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Thunder Road

Play trailer Poster for Thunder Road PG 1958 1h 32m Adventure Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin (Robert Mitchum) makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon (Trevor Bardette), but won't let his younger brother Robin (James Mitchum) join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett (Gene Barry), who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.
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Thunder Road

Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager Slant Magazine 05/01/2006
Southern drive-in staple Thunder Road is basically The Robert Mitchum Show. Go to Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee 02/23/2024
A fun example of how cool and influential a film can be without being particularly good. Go to Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap 05/29/2023
4/5
Robert Mitchum starred in, produced and wrote the story for this cult hit about a stampeding moonshine driver, and even got a hit song out of it. Go to Full Review John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) 05/15/2015
3/4
Bruce Springsteen borrowed its title and Burt Reynolds appropriated its anti-'revenooer' appeal, but just shy of its 60th anniversary, 'Thunder Road' remains very much the property of its actor-as-auteur leading man, Robert Mitchum. Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 09/25/2009
The world of moonshine transporters is keyed to Mitchum's fatalist-hobo wryness Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 06/20/2006
A
The ultimate road movie. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bud B @RT63561067 04/29/2025 Mitchem wrote it to make himself cool I guess. But he was over age 40 at that time but playing a much younger guy. If he had been in the Korean War as written, he must have been he'd have been too old for the military war. The ending was lame too. He is electrocuted in the crash but returns to the teenage girl and she walks off with his ghost. The movie led you to believe he wasn't in to her but instead the older bar singer, which was who he left 40k with.. What an ego. See more nick s @Nick_S 01/05/2024 This was a rather grim movie with few moments of levity or charm, but it was quite well put together. See more 12/14/2019 Great film! A must for Robert Mitchum fans, & anyone who enjoys old cars and a good story. See more 06/21/2019 Shows Ashville,NC as it was in 1958.Historical on moonshining.To me,the movie was very interesting.Reminds me of Junior Johnson and how Nascar got started! See more 09/17/2017 Robert Mitchell in his moonshine movie. Springsteen got his song title from this song. See more 08/08/2017 Good movie. Great cars. I would have been on the side of the whiskey runners. Sad end... why did Mitchum write it that way? See more Read all reviews
Thunder Road

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Cast & Crew

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Arthur Ripley

Director

Robert Mitchum

Lucas Doolin

Gene Barry

Troy Barrett

Jacques Aubuchon

Carl Kogan

Keely Smith

Francie Wymore

James Mitchum

Robin Doolin

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Thunder Road

Thunder Road (1958) Thunder Road (1958) Thunder Road (1958) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin (Robert Mitchum) makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon (Trevor Bardette), but won't let his younger brother Robin (James Mitchum) join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett (Gene Barry), who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.
Director
Arthur Ripley
Producer
Robert Mitchum
Screenwriter
Robert Mitchum, James Atlee Phillips, Walter Wise
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
D.R.M. Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 10, 1958, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$146.0K
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Mono
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