Thunder Road

Robert Mitchum made the plunge into independent production with this pioneering drama of moonshiners brewing illicit whisky. He researched the subject, provided the story, put his son James into a key supporting role, and hired an obscure and aged director with a penchant for surrealism, Arthur Ripley. He even wrote song lyrics for the movie. Filming on location in Kentucky used as many locals and real settings as possible and extended way over the low-budget schedule. The movie, which became a cult favourite in Deep South drive-ins, is a real mess with obvious technical problems and some inept acting. Still, it perfectly reflects Mitchum's relaxed outlook and is very much one of a kind.