Thunder Road (1958)

Director:

Arthur Ripley

Writers:

Robert Mitchum (story)
James Atlee Phillips (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

YOU'LL NEED SHOCK ABSORBERS! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Internal Revenue Service | Smuggling | White Lightning | Rural

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Lucas Doolin
Gene Barry	...	Troy Barrett, Treasury Agent
Jacques Aubuchon	...	Carl Kogan
Keely Smith	...	Francie Wymore
Trevor Bardette	...	Vernon Doolin
Sandra Knight	...	Roxanna Ledbetter
James Mitchum	...	Robin Doolin

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18919) (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1975) | Norway:16 | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Company:

D.R.M. Productions

Trivia:

All of the "moonrunner" cars in the film had actually been used by moonshiners in the Asheville, North Carolina, area, where the film was shot. The moonshiners sold the cars to the film company in order to buy newer and faster cars.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the sequence leading up to and including the explosion that kills Jed Moultrie and the Treasury agent, a dark-colored Mercury is seen parked at the gas pumps. It disappears briefly, only to reappear when Moultrie's car explodes.

Quotes:

Lucas Doolin: [talking on pay telephone] Hello, Kogan?... Doolin.
Carl Kogan: What's on your mind, Mr. Doolin?
Lucas Doolin: You. You're on my mind. You finally made the big mistake tonight, Kogan. Niles Penland was a mistake... Jethro Moultrie and Williams - that was a mistake, that was a big mistake, a bad mistake, but tonight you made the *big* mistake. You put your dirty, fat hands on my kid brother. I swore I'd *kill* anybody who tried to make him a whisky runner. I'm on my way into Memphis right now, and when I get there you're gonna find out that I meant *exactly* what I said.

Movie Connections:

Edited into They Saved Hitler's Brain (1963) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Whipoorwill

Thunder Road 50th Anniversary

I was 14 when I first viewed "Thunder Road" at a local drive In in North Georgia. It was in June 1958 after the movie was released in May of that year. The movie was an immediate smash hit with viewers that night, many of whom were in the "whiskey" business and who had taken the night off to see the film. After the show the exit from the drive in was blackened by the burning rubber left by many of the patrons leaving the premises, several of whom owned "whiskey cars" of equal or greater horsepower than those in the film. Since that night I have seen the movie many times and it always brings back great memories of the era. 2007 will be the 50th anniversary of the filming of the movie and 2008 will be the anniversary of its release date. Wouldn't it be interesting if someone or some company put together a 50th Anniversary Thunder Road event like the recreation of the cars in the movie along with special appearances at regional car shows, complete with car magazine articles and perhaps even a road test of the vintage autos. The re-release of the DVD to include the out takes would also be popular. Who knows what MGM and NASCAR could do with a team effort? WHB