1981 may not have been an absolute classic year for movies, but it was the year that saw film fans presented with the first Indiana Jones movie, The Evil Dead, Possession, Mad Max 2, Escape From New York, An American Werewolf In London, The Howling, Das Boot, Clash Of The Titans, Blow Out, Time Bandits, and many other notable titles. It was also the year in which Riding High was released. Riding High is a star vehicle for British motorbike stunt driver, Eddie Kidd, a young man who was marketed in the UK for a while as the British Evil Knievel.
Written and directed by Ross Cramer, developing a story idea from associate producer Derek Ford (arguably best-known for his sex romps of the '70s, although he would go on to write the brilliantly bonkers Don't Open Till Christmas), this is a simple and predictable tale of a local boy with a chance to achieve greatness that will turn him into, at the very least, a local legend. His chance is given to him by the brilliantly-named Judas S. Chariot (Bill Mitchell), but Judas will do anything to avoid actually paying this kid for a stunt that most people deem too difficult to even attempt.
Having started his motorbiking career at a very young age, Eddie Kidd is a credible young star here (he was about 22 years old when this was released). That's not to say that he's a natural onscreen performer, but he has the looks and charisma, to a degree, and has the skills that are showcased in a couple of enjoyable motorbike sequences interspersed throughout the storyline, all leading to a stunt so genuinely death-defying that it was filmed last, enabling the film-makers to create a positive or negative ending, depending on the outcome. If you're of a certain age, if you're familiar with the antics of Kidd, then there's definitely something here to watch. It's a fascinating time-capsule, and it helps that the soundtrack is full of some absolutely belting tunes, from a variety of acts including The Police, The Boomtown Rats, Chic, The Pretenders, Squeeze, Gary Numan, and more.
What doesn't help is the rest of the cast. Giving Kidd a central role would make you think that those making the film would surround him with distracting talent. That doesn't happen. The main cast seems to be full of people who were either available, affordable, or (most likely) both. Irene Handl is quite delightful, playing the typical and lovely Gran, and both Lynda Bellingham and Daniel Peacock are probably the most recognisable faces in supporting roles, but Mitchell overacts terribly, and the likes of Murray Salem, Marella Oppenheim, and G. B. Zoot Money can't overcome the weak script to make their characters more appealing and entertaining. Ken Kitson fares a bit better, playing The Halifax Hellcat, but this film was in dire need of a much better roster of names and faces to distract from the clunkiness of Kidd any time he's not on his bike.
Amazingly, as much as I assumed I was going to spend my time laughing through most of this, this holds up in a couple of different ways, much more than you might think. There's some great footage of some small British stunt shows, showing just how the amateurs and pros work together to keep crowds entertained, and you do get that typical feeling of the driving ambition that could hopefully take a young man from a small UK town to at least one moment of stardom. It's also worth stating, in no uncertain terms, that the final sequence is genuinely impressive, heart in your mouth, stuff. Yes, the main stunt is given enough coverage to be replayed about half a dozen times, but it's well worth the respect it's given, and you cannot tell whether or not Kidd will actually land his bike as it needs to be landed for a relatively clean finish.
This is unlikely to be remembered fondly by film fans in years to come, and I doubt it's remembered fondly by film fans now (it's wild to think that it's just over 40 years old, but somehow seems so much older), but it actually remains now what it was intended to be back then: a testament to the skill and courage of a young British man who set out to become a hugely famous stunt bike rider, and who may have inspired many to follow in his tyre tracks.
6 /10
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