White Lightning (1973)

You and them boys didn't get no spray
in that field.
- They'll get to it first thing in the morning.
- They better.
Fella said, "Why you beating
on the back of that truck?"
He says, "I got a two-ton truck and four
tons of canaries. I gotta keep half flyin'."
How's the whiskey business, Gator?
You make it, Mr Simms. I haul it.
Hey, boy, you ain't been drag-racin'
my sedan again, have you?
Tell you what,
you keep me working on that car,
you're gonna blow everybody
right out of the tub.
Can I have one of those?
Boy, you better get your shirt on.
You got a visitor over at the office.
- Visitor?
- Your cousin. She's got bad news for you.
Hello, Louella.
It ain't your mama or your daddy, Gator.
Donny was killed.
I drove up 'cause I knew
you'd wanna know.
Your mama didn't wanna come.
She sends her love, Gator.
Shoot! There's no way
to make it any better.
Donny was killed down in Bogan County.
Who killed him, Louella?
They're not sure.
They found him in the lake. There was
another kid from school with him.
I don't know what the hell you're talking
about. Donny didn't run liquor.
Your daddy thinks
it was on account of the sheriff.
- The sheriff?
- He thinks it was on account of...
...kids he hung out with.
All them protesting.
All them damn hippies.
Gator! How long you gonna sit there, boy?
Five days. Mr Simms said you go
and get yourself on over to the shop.
Mr Simms done give you
every break there is
and all you
son of a guns think you got to do
is just make moonshine liquor and don't
give a damn about nothin' or nobody...
Gator, where in the hell
you think you're goin'?
Look like you gonna dig me a ditch
all the way to Memphis, Gator.
You did your time pretty good up to here.
You only got one more year to go.
Two ways you can do it: hard or easy.
Bill, get them boys started
about 50 yards on up the field.
Move it out.
Put down that shovel.
You listen to me, boy.
Ain't nothin' you, I or anybody else can do.
Your brother's dead
and you ain't goin' home for another year.
You can do your time easy,
that's all I'm saying.
I've seen a hell of a lot
of old boys come and go.
Captain.
- Federal law got me in here, didn't it?
- What'd you say?
I said the federal law
got me in here, didn't it?
- You reckon it can get me out?
- What are you drivin' at?
Sheriff in Bogan County, what's his name?
J C Connors?
You know he's taking money
from the whiskey business, don't you?
I'll get evidence against him.
JC?
Boy, he runs Bogan County.
Yeah. But I'll nail his ass.
Let those reports go for now
and wait outside.
Gator, this is Mr Cantrell.
Mr Cantrell, it's your wingding.
Sit down, Mr McKlusky.
Mr Simms tells us you want to cooperate
with the federal department.
Is that correct?
Yeah.
Let's see.
12 months remaining in your sentence.
Second offence: making and transporting
untaxed whiskey.
- As you understand...
- Third.
- I beg your pardon?
- Third offence.
First time I was 13.
Yeah.
If information related to federal income-tax
evasion or unpaid liquor tax is obtained,
it's within the policy of the government
to cooperate with state-prison officials.
We have a file on the Bogan County
sheriff. He's a damn tough cookie.
He's got several unsolved homicides going
for him, as well as other circumstances.
But our jurisdiction is only the manufacture
of untaxed, illegal whiskey.
If you haul from an illegal steal,
that's direct evidence.
If you see he receives money,
that's direct evidence.
If you can testify as to money paid
to the sheriff's department, that's evidence.
If you can determine the actual location
of illegal, unreported income,
that is a federal case.
Do you understand?
Well? Gonna miss it, McKlusky?
Gosh, yes. I'm gonna miss
all that good cooking.
Pay attention.
This is Dude Watson.
He's your contact man in Bogan County.
Right now you can find him
driving down at the Benton Speedway.
Read this file. All of it.
Bye, boys. Have a good time.
- McKlusky?
- Yeah.
Over here.
There it is. Take a look at it.
This is the car you'll do
your whiskey running in.
- Who tuned it?
- D'you like it?
Doggone! Would you look at that motor!
The guy who did it's one of our boys.
He used to do a little running.
Watson operates a garage.
- We've got him on federal probation, so...
- Would you look at that engine...
We've got him on federal probation,
therefore he'll help you.
- Is that it?
- Good luck.
- See you, fella.
- Yeah.
Keep that thing between the ditches.
Gator?
Gator? Gator.
Gator McKlusky. Sherry Lynne.
- Sherry Lynne, how are you, darlin'?
- Hi there.
- I know you. What's your name?
- I'm Becky-Jo's little sister.
Last time I saw you, you were flat-chested.
- This is Kip.
- Gator's a funny name.
Kip's a funny name, too.
Here's one for the kipper.
- Where have you been?
- I've been saving myself, darlin'.
For what?
All right, all right!
- Gator what?
- Gator anything you like.
- I'm trying to talk.
- I wanna know his name.
- You get me excited, I'll eat you up.
- You going to see your mama and papa?
You tell your mama...
Gator?
Hello, Papa.
Oh!
Hello, Mama.
