More on the 50th anniversary of ‘Thunder Road’ and its filming in WNC

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the 50th anniversary of Thunder Road and its filming here in Western North Carolina. I’ve received some nice feedback. Here’s a sample:

Here’s loyal reader Bruce C.:

I grew up here and still live here. When I was 6 years old I watched the filming of Thunder Road on Merrimon Avenue at my dads Drug Store, Merrimon Ave Pharmacy.

In the movie the Feds went into Giezentanner’s Grocery to buy cigarettes. These business’s were just south of Claxton School on the 229 block of Merrimon Avenue.

My Dads Drug Store was first directly across from Asheville Cleaners and Dyers and then we moved to where City Auto Supply is now. We were the middle store on the street level.

They also showed a shot of the filling station right beside the Drug store which they blew up in the movie.
But the station that blew up was replica on Riverside Drive and made of cardboard.

And here’s a Merrimon Avenue trivia question for you. Between Beaver Lake and I-240 on Merrimon Avenue. What was the largest number of gas stations.
I can remember 10. I think there may have been more at some point. This is mid 60’s to early 70’s. Oh have Asheville has changed. And for the worse I might add.

Here’s loyal reader ashkat:

Thunder Road was my favorite 45 when I was 16 and Mitchum was my hero. Now I live near the site of the police car chase through the River Arts District but I’ m a grandmother and I complain about the speeding!

Loyal reader gochapgo offers this:

I know at least one scene was filmed in Transylvania County: Toxaway Falls was where the revenuer’s car (I think, it’s been so long since I’ve seen it) tumbles over and explodes.

There may have been another T’vania-shot scene: near the end as Mitchum rides toward his death. One of the sets of cars waiting to ambush him is waiting near where Reid Siding road runs into US64 in the Quebec section of the County.

Mitchum supposedly used my grandfather’s pasture (just a few hundred yards from the above mentioned intersection) for a golf driving range until he was asked to leave for commenting on the condition of the field.

And loyal reader njcain offers:

Last summer I actually got as far as going to Pack library and digging through old newspaper articles about the filming of Thunder Road in preparation for writing a freelance article on the 50th anniversary on spec. Then I landed a gig in Atlanta and had to move in a hurry. There’s some pretty interesting stuff in those old newspaper clippings. Mitchum stayed downtown at the Haywood Park hotel while he was in town and he talked to the local press some.