Convoy (1978)

Truckers form a mile long "convoy" in support of a trucker's vendetta with an abusive sheriff...Based on the country song of same title by C.W. McCall.

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

Bill Norton (screen story) (as B.W.L. Norton), Bill Norton (screenplay) (as B.W.L. Norton)

Stars:

Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Ernest Borgnine

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kris Kristofferson	...	Rubber Duck
Ali MacGraw	...	Melissa
Ernest Borgnine	...	Dirty Lyle / Lyle Wallace
Burt Young	...	Pig Pen
Madge Sinclair	...	Widow Woman
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Spider Mike
Brian Davies	...	Chuck Arnoldi
Seymour Cassel	...	Governor Haskins
Cassie Yates	...	Violet
Walter Kelley	...	Hamilton
Jackson D. Kane	...	Big Nasty (as J. D. Kane)
Billy Hughes	...	Pack Rat (as Billy E. Hughes)
Whitey Hughes	...	White Rat
Bill Coontz	...	Old Iguana (as Bill Foster)
Tommy J. Huff	...	Lizard Tongue (as Thomas Huff)

Storyline

While driving through the Arizona desert, Albuquerque based independent trucker Martin Penwald - who goes by the handle "Rubber Duck" - along with his fellow truckers "Pig Pen" and "Spider Mike", are entrapped by unscrupulous Sheriff Lyle "Cottonmouth" Wallace using a key tool of the trucker's trade, the citizens' band (CB) radio. Rubber Duck and Cottonmouth have a long, antagonistic history. When this encounter later escalates into a more physical one as Cottonmouth threatens Spider Mike, a man who just wants to get home to his pregnant wife, Rubber Duck and other the truckers involved, including Spider Mike, Pig Pen and "Widow Woman", go on the run, figuring the best thing to do being to head to New Mexico to avoid prosecution. Along for the ride is Melissa, a beautiful photographer who just wanted a ride to the airport. As news of what happened spreads over the CB airwaves, other truckers join their convoy as a show of support. Cottonmouth rallies other law enforcement officers ...

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Plot Keywords:

arizona desert | convoy | sheriff | truck driver | cb radio | 

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Taglines:

Kristofferson and MacGraw...ain't nothin' gonna get in their way!

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The famous scene where the tanker truck goes off a bridge and explodes was filmed in Needles, CA, on a one-way bridge over the Colorado River between Arizona and Needles. The Needles City Fire Department provided fire protection during this scene. The bridge was soon removed, as a new span connected the two sides of the river.

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Goofs

When Rubber Duck's truck falls from the bridge, the drive shaft to the rear axles is missing.

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Quotes

Sheriff Lyle Wallace aka Cottonmouth: I am the law. Don't you understand, I represent the law.
Rubber Duck: Well piss on ya, and piss on your law.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: ARIZONA (noon)

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Alternate Versions

the US region 1 DVD (released by Pacific Family Entertainment in 2004), is actually the same cut version that appeared on the UK DVD (missing the 3 mins).

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Connections

Featured in Todd's Pop Song Reviews: Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 1976 (2011)

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Soundtracks

I Cheated on a Good Woman's Love
Composed by Del Bryant
Onhisown Music BMI
Performed by Billy 'Crash' Craddock

User Reviews

70s American Epic

Great film! This was one of the few American films that got broadcasted on TV here in Hungary in the late 80s socialist era. I was about 8 then, and I remember, every kid played with Matchbox trucks and wanted to be a trucker...

But only now do I understand the essence of it... I think, this movie is the 70s epic of America - a kind of 'On the road put to film'. It deeply revolts against the conformism of the late 70s. After the 60s the rebellion of the "beat generation" slowly expired giving way to the "disco age". I think, Convoy brings back some of the finest ideas and emotions of the 60s, depicting numerous social-political-economic problems of the 70s...

Also, it has an even more important message: it is the revolt of the average citizen, or the working man against the political elite. They say, they have our - the people's - well being on our minds. And we might be dull enough to believe them... We work hard, while they stuff their own pockets with our money and have nothing on their minds but doing that and ways of being able to maintain their power. I think, that is an ever-present problem in each and every country, no matter rich or poor, democratic or dictatorical. So the true message of Convoy is: REAL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 June 1978 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Convoy

Filming Locations:

Estancia, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$22,765,081

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,765,081

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films, Robert M. Sherman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo (Japan theatrical release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1