I would have written more, Mama,
but I didn't know what to say.
That's what Donny used to say...
What do you think you might do now, son?
- What happened to Donny?
- Don't you go hauling no more liquor.
- I ain't.
- You think you might get a job at Rexville?
What happened to Donny, Mama?
We don't know.
I don't want nothin' to happen to you,
Bobby. I just can't stand it no more.
- Tell her it's gonna be all right.
- Whatever you got in your head, get it out!
- It's gonna be all right.
- "Settle yourself. " No.
- That's what Donny said.
- Now, hush.
There's no call for that.
Now quit it! Come on.
Gator's home. He had supper with us.
We're sitting out here on the porch
like we always did.
I don't rightly know
what happened to your brother, son.
I don't understand it.
He wasn't mixed up in the law no way.
But you know what they say
college kids do these days.
But it's all right.
You're home now. We can get in that crop.
When are you leaving?
In the morning.
Where are you going, son?
Where are you going?
- Bogan County.
- You listen to your daddy.
Stay away from there.
Don't get us mixed up in more trouble.
Know how I got out of prison, Daddy?
The law. The law let me out.
What do you mean, son?
That sheriff, he owns Bogan County.
We ain't gonna get him for killing Donny.
The only way you're gonna get
that sheriff... is for taking whiskey money.
Are you goin' for the federal laws?
Taking names of liquor people
and turning them in?
- I'm gonna get that sheriff.
- Taking names, that's...
I'm gonna get that sheriff.
It's a bad thing, Bobby.
race commentary)
Howdy.
Say, how are you?
You Dude Watson?
That's what they call me.
- I hear you're a hell of a mechanic.
- Oh, yeah?
Shoot. Well, I don't know.
You wanna... tune up my old iron here?
What, today? No way.
- You got a big race today, have you?
- You know it.
- Can I have a little tap of that?
- What's that?
That's moon, ain't it, pard?
Is that what that is?
Shoot. I was wondering.
Some old boy come by about an hour ago,
just left it there.
Hell, it's yours.
I don't know what the hell it is.
You think I'm the fuzz?
I don't know what you are.
Gawd!
That shine'll blind you, boy.
My name's Gator McKlusky.
You know why I'm here, don't you?
I said you know why I'm here, don't you?
Last year you made $18,000,
working on cars and running
moonshine whiskey to your neighbours.
Except you neglected to pay
Uncle Sam the taxes.
He's pissed off about that.
Man, is he pissed off about that!
Warm your cars up and get 'em ready
to go and get used to the track.
So, I'm gonna help you make some
deliveries, take down a few names.
Is that right? Tell me somethin'.
Why mess with an old boy who's just tryin'
to make a livin' out of liquor?
I'm only gonna nail one guy's hide:
J C Connors.
J C Connors? Shoot!
You might as well try to swim over to
China and get old Mao Tse-tung. Bye-bye.
- You're thirsty.
- You got the best shine in town, Maggie.
Fill it up.
Did you hear about James?
He got so bombed on this stuff,
he put it in the chicken mash
and those eggs slammed.
- They came out fried.
- Give me your money.
- Here's five hot ones.
- Better not be hot.
- Not any hotter than what's holdin' them.
- You behave yourself.
- See you next week.
- Bye, sugar.
Jeremiah!
Are you playing with that gun?
- Open the door, dammit!
- That was a dumb thing to do.
- What's going on out here?
- Go on back in the house.
Sharon Anne,
what are you doing out here?
Give me back my gun.
That's my gun. Give it back to me.
Don't ever take a man's gun.
What's the matter with you?
Look what you did to the stock!
And look at that.
Who the hell's gonna fix my ceiling? You?
- Will you just calm down?
- Don't tell me to calm down!
- No damn federal stool-pigeon is gonna...
- Don't call me that.
What are you if you ain't a stool-pigeon?
Take a bite of this.
It'll make you feel better.
Get the hell away from me, man.
You know them two college boys
that drowned in the lake?
You didn't have to hit me in the gut, man.
- One of them boys was my brother.
- I'm sick.
- I said one of them kids was my brother.
- I said you didn't have to hit me in the gut!
No sheriff is gonna kill
any brother of mine.
- Well, go hit him in the gut, not me!
- You didn't even know him.
Know him? I've known him since
I was a kid. He's been the sheriff here.
Not the sheriff!
I'm talking about my brother!
Hey, Maggie.
Henry, why don't you just bring it out
in broad daylight?
I told you I want one gallon in there
and the rest outsideways.
Them feds ain't comin' to get you, honey.
Unless they wanna reckon with me.
Who the hell's that?
Who does he haul for?
- You better start answering my questions.
- I don't have to tell you a damn thing.
- I'm on probation.
- You broke probation.
You know it and I know it and so do they.
If you don't answer my questions,
they'll send you back to prison.
You're not gonna see your kids or your
wife no more. Now, answer my questions.
Lookee, man.
I ain't got no damn love for J C Connors.
But I can't help you. Even if I could,
it wouldn't do you any good.
If I got you in to run liquor, make liquor,
what good's it gonna do you?
For gettin' court proof, legal stuff like that,
you ain't gonna make it.
