Violent Road

Violent Road
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Howard W. Koch
Screenplay by	Richard H. Landau
Story by	Don Martin
Based on	Le Salaire de la peur (1950 novel) 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.
Release date	April 11, 1958 (1958-04-11)
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. on April 11, 1958. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Plot

Following a deadly accident, a rocket plant must be relocated. 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 surrefs 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

1. Anderson, Christopher (11 October 2013). Hollywood TV: The Studio System in the Fifties. University of Texas Press. p. 252. ISBN   978-0-292-75953-4 . Retrieved 24 August 2025.
2. Dawson, Jonathan. "The Wages of Fear". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
3. "Violent Road". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved July 15, 2015.
4. 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.
5. Kirkpatrick, Scott (4 December 2023). Introduction to Media Distribution: Film, Television, and New Media. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-003-81255-5 . Retrieved 24 August 2025.
6. Liebman, Roy (20 May 2015). Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 326. ISBN   978-1-4766-0936-2 . Retrieved 24 August 2025.
7. Maltin, Leonard (29 September 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 24 August 2025.
8. Monush, Barry (1 April 2003). The Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 816. ISBN   978-1-4803-2998-0 . Retrieved 24 August 2025.

External links

• Violent Road at IMDb
• Violent Road at the TCM Movie Database
• Violent Road at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films