1979’s Mad Max features a real gang of outlaw bikers, one that struck just as terrifying an image in real life as they did in the film. Mad Max was the micro-budgeted directorial debut of George Miller, an Australian doctor who wanted to try his hand at filmmaking. Set in Australia in the midst of societal collapse from oil shortages, the movie follows a highway cop who embarks on a revenge mission after a biker gang attacks his family. Mad Max, which was filmed in Victoria, Australia, was partly inspired by the ongoing oil crisis. The apocalyptic release also drew from Miller’s own emergency room experiences with motorcycle injuries.

Miller and his team made numerous risky choices in order to get the low-budget Mad Max made. Many of these bold decisions enhance the gritty immediacy of the apocalyptic film. One such choice involved the hiring of real motorcycle gangs to work on the movie. While this could easily have ended in disaster for Miller, the final product speaks for itself. Mad Max grossed over $100 million on a budget of around $350,000, making it the most profitable film ever made for more than 20 years.

Mad Max Used Real Biker Gangs (With Their Own Bikes)

While the head of Mad Max’s biker gang, Toecutter, was played by Australian actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, the rest of Toecutter’s gang was made up of the real biker gang, The Vigilantes. The group joined the production after Miller posted an ad in a bike shop window. Two other motorcycle gangs, The Barbarians and The Victorian Four Owners Club, were also recruited to fill various biker roles in the film. While the Mad Max production did hire a few professional stunt people, a good deal of the film’s motorcycle stunts were performed by The Vigilantes on their own bikes.

In the words of Mad Max actor Tim Burns, “They all wanted to ride the bikes as fast as possible, as often as possible, by their nature” (via Motorcycle News). Many sequences involving donuts, precision riding, and high-speed driving were performed by The Vigilantes. The film’s cinematographer, David Eggby, recalled strapping himself and his heavy camera to the back of the Vigilantes’ president to capture a sequence wherein the character Goose tears down the road at dangerous speeds. Unsurprisingly, the biker took the opportunity to push his own bike to extreme speeds, reaching 110mph, while Eggby clung on without a helmet.

Mad Max’s Biker Gangs Are Crucial To The Movie

Mad Max received overwhelmingly positive reviews on top of its economic success. Numerous critics praised the film’s gritty, punk sensibility for its striking authenticity. While future Mad Max films surpassed the original in terms of plot, budget, and world-building, the roughness and sincerity of this micro-budgeted outing shined through in every frame. Had the film been able to afford professional actors and stunt doubles for the biker gangs, it would have boasted a higher level of technical proficiency. However, it also would have lost some of the manic energy that sells the production’s setting as a lawless wasteland.

Furthermore, the biker gangs’ experience with extensive riding allowed the film to achieve a greater sense of practical authenticity. Keays-Byrne spent three days riding 550 miles in full costume alongside The Vigilantes to get into character. The actor picked up numerous details on the ride, including the need to carry enough equipment to camp wherever they stopped, as well as how to slide his character’s enormous ax into the structure of the bike so that it wouldn’t accidentally kill him. Such details carried over into the production of the movie, giving the world of Mad Max a lived-in feel that helped bring its apocalyptic setting to life.