I pay J C Connors, sure. Everybody does.
But it's cash money, man.
It's in a paper sack. Ain't no cheques.
And them tax boys put me on a stand
in front of a damn jury, I'm gonna lie.
I'm gonna have to.
Five years in a federal pen is no picnic,
but J C Connors can put me under.
You understand what I'm saying to you?
If you wanna get that sheriff, man...
you're gonna have to kill him.
- Do you want me to put that on your tab?
- Yeah, if you still trust me.
Trust you? No way.
Ain't this some beautiful mess?
Five years in the pen one way,
and J C Connors the other.
You gotta help me, Dude.
You gotta help me.
A court-house right in the middle
of the city square.
I like that.
You don't hardly see that any more.
- That is the court-house?
- No, it's a pool hall.
Court-house is across the street over here.
Legalise that shit,
it's gonna ruin moonshine liquor for ever.
Them long-haired hippy freaks.
Pot-smoking bastards...
- What say, sis?
- Hey, Dude.
Ha!
- What say, Ray, TR?
- Old Dirty Dude's back in town.
- How you boys doin'?
- Pretty good. How are you?
- You need anybody to do some runnin'?
- Not right now.
Old Roy's out back. He may need
somebody to run blocker for him.
Yeah?
Take it easy.
- Hey, Roy.
- What say, Dude?
- How's that old race car?
- Better than yours.
I want you to meet somebody.
Gator McKlusky, this is Roy Boone.
Gator, huh? That's a mighty funny name.
Rebel Roy. Knew an old boy back home
with Rebel Roy on his car. A drivin' fool.
Run old Junior Johnson
off the road one time.
Bull. Ain't nobody ever rode
old Junior Johnson off the road, boy.
- Wanna shoot some pool?
- No, I got Sugar Puddin' waitin' out there.
Had Rebel Roy on the side of the car.
Hell of a football player. Rebel Bookman.
Every time he won a race,
he'd yell out the rebel yell. Yee-up!
Rack 'em up, will you?
Dude, why don't you come on outside
and say hello to Sugar Puddin'?
She'd be glad to see you.
I'd kinda like to say hello to her myself.
- Rebel Roy, huh?
- Uh-huh.
Roy, I understand you need somebody
to run blocker for you.
No, I don't need nobody right now, Dude.
- Gator's a hell of a driver.
- I know. Rebel Roy, huh?
Rebel Roy, yeah.
Taught me everything I know.
That's why I'm so good.
- You wouldn't kid me, now, would you?
- Uh-huh.
Hey, Sugar Puddin'.
This here's Gator McKlusky.
Roy, come here.
I wanna show you somethin'.
I'll be right back, Sugar Puddin'.
Rebel Roy, huh?
Good-looking rascal.
Reminds me a lot of you.
Had a rebel flag, just like you got,
painted right down the hood.
Doggone, that joker could drive.
You wanna look at somethin', look at that.
Wow!
- You got yourself some motor there, boy.
- Sure you don't need a blocker, Roy?
Well, I don't know, Dude.
I might.
I just might. I sure will think about it.
There's your friend.
- J C Connors?
- That's him.
- I wanna talk to him.
- Go talk to him. I ain't botherin'.
- I want you to come with me.
- Are you crazy? I'll wait here in the car.
What the hell's wrong with you, man?
You're gonna kill us.
Don't act so damn crazy!
- What's your hurry, Dude?
- Ain't no hurry, Sheriff.
- Hot, though, ain't it?
- Yeah, it's hot.
Just don't make it any hotter
than it is, now.
I won't.
I'll have somethin' for you
on Friday, Mr Connors.
I'll bet this machine'd outrun
about anything, wouldn't it?
Yeah.
Motorcycles and state police cars.
Just about anything on the road.
- It's a hot car.
- It's tuned up fine.
- Only two things I'm scared of.
- Only scared of two things? What's that?
- Women and the police.
- Women and the police.
You spend all your time
tryin' to hump 'em both, don't you?
You take it easy
in this machine in this county.
- We'll take it easy, Mr Connors.
- I know you will.
Women and the police.
Boy, that was cute. I mean that was cute.
- Ready?
- I was born ready.
We'll take State 102,
go in past the lumber-yard.
Think you can handle
that big machine all right?
Get on with it.
You just keep your eyes on the road
and your foot on the pedal.
All right, Harvey. What does that mean?
All right, JC. That means Ben Fairfield
says that county records may be...
- Thank you for taking care of that matter.
- My pleasure, Judge Tainey.
He says what?
The county records may be placed
in investigative custody,
in which case prior investigative function
may be retained by local authorities
over federal jurisdiction.
- Bogan County's still Bogan County.
- That's what I'm trying to tell you.
It's not the same. It can't be the same.
That's a bunch of stuff. Ben played football
with me. He puts his pants on...
- You're still coming for Sunday dinner?
- Fried chicken.
Benjamin Fairfield is now a US senator
and I'm down here in Bogan County
doin' the same thing his daddy did
when he was sheriff here
and I had a cell downstairs 'cause I burned
down the outhouse on the Fourth of July.
