Robert Mitchum sings The Ballad of Thunder Road

A video I cut together with car chase scenes from the 1958 Robert Mitchum movie, Thunder Road. The background music track is a theme song for the movie, written and sung by Robert Mitchum (though his version wasn't used in the movie).
The movie had a lot of influence for a B-rate feature. It was the inspiration for Bruce Springsteen's song "Thunder Road" (though the song and the movie have nothing much to do with each other; The Boss saw a poster for the movie and liked the name); some aspects of the design of the car led to the design of the Batmobile later on the TV series; the movie could be considered a prequel to the Steve Earle song "Copperhead Road"; and it was an influence in the creation of "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV series (but don't hold that against it).

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[PenjiProductions]

The original Nascar drivers were moonshine runners

[chobeeboy44]

Hey, I lived in Knoxville right off Kingston Pike....wow. psst...there is still 'shine up in 'ar hills!

[James Holz]

Great job....love the movie and the song

[David Brewer]

most of the car chases were filmed on Asheville NC's tunnel rd---today that road is the center of Ashe and ville's main shopping district--not wooded and not two lane

[rocker2003]

Any idea who's playing on this? I imagine it's a bunch of studio guys, just wondering which ones.

[klmullins65]

The song is so detailed about the route that was taken on the fateful run...even naming the street and neighborhood where it ended...yet no evidence has been found that this was based on an actual event, or if Robert Mitchum had any knowledge of the Knoxville area! The movie doesnt jibe with the lyrics of Mitchum's song.

[RobertEGreene]

I live in Los Angeles now but I am a Knoxville boy and I used to live near Kingston Pike myself. I went to West High and Bearden High, not far away, was our big rival--"then right outside of Bearden there they made the fatal strike". Long time ago. (The moonshiners' children and grandchildren are all growing pot now!)

[BlazingFerret]

My dad grew up as a sharecropper in Clay County KY, in the 20s, was driving tankers up until WW2 when he enlisted.

Wish he'd have lived to see this movie. Killed in a mill accident in summer,1957

Great movie, great song.

[Cobalt Blue]

I went to college not far from Cumberland Gap! Used to sit with my dad while he'd pick this song on the guitar and we'd sing it. Good memories.

[Electricbanjoman]

Actually A movie was made called Return to Thunders Road That stared Jim Mitchum, It was the birth of the Dukes Of Hazzard , I really love what you`ve put together here thank

you !!

[jennie grzy]

lol, Chobeeboy44, I live in Sevierville near dollywoood and hear it still goes on.....