Thunder Road (Full Screen): Amazon.ca: Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry, Jacques Aubuchon, Keely Smith, Trevor Bardette, Sandra Knight, James Mitchum, Peter Breck, Jerry Hardin, Charles Hendrix, Betsy Holt, Peter Hornsby, Alan Stensvold, David Ettenson, Arthur Ripley, James Atlee Phillips, Walter Wise: DVD

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Amazon.com Essential Video

The preeminent moonshine movie, the 1958 Thunder Road stars Robert Mitchum as a backwoods bootlegger in Tennessee, getting squeezed by both the federal government and organized crime. Mitchum had a big hand in creating this cult favorite (which reportedly played in drive-ins around America for years), writing the script, producing the movie, and even composing and singing the movie's theme song, which became a radio hit. Directed by longtime cinematographer Arthur Ripley, the film is strong on characters and action, the latter fulfilled by a memorable chase scene at the end. Mitchum was at an artistic peak at this point in his career, and this is really an indispensable movie for his fans. --Tom Keogh

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20 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
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Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Like A New Car With A Flat Tire, Nov 26 2007

By

Apollos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thunder Road (VHS Tape)

I got a nostalgic e-mail recently about classic cars and hot-rods of the 1950's - 60's, which is when I grew up. It was a great e-mail and it played car songs that were hits as you looked at each classic car image, songs like Little Deuce Coop, 409, Little GTO, and others. The last song played on it was THUNDER ROAD, the original song in the movie sung by none other than Robert Mitchum, himself. Listening to Robert Mitchum sing his "Ballad of Thunder Road" really got me revved up, because I had seen THUNDER ROAD not long after it came out and I LOVED all of those fast cars and fast-driving scenes in the movie.

But what I want to emphasize is -- I have ALWAYS linked the movie, "Thunder Road," with the ORIGINAL SONG sung by Robert Mitchum; it's an inseparable part of the whole effect of that classic movie. So I ordered the same reissue of the movie that's sold by Amazon (same cover), but from another source. And I have to admit that I was very angry when I waited for the original song, but instead, they had substituted some PUNY, amateurish sounding version of it, played only by a female singer strumming on a standard guitar... that was it!

SO BE AWARE THAT IF YOU ARE WANTING "THUNDER ROAD" WITH THE ORIGINAL SONG SUNG BY ROBT. MITCHUM... THIS MOVIE DOES * NOT * HAVE IT! Thus, my title above, "Like A New Car With A Flat Tire," it's a real let-down if you appreciate the movie as the classic it was when it was released.

I LOVE THE MOVIE, ITSELF. But they need to put a big notice where it is plainly visible on the cover of this reissue of the movie, and in every advertisement of it... that the original song by Robert Mitchum is NOT included in this reissued movie. It borders on fraud in my opinion because that song is half the reason I ordered the movie to begin with!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Robert Mitchum in a terrific tale., Feb 18 2009

By

Patricia M. Dryburgh (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thunder Road (Full Screen) (DVD)

I saw this for the first time as a child and loved it.
Don't miss it, if only to see Mitchum in a film alongside his younger brother, Jim Mitchum. Mitchum also wrote the title tune and sang it on the soundtrack.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Moonshine, moonshine, to quench the devil's thirst, May 6 2004

By

Steven Hellerstedt "SH" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thunder Road (Full Screen) (DVD)

IF you're a Robert Mitchum fan, it's almost impossible not to give THUNDER ROAD five stars. Heck, he even wrote and sang the title song.
Mitchum plays Lucas Doolin, a Korean War vet turned Kentucky moonshine runner, a man with "a machine gunner's outlook and death don't faze him much." Times are hard along Thunder Road, the revenuers from Alcohol and Tobacco are stepping up the pressure and a big city operator, Carl Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), is trying to buy out all the local moonshiners. Luke Doolin is the best runner out there, and when the revenuers & Kogan push, he pushes back.
The revenuers, personified by Troy Barrett (Gene Barry), want to shut down things and especially want help in capturing the big fish Kogan. At one point he even (mistakenly) tries to intimate Luke into cooperating. "I reckon you can do all you say," the sleepy-eyed Luke says after listening to Barrett's threats. "But first you got to catch me. If you can." Kogan's threat is more direct and lethal. He wants to buy out and build his empire. In other words, the moonshiners belong to a loose cooperative and Kogan is threatening a hostile takeover. Barrett tries to win through persuasion; Kogan's goons use guns.
THUNDER ROAD loves cars and driving. When we aren't underneath the souped-up '51 Ford's hood admiring the curves of its engine, we're speeding and chasing and crashing along the rural backroads. The chase scenes were probably pretty exciting for the time, although today they just look quaint and hokey.
Mitchum is, as always, excellent. In an interesting bit of casting, and perhaps as a nod to the dubious paternity in some areas of rural America, Mitchum's son James is cast as his brother Robin Doolin. The less said about his acting the better, but they do look an awful lot alike. Another interesting and somewhat wooden choice is the golden-throated Keely Smith as Mitchum's big city's girlfriend Francie Wymore. As a bonus to her fans, she sings a couple of songs.
THUNDER ROAD is a minor cult classic, most popular in the Appalachia region. I read an interesting bit of trivia from the IMDB site: Elvis Presley was originally offered the part of Robin Doolin, but Tom Parker put the kabosh on it. Now THAT would have been interesting.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Moonrunners Is Better
I Love This Movie So Much but in my opinion the sort of remake ala Thunder Road for the next generation is better entitled Moonrunners its the film The Dukes Of Hazzard was based... Read more

Published on Mar 12 2004 by Mrs. Barbara M. Muirhead

3.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Get Into It!
(...). This movie plods along at a snail's pace. I haven't been able to watch "Thunder Road" in one sitting EVER, simply because it is so boring. Read more

Published on Oct 15 2003 by SeaWasp