That was 25 years ago. Federal law
and state law's not what it was.
Dammit, Harv... Excuse me, Miss Martha.
- You don't believe everything you hear?
- Not workin' round here.
Now, look, JC, let me
explain it to you one more time.
Federal law and state law
is not what it was.
Harvey, you know, you need a haircut.
What's it the business of any income-tax
federal revenuer, anyway,
if Pot Willoughby
and any other old moonshiner
wants to put down his paper sack full
of money, like he's being doin' for years,
and I take that money and spread it around
among 25 men in my department
who do not make enough
to buy their wives
a washer, drier and all them things every
American family is supposed to have?
You tell me, Harvey,
is it better if a man pays
seven dollars a fifth for
government drinking-liquor in a dry county
or six bits a pint for shine?
Don't argue with me, JC. I'm with you.
Everybody in the department is.
- But you got to pull in your horns.
- Bull.
If Ben Fairfield says that Washington's
sending a man here snooping around,
he knows what he's talking about,
and maybe he's already here.
If that ain't a whiskey runner, I'll spit.
Hunkered down on his springs like that.
- Shall we get him?
- Let's go.
Kill the tape.
Oh, shit!
What the hell we got here?
Got a whiskey transporter
and a blocker car running east.
In pursuit on Farrel Road.
Son of a bitch!
Well, I'll be damned.
Hey, Gator.
Guy in the body shop wants to know what
you did to the undercarriage on that car.
- I told you, I just dinged it up a little bit.
- Gonna ding your pocketbook.
That's her, the one
in the yellow dress up there.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Court-house closed?
The sheriff's office is open,
but that court is closed for the day.
- Where you get your licence renewed?
- The vehicle department closes at 5.30.
Dammit!
Sorry.
They close at 5.30. It's after 5.30 now.
Gonna be in trouble now.
When did your licence expire?
February. That's my birthday.
- I guess I'm gonna catch hell.
- No.
They don't even fine you
or anything like that.
You just renew it and that's all.
- Do you work up in the court-house?
- I work at the sheriff's office.
- That's good.
- You don't have a lot of tickets, do you?
No. I just wanna get my licence renewed.
- What time does the court-house open?
- Nine o'clock.
I'm gonna have to stay here all night.
Do you know where I can get supper?
- Right down there at the Citadel Caf.
- Any good?
Oh, yeah.
They got a real nice dining room.
I know you're gonna think
this is dumb, but...
...I hate to eat alone.
You know somethin'?
I hate to eat alone, too.
Yeah?
Come on.
No.
Listen, I know you.
No, you don't.
I got an idea, honey.
I just want a goodnight kiss.
- You sure?
- Lay one on me.
No, I don't think so. I'm not so sure.
Oh, honey. You're too much.
Honey, I know that you want me to dig out
a lot of tickets or somethin' like that.
And, honey, there ain't a chance.
No chance.
What tickets?
I ain't got no tickets!
What the hell you talking about tickets?
That ain't what I want at all!
Ow! Son of a...
Thank you, Maggie. When are you gonna
leave that old boy and marry me?
Sugar, you ain't asked me.
Dude, don't you want another piece of pie?
No, I don't want any pie.
Well, what do you think?
I can jerk the head,
but I can't give it to you before Tuesday.
Ain't there someplace around here
you can find that's open?
- I gotta make a pick-up at Big Bear's.
- Let Gator do it for you.
You said he's the best blocker
you ever had.
I can't understand that damn pushing rod
going out on me like that! Damn!
- How you doin'?
- Everybody I can.
Big Bear just might kick my butt
if I take you out there to make a pick-up.
- I could sure use the money.
- Don't look like I got much of a choice.
- Roy, it'll be all right.
- Hell, what do you know?
Damn! I hate to mess up
a man's car like that.
You can fix it back, can't you?
Pick me up some new licence plates.
Come on back.
Is that Roy?
Yeah. He's got Lou and a fella with him.
- Who is it? Harry Noonan?
- I don't know. Honey, be still.
You know, I never heard of no Roy Goober
runnin' whiskey round Martinsville.
Yeah? He's my cousin.
Everybody's heard of him.
- Who'd you say he was? Gator what?
- McKlusky.
- You sure you know who he is?
- Hell, Big Bear. Gator's all right.
I threw a rod on my car.
Well, you boys let that be. He'll finish it up.
Come on in and eat a bite.
That's a good idea. I'm so hungry I could
eat the tail-end out of a hobby-horse.
- You got a hell of an operation here.
- I got 15 men piddling around.
If I didn't give 'em something to do,
they'd be sucking wind.
How many gallons do you run a month?
- 3,000 or so.
- Whoo!
- We fit our stacks different.
- We gotta keep 'em out of sight.
The feds have got TV doodads, helicopters
and every other thing snoopin' around.
Like a bunch of old hens scratching
a manure pile for sunflower seeds.
You can eat my grub.
I'll let you haul my whiskey.
But don't you ever do me no wrong!
How would you like that knife
shoved up your ass?
I wouldn't like that at all.
Let's go eat some greens.
But you remember what I told you.
