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If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely remember the distinct whir of a VHS tape rewinding. Sitting on the living room floor, thumb hovering over the pause button, you studied every frame of flatland tricks and massive air jumps in the 1986 BMX coming-of-age drama Rad. Then, you ran outside to launch your bike off rickety ramps built from stolen neighborhood construction wood. And if you had a special someone, maybe you even tried to find a steep, grassy hill to recreate the legendary “ass-sliding” scene.
For countless kids, that was the magic of Rad. Directed by Smokey and the Bandit legend Hal Needham and propelled by a gnarly soundtrack, the film carved a permanent tire track into ‘80s pop culture.
At the center of it all was Cru Jones, the underdog hero played by Bill Allen. As Rad celebrates its 40th anniversary, Allen looks back at the film’s massive legacy and how growing up in Richardson shaped the grit and creative identity he brought to the screen.
Not Exactly Riding Around Richardson
Before he was popping wheelies in Hollywood, Allen was just a North Texas kid navigating the heavy expectations of the Bible Belt. He grew up right at the corner of Belt Line Road and Weatherred Drive, walking to Heights Elementary before heading off to Richardson High School — a school that also counts actress Morgan Fairchild among its illustrious alumni.
Allen’s rise was as unlikely and dazzling as any of Cru’s biggest tricks. He lost an older brother as a young teen, a moment that shifted his perspective and nudged him toward the healing power of performance.
“Thank God I found the arts,” he says, crediting that early heartbreak with inspiring him to pursue acting and music. Before he knew it, he was sharing scenes with Tab Hunter, George Clooney and José Ferrer in 1982’s And They’re Off, quickly adjusting to a life he never expected as a movie star.
Of course, Richardson seems to have a knack for producing luminaries. Allen jokes to the Observer, “Imagine, two guys from the same little corner of the planet: myself and Lance Armstrong. One is an international, legitimate bike icon, and the other one is Lance Armstrong.”
That sense of hometown pride — and the ability to laugh at himself — reflects the unique spirit Allen carried with him from North Texas to the big screen.
“Mostly you’re either into football or music growing up in Texas,” Allen says. “I was too little for football and wanted no part of the Friday Night Lights atmosphere that was so pervasive. I just kind of gravitated towards the music and became a fan of area artists like Stevie [Ray Vaughan], Bugs Henderson and Anson Funderburgh.”
But Allen’s story is not only about music and movies. It’s also about a restless search for belonging and authenticity.
“You don’t realize what it means to be Texan until you go somewhere else,” he says. “Coming from that part of the country, you just have an attitude. It’s like explaining water to a fish. You’re surrounded by it. You don’t know anything else. And then when you go to other places, there’s not that kind of Texas pride or pride of ownership of who you are as a human being and what you have to offer. There’s a certain grit that comes with that. It’s just so much a part of my being. I can’t imagine myself without it.”
That grit translated perfectly to the character of Cru Jones, a determined underdog racing against corporate-sponsored pros on the hellish BMX battlefield known as Helltrack. Ironically, the man who became an international BMX icon wasn’t even allowed a bicycle as a child.
“My parents thought it was dangerous because [the bikes] were Stingrays, and they were dangerous,” Allen laughs. “What it did to me was make me go, ‘I want to be the guy on the bike. I need this.’ And now I’m among the most celebrated BMXers on the planet. Is it fair? Nope. I can do about two tricks with a gun to my head. But that’s just the power of Hollywood.”
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Looking Back on A Legacy
To pull off Rad’s jaw-dropping stunts, director Hal Needham brought in the best BMX riders in the world, including Eddie Fiola, Allen’s primary double. The seamless transitions between Allen’s acting and Fiola soaring through the sky stand as a tribute to practical movie magic. Needham even left real, unplanned wipeouts in the final cut, paying homage to the unpredictability and danger of real BMX riding.
“People don’t want to believe that actors are just acting and that there’s not an actor out there in action movies that doesn’t have stunt doubles,” Allen says. “But since I’m only known as Cru Jones, for some reason, people think I’m actually that guy. And you know what? That’s fun, too.”
And it’s not just the stunts or scenery that fans remember; it’s that unmistakable ‘80s spirit. The joy of boogying with Lori Loughlin’s character to Real Life’s “Send Me an Angel,” or bracing for the finish line with John Farnham’s “Thunder in Your Heart,” are the moments that etched Rad into the hearts of a generation. The film provided every BMX-loving kid with not just a hero, but also the belief that an outsider from anywhere — even Richardson — could take on the world and win.
Four decades later, Rad is more than just a cult classic. It is a time capsule of pure, unadulterated joy. It reminds us of a time when a kid with a bike and a dream could conquer the world. For Allen, looking back from the vantage point of his 60s, the film represents the wild, dreamlike journey from the quiet streets of Richardson to the glowing heights of Hollywood. His story, like Cru’s, is one of reinvention, resilience and never letting go of where you came from.
You can celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rad in theaters. Due to popular demand, Fathom Entertainment has extended its annual “Rad Day” screenings to March 24. So, pedal to your local participating theaters, including AMC NorthPark, Cinemark Dallas XD, AMC DINE-IN Mesquite and Alamo Drafthouse in Las Colinas.
