"Dixie Dynamite" may win no prizes for originality, and isn't among the best of its kind, but is not bad, getting a lot of mileage out of the appeal of its cast. Foxy, foxy leading ladies Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley play Dixie and Patsy, two good ol' gals who tire of all the garbage that other people throw in their faces. Their moonshiner daddy Tom (Mark Miller) is accidentally killed by the crooked local law enforcement while a greedy rich jerk (played to the hilt by corpulent Stanley Adams) is determined to get his hands on as much land, including Tom's farm, as possible. Well, the bank president (R.G. Armstrong) reneges on his deal to cut the girls some slack, having known it would be hard for them to make ends meet, preferring to keep the jerk, his principal client, happy. The gals go on a crime spree, partly to get revenge, but also to act as a couple of 'modern day Robin Hoods', as the 'Dukes of Hazzard' theme song would put it, stealing from the rich in order to help out local farmers. There's something to be said here for how greed can motivate people, as our "heroines" realize their potential gains, as well as loyal family friend Mack (Warren Oates), a motocross racer, who's initially disgusted by their criminal activities but changes his tune when they quote him his substantial share of their potential take. There is a certain delight in seeing these gals start raising hell, and they show a fair amount of smarts as well as spunk. It would be hard not to feel sympathy for them, especially as one montage shows their inability to land legitimate jobs is just one motivator. While some of the cast admittedly have been better showcased in other vehicles, they're still quite engaging, from the ever likable Oates to Christopher George as the reluctantly corrupt yet not unreasonable sheriff to Wes Bishop (also co-writer and producer) as the cowardly, bumbling, creepy deputy to Miller as the briefly seen Tom Eldridge to the amusing Adams as the bad guy. Director / co-writer Lee Frost has a cameo near the end as a pathologist, and none other than the legendary Steve McQueen does some uncredited work as a motocross racer in the big racing sequence. Now, "Dixie Dynamite" is never as blatantly exploitative as some fans of this genre will like, and in fact is sometimes downright goofy (it IS rated PG). But an undemanding fan, such as myself, can still have a good enough time watching it, as it's fairly well paced and refrains from ever getting really dull. Seven out of 10.
Review of Dixie Dynamite