That smells so nice, that honeysuckle.
Gator, tell me somethin'.
Was you scared back there when old
Big Bear pulled that pigsticker on you?
Scared shitless.
I knew it.
- Gonna hate to see old Big Bear leave.
- Why's that?
Good old boy like him. Fought in the war,
like his daddy before him.
He says if the government keeps
dogging him about moonshine,
he'd as soon turn communist
and be a Chinaman.
I believe that old boy'd do it, too.
Another day, another quarter.
What did you do with all that money
you got for singing lessons?
That isn't fair. I was imitating that old lady
I was telling you about up on the float.
We was up on the float, too.
They even took pictures.
In the Bogan County Star.
Maybe you saw those pictures?
We had to dive in the water
and go from one side to the other side.
Whoever got to the other side first
won fine gifts: hair goods...
Wasn't it around here
where those people were drowned?
- This where them two boys was drowned?
- Just past the point.
- What boys are you talking about?
- Never mind.
Anyway, I could have won
that race, right, Roy?
But Bonnie Rae Slocum grabbed
the back of my bra and held on to me.
It might have changed our life if I'd won.
Roy would be an engineer
if he'd just gone on to school.
Ever since we were going steady
I wanted him to study engineering.
We could have had children and a home
and a house and everything nice.
If you keep running that white lightning,
you're gonna get caught, sent to prison...
Shoot, it'd just be probation.
There ain't nobody gonna turn me in, hon.
- First time's probation.
- Second time.
You already had your probation
that time up in Crescent County.
- That don't count. I was 16 years old.
- It does too count!
- Shoot.
- It does. Doesn't it count?
What's the matter with you?
You two are more fun
than going to an all-night dentist.
Sowing in the morning
sowing seeds of kindness
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve
Waiting for the harvest
and the time for reaping
We shall come rejoicing...
What you always writing
in that little book about?
- I'm writing the story of my life, darlin'.
- Yeah?
- Am I in it?
- You're working on it.
The first little old boy I ever took out
in back of the corn crib,
he wasn't but nine years old.
Nine years old?
I was reading this magazine article
the other day.
It said your average girl doesn't start
even playing with herself till she's 12.
I was early.
I sure admire them folks.
Bought 'em a damn organ
outta that whiskey money. How about that?
Hey, Roy.
- You better pop, Gator.
- Remember what I said.
- What'd she say?
- I gave him my recipe for shaky puddin'.
- Shaky puddin'?
- He said he'd like to try some.
Hey, bubba. Keep that door open, boy.
Bring it inside, Roy.
What are you thinkin' about?
Shaky puddin'.
Gonna try some?
I'm thinkin' about it.
Gator, I don't believe
in foolin' around none. Never did.
If you want it, just say so. If you don't...
- What about Roy?
- He's not gonna be watchin' us, is he?
- I hope not.
- Keep the fires burnin'. See you.
Roy's runnin' a little late tonight, ain't he?
Who's that new guy
he's got runnin' with him?
African trip?
Blank, blank, F, A, blank, blank.
Put that crossword puzzle down, see
if you can act like an officer of the law.
Safari. S-A-F-A-R-I.
Pretty soon there'll be
more guns than people.
- Why should anybody want a gun?
- To protect themselves.
If we'd stuck it out,
we could have got us one of them.
I'm gonna get me one like that,
honey-bun, just like that.
- I wanna protect myself.
... TV violence, movies, the whole bit.
I wouldn't know what to do
with a gun if I had one.
- That's a typical female statement.
- Are you attacking females now?
The army goes round busting people for
smoking dope and then they kill them.
- Do y'all go to school round here?
- No. Do you?
- No, I'm out of school.
- We need a woman president.
If they elected a woman president,
there wouldn't be any more wars.
You don't believe me? You know the name
of that stuff they put in hot dogs?
No, I don't know. Y'all know anybody
who goes out to Horacebee College?
No, we're from Dowton Junior College.
- Do you have people from Horacebee?
- I used to.
Let's go.
Cradle-robber.
What were you talking to them about?
- Trying to hustle up a hippy chick?
- Yeah.
Why you talkin' to them draft-dodging,
pot-smoking sons of bitches?
They don't know nothin'.
All they do is cause dissension.
Ain't never worked a day in their lives.
Must be 50 of 'em. If it was up to me,
I'd shoot 'em all.
Bringing in the sheaves
Bringing in the sheaves
Bringing in the sheaves
Bringing in the sheaves
We shall come rejoicing
Bringing in the sheaves
Bringing in the sheaves...
Bringing in the sheaves
We shall come rejoicing
Bringing in the sheaves
Bringing in the sheaves
Hey.
- Mornin'.
- Mornin'.
Mornin'.
- Would you like a bite?
- Uh-huh.
Come on up here and get it.
Where's Roy?
He's inside. Sleeping.
- You do that all by yourself?
- All by myself. Just for you.
Mm-hm.
- You like that?
- Beats prison cookin'.
- You was in prison?
- Mm-hm.
Doin' my time.
- You know what?
- What?
I wanna thank you
from the bottom
of my worthless, horny little soul.
