- White Lightning (1973 film)
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White Lightning 
Theatrical release poster by Tom JungDirected by Joseph Sargent Produced by Arthur Gardner
Jules V. LevyWritten by William W. Norton Starring Burt Reynolds
Ned Beatty
Bo HopkinsMusic by Charles Bernstein Cinematography Edward Rosson Editing by George Nicholson Distributed by United Artists Release date(s) August 8, 1973 Running time 101 minutes Country United States Language English White Lightning is a 1973 American action film from United Artists starring Burt Reynolds as Gator McKlusky.[1] The film also starred Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Bo Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong, and Diane Ladd. It was also the uncredited film debut of six-year-old Laura Dern.
A sequel, Gator, was released in 1976.
Contents
Plot
Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) is serving time in an Arkansas prison for running moonshine when he learns his younger brother was murdered and that Sheriff J.C Conners (Ned Beatty) was the one behind it. Gator knows the sheriff is taking money from local moonshiners, so he agrees to go undercover for the Feds and try to expose the sheriff. He gets a job running moonshine with Roy Boone (Bo Hopkins) and starts having an affair with his girlfriend Lou (Jennifer Billingsley). Eventually, when the sheriff discovers Gator is working for the Feds and sends his enforcer Big Bear (Armstrong), Gator decides to go after the sheriff in an epic car chase finale. Conlan Carter of ABC's Combat! series, had a secondary role in the film.
Cast
- Burt Reynolds as Gator McKlusky
- Jennifer Billingsley as Lou
- Ned Beatty as Sheriff J.C. Connors
- Bo Hopkins as Roy Boone
- Matt Clark as Dude Watson
- Louise Latham as Martha Culpepper
- Diane Ladd as Maggie
- R. G. Armstrong as Big Bear
- Conlan Carter as Deputy
- Dabbs Greer as Pa McKlusky
- Lincoln Demyan as Warden
- John Steadman as Skeeter
- Iris Korn as Ma McKlusky
- Stephanie Burchfield as Jenny
- Barbara Muller as Louella
- Laura Dern (uncredited) as Sharon Anne, Maggie's daughter
Cult status
White Lightning is considered a classic[by whom?] 1970s action film with multiple car chases, shootouts, and fist fights. 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 Vol. 1 and his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds. Bernstein's score was released by Intrada Records in May 2010.
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.
Notes
External links
- White Lightning at the Internet Movie Database
- White Lightning at the TCM Movie Database
- White Lightning at AllRovi
Films directed by Joseph Sargent 1960s 1970s Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) · Tribes (1970) · Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring (1971) · The Man (1972) · White Lightning (1973) · The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) · Friendly Persuasion (1975) · The Night That Panicked America (1975) · MacArthur (1977) · Goldengirl (1979)1980s Coast to Coast (1980) · Nightmares (1983) · Memorial Day (1983) · Choices of the Heart (1983) · Terrible Joe Moran (1984) · Jaws: The Revenge (1987) · The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) · Day One (1989)1990s The Incident (1990) · Never Forget (1991) · Miss Rose White (1992) · Somebody's Daughter (1992) · Skylark (1993) · Abraham (1993) · World War II: When Lions Roared (1994) · My Antonia (1995) · Mandela and de Klerk (1997) · Miss Evers' Boys (1997) · The Long Island Incident (1998) · Crime and Punishment (1998) · A Lesson Before Dying (1999)2000s For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000) · Bojangles (2001) · Out of the Ashes (2003) · Something the Lord Made (2004) · Warm Springs (2005) · Sybil (2007) · Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008)Categories:- English-language films
- 1973 films
- 1970s action films
- American action thriller films
- Films directed by Joseph Sargent
- United Artists films
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