All language subtitles for Thunder Road.English

Each year, the millions
of gallons of illegal whiskey

manufactured
in the southeastern United States

represents
millions of dollars in taxes

lost to the American people.

The A&TTU,

in their continuing service
to their country,

have within one year
captured over 10,000 stills

and impounded over 3,000
of the powerful vehicles

which are used
by the transporters...

Those wild and reckless men

who transport illegal whiskey
from its source

to its point of distribution.

This is the story of a transporter

and his opposite number...

An agent of the US Treasury.

Raider One calling Raider Base.

- Raider One calling Raider Base.
- Go ahead, Raider One.

Well, this one's gone on.
Lost him and he's loaded.

He'll be driving a 1950 Ford
two-door coupe,

and he's got a racing mill
under his hood.

- What license number?
- Never mind that.

I'll bring you his back plate...
It's hanging on our car now.

- The kingpin again?
- That's right.

A real stampeder.

Over and out.

Well, his luck can't hold out forever.

Yeah, Mike.
We've got time on our side.

Let's head back to the barn.

"Oh, let me tell the story"

I can tell it all

About the Whippoorwill
who ran illegal alcohol

His daddy made the whiskey

The son, he drove the load

And when his engine roared

They called the highway
'Thunder Road'

Sometimes into Asheville

Sometimes Memphis town

The revenuers chased him

But they couldn't run him down

Each time they thought they had him

His engine would explode

And he'd go by like they were

Standing still on Thunder Road

Thunder, Thunder

Over Thunder Road

Thunder was his engine

And white lightning was his load

Moonshine, moonshine

To quench the devil's thirst

The law, they never got him

"'Cause the devil got him first."

- You got yourself a new car.
- Repaint job.

- Hi, Robin.
- Hi, Roxy.

New bumper.
Bumper snatcher gotcha.

- Must've been a close one.
- Yeah, it was pretty close.

That was a good idea of yours
puttin' that drop lever on.

Treasury agent
down the line someplace

with three bumpers
hangin' on his car.

Whose car is that outside?
Niles Penland?

Yeah. He just brought
some stuff up to Ma.

You-all comin' to the dance
tomorrow night, Luke?

Not tomorrow night, pretty gal.
I'll be in Memphis tomorrow night.

But Robin here'd be glad
to keep you company,

- wouldn't you, Rob?
- You had to high-speed 'em?

Yeah, I pushed her pretty hard,
so you look everything over good.

That right rear tire is frayed.
Change that.

Everything you touch,
you keep a list on.

Don't fuss with me.

I reckon I know as much
about this car as you do.

You know more about it, buddy,
but I'm the man who has to sit in it.

How's your papa, Niles?

Oh, he's still got
the misery in his legs.

I think it's that poison oak salve
he's been using that's causing it.

- Hi, Luke. How's it goin'?
- Oh, pretty fair.

- You loaded?
- Yeah. For Knoxville.

How 'bout givin' Roxy
a tote back down to the store?

Hm. It'd be a pure-D pleasure.
Come on, Roxy.

You take it easy, Niles.

Watch him, Roxy.
You got to watch him every minute.

- Where's Papa?
- Up the hill.

Why don't you buy yourself
some new clothes, Ma?

You don't have to dress like
you're goin' to a funeral all the time.

The money you make
might as well be counterfeit.

You know
if I buy anything I'd like to,

the news will be all around.

And somebody will ask me where I got it.
You know that.

Go on, get some sleep.

I have to make it real early
in the morning, Ma.

If I'm not up by 6:00,
give me a shake, will you?

Robin.

"Good food, good meat...

it's gettin' late, let's eat."

Now get up and do it right.

"Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
for the gifts we are about to receive."

Yes?

This is her.

What?

Thank you for callin', Roxanna.

Niles Penland was ambushed and killed
last night outside of Knoxville.

Poor Mr. Penland.

He worshipped that boy.

You think the revenuers
have started that kinda stuff?

No, they wouldn't do it.
Never have.

I'd better go up and talk to Papa.

Son.

Hey, Papa.

Well, son?

Niles Penland
finally bought it last night.

Got ambushed and killed
down on Knoxville Road.

So it begins.

Mm.

Seen a corpse bird yesterday.

First one I seen in years.

Shoulda known it was an ill omen.

I peg the guilt
squarely on Mr. Kogan.

Just exactly who is this
Kogan fella, Papa?

Oh, Mr. Kogan is a man
with a big idea.

Wants to combine
all the stills in the valley,

take all our makin's.

Claims he's got territory
around Memphis and north Tennessee

wrapped up now.

He says he'll guarantee us
4,000 a week.

You go on drivin',
get the same pay as you do now...

Maybe more.

Well, he's free with his money.

Maybe not so free, either.

When he pays, he knows all the stills,
all our stash locations,

names of the retailers.

He come prepared.

Seemed to know who the folks were
makin' moon around here.

After he left me,
he talked to the Penlands,

Buchanans, the Gouges.

Like me, they all said
they'd let him know.

What do you make of it, Papa?

It's a shade harder than what I think.

Turnin' into the same kind of rimption
they had down in Phoenix City.

No, sir, I don't think we ought to mess
with Mr. Kogan's proposition.

You might be right.

"While I draw this fleeting breath,"

When mine eyes shall close in death

When I soar to worlds unknown

See Thee on Thy judgment throne

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

"Let me hide myself in thee."

Let us pray.

I ask Your blessings
on all these sinful sheep

who are gathered
under Your roof today to worship Thee.

