Story: The race track attracts a wide variety of folks, from drivers out to make a name for themselves to women looking to hook up with the racers to businessmen who see dollar signs, so it is no surprise when rivalries or grudges happen to pop up. But the latest rivalry to surface is a real barnburner, as Joe (Ter’l Bennett) tries to keep his name and his race skills untarnished, while Snake (Earl “Snake” Richards) is the local goon who races dirty and doesn’t mind some crime in his off track activities. The two really find themselves in a heated situation when Ruby (Arline Hunter) begins to flirt with Joe, since she is usually dating Snake and of course, he doesn’t appreciate Joe getting involved with his girl. Can the two settle their accounts on the track or will this rivalry spill over into the non track world, potentially costing one or both more than just a race?

Entertainment Value: This race track romp from Ron Ormond has moonshine runs, fast cars, and high stakes romance, all you could ask from this kind of hicksploitation melodrama. The race footage turns out to provide some of the movie’s highlights, as those sequences come off as frantic and authentic, which of course adds so much to the race track atmosphere. The narrative weaves in as much drama and conflict as possible, both on and off the track, with a rivalry, a romance, and even some crime drama on tap in White Lightnin’ Road. The pace is a touch slow at times, but overall the movie sprints at a solid clip and is never dull, at least not if you can find enjoyment in the antics of these hayseeds. In addition to the races, there are chases and fights, including a wild, fun cat fight when Ruby decides to throw down. I appreciated the melodrama here, as it makes the story interesting even when the narrative is slowed a touch, adding some humor and entertainment. I’d say anyone with even a mild interest in race cinema or hicksploitation should give White Lightnin’ Road a look.

The race sequences tend to steal the show here, but the cast has some fun performers and of course, some that entertain in unintentional ways. Arline Hunter is a standout, bringing Ruby to life in perfect fashion, with good looks and a larger than life attitude. Hunter is able to seem right at home in this one, quick to flirt and even quicker to anger, so she’s a perfect fit for this race track. She is able to dial up the melodrama and make her exchanges so fun to watch at times, while her fight with a rival woman proves to be memorable, not to mention one of the movie’s highlights. Earl “Snake” Richards is also fun in his role as our race track villain, who again, seems right at home among this crew of rednecks and rubes. The cast also includes Ter’l Bennett, Jack Rigg, Tom Ormond, and Claude Casey.

The Disc: Indicator Series has released White Lightnin’ Road as part of their From Hollywood to Heaven box set, which also includes the film’s theatrical trailer. The video has been remastered from the best available sources and in this case, that means standard definition, due to the source limitations. The movie looks quite good here though, so don’t rule this out just because its standard definition. The image is clean and shows rock solid detail, so it surpassed my expectations. This box set also houses a host of other films by Ron Ormond, audio commentary tracks, bonus shorts, documentaries, trailers, and more. A loaded set that film buffs will be scouring through for quite a while.

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