Main Cast: Jan-Michael Vincent, Kay Lenz, Slim Pickens, L.Q. Jones, Don Porter
Release Year: 1975
Country: US
Run Time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
In this action film, trucker Carrol Jo Hummer (Jan-Michael Vincent) borrows money to purchase a truck of his own, only to discover that part of his "payment plan" includes smuggling goods on his trips. When Carrol refuses to participate in the underhanded scheme, a group of thugs threaten his wife, leading Carrol to fight back with a vengeance. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Sam Laws - Pops; Leigh French - Lucy; R.G. Armstrong - Prosecutor; Martin Kove - Clem; Ron Nix - Deputy; Dick Miller - Birdie; David Garfield - Witness Miller; Trent Dolan - Cowboy; Arnold Jeffers - Himself; Swede Johnson - Hy; Johnny Ray McGhee - Carnell; Curgie Pratt - Defence Lawyer; Neil Summers - Matchstick; Tiny Wells - Red; James Anderson - Jamie; Jason Clark - Dispatcher
Credit
Sydney Z. Litwack - Art Director, Sheldon Schrager - Associate Producer, Don Heitzer - First Assistant Director, Jonathan Kaplan - Director, O. Nicholas Brown - Editor, Bert Schneider - Executive Producer, David Nichtern - Composer (Music Score), Billy Byers - Musical Direction/Supervision, James Newport - Production Designer, Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer, John Kemeny - Producer, Sam Jones - Set Designer, Darren Knight - Sound/Sound Designer, Tex Rudloff - Sound/Sound Designer, Buddy Joe Hooker - Stunts, Ted Hooker - Stunts Coordinator, Carey Loftin - Stunts Coordinator, Nate Long - Stunts Coordinator, Ken Friedman - Screenwriter, Jonathan Kaplan - Screenwriter
White Line Fever is an American movie about truck drivers released in 1975. Jan-Michael Vincent plays the hero who returns from Vietnam and takes over his father's trucking business in Tucson, Arizona. He soon discovers that the shippers are corrupt and want him to smuggle illegal loads of cigarettes and slot machines. When he refuses to load such commodities they load his trailer with manure out of spite. He then punches the loaders and they fall face down in the muck.
The movie shows the struggles of the American trucker. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, this movie shows truckers as knights of the highways struggling against big business and politics. He must haul illegal loads or he does not work at all. The movie depicts the issue of driver fatigue, overworked tired drivers trying to stay awake driving all night. The climax of the movie is when the hero crashes his truck into the giant sign of the corporation who caused him to suffer as an independent trucker. The truck is totaled, the driver goes to the hospital, and then he and his wife drive off into the sunset.
The truck used for the film is a white and blue cab-overFord named the "blue mule". This name is painted on the truck.