I believe that.
- How long was you in for?
- Four years.
How come is you out?
Ow!
'Cause they got tired of me.
If you keep runnin' that white liquor, you're
just gonna go right back in there again.
Not this boy.
- Tell you what.
- What?
You come on in here and wash my back,
I'll buy you a new dress come pay-day.
- A new dress?
- Mm-hm.
Sh.
Lou?
Lou!
Damn people wanderin' off.
Now I know why they call you Gator.
I have a signed affidavit here.
Against my client who was issued...
JC.
There it is. Ben Fairfield got that
out of the CID section.
Dude Watson and some stool-pigeon
they turned loose out of state prison.
- You better start backtracking.
- Dude?
It's there in black and white. The federals
have got him over a barrel on taxes.
- Taxes.
- They're after you, boy.
- Turnin' a man against his own people...
- It don't matter to them.
Washington DC's a damn dictator.
They're gonna integrate our schools,
get all our coloureds to vote,
they're gonna send all those long-haired
smart-alec hippies down here.
What would we be doing if Ben Fairfield
wasn't sittin' up there pulling strings?
Living in Russia.
That's what you might as well be doing.
Miss Martha, excuse us.
I'm liable to get heated.
- Watch your blood pressure.
- Yes, ma'am.
Communism, Harvey, that's what it is.
That's plain and simple.
That is plain as the nose on your face.
The communists.
That's what he said.
Destroy from the inside.
What are you gonna do?
I'm gonna get mean, Harvey.
You don't understand. It can't be
the way it was. It cannot be the way it was.
Don't you know there are times
that your learned opinion
is about as useless as tits on a boar hog?
You know who them
hog-huggers are, man? Feds.
I want 'em out of here
and this whole mess over with.
- How you doin', McKlusky?
- All right.
Have you got anything for us?
No, not yet.
When?
- I don't know.
- Is Dude cooperating?
Yeah.
Why you gotta come around here?
I told you I'd call you.
- Cool it.
- What you gotta bother these people for?
Let's go.
Be seein' you, McKlusky. Take it easy.
By the way, what are you
so dressed up for, Sugar Puddin'?
When I woke up I was feelin' so fine,
I just thought I'd put on
a new dress for you, Roy.
Where'd you go this afternoon, Gator?
- Over to Dude's.
- Did you go with him?
- No.
- No.
That's mighty fine
spruce and dogwood, isn't it?
Hi, Huey.
- You got my sugar?
- Five sacks.
- Big Bear wanted eight.
- Haven't got it.
- They been checkin' on us lately.
- We'll take it.
Where'd you and him go this mornin'?
Noplace.
Big Bear hasn't paid me for the last he got,
and we're not runnin' any credit.
I'll tell him. Give me some beadin' oil, too.
Buck Thurmond took my last.
I won't have any till Tuesday.
- Where'd you and Lou go?
- Walkin'.
- It took you long enough.
- Hey.
You got somethin' to say to me, say it.
I don't want you lookin' at Lou no more.
Let me ask you somethin'.
Just exactly what are your intentions?
About what?
- Are you gonna marry her or what?
- What?
That's just what I thought.
Marry her? What the hell has that got to do
with what we were talking about?
- Where's Dude?
- I don't know.
I just want him to come down
the court-house, discuss some things.
Course, you can call the NAACP first,
or the ACLU or...
...the CIO, the FBI or any other damn thing.
- Well, he's not here.
- Well, he ain't here.
Maybe you'd better come with us, then.
Yes, sir. I'll just get my pocketbook.
You better go help her
lock the back door, I think.
Let me go. Please don't.
Don't. Stop it.
Would you let my deputy
up from there, please?
Now, where's Dude?
- Where is Dude?
- He's out at his folks'.
What about that guy in that brown sedan?
Haulin' with Roy Boone.
Thank you, honey, for your cooperation.
See you later.
We're givin' him stuff as sweet
as that old Hatchy River was.
If you'd sweeten this hogwash up,
you'd get him up to six.
You know as much about making whiskey
as a flop-eared mule.
Tell 'em to sweeten it up.
If I sweeten this up,
we're gonna be fired back here.
Quit drinkin' that stuff. Get behind there
and help me get this stuff outta here.
You been messin' around all day.
Take it easy on that Ford this time.
I'll let Dude work on it.
Stop nippin' on that jug.
If you don't start making it better,
I'm gonna quit drinkin' it altogether.
Keep your eyes on that popper keg.
I don't care if it gets a little too short. We're
not making this stuff for the government.
Take them back there.
Like a pile of maggots in the outhouse.
- You better be glad you got me.
- Where's that Gator?
Hell, I don't know.
Shaking the dew off his lily, I guess.
I'll be back in a minute.
You get them jugs
outta here like I told you.
- Hi.
- What?
You really like them electric hair-driers?
Must make your head hot.
With all them chemicals,
you're gonna ruin your hair.
I don't care for naturally curly hair.
I like the artificial kind,
with the curlers in it.
- What are you doin' in here?
- Just talkin' to the lady.
Get the hell out.
Get that thing back on your head.
- What say, Frank?