And, Lord, be merciful to one of our
recent departed ones...

Niles Penland,
son of Jesse Penland.

And, O Lord,

bless the men of this congregation
who are unable to attend

because of, uh,
pressing business.

- Amen.
- Amen.

And now let's sing Hymn 297.

There ain't no point in makin'

a long speech.

Niles Penland is dead.

If you'd get rid of that plug, Elmo,

maybe we could understand
what you're tryin' to say.

I was sayin', there ain't no call
to make a long speech.

Niles Penland's dead,
but he may not be the last one.

It appears that this fellow Kogan

is out to put us in his pocket...

No matter how rough
he has to make it.

And the revenue boys are tightenin' up.

Now, I want some opinions
as to what we ought to do.

What does Luke think
is the best thing to do?

He'd fight Kogan
till hell freezes over.

Well, how should we go about it?

Well,

Luke and me
has discussed it a good bit.

We'd start by recheckin' every man

who's haulin' or makin' moon
in this valley,

includin' still men, watchers,
walkers and catchers.

And when we were
absolutely sure of our men,

we'd move every still
to a scarce location,

buy new transporter cars
all around.

And the last thing,

we'd have the drivers change their
road approach to every delivery point,

carry automatic weapons
in every car.

That in itself is a violation,

but Mr. Kogan intends
to shoot us off the road if he has to.

Now, it seems to me

you're... you're gonna
have to come to this eventually.

Unless you're gonna try to fight
a tornado with a peach tree switch.

Seems to me you're talkin' like
spendin' a lot of money, Vernon.

Stacey, you make as much money
as any of us.

If your folks would just dig up
some of the cash

they got buried in that back yard,
you could equip a whole fleet!

Wait!

No offense, Vernon,

but maybe your son
is responsible for this grief.

He come out of the service
with a pretty good record

and went back to driving.

The only difference is that he's got
a machine-gunner's outlook

and death don't faze him much.

I admit he hasn't been busted
in the moon traffic yet.

We're in a business, Jess.
We have to keep up to date or go under.

Is my son up to date?

Seems to me he went under.

I buried him.

Now that ain't necessarily
Luke's fault.

It ain't?

He died tryin' to imitate Luke.

Let's check the facts.

Since Luke come back,
arrests in this valley have doubled.

Why?

Because every sheriff and police officer
from here to Memphis is after him.

The Treasury Department's
got a special investigator in here

to turn him up.

That's why the pressure's on,
everywhere.

I'm sorry you feel
the way you do, Jess.

Luke never intended any harm
to come to your boy.

And whatever you all wanna do,

me and Luke will abide by it.
But don't forget...

And this hasn't been
mentioned here today...

We're in an illegal business.

We've always had
the government on our backs,

and now we got another enemy,
organized and shootin'.

Well, we'll have a show of hands.

Those opposed to Kogan's offers,

signify it.

Those approving Mr. Kogan?

By majority consent,
we do not accept.

Well, gentlemen,
I guess that finishes the business.

- You change those plugs?
- No, just cleanin' 'em.

They checked out all right.

You think I'd short you on gas?

No, but you might forget.

Luke, when are you
gonna let me go with you?

You can't fire that thing
and handle the wheel, too.

Not now, Rob.
Trouble on the roads.

- Did you phone?
- Yeah.

Roxanna said the road's clear.

Sounds like they're having a real
twistification down at the store.

Guitar music.

Okay, let me out, kid.

Luke?
Good luck.

Thanks, kid.

Jed, I just can't dance
another step.

Okay, Roxy.
Let's... let's sit a while.

Okay.

Oh, ain't this a lovely night?

Yes, it is, Roxy.

You know, Jed,

folks are sayin' that...
That this investigator, Barrett...

he was sent in special
because of Luke.

Imagine that.

You imagine it.

Roxy, I... I'm sick and tired
of hearing about Luke.

Now, he ain't the only driver
in the hills.

Here he comes now.

You can always tell it's him
when you hear those pipes of his

come grumblin' down the road.

Big deal.

- You goin' out tonight with Jed?
- Yeah.

- He's ridin' empty up ahead of me.
- Oh, that's a shame.

After I put on my best shavin' lotion.

You smell sweet enough.

When you gonna get a job
down at Mama Dunn's dance hall?

There's no need to get
mincy about it, Roxy.

You don't have to shake that stuff
all over yourself.

Maybe someday you'll come
tippy-toeing around...

Even if you think
you're the lord of the valley

because you've been to a war
and all those big towns...

But I may not be here!

Good night, pretty girl.
You have a good time, now.

Got a little shot up, eh, Luke?

- You burned some rubber, too.
- Yeah. Things are rough all over.

Pretty good bead.

How much you carryin'?

250 gallons...
Clean and high proof.

You empty her out, will you, Mac?
I gotta go do some phoning.

Yeah.

Hello?
Hello, "Hi-Hat"?

Uh, Jim?
Luke Doolin.

Can I talk to Francie, please?

Oh, she's on, huh?

You crowded?

Well, okay.

I'll be along a little later.

Right.

Hello, Harry?

Doolin.

Listen, Harry, I'm gonna need
a new left rear window,

left wind wing.

Yeah.

Hail.

Well, maybe not in Memphis,
but it was sure hailing

hard and plenty
up in Chalk Gap tonight.

No, I'm gonna need it now.

Tonight.

And, Harry?

If one of those slobs of yours
so much as touches that motor,

I'm gonna come down there
and spray you all bright green.

