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The Moonshine War ()

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A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.
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Cast verified as complete

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Frank Long
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Dr. Emmett Taulbee
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John W. (Son) Martin
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Lizann Simpson
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Mr. Baylor
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Aaron
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Miley Mitchell
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Dual Metters
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Mr. Worthman
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Arley Stamper
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Lowell
Dick Peabody ...
Boyd Caswell (as Richard Peabody)
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E.J. Royce
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Bud Blackwell
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Mr. McClendon
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Young Wife (as Terry Garr)
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Young Man
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Carl
Patty Sauers ...
Waitress
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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The Neighbor (uncredited)
Carl D. Parker ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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The Neighbor (uncredited)

Directed by

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Richard Quine

Written by

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Elmore Leonard ... (screenplay by)
 
Elmore Leonard ... (based on his novel)

Produced by

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Leonard Blair ... associate producer
James C. Pratt ... associate producer
Martin Ransohoff ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Fred Karger

Cinematography by

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Richard H. Kline ... director of photography

Editing by

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Allan Jacobs

Casting By

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Leonard Murphy

Art Direction by

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Edward C. Carfagno
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by

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Robert R. Benton
Hugh Hunt

Costume Design by

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Edmund Kara

Makeup Department

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Jean Austin ... hair stylist
Allan Snyder ... makeup artist
William Tuttle ... makeup artist

Production Management

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James T. Vaughn ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Dick Crockett ... second unit director
Mickey McCardle ... assistant director

Art Department

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Frank Wesselhoff ... painter (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Franklin Milton ... recording supervisor
Jerry Whittington ... sound effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts

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Dick Crockett ... stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron ... stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Hice ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Jerry Whittington ... electrician

Music Department

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Neal Hefti ... composer: additional music (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Esther Stephenson ... script supervisor
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

In Prohibition-era Kentucky, Internal Revenue agent Frank Long figures he could make a dishonest buck by squeezing the moonshine producers. First, he targets an old army buddy, John Martin aka Son, and demands a cut of the moonshine profits in exchange for looking the other way. However, with Prohibition rumored to soon come to an end, Son figures he could refuse Frank's offer and wait until after the federal elections that promise to legalize alcohol production. Annoyed by Son's refusal, Frank lodges himself in a local hotel and starts a daily harassment routine against Son and other local moonshiners. Faced with an armed response from the outraged moonshiners, Frank realizes he is outgunned and outnumbered. He decides to call-in hired help, Dr. Emmett Taulbee and his gunman Dual Metters, two unscrupulous gangsters from the big city. However, Frank and the two gangsters fail to intimidate Son and the other moonshiners. The local town lawman, Sheriff Baylor, is friendly to the moonshiners and frequently 'samples' their product. Fed-up with the situation, Dr. Emmett Taulbee appeals to his gangster friends from the East who arrive armed-to-the-teeth in town. As a federal agent, Frank cannot condone any killing and he asks Taulbee and his gangster friends to refrain from killing anyone. The only shooting allowed is that of the moonshine stills. Nevertheless, things get out of hand when the gangsters kill the sheriff and his deputy. When Frank protests the killings, Taulbee tells him to get lost. Now unwilling to share any profits with Frank, Taulbee chases Frank out of town and aims to confiscate all the moonshine for himself and his gangsters. He targets Son's farm first because it hides the largest stash of moonshine casks, worth tens of thousands of dollars. Expecting this, Son fortifies his farm with barbed-wire, sand-bags, booby-traps and firing positions. When Taulbee and his men converge on Son's farm, Son and his employee Aaron try to defend it. Having second thoughts about leaving town and full of remorse, Frank decides to join Son and help him fight off Taulbee's gang. Written by nufs68

Plot Keywords
Taglines 1932: The Moonshine War. The 18th amendment prohibited drinking. It didn't say a word about killing, double-crossing or blowing things up. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • 1932: The Moonshine War (New Zealand, English title)
  • La guerre des bootleggers (France)
  • La guerra del whisky (Spain)
  • El infierno del whisky (Spain)
  • Guerra de Contrabandistas (Brazil)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 100 min
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Color
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Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia The federal Volstead Act did not prohibit drinking alcohol. It prohibited manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and import/export. It was left to the states to make laws to prohibit possession and consumption. All the states did, but Nevada's was repealed on state constitutional grounds. See more »
Goofs (at around 1h 20 mins) Frank Long leaves payment for his room on the hotel registry. The top $1 bill is a modern "small size" Federal Reserve Note with a green seal. The first of such notes went into circulation in 1963, some 30 years after the movie's prohibition era, which ended in 1933. When small size US currency replaced "large size" currency in 1928, all $1 bills were silver certificates displaying dark blue seals and serial numbers. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Shooting the Moonshine War (1970). See more »
Soundtracks Love Brings Love See more »
Quotes Mr. Baylor: If'n the law needs upholdin' in these parts, Mr. Frank Long, I uphold it, *I* take care of it.
Frank Long: You all confiscatin' whisky, Mr. Baylor?
Mr. Baylor: Well, I reckon you might say so - a swig at a time. Royce, give this ol' Long boy a sample of our white lightenin', will ya?
[Frank takes a swig]
Mr. Baylor: Right good stuff, huh, Mr. Long? Ah, it'd be a cryin' shame to throw that out in the ground just because some titless old women figure a feller oughtin' to drink that, wouldn't it? I'm askin' you now, wouldn't it?
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