- What's happening?
Not much. What you makin' there, Scotch?
Bourbon.
This here's Gator McKlusky. He's gonna
be makin' some runs for Big Bear.
McKlusky. I knew a McKlusky once
who lived in Oleander County.
- Want another case Saturday?
- Yeah.
Jim McKlusky. Made real still pot liquor,
not this lead radiator poison.
Just sell it. Don't drink it, Frank.
He looked a little bit like you.
Jim McKlusky. He any kin to you?
- What'd you say?
- Is he any kin to you?
- My daddy.
- Well, I'll be go to hell.
You Jim McKlusky's boy?
It's been a long time.
Long time ago. 1952. When I was a kid,
he used to work in the shot house.
Let's go. Ain't got time to shoot the breeze.
When you see your daddy,
you tell him Frank Robley said hello.
I'll tell him.
What you got in that book?
You got the wrong idea.
You better not keep
tryin' somethin' with Lou.
- I ain't talkin' about Lou.
- I am.
- You been writin' a love poem?
- You peanut head.
You don't know your can
from second base.
- I don't have to take that from nobody.
- You super giant ass!
Damn you!
Goddam it! Let go of me!
You stupid...!
Punk!
Now, listen, you son of a...
Goddam it!
Shoot!
- Hey.
- What?
You damn peanut head.
Don't tell me you wasn't
messin' around with Lou.
I don't mind you foolin' around, but I can't
let you block the alley with this vehicle.
I'm gonna have to give you a citation.
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir.
Hey, Skeeter.
Still tryin' to beat that machine?
He ain't here.
I didn't ask if anybody was here,
Mrs Watson.
You was talkin' about Dude in town.
He ain't here. I ain't seen him.
Howdy, Mrs Watson. What you doin'?
Makin' a banana puddin'?
What I need to do, Skeeter,
is ask Dude a couple of questions.
You heard her. He ain't here.
Damn near had that 75 there.
Now, you wouldn't wanna see Dude
get in any trouble.
And I'm here to see he don't.
Just can't beat one of these Sears
Roebuck pinball machines. No, siree.
- You gotta hit the flippers.
- I hit the flippers all the time.
Where is he, Mrs Watson?
You know, don't you, Skeeter?
I believe you got a loose hinge here.
- Come here.
- You tryin' to tear my clothes off?
Feel in there.
Where is he? Where's he at?
Harry... Harry Boon's place!
Get some ice water for them fingers.
JW! Boy, we got a load out here for ya!
- JW!
- Roy? Is that you? Something's wrong.
There's nobody around here.
Let's get the hell...
Dude!
Get your hands off of me!
You can do better than that.
Come on.
Dammit!
Attaway!
Come back here!
Damn you.
Tan her hide, Freddie. Oughta be more
hide-tanning and less psychology.
Junior, go tell J C Connors
to come on down here.
Put the cuffs on him there. Elmer.
You should have done your time
and stayed in that prison.
It tees me off, federal sons of Yankees
comin' down here, stool-pigeonin'.
- I'm sorry about what I done to you.
- Get your hands off me.
You know how to put that stuff away,
don't you, boy?
You know, when you first come up
to my place, I knowed you wasn't right.
- I smelled it.
- Sheriff's on his way.
Dagnabit!
J C Connors'll come with that rowboat
now and some cement blocks.
We'll have to put this old boy away.
- Let's go upstairs.
- Get your damn hands off of me!
Why, you ignorant, stupid jughead!
Can't you see she ain't willin'?
Bring her back in here and sit her down.
Get your hands off!
I hope you rot and burn in hell!
I know why you're doin' that.
That's right. I'm gonna get
so goddam drunk,
I ain't gonna know what's happenin'
when you take me out to drown me.
You're gonna have more fun
than we are, ain't you?
Bet your big butt I am.
You know what? You're a good old boy.
It's a cryin' shame you gotta be
a sneakin', lyin', behind-the-back,
yellow, chicken, thievin' stool-pigeon!
Well, don't worry about it.
I'm gonna be so drunk,
I ain't gonna know the difference.
- You know what?
- What?
You know what she's got on her belly?
What?
Come here.
- She's got a tattoo.
- Tattoo!
What?
What? I said she's got
a tattoo on her belly.
Know what of?
American flag.
- You know what else?
- What?
- Two eagles fightin' a snake.
- Malarkey!
American flag!
I've seen it. It's beautiful.
Didn't Roy tell you about it?
You don't believe me, do you?
No.
- Why don't you go take a look?
- Shoot.
All right, I will.
Hey, come here.
No!
Dammit! Leave me alone!
Leave me alone!
Honey, the boys wanna
take a peek at a tattoo.
It ain't gonna hurt nobody.
Come on!
No, no. Come on.
Shove the devil away,
because the devil's tryin' to get you, too.
He's workin' at you. He's workin' with you.
He's against you.
But the Lord's on your side,
so reach out your hand
and put your hand in his hand
and don't let him go.
It pinches the saw.
Hi.
There.
- Where in the hell am I?
- Are you feelin' any better now?
