I saw this movie six times when it first came out, and loved it.

There were snatches of dialogue in it that were pretty funny, and Lee Hazelwood was outstanding as bad guy Dual Metters.

Richard Widmark plays a rascal better than anyone else, and he was perfect as Dr. Emmett Taulbee.

The movie also starred the great character actors Charles Tyner and Bo Hopkins.

I've often wondered why this movie hasn't been made available on DVD.

Saw it again about a year ago on a very blurry VHS tape, and although it was pretty dated after thirty-five years, it was still a watchable movie.

I suppose I was fortunate enough to see The Moonshine War in that garden spot of the earth, Fort Polk, Louisiana when it first came out. With all the southern recruits around me, that audience certainly identified with. Would they only have known at the time what a liberal Alan Alda would turn out to be.

Alda is miles from Hawkeye Pierce in this film. He's a young moonshiner who's got some of the finest product around, comparatively speaking. And in those last days before America came to its senses and repealed Prohibition, he's got a short window of opportunity to get rid of his stash before legal liquor goes on the market again.

Trouble is that two people want his product real bad. One is gangster Richard Widmark, back again in those villainous roles that first brought him stardom. The second is treasury agent Patrick McGoohan, one of those despised revenuers that the hillbilly folk don't like.

McGoohan is no Eliot Ness, in fact he's more typical of the treasury agents from back in the day, crooks themselves trying to take advantage of an unpopular law. Yet even with gangsters gunning for Alda, the hill folk won't give McGoohan the right time of day.

The Moonshine War was an entertaining film, nothing special about it, but no disgrace to anyone involved. Except for the ending which was a classic of its kind. I can't say more, but if for no other reason see this film to see how Mr. Widmark and cronies are dealt with.

Being from Louisville, Kentucky, it is hard to be objective about this movie.

Considering the times this film depicts, that is the closing days of Prohibition and in the depths of the Great Depression, it is also hard to take these characters too seriously, for after all they are all on the make in some way, which makes this so much fun to watch.

You don't give a damn who wins !!!!

Patrick McGoohan's character as a crooked G-Man is par for the course, and Richard Widmark's corrupt dentist with his little sexy bundle in tow and other hangers-on may not be your average Louisvillian, though I imagine he does need a fair amount of medicinal alcohol for his private use, especially around Derby Week !!! (After all, what's a Mint Julep without bourbon.)

Alan Alda is quite good as 'Son Martin', who is sitting on a fortune in moonshine, patiently waiting for repeal.

Add all the local color provided by a good supporting cast, and you have a watchable movie, though you do have all these Hollywood types trying to get by with bad Southern drawls and over-the-top acting.

One highlight is seeing a young Teri Garr strip naked at gunpoint,(at least I think it was her, since we had a brief rear view. Could have been a body double).

Best watched with a full jar !!!!