Stephen King’s first cameo was in the film of another horror legend

Currently, there are 71 adaptations of Stephen King’s works, but his first appearance on movie screens has nothing to do with them.

True horror movie lovers recognize the incredible talent of the late George A. Romero. However, his legacy is not only related to this genre. Before achieving success with Night of the Living Dead (1968)this cinema legend made numerous industrial short films and, at the beginning of the eighties, surprised the public with The Motorcycle Knights (1981)a very special film for Stephen King.

The production that links two horror geniuses

The Knights of the Motorcycle allowed two horror geniuses to be “working” together

In 1981, it premiered one of George A. Romero’s most ambitious projects. In addition to risky scenes full of tension and a good plot, The motorcycle knights They have is characterized by the correct development of their characters.

Ed Harris was tasked with taking on the lead role, as the king of the trope. It also features a starring role by Ken Foree, who would later return to work with Romero in Zombie (1978). Other names worth remembering from the cast are Tom Savini, and the young rookie who gave life to the Hoagie Man character: none other than Stephen King himself.

What is Knights of the Motorcycle about?

Through a direct approach, The motorcycle knights They expose the adventures of a gang of bikers dressed in the style of the Knights of the Round Table. This peculiar company organizes medieval fairs in each town they visit. In this way, locals have the possibility of living a Renaissance experience full of food, drinks, sales of crafts and music typical of the period, as well as witnessing jousts where horses are replaced by motorcycles.

Although tournaments are a real novelty, it is not just about their attire, but also about the rules that govern their lifestyle. We are talking about a traveling company that follows the rules followed by the men of Camelot, which allows them to gain popularity. Unfortunately, it is precisely the fame achieved that ends up complicating things.

The first collaboration between George A. Romero and Stephen King

This would become the first of many cameos for King.

Although we have seen him present in many cameos in the films that adapt the stories from his books – which, by the way, has added a new adaptation to the long list, while other adaptations are in the oven – and it is a role that is not very relevant, The motorcycle knights It represents Stephen King’s debut on movie screens.

As Hoagie Man, we see King sitting among the crowd enjoying the spectacle offered by the gentlemen on board their motorcycles. Without complications, he attracts attention both for his particular clothing, a cashmere shirt similar to the back of a baseball cap, and for the unpleasant way he eats. While he says his limited lines of dialogueKing greedily bites into a funnel causing pieces of hoagie to fall from his mouth.

This scene has another peculiarity that is worth mentioning, King’s wife also appears in the film. The lady sitting next to Hoagie Man, and who is credited as his wife, is actually Tabitha King.

King and Romero They met again during the filming of Creepshow (1983)a horror classic that has the script by the master of horror and his participation as the poor and condemned farmer, Jordy Verrill.

An indelible mark

Throughout his career, Romero brought to the screen productions that marked a milestone in the film industry. Likewise, his name is included in the list of the few directors who remained active until the time of his death.

In 2017, the world of cinema said goodbye to a real outsidera brilliant mind who never hesitated to expose his particular vision and showed special interest in breaking the stereotypes of the system that characterizes large studios.

Those who were lucky enough to work with Romero describe him as a brilliant, creative and very sociable person. During an interview, Ed Harris stated that he had very fond memories of his participation in The Knights of the MotorcycleAccording to him, the filming experience was great from start to finish.

In short, while Stephen King has had cameos in many film adaptations of his books, he probably The master of terror fondly remembers his participation in The motorcycle knightsafter all, not only was it his first appearance on the big screen, but it allowed him to work with another legend of the horror genre.

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