All right, Harry.
No, the keys are in it.

It's here at MacKenzie's.
All right, Harry.

One...

Eight, nine, ten...

eleven hundred, twelve hundred,

thirteen and fourteen hundred.

- Okay?
- Right.

Just a minute.

- That tank empty?
- Naturally.

Let's just check it
and make sure, huh?

One of these days, cousin,
you're gonna leave

just a little too much
in that tank.

It's gonna cost me two years
in a federal jail.

Now I wish you'd remember that.

"Won't you come home, my baby?"

Won't you come home?

I miss you day and night

You have my promise, baby

From this day on

I swear I'll treat you right

Forget that rainy evening

When you walked out

With nothin' but your brush
and comb

It's not the same

I know I'm to blame

Baby, won't you please
come home?

"Forget that rainy evening..."

"...when you walked out
with nothin'"

But your brush and comb

- "It's not the same..."
- This'll slay ya!

"I know I'm to blame

Baby, won't you please
come home?"

"Baby, won't you please

Come home?"

She's tryin' to make a livin'.

If you wanna bray,
go find yourself a barnyard.

"The night was young..."

You shouldn't do things like this.

After all, this is a nightclub
and it's late.

People pay to get a little drunk.

All right.

I'll pick up the tab
for "Moonface" and his friends.

Would you ask him to please quit yakking
while Francie's on?

Okay.

"The whippoorwill"

Sang sweet and low

The moon was low

"Our hearts were high..."

Fellow here would like
to buy you a drink.

- Who?
- A fellow named Carl Kogan.

- That's his hat on the table there.
- Tell him no.

Luke, you don't say no
to a fellow like this.

Well, then, tell him,
"No, thanks."

"Poor whippoorwill"

The tree is bare

He wonders still

Why you're not there

While all alone

Beneath the tree

Where once you pledged
your love to me

"My lonely heart..."

The man would still
like to have a drink with you.

I said no.

Look.
Here's his card.

A little friendly conversation
never hurt anybody.

Well, maybe I'll talk to him,
maybe I won't.

If I were you, I would.

"...where once you pledged"

Your love for me

My lonely heart cries out for you

The whippoorwill

Is cryin'

"Too."

Howdy...

home folks.

Finally decided to come see
the man, huh?

Yeah.
I finally made the time.

Great.
Let's go in.

That's right, man.
We've got mills

that'll blow that heap of yours
right off the road.

Carl Kogan?

My name's Doolin.

I didn't mean to be rude,
but there's, uh...

there's a bird
making a nest out there.

He's workin' very hard,
that bird.

So I'm tryin' him out...
Different kinds of music.

You know, that bird won't interrupt
his work for trashy stuff.

I mean, give him one of those
modern ballads with one of those

choirboys mooing through it
and nothin' happens...

He just keeps workin' away.

But then slam him,
full volume.

With something real good...
Wagner, Bach or Beethoven,

and then he really takes off.

I'm kinda interested
in that kinda stuff.

What's on your mind,
Mr. Doolin?

I don't like bein' shot at.

Hardly anybody does.

And I don't like for people
to slap my hat around

till it gets all out of shape.

So we'll make it short and sweet.

I already control
most of the action around here,

and I'm takin' over Rillow Valley.
Now, if we can talk business,

you'll get the price
I quoted your father,

and we'll all be happy.

If not...

I'll take you over anyway.

Like you took over Niles Penland?

It was an accident.

Like you put two of my boys
over the falls last night.

That puts you one ahead.
I'm willing to leave it that way.

The biggest danger is,
you know, is by mistake

one of the alcohol tax boys
gets knocked off.

Nobody beats a federal murder rap.
They'll stalk those ridges

until there isn't a still left
in Kentucky or Tennessee.

And then you good folks
from Rillow Valley

can go back to raisin'
bumblebee cotton.

You think it's that easy, huh?

There's no middle way.

Now how rough do you want it?

He bleeded me,
and he bailed out the window.

A gray Ford proceeding north
on State Street.

Violation 702.
License, 5J 3174, Tennessee.

1950 gray Ford proceeding north
on State Street.

- Violation 702.
- He might just be our boy.

- You mean with a new repaint job?
- Right.

Raider One to Raider Two.
Raider One to Raider Two.

Make contact immediately.
State Street cutoff.

1950 gray Ford.
License, 5J 3174, Tennessee.

- License, 5J 3174.
- Violation 702.

License, 5J 3174, Tennessee.

Good afternoon. I think I've got
a bumper that belongs to you.

Well, why don't you give it back?

- That's just like stealin', ain't it?
- I guess.

Now come out of there
with your hands up high like the sky.

Turn around and put your hands
against the car.

It's a tanker,
but it's unloaded.

Get him in the car.

All right, we'll pull Harding off
that Ross Street stakeout at midnight.

Thanks, Jerry.

- I'm sorry, Troy. Go ahead.
- That's all right, Rich.

You got a boy booked as
Howard Ransom from Frankfort,

it says on the blotter.

His real moniker's Doolin...
Lucas Doolin.

That's the name
on his army discharge.

The gray Ford he was driving
is a tanker.

That's the maniac who went cartwheeling
through the Johnson parking lot?

Yeah, that's the one.

We can put him away
for a while, Troy.

I wish you wouldn't, Rich.

I wish you wouldn't.

I'd like to see him fined and
turned loose so we can tail him out.

It might lead to something
we're working on.

Well, it might be worked out.

Of course, the district attorney's
office has to agree.

Well, give 'em a jingle.

