OF THE WIRE
George Christie is - "The Last American Outlaw" - premiering June 8, 2013 in
Ventura, California.
Ex- Ventura Chapter President George Christie Jr.
will offer insight into his 35 year tenure as the founder and president of the
Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (H.A.M.C.) Ventura Chapter during a live question
and answer session immediately following the world premiere screening of a new
biographical documentary covering segments of Christie’s life and times as the
most notorious American Hells Angel second only to Sonny Barger.
Barger,
however, could be considered second to Christie in one area at least: of the two
top Angels, only Christie was and is formerly one of the last living members of
the Angels' “Filthy Few” – the elite core group that would go and had gone to
any lengths necessary for the club, a distinction he held before his retirement
from the club last year.
Veteran U.K. filmmaker Nick Mead will present
“The Last American Outlaw”. June 8th at the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura, CA at
8pm. The Bell Arts Factory is a former mattress factory converted into a popular
haven for working artists in nearly all mediums and has become a mecca for the
creative arts. For that reason it was chosen as the ideal venue for the premiere
public screening as well as its proximity – literally right around the corner –
from the former Hells Angels Clubhouse – a Ventura landmark - reluctantly so for
many - for nearly four decades.
George Christie embodied a new breed of
biker outlaw, one that made him a threat to law enforcement from the local level
to the federal level. He was well-read and educated, erudite with an
extraordinary grasp of criminal and constitutional law. Immersed for decades in
the underground world of renegade bikers, he became an authority on the human
condition. He developed into a master negotiator within various chapters of the
club as well as an ambassador of sorts between rival outlaw clubs and the Hells
Angels; avoiding outright wars through dialogue and communication. Christie
possessed the steel nerves and confidence necessary for that kind of role, and
he could back up his play with a fierce mastery of the fighting arts beyond any
recognizable degree on the west coast. Make no mistake, George Christie was
feared in the outlaw biker world.
Yet, at any given time in his mechanics
garage on the bookshelf one might find Harley-Davidson Manuals sitting next to
volumes on military strategy. Or you might see Anthony Scaduto’s early Bob Dylan
Biography sitting next to an oil-stained carburetor schematic leaning against a
hardcover bound copy of “Hamlet” (“...liked it, but a bit too wordy”) Christie
once quipped. Christie was the antithesis of the stereotypical Neanderthal brute
animal biker; he was handsome, well-groomed, impeccably dressed and possessed a
dynamic presence. He was glib, sharp, forthright, and affable. He would find
himself going head to head with seasoned newsman Mike Wallace on CBS “60
Minutes” holding his own on Wallace’s turf. These attributes quickly made
Christie the de facto national spokesman for the Hells Angels nationwide. And as
the longest running President of any Hells Angels Chapter – spanning seven U.S.
Presidencies (Ford through Obama) Christie witnessed the Hells Angels M.C. grow
from two dozen chapters in the United States to over 100 chapters in 29
countries worldwide, with licensed trademarks and copyrights - along with a
formidable bevy of attorneys that would make any Fortune 500 company envious.
The Angels could either stomp you or sue you, many preferring the former to the
latter.
But it was in 1984, when Christie ran the Olympic Torch in
Ventura, that he became known world-wide, and suddenly on the Washington D.C.
radar of many Federal agencies. Christie even had the audacity to challenge the
Kennedy dynasty - and Eunice Kennedy Shriver - on the issue of the Special
Olympics. Openly and brazenly a Hells Angel was treading in an area reserved for
the establishment – and it has relentlessly targeted George Christie Jr. ever
since. His many friendships with popular culture icons over the decades ranged
from the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia to Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke.
And now, after hanging up his patch, no longer a member of the Hells Angels,
George Christie is stepping out from the shadows back into the
light.
“Don’t expect any club secrets to be revealed, though..” exclaimed
publicist James A. Golff.
“I remember a guy from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office once said to me George probably knows where Jimmy Hoffa is buried but
will never tell,” Golff further mused: “As for the H.A. (Hells Angels) – George
will take those secrets to the grave. That's just the way it is."
THE LAST
AMERICAN OUTLAW
SATURDAY JUNE 8, 2013 8PM
BELL ARTS FACTORY
432 N
Ventura Ave
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 643-1960
Limited
Seating
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10782136.htm