This is Sister Linda Fay
and over here is Annie Lou and Betty Jo,
and Vicky, and I'm Vinnie Carruthers.
You're just prattling.
Everybody out of here, right now.
Go on. Out of here.
That takes care of the devil's harness.
Come on, everybody.
Out of here right now. Shoo. Go on.
Don't you go getting him excited.
He'll tear out all those stitches.
Isn't she wonderful? Praise God!
Where the hell am I?
You're at Sister Linda Fay's
Home For Unwed Mothers.
- No shit.
- Lou told us all about you.
Lou here was one of our mothers.
Had a girl.
What would you like for lunch?
Hominy or tapioca?
Tapioca. All right.
Bet that ain't as good as shaky puddin'.
- Is your name McKlusky?
- Jenny, come and feed that baby.
- OK.
- Carol Cray, you come up here, too.
What... what happened to you?
I was tryin' to save
these two buddies of mine from...
...gettin' knocked up by a homosexual.
Praise God.
Here comes little Dude.
- The other son of a bitch is loose.
- We'll get him.
Couldn't believe it, Maggie.
I swear to God, I just couldn't believe it.
- Good old Dude.
- I told him. I warned him.
Too much wooly booger, JC.
You can't go at it every night, Bear.
You know what?
We ain't been fishin' in a long time.
Why don't we just take a day off
and go fishin'?
Fishin'? Right now my boat
ain't rigged for fishin', Bear.
Dude was a good old boy.
He was just lucky the boys
didn't know what he was doin'.
Listen, Maggie, you
and the little girl need anything,
you just tell me, OK?
Thanks, Roy. That wife of his in Memphis,
she's going to get every cent
of that insurance money.
- You seen that McKlusky fella?
- No, sir, JC. I still ain't seen him.
- Well, you let me know if you do.
- Yes, sir. I sure will.
Respects and condolences
to you, ma'am.
You go to hell.
How long ago was it you were in here?
I don't wanna talk about it.
Mornin'.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- It's a pretty baby.
- Thank you.
- What's his name?
- Jimmy Lee.
Lee's a lot better than Grant.
Would you take the baby in?
I think he's gettin' a little hungry.
- I sure will. Is his bottle on the stove?
- No, it's up in my room coolin'.
You did say your name
was McKlusky, didn't you?
Yeah. Why?
You got a brother named Donny?
- Did you know my brother?
- We was good friends.
We went to school together
down in Auburn.
- I saw it the night when it happened.
- You what?
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
said anything about that.
- Jesus Christ, you mean...
- I didn't see when he was killed.
I was with him before.
Some of us kids,
we come down from school afterwards.
There was nothing we could do.
Yeah, but why? Why'd it happen?
- What... what did Donny do?
- Nothin'. I mean, nothin' bad.
- We was all just protestin'.
- Protestin'?
What the hell's he got to protest about
in Bogan County?
You protest up north, up in New York.
That's the beauty of it. Don't you see?
It was his idea.
We take the worst county in the state
to hold the demonstration.
- Why?
- You know how Donny was.
No, I don't.
Ten of us come up.
We had this here sit-in.
We was goin' back to school in
the mornin', so we bought a six-pack.
I guess we was makin' too much noise.
The manager called the sheriff.
Pretty soon, there he was.
Donny told him he couldn't do nothin'
'cause he didn't have a search warrant.
The sheriff said he wasn't gonna have
a bunch of damn hippies
stirrin' up folks with all their protestin'
and startin' anything in his county.
And so Donny told him everybody knew
he was nothin' but a fascist pig mother
stealin' the county blind.
Then the sheriff hit him.
Then the deputy grabbed Donny and
one of the other guys and took 'em away.
Next thing we knew, he was dead.
That's it.
You know somethin'?
I just got out of prison.
For runnin' cars, stealin' cars,
runnin' moonshine.
I ain't never...
I ain't never done nothin' good
in my whole life.
And then along come Donny and...
...he's the only one
that ever went to school.
Only one that ever accomplished anything.
Only one who ever did anything
in the whole family.
What the hell does it mean?
Mr McKlusky. Sheriff's out there
askin' about you.
Gator.
Let's go! Come on!
Get in the car! Junior, let's go!
All units. Got a man headin' down the
Jackson road towards Colton. Cut him off.
Stay right on him.
Take a right.
- That's back to town.
- Take a right here.
Get after him.
Dammit!
I'll get a shot at him here.
Get over to the right a little bit, Junior.
Just get it to the right.
Junior, if you lose this thing,
it's comin' out of your paycheck.
Got to ease in the curve, Junior.
- We're gettin' him.
- Now you're gettin' him.
Where in the hell did he go?
Well, get after him, Junior.
I told you. I told you and I told you!
Damn hard-head!
- You OK?
- You see me walking, don't you?
Dammit. When I get my hands on him...!
Way down under
Way down under
There's a place
where every man finds his brother
Way down under
At the back door of hell
is an old rusty bell
And it rings, it rings
Lord, it rings with the sound of thunder...
Damn. The good, they die young.
Way down under
Well, I wonder
In the end you need a friend
or a brother
Way down under
Way down deep in your soul