History Trivia / EasyRider

* CutSong: Music/StephenStills wrote the song "Find the Cost of Freedom" at Creator/DennisHopper's request, for use with the final scene (when the camera pans up into the sky). Hopper ended up not using it, and the song was eventually released as the B-side to Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung's single "Ohio". [=CSN&Y=] often used it to close their concerts.

* NoBudget: Not counting Creaotr/PeterFonda's personal expenses for travel and lodging for the crew, as well as licensing fees for the music used, the filming budget was $360,000 to $400,000.

* ChannelHop: The film was originally going to be made through Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures. When they kept dragging their feet over the film, it went to Raybert Productions.

* DirectedByCastMember: Creator/DennisHopper made his directorial debut.
* DoingItForTheArt

* NoBudget: Not counting Peter Fonda's personal expenses for travel and lodging for the crew, as well as licensing fees for the music used, the filming budget of Easy Rider was $360,000 to $400,000.

** Terry Southern had written the George Hanson part for his friend Creator/RipTorn. However, after Torn and Hopper nearly came to blows one night before production at a restaurant in New York, Creator/JackNicholson got cast instead, [[StarMakingRole and the rest is history]]. Nicholson declared about the shoot that "Everyone wanted to kill one another and put one another in institutions", while Creator/KarenBlack described production as 'insane'.

* WrittenByCastMember: Creator/DennisHopper and Peter Fonda wrote the script with Terry Southern.

* SleeperHit: A NoBudget psychadelic biker movie made by a bunch of stoners and B-actors not only made its money back, but helped shape American independent cinema.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The main characters receive (murderous) persecution for being counterculture bikers in the Deep South. In more modern times, "outlaw" culture has become embraced in the South, and bikers dressed like them wouldn't be seen as anything particularly noteworthy.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #88
** AFIS100Years100Songs:
*** #29, "Born To Be Wild"
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #84

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** Creator/RogerCorman turned down the chance to produce the film. He cited this as the worst decision he ever made.

** Peter Fonda and Creator/DennisHopper quarrelled continually during the shoot. As the film's producer, Fonda did his utmost to have co-star and director Hopper fired.
** A paranoid Hopper demanded that cameraman Barry Feinstein hand over all the footage he'd shot, so he could keep it safe in his room. An enraged Fernstein hurled the film cans at him, and the two got into a brawl and fell through the door of one of the motel rooms. They got up and stared at the sight of Fonda in bed with Karen Black and Toni Basil (though Black denied this). Fernstein wasn't distracted for long, and threw a television set at Hopper.

** Terry Southern had written the George Hanson part for his friend Creator/RipTorn. However, after Torn and Hopper nearly came to blows one night before production at a restaurant in New York, Creator/JackNicholson got cast instead, [[StarMakingRole and the rest is history]]. Nicholson declared about the shoot that "Everyone wanted to kill one another and put one another in institutions", while Karen Black described production as 'insane'.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film is a product of the late 1960s counterculture and it shows.

* SleeperHit: A NoBudget psychadelic biker made by a bunch of stoners and B-actors not only made its money back, but helped shape American independent cinema.

** Music/BobDylan was asked to contribute music, but was reluctant to use his own recording of "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)", so a version performed by Byrds frontman Roger [=McGuinn=] was used instead. Dylan was also asked by Peter Fonda to contribute a theme song, but instead scribbled a few lines on a napkin and handed them to Fonda, telling him "Give this to [=McGuinn=]. He'll know what to do with it." [=McGuinn=] used those lyrics to pen "The Ballad of Easy Rider".

** Music/BobDylan was asked to contribute music, but was reluctant to use his own recording of "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)", so a version performed by Byrds frontman Roger [=McGuinn=] was used instead.

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: In an interview with Creator/JayLeno on ''Series/{{The Tonight Show|WithJayLeno}}'', Hopper claimed Rip Torn was fired from ''Easy Rider'' and replaced by Nicholson (see What Could Have Been for more) because he pulled a knife on him at a bar during pre-production. Torn later sued Hopper, stating that Hopper pulled the knife and not him. Torn won the suit and Hopper was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands worth of damages.

** Rip Torn was to be cast in this movie instead of Creator/JackNicholson, but Torn got into a fight with Dennis Hopper during pre-production and left, resulting in his replacement by Nicholson. See RoleEndingMisdemeanor above for more. Creator/BruceDern was also considered for the role.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Peter Fonda and Creator/DennisHopper quarrelled continually during the shoot. As the film's producer, Fonda did his utmost to have co-star and director Hopper fired.

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: In an interview with Creator/JayLeno on ''Franchise/TheTonightShow'', Hopper claimed Rip Torn was fired from ''Easy Rider'' and replaced by Nicholson (see What Could Have Been for more) because he pulled a knife on him at a bar during pre-production. Torn later sued Hopper, stating that Hopper pulled the knife and not him. Torn won the suit and Hopper was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands worth of damages.

** During Creator/JackNicholson's "UFO" speech, Creator/DennisHopper was intent on getting him very stoned on marijuana. The laughing that eventually broke up his speech was not planned, and when Nicholson repeats the line "it . . . it . . . would be devastating . . . " it was the next take.

* TroubledProduction: Creator/DennisHopper and Creator/PeterFonda were constantly at odds with each other, the bikes were stolen (Fonda's declared motivation for his delivery of "We blew it") and Hopper proved to be a Prima Donna Director, eventually leading to the studio sending him on a paid vacation while they recut the film in his absence to a more manageable length (Hopper's original cut was 220 minutes long).
** Karen Black described the shoot as 'insane'. According to Creator/JackNicholson, "Everyone wanted to kill one another and put one another in institutions".

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/PeterFonda got the idea for this movie after seeing a picture of he and Creator/BruceDern on their motorcycles. He got Creator/DennisHopper (who was planning to get out of the acting business and become a teacher at the time) involved when he promised him he could direct the film.

** Creator/PeterFonda wanted Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash to do the soundtrack. Creator/DennisHopper refused, telling the band that anyone who drove around in limos as they did had no comprehension of the film, telling them, "If you guys try to get into the studio again, I may have to cause you some bodily harm".