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I received this from a local friend and decided to share this with some of our members in email. Then I got some additional information back regarding this movie, so I have decided to post the link here and that additional information so more could enjoy this old movie, starring Robert Mitchum. First the initial information I received.
"I found the entire movie classic on youtube & the link is below. The song, "Thunder Road" with Mitchum singing is attached in mp3 format. (My note: if you want the song, email me and I can send it to you) This was the 2nd Robert Mitchum version of the song. This version was the popular one that we used to hear on the radio.
Mitchum's 1st version of that song wasn't nearly as good, IMHO. I didn't like the way he pronounced "engine." He sang that word pronouncing the "i" as a "long i" like it sounds in the word "whine" instead of the way we pronounce "engine" with the "in" sounding like the word "in." So much for that trivia.
)
Here's the movie. It runs for 1 Hour, 32 minutes:
It's a bit "corny" by today's standards but the old cars are cool. There are many bloopers in this old movie but the production crew did the best they could with the $$ they had. Notice Robert Mitchum always smoking and striking his matches on his pants! I used to try that and burned my Levi's. LOL
They actually wanted Elvis to star in Mitchum's role but ol' Col. Tom Parker, Elvis' agent, wanted too much $$ for that so Mitchum played that star role.
Have fun going back in time...................Tony"
Now here is the additional information that was sent me by a couple of our members. First, this from Eric Taylor.
"Much of the movie was filmed very close to my home town of Asheville NC and a few surrounding small towns.
You can still drive under one of the old bridges that is shown in the car chase.The old log cabins are still there too.
When something like this comes up my buddy and I say we are going to go up to the bridge and take a pic with one of our old cars - but like now - neither of our old cars is running - plus it's a really blind curve now so pretty dangerous to stop more than a minute. Cool - Eric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Road
Production:
In the film, Mitchum drove a souped-up 1951 Ford 2-door sedan hot-rod with a custom tank in the back for moonshine and later a 1957 Ford coupe with the same alterations. The '51 Ford was modified with a '49 hood and grill and the rear taillight trim was removed. The film's dialogue refers to the car as a '50, but it is not, although at least one exterior shot, when the car spills oil on the road, is of the trunk of a '50.
Most of the scenes were filmed in Asheville, North Carolina Highway 16 and others at Lake Lure. Some scenes were filmed in Beech, east of Weaverville. Scenes include Reems Creek Road, Sugar Creek Road and the Beech Community Center. Some scenes were actual local moonshine drivers shot with a camera mounted on a pickup tailgate."
Then John Goulet sent me this.
"When I was a kid, my father and I would stay up once every few years until 11:30 at night so we could watch Thunder Road on TV (back in the preCable, 3 channel days). Almost the same time, Dad got a '58 TBird, laying the ground for me buying one 10 years ago.
The movie is actually a good view of post WWII mountain country, especially the Scottish immigrants and their descendents.
The singer that he courts in the movie is Keely Smith ( "Francie" in the movie) who has had a long and successful career and is still living in Florida with an excellent voice.
The follow up to this is how all this hidden talent eventually led to the early days of NASCAR thanks to guys like Junior Johnson and other ex booze runners."
So there ya go!
"I found the entire movie classic on youtube & the link is below. The song, "Thunder Road" with Mitchum singing is attached in mp3 format. (My note: if you want the song, email me and I can send it to you) This was the 2nd Robert Mitchum version of the song. This version was the popular one that we used to hear on the radio.
Mitchum's 1st version of that song wasn't nearly as good, IMHO. I didn't like the way he pronounced "engine." He sang that word pronouncing the "i" as a "long i" like it sounds in the word "whine" instead of the way we pronounce "engine" with the "in" sounding like the word "in." So much for that trivia.
)Here's the movie. It runs for 1 Hour, 32 minutes:
It's a bit "corny" by today's standards but the old cars are cool. There are many bloopers in this old movie but the production crew did the best they could with the $$ they had. Notice Robert Mitchum always smoking and striking his matches on his pants! I used to try that and burned my Levi's. LOL
They actually wanted Elvis to star in Mitchum's role but ol' Col. Tom Parker, Elvis' agent, wanted too much $$ for that so Mitchum played that star role.
Have fun going back in time...................Tony"
Now here is the additional information that was sent me by a couple of our members. First, this from Eric Taylor.
"Much of the movie was filmed very close to my home town of Asheville NC and a few surrounding small towns.
You can still drive under one of the old bridges that is shown in the car chase.The old log cabins are still there too.
When something like this comes up my buddy and I say we are going to go up to the bridge and take a pic with one of our old cars - but like now - neither of our old cars is running - plus it's a really blind curve now so pretty dangerous to stop more than a minute. Cool - Eric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Road
Production:
In the film, Mitchum drove a souped-up 1951 Ford 2-door sedan hot-rod with a custom tank in the back for moonshine and later a 1957 Ford coupe with the same alterations. The '51 Ford was modified with a '49 hood and grill and the rear taillight trim was removed. The film's dialogue refers to the car as a '50, but it is not, although at least one exterior shot, when the car spills oil on the road, is of the trunk of a '50.
Most of the scenes were filmed in Asheville, North Carolina Highway 16 and others at Lake Lure. Some scenes were filmed in Beech, east of Weaverville. Scenes include Reems Creek Road, Sugar Creek Road and the Beech Community Center. Some scenes were actual local moonshine drivers shot with a camera mounted on a pickup tailgate."
Then John Goulet sent me this.
"When I was a kid, my father and I would stay up once every few years until 11:30 at night so we could watch Thunder Road on TV (back in the preCable, 3 channel days). Almost the same time, Dad got a '58 TBird, laying the ground for me buying one 10 years ago.
The movie is actually a good view of post WWII mountain country, especially the Scottish immigrants and their descendents.
The singer that he courts in the movie is Keely Smith ( "Francie" in the movie) who has had a long and successful career and is still living in Florida with an excellent voice.
The follow up to this is how all this hidden talent eventually led to the early days of NASCAR thanks to guys like Junior Johnson and other ex booze runners."
So there ya go!
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