There's not much to this other than the varying relationships of the prisoners who has been aided in their escape by federal agent Christopher George to help break up on moonshine racket In the mountains of presumably somewhere in the Appalachians (although it was filmed in the mountains near San Bernardino), and the real reason why George wants to take over this racket. As if a nod to "Li'l Abner", Leslie Parrish from the movie version of that Broadway musical is cast as, what else, a girl who lives in the backwoods, basically Elly May Clampett without the funny accent. Fabian is the only well-known actor among the prisoners while Ralph Meeker is the man who controls the moonshine. There's a bit of a racist subplot involving escapee Robert DoQui, although the story is done in his favor to show him in a favorable light. For the most part, he gets along with the other prisoners forced at gunpoint by George to board the helicopter arranging their escape.
It's made clear that these prisoners are lifers, and that George has an agenda of taking over the racket, so it's George vs. Meeker, and it's never clear if George is truly on the side of the law or out to take over the racket and continue to run it illegally although it is mentioned that he's seeking revenge for other agents who had been killed in dealing with Meeker. I enjoyed the comical elements of the script, not quite out of place as the prisoners are basically trying to get through this without losing their sanity or killing each other or being killed, and humor is the way to go in trying to achieve that. It's well photographed, but it's very clear that this was made for the drive-in crowd who didn't really require a lot of quality when going to the movies. Just lots of action, some pretty ladies up with a couple of others outside of Parrish & Lynda Day George in a brief role, with two of those women seen swimming in the nude. I also liked the bluegrass theme music which aides in keeping this moving.
It's made clear that these prisoners are lifers, and that George has an agenda of taking over the racket, so it's George vs. Meeker, and it's never clear if George is truly on the side of the law or out to take over the racket and continue to run it illegally although it is mentioned that he's seeking revenge for other agents who had been killed in dealing with Meeker. I enjoyed the comical elements of the script, not quite out of place as the prisoners are basically trying to get through this without losing their sanity or killing each other or being killed, and humor is the way to go in trying to achieve that. It's well photographed, but it's very clear that this was made for the drive-in crowd who didn't really require a lot of quality when going to the movies. Just lots of action, some pretty ladies up with a couple of others outside of Parrish & Lynda Day George in a brief role, with two of those women seen swimming in the nude. I also liked the bluegrass theme music which aides in keeping this moving.