Say, while I'm here,
I'd like to talk to Ransom.

Put that Ransom
down in interrogation.

Mr. Barrett of Treasury
will be down to see him.

You'll, uh, pass the word up?

Hard shake in court, no sentence,
so they won't know we're on 'em.

- Right.
- See you, man.

My name's Barrett.

I'm from the Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax Division, Treasury Department.

We didn't have much time to talk
when you were picked up,

so I stopped by.

That car of yours was used for hauling
illegal, non-tax-paid whiskey.

It's remodeled for that purpose.

Well, like I told you before,
I bought it for the mill.

It's a sweet-runnin' car.

You, uh... you bought it
in Frankfort?

Yeah, that's right.

You can't take it away from me, can you,
just because I've been a blockhead?

No. We had no evidence.

We couldn't hold you
on a federal charge.

You know, you could help us
if you wanted to.

You're a handy boy.

Sorry. I'm not interested.

You're bucking
the United States government.

There's a criminal conspiracy
moving into Rillow Valley,

and we intend to put an end to it
before somebody else gets hurt.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

Nobody's asking you to blow the whistle
on your own people.

Just give us a lead on
who's muscling in.

I still don't know
what you're talking about.

All right.

You know and I know
that you're a transporter.

That tank of yours
was just recently emptied.

So far you don't have
a record with us,

but you're standing pretty close
to the horse's head right now.

You've been mugged
and fingerprinted.

That record goes
into the Washington file

and into all of our regional offices.

It's a net, buddy boy,
and the pressure won't let up.

When you were picked up,
you had over $4,000 in cash on you.

Nobody... not even
the President of the United States...

Carries that kind of pocket money on him
unless he's tryin' to duck somethin'.

You're taped.

You can change
names, routes, cars,

but eventually we'll nail you.

You'll stand up before a Federal judge.

You sure there's nothing
you want to tell me?

Yeah, I got one thing to tell you.

I reckon you can do all you say,

only first you got to catch me...

if you can.

I'll do that.

How 'bout that rain, huh?

I like the rain...

except when you're driving in it.

Then it scares me.

You really miss me, honey?

Of course I miss you.

That's why that candle's
always burning in the window.

- Are you gonna say you don't miss me?
- All the time, honey.

I miss you all the time,
and that's the truth.

I don't like the way
you read that.

It's like we're running out of time.

Time is all we've got.

And my time is yours.

I'd just like a little more of you.

That's all.

Well, honey, it's like we're standing
behind the clock

with our thumbs
just ready for the starter's gun.

We can't talk till the race is over.

This we've got... we've got this hour,
this night, this rain, this music.

Honey, things aren't so bad
as they actually are

if we just accept them.

You know, I remember
when I was a little kid

trailing my daddy up to the still
through those mountain winters.

I suppose I knew then
that what he was doing

was contrary
to somebody's law, but...

my granddaddy
had done it before him,

his daddy before him and so on
clear back to Ireland.

They held that what a man did
on his own land was his business.

They didn't have any
noble notions then, of course.

Still don't, but...

when they came here
and fought for this country

and scratched up those hills with their
plows and their skinny ol' mules,

they did it to guarantee
the basic rights of free men.

They just figured that whiskey-makin'
was one of 'em.

I don't remember anything
dark and shameful,

I just recollect
the dogwoods and laurels

with the little tags of ice
on the ends of 'em...

Just snip off clean like that
when you brushed by 'em.

I was just a little ol' boy,

followin' my daddy's footsteps
up Sorrowful Mountain.

You know somethin'?

I love you.

I love you, too, honey.
Truly in my heart, I do.

But I'm a big boy now.

When the government came
and fetched my country soul

out of Rillow Valley
to go fight a war,

everything just switched on me.

I remember I was a little confused
by that sort of logic,

but I did my best.

You always do.

Look, all I wanted
was to just stay in Rillow Valley,

but that's long gone now.

My head is full of so many
other things.

I've been across an ocean,
met all the pretty people,

I know how to read
an expensive restaurant menu,

I know what a mobile is.

But you're at one end of the line,
and Rillow Valley's at the other,

and I'm movin' fast in the middle...

It's just the nature of my business.

Well, if it has to be like that,
then take me with you.

With me?

Honey, every revenue agent
in four states

would like to catch me on that run.

The only reason they haven't
made me till now

is in my business
I travel single-o.

But one of these days...

one of these days
I've got to fall.

Then put it down and stay with me.

I just want to be normal people.

I just wanna be somebody.

You are, honey.

That's the big trouble.

You are somebody...

and I'm a whiskey man.

And there's another
brand-new day coming up.

You just try that on for size
and enjoy it.

- Why aren't you in church?
- Oh, I had to mind the store.

Pa's over at the Rankin meetin'.

I thought you were
supposed to be there.

Well, I, uh...
I had somethin' else to do.

I been over talkin' to my brother-in-law
about the Flat Creek house...

The one above the old mill.

Oh, it's, uh...
It's a real pretty place.

Wouldn't take too much
fixin' up either.

Got enough lived land around
so's a fella could make out real good...

farming.

If he worked at it.

You don't really like
the moon business, do you, Jed?

All this sudden hankerin'
for a place to plow.

Wouldn't be so bad
to have a place of your own if...

if you ever wanted to stop
outrunnin' the cops.

You know, Roxy,

I reckon I'd have to clear
some of it out,

but this place has got...
It's got purple rhodo...

Oh, Luke, it's a beauty.

I'm available right now
for a demonstration ride.

