White Lightning

"Meet the Bayou's baddest good ol' boy."

1973 1h 41m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 121

DramaActionCrime

Synopsis

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An ex-con teams up with federal agents to help them with breaking up a moonshine ring.

“Meet the Bayou's baddest good ol' boy.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Burt Reynolds
Bobby "Gator" McKlusky
Jennifer Billingsley
Lou
Ned Beatty
Sheriff J.C. Connors
Bo Hopkins
Ray Boone
Matt Clark
Dude Watson
Louise Latham
Martha Culpepper
Diane Ladd
Maggie
R.G. Armstrong
Big Bear

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph Sargent
Writers: William W. Norton
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

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Gator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph Sargent, shot by Edward Rosson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Burt Reynolds and Jennifer Billingsley and Ned Beatty carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Meet the Bayou's baddest good ol' boy.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0070915 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph Sargent directs. Edward Rosson behind the camera. Charles Bernstein scores. George Jay Nicholson cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

153 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Gator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Joseph Sargent, shot by Edward Rosson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Charles Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor George Jay Nicholson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Burt Reynolds and Jennifer Billingsley and Ned Beatty carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Meet the Bayou's baddest good ol' boy.".
8IMDB entry: tt0070915 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Edward Rosson
Original score: Charles Bernstein
Editing: George Jay Nicholson
Costume design: Michael Butler
Makeup / hair: Tom Ellingwood
Sound: Hal Watkins
Stunt coordinator: Hal Needham
Runtime: 101 min · 1h 41m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: White Lightning (1973)

Part of

Gator Collection

White Lightning is a 1973 American action film from United Artists about Robert "Gator" McKlusky. The film is the uncredited film debut of six-year-old Laura Dern. A sequel, Gator, was released in 1976 and is Burt Reynolds directorial debut.

Also by

Joseph Sargent

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-09-02
★ 7/10
Southern Gothic with Burt Reynolds and action A moonshiner on a prison farm in Arkansas, Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds), gets released early under the condition that he helps the Feds break a moonshining ring backed by a corrupt Sheriff (Ned Beatty), who also happens to be the murderer of Gator’s little brother. “White Lightning” (1973) is a Deep South crime drama/thriller that mixes “Deliverance” (1972) with Peck’s “I Walk the Line” (1970), adding elements of “Bullitt” (1968) and the early Dirty Harry flicks. “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977) took the basic idea and satirized it. The creators really captured the early 70’s Deep South with loads of sweat and believable characters played by Beatty, Bo Hopkins, Jennifer Billingsley, Matt Clark and R.G. Armstrong. “Walking Tall” (1973) is a good comparison. The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in Benton, Arkansas, and nearby parts (Keo, Scott, Little Rock, Wrightsville & Alexander). GRADE: B
JPV8522023-11-19
★ 6/10
Has some okay car chases/stunt work and Burt Reynolds is charming as usual, but the story never really clicked for me and I found my mind lingering. Personally I prefer spending that time watching Smokey and the Bandit again. Next I'll be checking out the sequel, Gator. 3.0/5