Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Last American Hero, starring a young Jeff Bridges in a 1973 movie about running moonshine, driving a fastback Mustang GT, and getting into NASCAR... great opening scene, and dirt road car chase



part one above, go to youtube for the part 2, but be sure to check out the paint on the race cars at minute 55

Besides Jeff Bridges, the other actors you might enjoy seeing are Ned Beatty and Gary Busey before he was full looney tunes... you'll recognize at least 4 other actors, Ed Lauter, William Smith,

This movie is the bio of Junior Johnson, and he is the Tech Advisor and consultant of course


The movie depicts Junior's father as being arrested for producing moonshine. In reality, it was Junior himself that was arrested and sentenced. In 1956, federal tax agents found Johnson working at his father's moonshine still in Wilkes County; they arrested him. Many local residents believed the raid was done in revenge for the agent's inability to catch Johnson delivering moonshine on local highways; this is depicted in the movie when we see the local law enforcement busting up his father's still. Junior Johnson was convicted of moon-shining and was sent to prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. He served 11 months of a two-year sentence.



anyone recognize the rim? the movie is 1972-73 production, and this is probably a local racer, but I can't remember ever seeing a rim like this





7 comments:

  1. That rim is an old wide five sprint car item I believe. I have one on a sprint car axle in my junk pile.

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  2. Might mention here that Pres. Reagan pardoned Junior in 1986. Junior was the real thing!

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  3. Ditto on the wide-five rim. Check the 1970 Chevelle convertible on the cover of the latest Hot Rod. It has the same style of rims on it.

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  4. The wheel is a wide-pattern five bolt circle track part. The 1970 Chevelle convertible on the latest Hot Rod cover has the same style wheels on it. The article says they are supposed to be for racing only.

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  5. I watched this movie everytime it came on channel 100 in Concord Ca. I have it on VHS and finally found it on DVD 3 years ago. My favorite race movie.

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  6. We are having a Debate on what year the chevelle was. 1965 right? Or 1967

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    1. just google those two years of chevelles... or look up the movie in IMDBC and get the answer fast

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