Not right now, pretty girl.
Still got some tuning-up to do.

Maybe tomorrow, huh?

Some heap.
Looks like you got her all gussied up.

How does she roll?

Well, the man at the shop
guaranteed me 130 on the flat.

Corners great, too.

Say, I'd like to check the motor,
see how you got it rigged.

Any time later.
You rolling tonight?

No. Tomorrow, Memphis.

Say, those Illinois plates
look a bit gaudy up there.

They won't be on it
too long, cousin.

- Y'all take it easy now, hear?
- That's right.

"Take it easy," the man says.

How are we gonna take it easy
when he's got the pay set so high

nobody but a lunatic
could match it?

He's plumb crazy.

How are you coming along
with those shackles?

- They're all set.
- Okay. Slide your tail under.

We'll check that dump valve.

- Okay?
- She's workin'.

Ought to empty about 250 gallons
in two minutes.

You know, Luke, I think if I'd mounted
that toggle switch right on the wheel,

it would work a lot better.

Uh, you may be right.

We might try her one of these days.

You really like messin' around
with those motors, don't you?

I'm a fair hand.

You know,
that's not a bad deal.

Those big city newspapers
are just filled with jobs for engineers.

I don't mean just cars...
Turbo jets, ramjets, rockets.

You know, it's not gonna be too long
before the engineers will have

every house in these hills
lighted with atomic power.

I don't know. I think
that's a little bit over my head.

You know, Luke,
if I took your old '50,

gave it a new paint job,
gear ratio...

Uh-huh, and drive it straight into
some penitentiary.

You forget about that old '50.

Check board's right over there
on the workbench.

As soon as you get done,
I'd like to road test it.

- Hey, Luke.
- What do you say, Jeddy?

Well, I've been smokin' over some
of the things they said at the meeting,

and, uh...
I do need another crate.

You want the address
of the fella I got mine from?

That wouldn't do me
any good, Luke.

I got too much dough tied up
in that thing now. If I switched...

Man, you could pay for the changeover
in two weeks.

Well, I... I got somethin' else
I need the cash for.

- How 'bout a deal on the Ford?
- Well, it's on the record, Jed.

- They know it's a tanker.
- So is mine.

Well, I've seen Kogan's cars.
You do need new equipment.

Tell you what.
Why don't you let me

double up on the run
till you get the money?

- How 'bout the Ford?
- Man, it's not good enough.

That car's got five
traffic violations against it.

Better than mine.
Yes or no?

Okay. Take it.

Well, you didn't say
how much, Luke.

Well, wait till you see
how you like it.

Roxanna phoned a while ago.

Said you promised
to take her for a ride.

- The car ain't ready yet, Ma.
- Well, you ought to call her.

Luke?

Robin's sayin'
he's gonna take your old car.

Too late.
Jethro Moultrie just bought it.

I told you before, Ma.

Robin's not goin' in the liquor business
as a driver or anything else.

That'd be the finest present
you could ever make to me.

Now we're in most
of this territory here,

but in Harlan... in Harlan
we haven't got a single supplier.

Now, the Harlan volume isn't large,
but the retailers here use it

to keep our prices down.

It's that Doolin.
He's fouling us up.

Don't worry...

He'll miss one of these times
and take himself out.

We don't have time for that,
that ridgerunning bush ape.

He's gonna hold out till he gets
the fuzz down on all of us.

I think now is the time to put
Mr. Lucas Doolin out of commission,

and I mean permanently.

Now, Lucky here will make arrangements
to wire him up next time he's in town.

That'll be a pleasure.

I like handling these
bust-out characters.

The man who owns that place
told me about that car yesterday.

It's got a moon tank built into it.

He noticed it while servicing it.

Same model as that Doolin was driving.
It could be him.

You know, it doesn't seem
reasonable, Mike...

A stampeder like this Doolin leaving
his car out in the open all night.

I'm gonna go over
and get me some cigarettes.

- Hold the fort, "eagle-eye."
- I'm zeroed in.

- Howdy.
- Oh, hi.

- My car ready?
- Yeah.

- Thank you.
- Right.

- See you later, cousin.
- Yeah, man.

Slide over, Jed.

Man, why don't you
get off my back?

Come on, Jed, the keys.

Luke?

You could at least answer a body.

What are you doin' up here
by Black Rock Mill?

Don't you know the "hants"
will get you up here?

The hants ain't here no more, Roxy.

Too peaceful for them
here in the mountains.

The hants get restless,
they just up and move on.

They're down there
on the roads now.

Niles Penland can testify to that.

Jed Moultrie, too.

They're bringin' him back
to the valley he never wanted to leave.

What they could find of him.

It could've been you, Luke.

Yeah, it could've been,
but it wasn't.

'Cause there's always somebody around
to take my place.

This time it was Jed.

Maybe next time...
If there's to be a next time...

I can fix it so I'll have
somethin' to do with the choosing.

There wouldn't be a next time, Luke,
if you'd just quit.

Quit.

Why don't I quit breathin'?

Just ain't gaited that way, Roxy.

So I'm afraid
you'll just have to get yourself

used to there bein' a next time...
For somebody.

I hope that somebody

doesn't turn out to be Robin.

Roxy, I told my mother,
I told my father,

I told Robin
and now I'm tellin' you.

There's never gonna be
such a time for Robin.

Robin's not gonna be
a whiskey runner.

And I'll kill anybody
who tries to make him one.

You'd better go on down.
It's gonna start rainin' directly.

Luke?

