Bootleggers

Bootleggers was filmed in and around Calico Rock, AR. In celebration of this film and historic Calico Rock, AR the city will host Bootleggers day June 15-16, 2007 to celebrate our historic past, especially the connection to "The Bootleggers." You can get more information on the "Days" and order copies of the movie from the Calico Rock Chamber offices at 870-297-4129.

All of the historic buildings used in the filming are still present, except for the "jail" that was destroyed to break the boys out. Of course it was just a prop to begin with. Many of the "extras" still live in and around Calico Rock and many more residents can share true stories about real Bootleggers from the era.

Paul Koslo and Dennis Fimple star in Bootleggers as cousins who are following the Pruitt family business of making mooonshine. As family patriarch Slim Pickens says, the soil where they live is so rocky and thin it won't grow decent crops so what is there left to do?

It would be a good life other than the fact the Pruitts have a blood feud going with another Arkansas hill family the Woodalls who are also business rivals.

Shot in Arkansas Bootleggers is set during the Roaring 20s and has a nice bit of authenticity to it. Dennis Fimple sees Al Capone as some kind of role model and when you come down to it, their feud with the Woodalls is no different than Capone's with Bugs Moran.

Jaclyn Smith is 'introduced' here and she sure looks different than she would be on Charlie's Angels. You can hardly believe this hillbilly girl is Kelly Garrett and who sold a line of beauty products.

Bootleggers never got a New York or Hollywood premiere. But I'm sure it did brisk red state business.

I saw this in the theatre when I was 13 and I loved it! Plus it was when the actor Paul Koslo was in a groove - I saw him in The Omega Man, Mr. Majestyk and then Bootleggers - all around the same time. So I was very aware of him and he's terrific in this as is Slim Pickens and a very young Jacklyn Smith! Good regional filmmaking.

Saw this movie many years ago and got interested when Jaclyn Smith became popular, so popular in fact, that the producers decided to re-titled the movie as "Bootlegger's Angel," to capitalized Smith's later stardom.

There's nothing extra special about the film but it's highly entertaining with excellent performances from all the cast. Smith is a revelation -- she's really born to play Charlie's angel and boy, oh, boy, she can hold a gun with poise and style!

My family and I particularly enjoyed this film because it rang true to its era and area. My husband's grandfather was so important to Mountain View, AR that the army would not accept him for service in the Civil War; he was the town's only miller and needed there. My husband's father died at age 104 fourteen years ago and was proud to be from Arkansas, loved to tell of the history. The old-time singing was especially authentic. How I would like to have a video. Taped it from TV the one time we ever knew it to be on here but the local station cut some of the best scenes! I have to say we are not, were not a drinking family, but we surely enjoyed The Bootleggers movie, anyway!