A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.
- Boyd Caswell
- (as Richard Peabody)
- Young Wife
- (as Terry Garr)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe federal Volstead Act did not prohibit drinking alcohol. It prohibited manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and import/export. It was left to the states to make laws to prohibit possession and consumption. All the states did, but Nevada's was repealed on state constitutional grounds.
- Goofs(at around 1h 20 mins) Frank Long leaves payment for his room on the hotel registry. The top $1 bill is a modern "small size" Federal Reserve Note with a green seal. The first of such notes went into circulation in 1963, some 30 years after the movie's prohibition era, which ended in 1933. When small size US currency replaced "large size" currency in 1928, all $1 bills were silver certificates displaying dark blue seals and serial numbers.
- Quotes
Mr. Baylor: If'n the law needs upholdin' in these parts, Mr. Frank Long, I uphold it, *I* take care of it.
Frank Long: You all confiscatin' whisky, Mr. Baylor?
Mr. Baylor: Well, I reckon you might say so - a swig at a time. Royce, give this ol' Long boy a sample of our white lightenin', will ya?
[Frank takes a swig]
Mr. Baylor: Right good stuff, huh, Mr. Long? Ah, it'd be a cryin' shame to throw that out in the ground just because some titless old women figure a feller oughtin' to drink that, wouldn't it? I'm askin' you now, wouldn't it?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Shooting the Moonshine War (1970)
Considering the times this film depicts, that is the closing days of Prohibition and in the depths of the Great Depression, it is also hard to take these characters too seriously, for after all they are all on the make in some way, which makes this so much fun to watch.
You don't give a damn who wins !!!!
Patrick McGoohan's character as a crooked G-Man is par for the course, and Richard Widmark's corrupt dentist with his little sexy bundle in tow and other hangers-on may not be your average Louisvillian, though I imagine he does need a fair amount of medicinal alcohol for his private use, especially around Derby Week !!! (After all, what's a Mint Julep without bourbon.)
Alan Alda is quite good as 'Son Martin', who is sitting on a fortune in moonshine, patiently waiting for repeal.
Add all the local color provided by a good supporting cast, and you have a watchable movie, though you do have all these Hollywood types trying to get by with bad Southern drawls and over-the-top acting.
One highlight is seeing a young Teri Garr strip naked at gunpoint,(at least I think it was her, since we had a brief rear view. Could have been a body double).
Best watched with a full jar !!!!
- pizzawarrior1956-1
- Nov 22, 2005
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Whisky brutal
- Filming locations
- Stockton, California, USA(location shooting)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1