Can't we just wait a while?

The rain won't bother us none.

Roxy, why don't you just find yourself
somebody that'll be content

to punch a time clock,
plow a field, have a mess of kids?

I would...

If they looked like you.

Tsk.

You're just never gonna have
a lick of sense, are you, Roxy?

Maybe not.

But I know what I want.

- Do you, Luke?
- What? Know what I want?

Yeah, I know what I want.
I want to stop the clock.

Turn it back to another time
in this valley that I knew before.

What time was that, Luke?

I don't rightly remember, Roxy.

I've forgotten.

Hello, Mr. Barrett.
They're waiting for you.

- Go right in.
- Thank you.

Hello, Troy.

- Hello, Chief.
- I think you know everybody.

Yes, I do.
Hello, gentlemen.

- Sit down.
- Thanks.

I've just been
briefing them on Harlan.

Bloody Harlan.

In less than a month,
we've had four deaths in this area.

And yesterday,
one of our agents... Michael Williams...

Was killed in that Memphis
car explosion.

I'm sending
200 extra agents down,

and we'll handle it
the way we did Birmingham.

And if we have to,

we'll ridge-walk every foot
of Harlan County.

Come again.
Come right frequent.

We plan to.

Mighty wearing work
climbin' up and down these hills.

Might be you'd like to step over
to the house for a cup of coffee.

Uh, phone there, too.

You might call and see about
gettin' your tire fixed.

No, thanks, friend.

We'll have that cup of coffee
in my office.

And before we're through,
nobody in Harlan County

will even make a teacup
of whiskey,

so you might as well
get used to that idea.

We've had you before,
haven't we, Jimmy?

I did a mite of time
a few years ago.

You fellas own this still or are you
workin' it for somebody else?

Mister, I ain't gonna lie to you...

nor the judge...

but I promised the man
who owns the still

I wasn't gonna lie to him neither.
That's the way she sits.

Okay, now you're all tagged fair.

You wanna spend the weekend in jail or
you gonna report to the commissioner

at 10:00 Monday morning?

Oh, we'll be there,
sure as fate.

Hey, John?
You got your records complete?

- Yeah.
- Cut it up.

I'm worried about Luke.

He won't back off from nothin'.

A mite edgy.

His judgment
might not be so good now,

so I'm shuttin' down after this run.

So are most of the others.

Luke's makin' a run
to Memphis tonight

and that's the end of it for a spell.

So Harlan County's
finally gonna shut down?

- Never seen that in my day.
- Oh, you'll see her open up again.

We've been makin' whiskey in these hills
nigh on 250 years.

We'll be back in business
'fore you know it,

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
as ever.

I just don't want nobody else
to get shot out of business.

Really put her through the wringer,
didn't you, Luke?

Kogan outfit again?

Yeah. They had me boxed in
pretty tight this trip.

Hanlon 37, please.

Anyone who answers.

This is, uh, Henderson 6741.

What's she gonna
set me back, Frank?

Figure it out, will you?

Hello, Mama?
Is Papa there?

Could I talk to him, please?

What do you think, Frank?

- About 450.
- When will I get it?

Wednesday ought to do it.

Hello?

Hello, Papa?

Papa, I'm in Henderson City.

They tried to box me in tonight.

Well, they tore my car up pretty bad...

Too bad to get it through those
inspection blocks into Memphis.

No, I'm all right,
but I'll be holed up here

for about three days.
You know where.

Now look. Please don't you
or anybody else try to contact me.

You just might be followed.

That Kogan's playin' it pretty rough.

I'll be in Memphis Wednesday
and I'll be home Thursday.

Now don't you worry about me.

I said, don't worry about me, Papa.
I'll be all right.

I'll see you Thursday.

Bye.

Long distance.

Get me State 1-6721
in Memphis, please?

This is Henderson 6741.

This Kogan fella...

When's someone gonna do
somethin' about him?

Well, the Treasury man tells me

I'm standin' pretty close
to the horse's head,

but you can believe
that Kogan's standin' closer.

Hello, Francie?

Honey, I won't make it
to Memphis tonight.

No, my car conked out on me.

It's gonna tie me up
about three days.

I'm in Henderson City.

I don't know where
I'm gonna be stayin' yet,

but how 'bout you meetin' me
Wednesday night at Foster's Cafe?

You know that cafe
on Henderson and Cherry

where we ate the last time?

You duck out
after the first show, huh?

Well, there's nothin' wrong, Francie.

No. My car just conked out,
that's all.

Honey, honest, I tell you.
I'm all right.

Now, there's nothin' wrong.
I'm fine.

All right,
I'll see you Wednesday.

Okay.

You Robin Doolin?

Yeah, I reckon I am.

I'm a Treasury agent. Troy Barrett.
Alcohol, Tobacco Tax Division.

I wanna talk to you.

I'd rather talk to a skunk.

- We're not really that bad, you know.
- You are in these parts.

Wait a minute. After all,
I didn't try to trick you any.

I did come right out with it.

Your brother's a pretty big man
in these parts, isn't he?

How come he didn't serve
in the Army?

He served. He just...

He just what?

Look, boy, officially, I'm not
supposed to be here talkin' to you.

Then what are you doin' here,
Mr. Barrett?

Your brother Luke's not in Memphis,

he's not here or any of his
normal delivery points.

Somebody tore up two cars last night
on the Chalk Gap road.

I think it was your brother.

If it was, he's still loaded,
his car is torn up and maybe he is.

So use your head a little,
will you, boy?

