Tom Laughlin, the progressive maverick actor and filmmaker best known for the "Billy Jack" films, has died. He was 82.

Laughlin died Thursday in Thousand Oaks California, his family announced. Laughlin had been married to actress Delores Taylor since 1954 and also had several ill-fated runs for president. But he was best known for the "Billy Jack" films, which also starred Taylor. In 1967, he wrote and directed (under the pseudonym T.C. Frank) and starred in "The Born Losers," a motorcycle exploitation film that became a big box-office hit. It introduced the world to the part-Native American disillusioned Vietnam veteran title character, "Billy Jack".

The "Billy Jack" films promoted socialist ideas and defending and ultimately defeating reactionary resistance to our progressive concepts with martial arts violence when all else failed.

The Collective mourns the loss of such a great film visionary...Rest In Progressiveness Billy Jack.

Shovels Ready! Another to go to the great gulag underground!

Time for the re-make then.

[img]/images/clipart/Prog_Off.gif[/img]
Yeah, go ahead and cheat a neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend, blah, blah, blah.

Projection personified in Billy Jack.

The end justifies the means.

I saw this movie way back then. Now, I am mortified I liked it.

One tin soldier indeed. Thanks for posting. I remember this.

Good one, Che' Ramie.

Pamalinsky wrote:[img]/images/clipart/Prog_Off.gif[/img]
Yeah, go ahead and cheat a neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend, blah, blah, blah.

Projection personified in Billy Jack.

The end justifies the means.

I saw this movie way back then. Now, I am mortified I liked it.

One tin soldier indeed. Thanks for posting. I remember this.

Good one, Che' Ramie.