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IMDbPro

Thunder Road

  • 19581958
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,470
514
Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business. He has to battle big-city gangsters who are trying to take over the business and the police who are trying to put him in prison.
Play trailer2:05
1 Video
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaFilm-Noir
A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business. He has to battle big-city gangsters who are trying to take over the business and the... Read allA veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business. He has to battle big-city gangsters who are trying to take over the business and the police who are trying to put him in prison.A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business. He has to battle big-city gangsters who are trying to take over the business and the police who are trying to put him in prison.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,470
514
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Arthur Ripley
    • Writers
      • James Atlee Phillips(screenplay)
      • Walter Wise(screenplay)
      • Robert Mitchum(original story)
    • Stars
      • Robert Mitchum
      • Gene Barry
      • Jacques Aubuchon
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Arthur Ripley
    • Writers
      • James Atlee Phillips(screenplay)
      • Walter Wise(screenplay)
      • Robert Mitchum(original story)
    • Stars
      • Robert Mitchum
      • Gene Barry
      • Jacques Aubuchon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 73User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:05
    Trailer

    Photos130

    Gene Barry in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum and Sandra Knight in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum and Sandra Knight in Thunder Road (1958)
    Peter Breck and James Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum and James Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum and Gene Barry in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum and Keely Smith in Thunder Road (1958)
    Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)
    James Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Lucas Doolin
    Gene Barry
    Gene Barry
    • Troy Barrett
    Jacques Aubuchon
    Jacques Aubuchon
    • Carl Kogan
    Keely Smith
    Keely Smith
    • Francie Wymore
    Trevor Bardette
    Trevor Bardette
    • Vernon Doolin
    Sandra Knight
    Sandra Knight
    • Roxanna Ledbetter
    James Mitchum
    James Mitchum
    • Robin Doolin
    Betsy Holt
    • Mary Barrett
    Francis Koon
    • Sarah Doolin
    Randy Sparks
    • Guitarist
    Mitchell Ryan
    Mitchell Ryan
    • Jed Moultrie
    Peter Breck
    Peter Breck
    • Stacey Gouge
    Peter Hornsby
    • Lucky - Kogan's Henchman
    Jerry Hardin
    Jerry Hardin
    • Niles Penland
    Robert Porterfield
    • Preacher
    Charles Elledge
    • Jimmy
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Hendrix
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Christopher Mitchum
    Christopher Mitchum
    • Washboard Player
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Arthur Ripley
    • Writers
      • James Atlee Phillips(screenplay)
      • Walter Wise(screenplay)
      • Robert Mitchum(original story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      All of the "moonrunner" cars in the film had actually been used by moonshiners in the Asheville, NC, area, where the film was shot. The moonshiners sold the cars to the film company in order to buy newer and faster cars.
    • Goofs
      During the opening chase between Doolin and the Treasury agents, the agents are driving a 1957 Chevrolet with a grill mounted emergency light. However, in one scene of the chase, the car changes to a 1957 Ford without the emergency light. (This Ford was part of another chase later in the movie.) The Chevrolet then reappears for the rest of the chase.
    • 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.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Twilight Zone: The Prime Mover (1961)
    • Soundtracks
      Ballad of Thunder Road
      (uncredited)

      (Theme song)

      Composed by Robert Mitchum and Don Raye

    User reviews73

    Review
    Top review
    Best Drive-In Movie of the 50's
    Whatever the film lacks, which is a lot, focus on the imagery -- duelling hotrods, a dangling cigarette, and country two-lanes, along with a precious load of illegal booze, family honor, and a good woman. This is movie myth-making at its near purest, so what else could a ducktailed Elvis- clone of the 50's have wanted. Girls may have swooned over treacle like "A Summer Place", but hot-rodders packed this drive-in classic bumper to bumper. Sure, it's badly produced ($50 budget, tops), badly acted (even Mitchum struggles with the hopeless Keely Smith), and features one of the worst canvas backdrops on record (the water-wheel scene). Still it has the King of Cool gunning down the asphalt (don't let the sleepy eyes fool you), pits rugged individualism against angry collectivism (organized crime and big govn't), and opens with a throbbing title tune (composed and sung by Mitchum) -- topped by a look and feel unlike the usual Hollywood contrivance. And who can forget those forlorn headbeams searching their way through an existential void. The imagery was compelling and caught the edgy mood of a drive-in crowd feeling their own way through a world of teenage angst. Few would grow into the mythic shoes of road-warrior, Luke Doolin, but a lot sure wanted to try. Which is why this primitive slice of small-screen black-and-white continues to resonate, even into the big-screen myth-making of souped-up starships, evil empires, and computerized magic.
    helpful•6
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • Oct 26, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 10, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Jack O'Diamonds
    • Filming locations
      • Asheville, North Carolina, USA
    • Production company
      • D.R.M. Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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