WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Dixie Dynamite (1976)

Directed by Lee Frost, who wrote the script with Wed Bishop, this starts with Tom Eldridge (Mark Miller) running into trouble with the law, thanks to running moonshine. The law being Sheriff Marsh (Christopher George!) and Deputy Frank (Bishop), who screws up and shoots the man and as a result, his daughters Dixie (Jane Anne Johnstone) and Patsy (Kathy McHaley) lose the farm to banker Charlie White (R.G. Armstrong). And there’s also crime boss Dade McCrutchen (Stanley Adams) to deal with. Luckily, they know Mack (Warren Oates), a racer who can help them get the revenge they need.

Somehow, Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley were never in a film before or after this, which surprises me. They’re pretty good in it and actually own most of the film, as Oates is in it for like ten minutes. And if you’re looking for that secret Steve McQueen cameo, good luck. He has a motorcycle helmet on. Supposedly, he hadn’t been in a movie for some time, was bored and showed up to be in the dirt bike racing scene.

The soundtrack — Duane Eddy played on it — and the stunts are the reason to watch this one. It’s very proto-Dukes of Hazzard as the girls play Robin Hood, stealing from the crooks to give to the poor. There’s also a crook getting blown up real good while on the toilet, which is something I’d like to see more of.

Frost also made The Thing With Two Heads, Witchcraft ’70 (U.S. version), The Black GestapoLove Camp 7Hot Spur and so many more wonderful films. He also wrote Race with the Devil.

You can watch this on Tubi.

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