Thunder Road

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thunder Road is the title of a 1958 movie about running moonshine in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee in the early 1950s. It was directed by Arthur Ripley and starred Robert Mitchum. The film became a cult classic and continued to play at drive-in movie theaters in some southeastern markets through the 1970s and 1980s. Mitchum played an anti-hero and rebel against the goverment, which may have contributed to the film's popularity. In the film, he drove a hot-rodded 1950 Ford coupe with a custom tank in the back for moonshine.

Related Topics:
1958 - Movie - Moonshine - Mountain - Kentucky - Tennessee - 1950s - Arthur Ripley - Robert Mitchum - Cult classic - 1970s - 1980s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The film was based on a real incident in which a driver transporting moonshine crashed to his death on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, near what is now West Town Mall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Its theme song, sung by Mitchum, became a popular single record.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lyrics & recording: Ballad of Thunder Road

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thunder Road is also the title of a 1996 movie directed by Mix Ryan.

Related Topics:
1996 - Mix Ryan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Thunder Road" is also the lead song on Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album, Born to Run. Springsteen declared that he was somehow inspired from the movie even if he stated: "I never saw the movie, I only saw the poster".

Related Topics:
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen's - 1975 - Born to Run

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Thunder Road" was also the name of the home-made spaceship in the film Explorers starring Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. When asked how he came up with the name, one of the boys replies "It's from a Bruce Springsteen song".

Related Topics:
Explorers - Ethan Hawke - River Phoenix - Bruce Springsteen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~