C.C. and Company

C.C. and Company is a 1970 American biker film directed by Seymour Robbie. It stars Joe Namath as the biker C.C. Ryder, with Ann-Margret portraying fashion journalist Ann, and William Smith playing Moon, the leader of the outlaw biker group called "Heads Company". The movie also includes a performance by singer Wayne Cochran alongside his band, The C.C. Riders.

Plot

C.C. Ryder becomes involved with a desert-based motorcycle gang and intervenes to protect Ann from their trouble. During a motocross competition linked to a fashion photo shoot, the Heads disrupt the event. Ryder competes to win Ann's approval, which ignites tension with Moon. After securing victory and taking the prize money, Ryder is compelled to return when Ann is abducted by the gang.

Cast

• Joe Namath as C. C. Ryder
• Ann-Margret as Ann McCalley
• William Smith as Moon
• Jennifer Billingsley as Pom Pom
• Mike Battle as Rabbit
• Greg Mullavey as Lizard
• Teda Bracci as Pig
• Don Chastain as Eddie Ellis
• Sid Haig as Crow
• Bruce Glover as Captain Midnight
• Keva Kelly as Tandalaya
• Jackie Rohr as Zit-Zit
• Robert Keyworth as Charlie Hopkins
• Alan Pappe as Photographer
• Ned Wertimer as Motorcycle salesman
• Wayne Cochran appearing as himself with his band

Reception

Critics largely responded unfavorably to the film. Vincent Canby of The New York Times described it as "the picture to name when someone asks you to recommend 'a good bad movie,'" pointing out its reliance on stereotypical genre tropes and blatant advertising for products such as Hamm's Beer, Honda, and Kraft Cheese.

In the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel assigned zero stars, calling the film "hateful" due to its substandard performances and objectionable content, notably referencing Ann-Margret’s brief nude scene.

Tony Mastroianni from the Cleveland Press labeled the movie "awful" and "meretricious," criticizing its simplistic storyline and coarse dialogue. He suggested that Joe Namath’s talents were better suited for football, while commending William Smith’s convincing portrayal of a villainous character.

Filmink referred to it as an exceptionally poor project for Ann-Margret, especially considering it was penned by her spouse.

A trailer for the film appears within a sequence in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, despite a chronological inconsistency since C.C. and Company was released after the time period depicted in Tarantino’s work.

See also

• The Black Six, a 1974 biker movie featuring six active NFL players at the time
• List of American films of 1970