White Lightning (1973)
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- PG
- 1h 41min
- Action, Crime
- 22 Oct 1973 (Sweden)
- Movie
A prisoner is released from custody on the condition that he becomes a stool pigeon for the FBI to help them incriminate a corrupt sheriff.
Director:
Writer:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Burt Reynolds | ... |
Gator McKlusky
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| Jennifer Billingsley | ... |
Lou
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| Ned Beatty | ... |
Sheriff J.C. Connors
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| Bo Hopkins | ... |
Roy Boone
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| Matt Clark | ... |
Dude Watson
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| Louise Latham | ... |
Martha Culpepper
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| Diane Ladd | ... |
Maggie
(as Diane Lad)
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| R.G. Armstrong | ... |
Big Bear
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| Conlan Carter | ... |
Deputy
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| Dabbs Greer | ... |
Pa McKlusky
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| Lincoln Demyan | ... |
Warden
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| John Steadman | ... |
Skeeter
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| Iris Korn | ... |
Ma McKlusky
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Stephanie Burchfield | ... |
Jenny
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Barbara Muller | ... |
Louella
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| Robert Ginnaven | ... |
Harvey
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Fay Martin | ... |
Sister Linda Fay
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Richard Allin | ... |
Treasury Agent
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Bill Bond | ... |
Treasury Agent
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| Sherry Boucher | ... |
Sherry Lynne
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| Glenn R. Wilder | ... |
Junior
(as Glenn Wilder)
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| Dick Ziker | ... |
Highway Patrol
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| Buddy Joe Hooker | ... |
Highway Patrol
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Cathy Finley | ... |
Student
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Laura Dern | ... |
Sharon Anne (uncredited)
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Bob Meriwether | ... |
Treasury Agent (uncredited)
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| Lia Sargent | ... |
Unwed mother (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Joseph Sargent | ||
Written by
| William W. Norton | ... | (written by) (as William Norton) |
Produced by
| Arthur Gardner | ... | producer |
| Arnold Laven | ... | producer (uncredited) |
| Jules V. Levy | ... | producer |
Music by
| Charles Bernstein | ||
Cinematography by
| Edward Rosson | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| George Jay Nicholson | ... | (as George Nicholson) |
Casting By
| Ross Brown | ||
Set Decoration by
| Eric Gorder | ... | (uncredited) |
Makeup Department
| Tom Ellingwood | ... | makeup artist |
| Marlene Kolstad | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
| Elliot Schick | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Mel Efros | ... | second assistant director |
| Hal Needham | ... | second unit director |
| Edward Teets | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Tom Fairbanks | ... | property master |
| Craig Binkley | ... | assistant property master (uncredited) |
| Tom Jung | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Donald F. Johnson | ... | sound (as Don Johnson) |
| Marvin Kerner | ... | sound effects editor (as Marv Kerner) |
| John Lipow | ... | sound effects editor |
| Hal Watkins | ... | sound re-recordist |
| Kenneth Schwarz | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Cliff Wenger | ... | special effects |
Stunts
| Buddy Joe Hooker | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Hal Needham | ... | stunt coordinator (uncredited) / stunt double: Burt Reynolds (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited) |
| Glenn R. Wilder | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Dick Ziker | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Jack L. Richards | ... | photographer: second unit (as Jack Richards) |
| Warren Burke Gerrard | ... | best boy (uncredited) |
| John Isaacs | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
| Edmond L. Koons | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| Ken Mazawa | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Walter Nichols | ... | rigging gaffer (uncredited) |
| Ed Nielsen | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Phil Segura | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Lonnie Stewart | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| Frank Tureen | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Gary Van Auken | ... | key grip (uncredited) |
| Joseph Viveros | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| Paul Vombrack | ... | camera operator: Chicago (uncredited) |
| Julian Wilson | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Michael Butler | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
Location Management
| Jean Gingerich | ... | location auditor (uncredited) |
Music Department
| John Caper Jr. | ... | music editor |
| John Audino | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Israel Baker | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Robert Berg | ... | musician: viola (uncredited) |
| Byron Berline | ... | musician: mandolin (uncredited) |
| Hal Blaine | ... | musician: drums, percussion (uncredited) |
| Hoyt Bohannon | ... | musician: trombone (uncredited) |
| James Burton | ... | musician: guitar, banjo (uncredited) |
| Al Casey | ... | musician: guitar, banjo (uncredited) |
| Buddy Childers | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Gene Cipriano | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| David H. Cohen | ... | musician: guitar, banjo (uncredited) |
| Vince De Rosa | ... | musician: french horn (uncredited) |
| David Duke | ... | musician: french horn (uncredited) |
| Victor Feldman | ... | musician: drums, percussion (uncredited) |
| Justin Gordon | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| Ralph Grierson | ... | musician: keyboards, piano (uncredited) |
| William Hinshaw | ... | musician: french horn (uncredited) |
| The Hollywood Studio Symphony | ... | music performed by (uncredited) |
| Davida G. Jackson | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Plas Johnson | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| Nathan Kaproff | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Carol Kaye | ... | musician: bass (uncredited) |