Do you know who Carl Kogan is?

All right, don't answer...
You don't have to.

But I know that you know.

So do we.

We didn't,
but we know now.

We know that he's the head
of a big city operation

tryin' to move in on Harlan County.

There's something else we know.

Niles Penland, Jed Moultrie,
Mike Williams... a Treasury agent...

Lost their lives because of him.

There's another thing
we know for sure.

Your brother's the one person
that's stood in the way

of Kogan taking over Harlan County.

What do you want of me,
Mr. Barrett?

I want you to arrange
to have me meet your brother.

I'll meet him anyplace,
anytime, unarmed.

Use your head a little, will you?

We're on your side.

It's Kogan we want this time.

And there's just a chance
that your brother might be able

to make it a little easier for us
to lay our hands on him.

If he's still alive.

And he won't be
if he makes the wrong move.

There's another trap being set for him.

It goes into operation
the minute he hits the road.

We got that much from the two Kogan men
we tagged last night.

You gonna help me out?
Agree to have me meet your brother?

Mr. Barrett, I don't think
I can arrange that.

All right.

Here's my telephone number.

You call me if you want to
or have Luke do it.

Luke? It's me... Robin.

What are you doing here, Robin?

I caught a bus.

Ma doesn't know where I am.

She tried to stop me,
but I came anyway.

You took an awful chance.

When I talked to Pop at the store,

I told him not to tell nobody.

You shouldn't have done it, buddy.

How 'bout yourself?

Today, after school,
a man stopped me.

Barrett.

Luke, he's got no beef with you,
just as long as you're clean.

But Kogan...

He's never gonna be clean.

All Barrett wants
is for you to help get Kogan.

Keepin' kinda strange company,
ain't you, Rob?

All the man wants to do
is talk to you.

He said he'd come unarmed,
anyplace you say.

Oh, no.

Nobody ever charmed me
with a "play-pretty."

I don't make no deals
with nobody.

- Luke, the man's all right.
- Yeah.

All he's tryin' to do
is stop you from runnin'.

He said his men
are gonna have to tag you

just to keep Kogan
from killin' you.

Barrett's on our side.

Pirates...

Barrett and Kogan.

Look, nobody's gonna kill nobody.

I'm just makin'
one more routine run, that's all.

Papa's got the still shut down
and everything's cool.

I appreciate you comin' all this way,
but everything's set, see?

Don't go, Luke.

Please don't go.

Don't badger me, Rob.

I've tried to explain it to you.

You just can't seem to get it
through your thick head.

From Harlan to Memphis,

Kentucky, Tennessee,
Virginia, North Carolina...

I've got my name
on one police blotter.

That's from tryin' to outrun
those Kogan characters.

Otherwise, I'm entirely clean.

You wanna know why?
'Cause I don't fix.

I don't buddy up
with one livin' soul.

Now you just ramble on back home
and you keep your mouth shut

about where I am
and what I'm doin'.

This is my problem!
You understand that?

Yeah, I understand.

I just came down here to help.
I am your brother, you know.

Well, when brothers meet,
do they quarrel with each other?

Now go on, Rob, git.

Cut!

All right.

I'm gone.

Roxy, what in the world...?

I drove Pa's pickup down.

I told the landlady
you were expecting me.

I've got some bad news
for you, Luke.

You must've been
pretty rough on Robin.

Couple of hours ago,
he accepted an offer from Stacey Gouge

to drive a load
into Memphis tonight.

I thought I'd better tell you, Luke.

He's gonna drive
from where to Memphis?

From Stacey Gouge's garage
in Milledgeville.

Oh, no, he ain't.

He ain't drivin' inch one
toward Memphis.

- But your car is not here.
- It will be...

in time to cut Robin off.

- That takes care of tonight.
- Honey, will you quit fussing?

I told you before,
Rob is not about to be in this business.

You just can't see for lookin'.

Don't you know
you're the one that's gotta quit?

It ain't like that, honey.

Quittin's gonna be done
in Memphis tonight.

So you time it to be at the city limits
just a little bit before midnight.

Drop the woman and the kid off
at Porter's Cafe,

then drive into the drop
exactly on time.

Now, if you're early, kill time

just so you don't
circle the same block too often.

You goin' someplace?

- Luke, you can't stop me this time.
- You have been stopped, buddy.

That's what you think.

I asked you a hundred times
to let me go with you,

but you never did.

Now, I've taken this man's money,
I'm gonna drive his car.

You don't understand, Robbo.

These fellas are tryin' to bum-rap you.
That's one of Kogan's cars.

They just want to use you
to bait the road for me.

Stacey Gouge,
you dirty turncoat,

you make one more move
toward that shotgun,

I'll make a skullcap
out of it for you.

All right, Rob, pick up the shotgun
and put it in the back of my car.

You can call your friend, Stacey.
Tell him his plan worked.

I'm on my way.

- Luke, I never thought...
- That's right, buddy. You didn't think.

Now you go on up to the bus stop
and wait for your mother.

She'll be there directly.
You go on home with her.

Hey.

Look, nobody's sore at you, buddy,
so... easy, you hear?

All right, Luke.

- Operator.
- Long distance, I'd like Memphis.

Broadway 1-6624.
Mr. Carl Kogan, please.

Broadway 1-6624.

Carl Kogan. K-O-G-A-N.

- Lucas Doolin.
- Your number?

This is Milledgeville 349.

Deposit $1.25, please.

- Hello?
- Hello, Kogan?

- Doolin.
- What's on your mind, Mr. Doolin?

