A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.A federal agent attempts to make some real money before the alcohol ban is lifted so he sets his sights on the whiskey cache of an old army buddy.
- Boyd Caswell
- (as Richard Peabody)
- Young Wife
- (as Terry Garr)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe federal Volstead Act did not prohibit drinking alcohol. It prohibited manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and import/export. It was left to the states to make laws to prohibit possession and consumption. All the states did, but Nevada's was repealed on state constitutional grounds.
- Goofs(at around 1h 20 mins) Frank Long leaves payment for his room on the hotel registry. The top $1 bill is a modern "small size" Federal Reserve Note with a green seal. The first of such notes went into circulation in 1963, some 30 years after the movie's prohibition era, which ended in 1933. When small size US currency replaced "large size" currency in 1928, all $1 bills were silver certificates displaying dark blue seals and serial numbers.
- Quotes
Mr. Baylor: If'n the law needs upholdin' in these parts, Mr. Frank Long, I uphold it, *I* take care of it.
Frank Long: You all confiscatin' whisky, Mr. Baylor?
Mr. Baylor: Well, I reckon you might say so - a swig at a time. Royce, give this ol' Long boy a sample of our white lightenin', will ya?
[Frank takes a swig]
Mr. Baylor: Right good stuff, huh, Mr. Long? Ah, it'd be a cryin' shame to throw that out in the ground just because some titless old women figure a feller oughtin' to drink that, wouldn't it? I'm askin' you now, wouldn't it?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Shooting the Moonshine War (1970)
Alda is miles from Hawkeye Pierce in this film. He's a young moonshiner who's got some of the finest product around, comparatively speaking. And in those last days before America came to its senses and repealed Prohibition, he's got a short window of opportunity to get rid of his stash before legal liquor goes on the market again.
Trouble is that two people want his product real bad. One is gangster Richard Widmark, back again in those villainous roles that first brought him stardom. The second is treasury agent Patrick McGoohan, one of those despised revenuers that the hillbilly folk don't like.
McGoohan is no Eliot Ness, in fact he's more typical of the treasury agents from back in the day, crooks themselves trying to take advantage of an unpopular law. Yet even with gangsters gunning for Alda, the hill folk won't give McGoohan the right time of day.
The Moonshine War was an entertaining film, nothing special about it, but no disgrace to anyone involved. Except for the ending which was a classic of its kind. I can't say more, but if for no other reason see this film to see how Mr. Widmark and cronies are dealt with.
- bkoganbing
- Sep 21, 2007
- How long is The Moonshine War?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Whisky brutal
- Filming locations
- Stockton, California, USA(location shooting)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1