Directed by:
Arthur RipleyCinematography:
Alan StensvoldComposer:
Jack MarshallCast:
Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry, Jacques Aubuchon, Keely Smith, Sandra Knight, James Mitchum, Mitchell Ryan, Peter Breck, Jerry Hardin, Trevor Bardette (more)Plots(1)
Transporting illegal alcohol over dark two-lane mountain highways, Lucas Doolin (Robert Mitchum) races wildly through the night, crashing road blocks and outrunning ambushes, defying anyone who triesto stop him. A man has a right to do anything, he says, including making whiskey, as long as he makes it on his own land. But when ruthless racketeers muscle in on Doolin's territoryand kill one of his men in the processthe Kentucky bootlegger declares war, fiercely determined to maintainhis hard-won business and independence... even if it costs him his life. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
The flashy title and synopsis promised a lot, I was looking forward to a high-octane thrilling spectacle and what I got was, well, snail-paced conversation, with one short minute chase and one car explosion. A seemingly insignificant Arthur Ripley film, but actually solidly directed by Robert Mitchum, who also wrote the story and once again showed what a badass he was (no offense, he was a real badass), next to which his real brother looks more like a teenage son, at least 25 years younger, with a bit of a wry expression. The acting ability of one, next to the acting "incompetence" of the other was like a punch in the face, you wouldn’t even say that they are siblings. But otherwise nothing against it, it was nice to watch, but I expected a lot more, considering how successful the film was in the States. The most interesting thing about it is the fact that Bruce Springsteen himself paid tribute to it in his son “Thunder Road”.
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