Violent Road
| Violent Road | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Howard W. Koch |
| Screenplay by | Richard H. Landau |
| Story by | Don Martin |
| Based on | The Wages of Fear by Georges Arnaud |
| Produced by | Aubrey Schenck |
| Starring | Brian Keith Dick Foran Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. Merry Anders Sean Garrison Joanna Barnes |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Edited by | John F. Schreyer |
| Music by | Leith Stevens |
Production company | Aubrey Schenck Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Violent Road, also known as Hell's Highway, is a 1958 American film directed by Howard W. Koch, written by Richard H. Landau, and starring Brian Keith, Dick Foran, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.,[1] Merry Anders, Sean Garrison and Joanna Barnes. A remake of The Wages of Fear,[2] it was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 11, 1958.[3][4][5][6]
Plot
A rocket plant must be relocated after a deadly accident. Trucker Mitch Barton (Brian Keith) recruits a team for a suicidal job: to drive three trucks carrying extremely hazardous chemicals (nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrazine) over a treacherous mountain road in just three days for $5,000 each. The rocket fuel developer, George Lawrence (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), joins the group to ensure safety. The mission suffers a tragedy and nearly fails when one driver, Frank Miller, dies from chemical burns after heroically preventing an explosion. After overcoming breakdowns, fatigue, and other dangers, the surviving men have a chance to reexamine their lives, while completing the delivery.[7]
Cast
- Brian Keith as Mitch Barton
- Dick Foran as Frank "Sarge" Miller
- Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as George Lawrence[8]
- Merry Anders as Carrie
- Sean Garrison as Ken Farley
- Joanna Barnes as Peg Lawrence
- Perry Lopez as Manuelo
- Arthur Batanides as Ben
- Ed Prentiss as Mr. Nelson
- Ann Doran as Edith Miller
- John Dennis as Pat Farley
References
- ^ Anderson, Christopher (October 11, 2013). Hollywood TV: The Studio System in the Fifties. University of Texas Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-292-75953-4. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
- ^ Dawson, Jonathan. "The Wages of Fear". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Violent Road". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Sandra Brennan (2015). "Violent-Road - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Kirkpatrick, Scott (December 4, 2023). Introduction to Media Distribution: Film, Television, and New Media. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-003-81255-5. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
- ^ Liebman, Roy (May 20, 2015). Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-4766-0936-2. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (September 29, 2015). Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965: Third Edition. Penguin. p. 757. ISBN 978-0-698-19729-9. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
- ^ Monush, Barry (April 1, 2003). The Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 816. ISBN 978-1-4803-2998-0. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
External links
- Violent Road at IMDb
- Violent Road at the TCM Movie Database (archived version)
- Violent Road at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films