Burt Reynolds in The Saline Courier
One of the coolest things to happen in Central Arkansas in the early 1970s was the filming of a movie called “White Lightning” starring Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty. When the film was released in 1973, Reynolds was already a big star. He had just wrapped on the film “Deliverance,” and posed for his famous centerfold in Cosmopolitan magazine. The plot of “White Lightning” was very much like a modern-day action movie. The story revolves around a former moonshiner named Gator McKlusky (Reynolds) who agrees to help the authorities bring down the corrupt sheriff J.C. Connors (Beatty) in a fictional Bogan County. However, McKlusky is not acting out of the kindness of his heart. He is out for revenge over his brother’s death at the hands of Sheriff Connors.1
While doing research for our exhibit on the Saline Courier, I went down to their office and looked through a few of their bound editions of the newspaper. I looked for any coverage of the filming of “White Lightning” and found some great photos of Burt Reynolds laughing on set and signing autographs at the former I-30 Speedway. One article from July 31, 1972, said that the film was made under the code name “McKlusky,” a nod to its main character.2
The film has much deeper Arkansas connections than its shooting locations, some of which were right here in Benton. Jennifer Billingsley, a graduate of Fort Smith High School, played Lou, the girlfriend of McKlusky’s best friend in the movie. Also, Reynolds’s stunt double and longtime friend Hal Needham, who worked on the film, was raised in rural Union, White, and Phillips counties.3
I added copies of the articles I found on the making of “White Lightning” to our exhibit on The Saline Courier alongside an issue of the paper covering the deadly Flood of 1978. Also, in that display case are some by political cartoonist Ron Meyer and an award for “Beat Reporting” for the legendary journalist Lynda Hollenbeck. Both helped make The Saline Courier one of the most respected newspapers in Arkansas. “White Lightning” is well worth watching. In it, you will see the old pool hall building on West Sevier Street across from the Saline County Courthouse.4
1 Spencer Watson, “White Lightning,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Date Accessed 1/3/2026; Robert Cochran and Suzanne McCray, Lights! Camera! Arkansas! From Broncho Billy to Billy Bob Thornton, The University of Arkansas Press: Fayetteville, 2015, pp. 50-51.
2 “Two moods of a star,” The Benton Courier, July 31, 1972, p. 4
3 Robert Cochran and Suzanne McCray, Lights! Camera! Arkansas! From Broncho Billy to Billy Bob Thornton, The University of Arkansas Press: Fayetteville, 2015, pp. 50-51.
4 Autumn Foltz, “Ice and snow bring down downtown Benton business, CJ’s Downtown Billiards,” katv.com, January 29, 2026, https://katv.com/news/local/ice-and-snow-bring-down-downtown-benton-business-cjz-downtown-billiards-reporter-autumn-foltz-saline-county-judge-matt-brumley-arkansas, Date Accessed 2/7/2026.
