White Lightning (1973 film)

White Lightning
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Produced by Arthur Gardner
Jules V. Levy
Written by William W. Norton
Starring Burt Reynolds
Ned Beatty
Bo Hopkins
Music by Charles Bernstein
Cinematography Edward Rosson
Edited by George Nicholson
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • August 8, 1973 (1973-08-08)
Running time
 101 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $6.5 million (US/ Canada rentals)[1]

White Lightning is a 1973 American action film directed by Joseph Sargent, written by William W. Norton, and stars Burt Reynolds as the main character Robert "Gator" McKlusky,[2] Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Bo Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern.

Reynolds called the film "the beginning of a whole series of films made in the South, about the South and for the South. No one cares if the picture was ever distributed north of the Mason-Dixon line because you could make back the cost of the negative just in Memphis alone. Anything outside of that was just gravy. It was a well done film. Joe Sargent is an excellent director. He's very, very good with actors. And it had some marvellous people in it whom nobody had seen before. Ned Beatty for example. I had to fight like hell to get Ned in the film."[3]

Plot

Bobby "Gator" McKlusky is serving time in an Arkansas prison for running moonshine when he learns his younger brother Donny was murdered and that Sheriff J.C. Connors was the one behind it. Gator knows the sheriff is taking money from local moonshiners, so he agrees to go undercover for a federal agency (presumably the IRS or BATF) to try to expose the sheriff. His handlers force him onto Dude Watson- a local stock car racer and low-level whiskey runner. Watson has no choice but to cooperate because he himself is on federal probation or parole. To get inside the local moonshine industry Gator gets a job running moonshine with Roy Boone. He also starts an affair with Boone's girlfriend Lou. When the sheriff discovers Gator is working for the Feds, Connors sends his enforcer, Big Bear, to get him. Gator decides to go after the sheriff, leading to an epic car chase finale.

Cast

Production

The film was originally called McKluskly. It was announced by Levy-Gardner-Laven in October 1971 as part of a seven-picture slate they intended to make for United Artists over two years.[4] It was an original script by Norton, who often wrote for the producers. The villain of the script was based on the real life Sheriff Marlon Hawkins.[5]

Burt Reynolds' casting was announced in February 1972. He had worked with the writer and producers previously on Sam Whiskey (1969).[6]

The film was almost directed by Steven Spielberg. He had made Duel, Something Evil and Savage and decided to direct White Lightning the same year. "I spent two-and-a-half months on the film," said Spielberg, "met Burt once, found most of the locations and began to cast the movie, until I realized it wasn't something that I wanted to do for a first film. I didn't want to start my career as a hard-hat, journeyman director. I wanted to do something that was a little more personal." So he quit White Lightning and went to do Sugarland Express, which he found more challenging for three reasons, "the changing relationships among the trio in the car, the nature of "the chase," and how to handle the digressions."[7]

Joseph Sargent signed to direct in May. Filming began 15 July 1972.[8] Shooting took place in and around Little Rock Arkansas. Hal Needham did stunts on the film.[5]

The film's music was written by A Nightmare on Elm Street's Charles Bernstein. Some of this score was also used by Quentin Tarantino in his 2003 film Kill Bill: Volume 1 and his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds. Bernstein's score was released by Intrada Records in May 2010.

Reception

The film was a hit and led to a sequel Gator.

Legacy

On the TV series Archer, the movie and its sequel are favorites of the title character, Sterling Archer, though he believes Gator to be the stronger installment. He gets the movies easily confused, though, as he believes several key scenes from White Lightning to be in the sequel.

Reynolds later said the film "was a breakthrough in that area of blending comedy and action. And it made a lot of money, so other people began trying to do the same thing. They thought, "Well, he smashed up sixty cars and it made a lot of money, so we'll do a hundred crashes." But that had nothing to do with its success as a comedy."[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 46
  2. ↑ Variety. film review; June 6, 1973.
  3. ↑ Workaholic Burt Reynolds sets up his next task: Light comedy Siskel, Gene. Chicago Tribune 28 Nov 1976: e2.
  4. ↑ Production of Seven Films Told by Trio Los Angeles Times 16 Oct 1971: a6.
  5. 1 2 Moment of Truth in a Make-Believe World: Stunt Man's Moment of Truth in a Make-Believe World Grenier, Cynthia. Los Angeles Times 1 Oct 1972: p22.
  6. ↑ Friends in a Salute to Liza Minnelli Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 28 Feb 1972: g12.
  7. ↑ Close Encounter with Steven Spielberg Tuchman, Mitch. Film Comment; New York Vol. 14, Iss. 1, (Jan/Feb 1978): 49-55,80.
  8. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Blocker, Gould to Costar Los Angeles Times 5 May 1972: g22.
  9. ↑ 'The End' is just the beginning McBride, Joseph; Riley, Brooks. Film Comment; New York Vol. 14, Iss. 3, (May/Jun 1978): 16-21.
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