knocks a bunch of glasses off the bar counter.
- Every Car Is a Pinto: Every motorcycle, at least. During a chase scene, a cop car drives over a crashed motorcycle, causing them both to explode. At another point, Zipper shoots a motorcycle, causing it to burst into flame and crash. It and its rider skid away from each other, both on fire.
- Freeze-Frame Ending: A very lengthy shot, set to "Tell Me." Over the course of several minutes, the camera backs away from Wintergreen's corpse on the highway until he recedes into the distance. Then the image freezes and stays that way for about a minute until the colors fade to black and white. Then the credits roll.
- Hippie Van: Early in the movie, Wintergreen and his partner Zipper (Billy "Green" Bush) pull over a van painted like the Arizona desert and pointlessly harass the driver, spending an hour and a half searching through his things, before Zipper plants marijuana on him. In the final scene, Wintergreen pulls over the same van for not having a front bumper, recognizes the driver, and apologizes. But as the van drives away, he realizes the hippie forgot his driver's license and drives after him. The hippie's passenger shoots Wintergreen dead.
- Hitler Cam: Poole is introduced this way as he stands outside his car.
- Ironic Nickname: Zipper calls Wintergreen Big John. Robert Blake is 5'6''.
- Jurisdiction Friction: When the police arrive on the scene of Frank's death, Wintergreen tries to stop the coroner from touching the body because he knows it's murder, based on the fact that the victim was shot in the chest when most gun suicides shoot themselves in the head, and he doesn't want the coroner to mess up the evidence. They get in a fight about whether the officer in charge is more important than the coroner. Sgt. Ryker (Joe Samsil) finally kicks Wintergreen out of the house and asks the coroner "What do we got, Doc? Suicide?" The coroner screams, "Jesus Christ! I just got through with him, I gotta put up with you? Get the hell outta here! You goddamn boys in blue are driving me up the wall!" After Ryker leaves, he asks the corpse, "Why did you have to shoot yourself in my jurisdiction?"
- Morning Routine: The movie opens with Frank's routine, which involves putting on some music, cooking two pork chops, and cleaning his dentures, before he's shot. We then see Wintergreen's routine, which involves having sex with Jolene, working out, and putting on his uniform.
- Only Friend: Willie, who reports Frank's death, is an elderly loner with no friends besides Frank. He killed Frank out of loneliness and jealousy after Frank became a drug dealer and was suddenly too busy with his younger friends to spend time with Willie.
- Pants-Free: After his promotion, Wintergreen eagerly puts on his new suit and steps out onto the front porch before realizing he forgot his pants.
- Police Brutality: A favorite method of Poole. When the members of a hippie commune won't tell him where a certain drug dealer is, he punches random people until one of them starts talking.
- Raw Eggs Make You Stronger: Wintergreen drinks two raw eggs during his morning workout.
- Reverse Arm-Fold: The motorcycle cops all stand like this at the beginning of their shift.
- The Runt at the End: Wintergreen is almost a foot shorter than his fellow officers. One scene has all the officers lined up, with the camera panning from one face to the next. Only the top of Wintergreen's helmet can be seen; the camera has to pan down to show his face.
- Shirtless Scene: Wintergreen works out in his underwear.
- The Slacker: Zipper spends much of his time sitting on his motorcycle in the shade, reading comic books, eating junk food, and listening to the radio.
