Thunder Road

"More Savage Than The Tommy-Gun Massacre of the Roaring Twenties...TODAY'S BILLION-DOLLAR WHISKEY WAR!"

1958 1h 32m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 62

CrimeActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon, but won't let his younger brother Robin join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan, who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett, who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.

“More Savage Than The Tommy-Gun Massacre of the Roaring Twenties...TODAY'S BILLION-DOLLAR WHISKEY WAR!”

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Cast

Robert Mitchum
Lucas Doolin
Gene Barry
Troy Barrett
Jacques Aubuchon
Carl Kogan
Keely Smith
Francie Wymore
Trevor Bardette
Vernon Doolin
Sandra Knight
Roxanna Ledbetter
James Mitchum
Robin Doolin
Betsy Holt
Mary Barrett (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arthur Ripley
Writers: James Atlee Phillips, Walter Wise, Robert Mitchum
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arthur Ripley, shot by David Ettenson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Marshall. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Mitchum and Gene Barry and Jacques Aubuchon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "More Savage Than The Tommy-Gun Massacre of the Roaring Twenties...TODAY'S BILLION-DOLLAR WHISKEY WAR!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052293 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 62 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arthur Ripley directs. David Ettenson behind the camera. Jack Marshall scores. Harry Marker cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Arthur Ripley, shot by David Ettenson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jack Marshall. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Robert Mitchum and Gene Barry and Jacques Aubuchon carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "More Savage Than The Tommy-Gun Massacre of the Roaring Twenties...TODAY'S BILLION-DOLLAR WHISKEY WAR!".
7IMDB entry: tt0052293 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 62 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "bootlegger", "war veteran", "car mechanic", "hot rod".

The technical file

Cinematography: David Ettenson
Original score: Jack Marshall
Editing: Harry Marker
Makeup / hair: Carlie Taylor
Stunt coordinator: Carey Loftin
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Thunder Road (1958)

Also by

Arthur Ripley

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-05-25
★ 6/10
"Doolin" (Robert Mitchum) returns from war to find a city hoodlum "Kogan" (Jacques Aubuchon) trying to muscle in on their family moonshine business. His return also doesn't go unnoticed by the local police (Gene Barry) and so he hasn't his problems to seek. Though the story here isn't really up to much, the film has a distinctly stylish look to it. Mitchum looks at ease with the part - and it's strange the scenes he shares with real-life son "James" (playing his younger brother "Rob" here) as the youngster determines he wants to help his hard-nosed sibling out. Loads of driving means loads of cars, dark country roads and moody photography as the ninety minutes progresses along fairly predicable lines to quite a fitting conclusion. Both Mitchum's here exude a coolness that adds spice to this and though it's still not a film you will remember for the plot, it's one you might recall for considering just how we all might have felt when young and hormonal with a denim jacket and a cigarette.

Production companies