• Made by DRM Productions (Dorothy and Robert Mitchum)—and it’s carried by Mitchum. Not only is his performance by far the best thing about it (some would say the only thing) which helps those who believe he’s one of the strongest arguments for the “actor as auteur” theory– but he also co-wrote the film and title song. He sang the song and released it as a musical record but for some reason it’s not him on the film singing it
  • The influences of the film can be felt in everything from Springsteen’s brilliant song from “Born to Run” to the Smokey and the Bandit. Clearly that character and even a little bit of Burt Reynolds as the Southeastern hero and movie star (and box office champ) have similarities
  • Part good ol’ boy (a “stampeder” who says words in his cool baritone like “daddy” and “dogwood” to great effect) and part fatalist noir antihero
  • Voice of God omniscient— and we’re talking about a case from the US Treasury almost like Anthony Mann’s T-Men (1947)
  • Robert’s son, James, plays his younger brother here and it’s believable. He can’t act. It’s rough.  
  • It feels like a home movie at times—not great- I wish they used Peter Breck more (actor from Shock Corridor) and less of Mitchum’s brother
  • Tough to beat Mitchum just looking cool behind the wheel or acting tough to the law o
  • The stunt work isn’t groundbreaking
  • Recommend- barely not in the top 10 of 1958