You.
You're on my mind.

You finally made
the big mistake tonight, Kogan.

Niles Penland was a mistake.

Jethro Moultrie and Williams,
that was a mistake...

That was a big mistake...
A bad mistake.

But tonight, you made
the big mistake...

You put your dirty, fat hands
on my kid brother.

I swore I'd kill anybody that tried
to make him a whiskey runner.

I'm on my way into Memphis right now,
and when I get there,

you're gonna find out
that I meant exactly what I said.

Good evening.

I was lookin' to find Mr. Barrett.
Is he in?

No, I'm sorry, he's not.

Which Mr. Barrett did you want?
Perhaps there's some mistake.

I want the one who's with
the federal alcohol tax office.

Oh, well, it's the right house,
but he's not here.

Perhaps I can help you.
My name is Mary Barrett.

Won't you come in?

- What's your name?
- Roxanna. Roxanna Ledbetter.

Roxanna.
That's a lovely name.

You're a very pretty girl.

Won't you have some tea?
I was just going to have some.

- No, ma'am.
- Oh, do sit down.

- Has Troy been flirting with you?
- Troy?

Oh, I'm sorry again.
Troy is Mr. Barrett, my husband.

And most of his clients
are not so attractive.

They'll kill him.

I've got to turn him in.

My family and all my kin
would never speak to me again

if they knew I was here,

but there ain't any other way!

Now... why don't you tell me?
Maybe it would help.

He won't ever stop
unless somebody stops him.

He told me that Kogan's men
would shoot him off the road

if your husband's agents
didn't get him.

- And he won't quit.
- Now, wait.

Who is this "he" who's going to get hurt
if he doesn't get stopped?

His name is Lucas Doolin.

He drives a new Ford.

Tennessee license, 5J-6389.

It's a car for moonshine liquor,
and he's comin' into Memphis tonight.

And this Lucas Doolin...
You're in love with him?

I reckon so,

but that part of it ain't important
as keepin' him alive.

Look, Lucky,
my mind's made up.

That hardheaded hillbilly
has caused us enough trouble already.

Now, tonight we're gonna take him out,
and I mean really out.

Now get going.

Hello, Troy?
There's a girl here at the house.

She's told me some things
you ought to know.

I think it's important.

It's about a transporter
named Lucas Doolin.

Put out a condition red,
please, Joe,

for everything north of here
to Kentucky

for eight units,
two to eight inclusive.

I'll go over with Edwards
to knock out this Kogan.

We'd better put him out of action
or there'll be a lot of trouble tonight.

Joe, call the state police commissioner
and tell him I need his help

in patrolling the north counties.

I'll pick up Richie
and the warrant for Kogan.

When we knock him out,
I'll keep you posted from the road.

Make this one loud and clear...

This one's for Mike Williams, right?

Right.

All Raider units,
all points, condition red.

This is Central Raider to all points.

Repeat... condition red.

Everything's coming off
as I planned it, finally.

First, I handle that situation
in Harlan...

Tonight will take care of that.

Then in no time,
it will be Virginia, West Virginia...

Then watch me.

Carl Kogan?

- We've got a warrant for your arrest.
- I'm a businessman.

You've got no beef with me.
Now what are these for?

Two first-degree murder charges,

conspiracy against
the United States government,

illegal purchase and transport
of explosives.

You need any more, buddy?
We've got 'em.

- Somebody made a mistake.
- That's right. You did.

Do you realize how rarely
we eat together?

We never get to do everyday things
other people do.

Honey, I told you before,
it's the nature of my business.

One thing that does occur to me
is that...

I seldom tell you
how much you mean to me.

- I don't complain, honey.
- I know.

I don't need the people
or even the food.

I just want you altogether...

'cause you're the only natural man
I ever knew.

You know what happens to those heroes
when they die, don't you?

They sit around
in golden apartment houses,

air-conditioned, in heaven...

and grow heartsick for home.

My problem is I couldn't place my home
if I were heartsick for it.

I gotta find an excuse
for everywhere I am.

Every time you touch me,
my alibi just flies out the window.

You've just got me boxed in
right in the middle.

It's just where I want you.

Let me have your purse, honey.

Now look.

Here's $9,000.

I want you to hold it
'cause it's too much money

for me to be carrying right now.

It's gettin' rough out.
You just go on back to Memphis

and you wait till you hear from me.
All right?

No, honey.

Don't say anything. Just sing.

Find some words
to that pretty music.

"While all alone"

Beneath the tree

Where once you pledged

Your love to me

My lonely heart

Cries out to you

The whippoorwill

"Is crying, too."

You better play something
bright and snappy on that box, honey.

Raider Base to all units.

Observe radio silence.

Cars three, five and six,
meet at Checker Point.

Wait there
for further instructions.

Raider units three, five and six,

proceed to rendezvous three.

State unit 17,
report to rendezvous K.

State unit 12,
report to rendezvous K.

Attention, all cars.

Raider four should pick him up first
unless he changes course.

Call unit four
if you make contact.

Mountain people.

Wild-blooded...

and death-foolish.

Yeah, that was Doolin all right.
He was a real stampeder.

"The moon was low"

Our hearts were high

You said...

'I will until I die.'

And while we kissed

Beneath the tree

The whippoorwill

Sang happily

Poor whippoorwill

The tree is bare

He wonders still

Why you're not there

While all alone

Beneath the tree

Where once

You pledged your love to me

My lonely heart

Cries out for you

The whippoorwill

"Is crying, too."