Dixie Dynamite

This film begins with a man by the name of "Tom Eldridge" (Mark Miller) who owns a small farm and makes moonshine on the side. Although everybody in the county has known for years that he makes illegal whiskey, he is surprised when the police arrive on his property to arrest him because they had always looked the other way before. Not at all happy of the prospect of going to jail, he immediately tries to escape in his car but is killed when a trigger-happy deputy named "Frank" (Wes Bishop) shoots one of Tom's tires causing it to careen out-of-control down a huge embankment. Needless to say, this angers "Sheriff Phil Marsh" (Christopher George) who subsequently orders Frank to break the tragic news to Tom's adult daughters "Dixie Eldridge" (Jane Anne Johnstone) and "Patsy Eldridge" (Kathy McHaley). It soon becomes revealed that a millionaire by the name of "Dade McCrutchen" (Stanley Adams) had ordered the raid at Tom's place in order to obtain his land and he has similar plans for numerous other people in the county as well. What he doesn't count on, however, is the response by Tom's daughters when they are left homeless because of his greed-and they plan to avenge their father's death. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a type of action movie that was quite popular in the 70's but died out after films like "White Lightning" and similar pictures with a southern flavor had run its course. Quite frankly, this particular movie is not really that good but the acting is adequate for the most part and having a couple of pretty actresses like the aforementioned Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley certainly didn't hurt either. In any case, those who have a fondness for films produced during this period may enjoy this picture and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

"Dixie Dynamite" may win no prizes for originality, and isn't among the best of its kind, but is not bad, getting a lot of mileage out of the appeal of its cast. Foxy, foxy leading ladies Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley play Dixie and Patsy, two good ol' gals who tire of all the garbage that other people throw in their faces. Their moonshiner daddy Tom (Mark Miller) is accidentally killed by the crooked local law enforcement while a greedy rich jerk (played to the hilt by corpulent Stanley Adams) is determined to get his hands on as much land, including Tom's farm, as possible. Well, the bank president (R.G. Armstrong) reneges on his deal to cut the girls some slack, having known it would be hard for them to make ends meet, preferring to keep the jerk, his principal client, happy. The gals go on a crime spree, partly to get revenge, but also to act as a couple of 'modern day Robin Hoods', as the 'Dukes of Hazzard' theme song would put it, stealing from the rich in order to help out local farmers. There's something to be said here for how greed can motivate people, as our "heroines" realize their potential gains, as well as loyal family friend Mack (Warren Oates), a motocross racer, who's initially disgusted by their criminal activities but changes his tune when they quote him his substantial share of their potential take. There is a certain delight in seeing these gals start raising hell, and they show a fair amount of smarts as well as spunk. It would be hard not to feel sympathy for them, especially as one montage shows their inability to land legitimate jobs is just one motivator. While some of the cast admittedly have been better showcased in other vehicles, they're still quite engaging, from the ever likable Oates to Christopher George as the reluctantly corrupt yet not unreasonable sheriff to Wes Bishop (also co-writer and producer) as the cowardly, bumbling, creepy deputy to Miller as the briefly seen Tom Eldridge to the amusing Adams as the bad guy. Director / co-writer Lee Frost has a cameo near the end as a pathologist, and none other than the legendary Steve McQueen does some uncredited work as a motocross racer in the big racing sequence. Now, "Dixie Dynamite" is never as blatantly exploitative as some fans of this genre will like, and in fact is sometimes downright goofy (it IS rated PG). But an undemanding fan, such as myself, can still have a good enough time watching it, as it's fairly well paced and refrains from ever getting really dull. Seven out of 10.

The only distinction Dixie Dynamite has is that Steve McQueen appears in a dirt bike racing sequence, but with the riders all wearing helmets I doubt you'll spot him. Spotting Steve is the only thing this film has for it.

A pair of curvaceous sisters Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley are naturally upset when their father is raided by some fake revenuers aided in the raid by the sheriff Christopher George. Than later the father Mark Miller is killed when evil, but truly stupid deputy Wes Bishop gets trigger happy.

It's a depressed Dixie economy that's allowing bottom feeding entrepreneur Stanley Adams to start foreclosing and throwing people off their property in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition. At one point the girls decide they've had enough and with their friend dirt biker Warren Oates start doing a little payback.

What is being tried here is a trial run for Thelma&Louise. Of course to bring that off two far better actresses were hired. Johnstone and McHaley aren't in the league of Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and there's a reason that this is their only screen credit.

As for the others I'm sure they were all embarrassed.

Another typical southern-fried revenge film starring a tired-looking, overacting Warren Oates, who helps two sisters get revenge on the people responsible for their father's murder. The local police are of little to no help, since they are on the payroll roster for a local crime boss. There is a decent opening car chase (with some footage lifted from Policewomen, an earlier Frost-Bishop collaboration) and plenty of explosions (including a memorable toilet scene). In fact, an uncredited Steve McQueen did some stunt motorcycle riding in the movie for a meager paycheck.

Two Georgia girls get fed up with it all after their moonshiner father is killed by a local deputy. This is the most light hearted revenge film I think I've ever seen. Warren Oates keeps the movie from sinking, but one has to wonder why he's even in the movie. His character could be left out and it wouldn't really change the story at all. One of the major flaws of this film is that appears to be filmed in California, while it is set in rural Georgia. Anyone who enjoys southern literature knows that the South itself is a character, and it is hard to duplicate that "character" in California. During the car chases, we see sand flying around, as opposed to red mud, and the "small town" looks more like urban LA. I often forgot I was watching a movie set in the deep south. Lee Frost is a great B-movie director. He realizes he's not making epics and is able to keep his movies moving at a reasonable pace, while avoiding such b-movie cliches such as excessive exposition. It's just too bad he couldn't shoot the movie on location in the south. The funniest part of the movie are the "No Help Wanted" signs hanging in all of the shops of the small town. I don't think I've ever seen a "No Help Wanted" sign, but I thought they were a great idea in this movie. If you want to see a better Lee Frost movie, then watch "The Thing with Two Heads." If you want to see a great Warren Oates film, watch "Cockfighter," also set in Georgia, and filmed in Georgia. "Dixie Dynamite" is a good example of a women's revenge movie, but a poor example of a Southern women's revenge movie.