John,

The girl who player Roxanna was Sandra Knight. Once married to Jack Nicholson.

I have a reproduction color poster showing the front of the '57 and it appears to be Regency gray and Colonial white, although I've been told by folks who attend the annual Moonshine festival that the car was actually Cumberland green and Colonial white.  Running shine you wouldn't want anything that was overly flashy.

In the black & white movie days certain colors showed up better than others and either gray or green were prefered and either could have been used.

James Mitchum is indeed alive and kicking.  He also has a remake script for Thunder Road and as of June 2007 his plan was to start filming the summer of 2008.  Haven't heard if that's changed or not.

The '50 Ford is interesting.  It's actually a '51 with a '49 hood & grill and a nice tri-power Y-Block under the hood.

Larry D

Winnipeg, MB Canada Eh!


'57 Fairlane 500 Club Victoria

'58 Custom 300 Tudor

'56 Crown Victoria

'61 Starliner Z Code

'51 Ford Victoria

John,

I noticed the engine sound as well, definitely not a y-block. I guessed it was just low budget movie sound tracks.

Jerry

The accuracy of movies isn't always the best, but I would think that real moonshiners would want a dull generic color on their cars so they would blend in with traffic better.

One part of the show I liked was in the opening series where Mitchum did a quick U turn with his '50 and rolled it, then it emerged from the dust unscathed.  Ford tough!!

John in Selma, IN

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Just for the heck of it,I googled James Mitchum last  night.He is still living,in fact is only one year older than I am.so he's still just a kid.I didn't find where he lives or any way to contact him,but I'd bet someone who is better with people searches than I could find a way to contact him.Incidentally,most of think he is Robert's younger brother,but he is in fact his older son. For some reason,it sticks in my mind that the car was red and white,but I don't really know why I think that.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

I wonder if any of the young (at the time) actors from the movie are still around.  James Mitchum?  He should know the color, he was walking along the car as Robert was chewing him out for following him.  Did you notice the sound effect as the car drove away.  Had the distinct sound of an inline 6 with split manifold and dual glasspacks.  How about Keely Smith?  And the girl who played Roxanna (Sandra Dee?  I'd have to look at the credits to make sure of her last name).  Are these people, if still alive, approachable?  Just a thought.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Frank (pegleg),

I am not Jerry's Classic Cars. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. Used the K in Kars as a play on Kar Kraft. Have one Kar Kraft car and the rest are 57s. Thunder Road is one of my favorite movies. Wish it was in color. Another question. How many different models of 57 Fords were used in the movie? Saw one change it's model from being on the road as it crashed  down an embankment.

Just so you guys know, Jerry does restorations of "Retractors" sold him some pulleys. Google his site under Jerry's Classic Cars, I think

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Daniel, only to squirrel hunt.

-Gary Burnette-

I saw the movie on TV not long ago. I had a VHS copy of it, but loaned it and never got it back. I know the car was two toned. No doubt Colonial White. And if it was green my bet is Cumberland Green and not Willow Green. But I would still like to know for sure.

Jerry