| Ronny Lang | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| Cappy Lewis | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Virginia Majewski | ... | musician: viola (uncredited) |
| Lincoln Mayorga | ... | musician: keyboards, piano (uncredited) |
| Tommy Morgan | ... | musician: harmonica (uncredited) |
| Richard Nash | ... | musician: trombone (uncredited) |
| Ted Nash | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| Jack Nimitez | ... | musician: woodwinds (uncredited) |
| Joe Porcaro | ... | musician: drums, percussion (uncredited) |
| Emil Richards | ... | musician: drums, percussion (uncredited) |
| George Roberts | ... | musician: trombone (uncredited) |
| Sid Sharp | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Tony Terran | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Milton Thomas | ... | musician: viola (uncredited) |
| Ian Underwood | ... | musician: keyboards, piano (uncredited) |
| Ken Watson | ... | musician: drums, percussion (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Natalie Drache | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Transportation Department
| Paul Casella Jr. | ... | transportation coordinator |
| Rudy Beilicke | ... | driver: Cinemobile (uncredited) |
| Jerry F. Johnson | ... | transportation driver (uncredited) |
| Hank Nesel | ... | transportation driver (uncredited) |
| Howard A. Small | ... | transportation driver (uncredited) |
| James Womack | ... | transportation driver (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| James R. Rokos | ... | assistant to producers (as James Rokos) |
| Millie Rorke | ... | assistant to producers |
| Connie Bixler | ... | travel coordinator (uncredited) |
| Stanley Brooks | ... | disbursing agent: UA (uncredited) |
| Sherry Meller | ... | secretary to director (uncredited) |
| Teresa Stokovic | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
| Arthur Wilde | ... | unit publicist (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- United Artists (1973) (United States) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1973) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1973) (Norway) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1973) (Japan) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1973) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- C.B. Films S.A. (1974) (Spain) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1974) (Greece) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1975) (United States) (tv) (network television)
- United Artists (A-Asia) (1976) (Australia) (theatrical)
- CBS (1977) (United States) (tv) (network television)
- Magnetic Video (1981) (United States) (VHS)
- RCA Selectavision Videodiscs (1982) (United States) (video) (CED)
- Warner Home Video (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Esselte CIC Video (1983) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Audio Visual Enterprises (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- Sterling de Servicios (1988) (Spain) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- TGG Direct (2012) (United States) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2014) (United States) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2014) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- NSM Records (2021) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- NSM Records (2021) (Germany) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2023) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- Warner Home Video (1982) (Australia) (video)
Special Effects
- Westheimer Company (optical effects)
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
- Westheimer Company (titles)
- Cinemobile System (locations)
- Goldstar Recording Studios (music recorded at)
- United Recorders (music recorded at)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Good ol' Southern boy Gator McKlusky has served four years of his five-year prison sentence for moonshining, up to this point a model prisoner. When he learns that his younger brother, college student and activist Donny McKlusky, was murdered, his bound dead body found in a Bogan County Lake, he is able to convince the authorities to release him early in return for him finding evidence against the suspected culprit, Bogan County Sheriff J.C. Connors, not for the murder of which they have no idea of the McKluskys' suspicions against Connors, but concerning an active but somewhat cold IRS file, namely yet unproven but well-known unreported lucrative profits in bilking moonshiners. They also know that the sheriff is crooked in other ways, but the IRS only has the jurisdiction on the tax evasion issue. They provide Gator with a souped-up car fit for moonshine runs that would be able to outrun almost any on road vehicle, and a contact in Bogan County: Dude Watson, a mechanic who has no option but to cooperate despite his own fears about Connors, in he being a con on probation, the conditions which they know he has broken. In turn, Dude is able to set Gator up with moonshiner Roy Boone to infiltrate the business in the county as one of his runners. The IRS's goal, which has its inherent risks for Gator in him needing to provide names of moonshiners, is secondary for Gator, who just wants to avenge Donny's murder. But Gator could have bigger problems if the Sheriff gets wind that the Feds are after him via Gator and/or Dude, they or anyone connected to them possibly ending up like Donny if he has his way. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | WHITE LIGHTNING never strikes twice - 'cause once is enough! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | This was originally slated to be Steven Spielberg's first theatrical feature and he spent over two months on pre-production. He then decided he did not want to do this film and quit to go do The Sugarland Express (1974). See more » |
| Goofs | When Gator is trying out the 1971 Ford Galaxie he was given by the federal agents, you see him working a manual gear shift on the floor. Throughout the scene Gator up-shifts and downshifts. However, when he arrives at his parents' home, you see him place the car in park on the steering wheel, which is likely an automatic transmission. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-in Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 2 (1996). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Way Down Under See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Diane Ladd's name is misspelled as DIANE LAD in the opening and closing credits. See more » |
| Quotes |
Vinnie Carruthers:
What happened to you? Gator McKlusky: I was tryin' to save these two buddies of mine from getting knocked up by a homosexual. Vinnie Carruthers: Oh, praise God! See more » |