Country Blue/Review

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< Country Blue

Recently paroled, Bobby Lee Dixon (Jack Conrad) returns to his old stomping grounds of Valdosta, Georgia where his sweetheart, Ruthie (Rita George) awaits. Ruthie's pa, 'Jumpy' (Dub Taylor) practically raised Bobby and has a job lined up for the ex-con at his car garage. But Bobby doesn't want the life of a "Grease Monkey" and has dreams of escaping from Georgia and traveling to Mexico with Ruthie. Problem is, he's gonna need some quick cash to make the trip. After having some previous experience of sticking up a grocery store, Bobby persuades Ruthie to join him in a bank robbery. Ruthie expectedly hesitates, but perhaps it's in her bloodline (Thanks to Jumpy) to follow the path of an outlaw. Afterall, Jumpy was once in Bobby's shoes since he taught him everything he knows. Plus he wants his daughter to be happy since she's no doubt in love with Bobby. Soon enough, the duo make their first successful score at a bank. But professionals these guys aren't. Since they didn't take a lot of caution in concealing their identities, plus having the nerve to rob a gas station on their way out, the law closes in on them. Just when it looks like it's over for the outlaw lovebirds, in comes Bobby's old friend, and local queenpin, Arneda (Mildred Brown) who stages a breakout for Bobby & Ruthie. The action begins and it's freedom all the way to Mexico. Or so they think.

Even though there's quite a bit of some nice, effective car-chasing action to be found in this flick, what really grabbed my attention on this movie was the relationship between Bobby and Jumpy. The bond between the two is one of the most unique and memorable I've seen for Drive-In/Exploitation material. Jumpy just doesn't only just follow the traditional father/son relationship routine, but he also sees his younger, rebellious self in Bobby. Always looking to encourage or help Bobby whenever the trouble grows thicker. After all, since Jumpy appeared to have made a clean getaway with most of his own crimes, he seems to expect the same to happen to Bobby. But towards the very end of the movie, the odds are not in either Bobby or Jumpy's favor and an unhappy, but also ambiguous, conclusion lies ahead. Add Country Blue to the long line of movies that I didn't have much admiration for going in, but the ride turned out to be satisfactory. Not a perfect flick, but well recommended. By the way, even though I loved Dub Taylor's performance in this, I wish he would've stopped wearing that same filthy shirt all throughout the entire movie. Jumpy may have had better brains than Bobby, but Jumpy could've gotten a hint from Bobby's consistently changing wardrobe!

Reviewed by Laydback

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