{{Short description|1966 film}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = That Tennessee Beat | image = That Tennessee Beat poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Richard Brill | producer = Richard Brill | screenplay = Paul Schneider | starring = Earl 'Snake' Richards<br>Sharon DeBord<br>Lightnin' Chance<br>Maurice Dembsky<br>Pete Drake<br>Dolores Faith | music = | cinematography = Jack Steely | editing = Ace Herman<br>Carl Pierson | studio = Lippert Pictures | distributor = 20th Century Fox | released = {{Film date|1966|10|14}} | runtime = 84 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}
'''''That Tennessee Beat''''' (also known as '''''The Tennessee Beat''''' <ref name="AFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=That Tennessee Beat |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/19794-THAT-TENNESSEEBEAT |access-date=24 January 2026 |website=American Film Institute Catalog}}</ref>) is a 1966 American drama film directed by Richard Brill and written by Paul Schneider.<ref name="AFIsearch" /> The film stars Earl 'Snake' Richards, Sharon DeBord, Lightnin' Chance, Maurice Dembsky, Pete Drake and Dolores Faith.
It was released on October 14, 1966, by 20th Century Fox.<ref>{{TCMDb title|92723}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/113132/That-Tennessee-Beat/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119193438/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/113132/That-Tennessee-Beat/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-11-19 |title=That-Tennessee-Beat – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |publisher=Baseline & All Movie Guide |author=Sandra Brennan |date=2015 |accessdate=2015-11-19}}</ref><ref name="AFIsearch" />
The film marked Robert L. Lippert's return to filmmaking after a brief break, and its working title was '''''Country Music'''''.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Martin, B.|title='Impossible' script ready|date=Mar 31, 1966|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|155374450}}}}</ref>
==Plot== Jim Birdsell, hoping to become a country-western star, steals money for a trip to Nashville. He is robbed on the way and is left penniless again. He is taken in by a brother/sister singing group who take him in, and help him fulfill his dream.
==Cast== *Earl 'Snake' Richards as Jim Birdsell *Sharon DeBord as Opal Nelson *Lightnin' Chance as Sheriff *Stoney Mountain Cloggers as themselves *Maurice Dembsky as Doorman *Pete Drake as himself *Dolores Faith as Belle Scofield *Rink Hardin as Wally Cooper *Ernie Keller as announcer *Ed Livingston as hoodlum *Buddy Mize as hoodlum leader *Minnie Pearl as Rev. Rose Conley *Boots Randolph as himself *Cecil Scaiffe as Dan Birdsell *The Statler Brothers as themselves *Sam Tarpley as ticket seller *Merle Travis as Larry Scofield
== Reception == ''Boxoffice'' wrote: "Minnie Pearl's role is a non-singing one and she handles her part of Reverend Rose, a lady minister of undetermined denomination, with sincerity and feeling. Travis, who authored such hits as "Sixteen Tons" and "Mountain Dew," wrote and sings to self-accompaniment the title tune as well, as a sentimental ballad, "I'm Sorry." It is Travis' guitar playing around which Paul Schneider threads the screenplay that bridges the appearances of the rural song and dance specialists."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=17 October 1966 |title=That Tennessee Beat |volume=89 |issue=26 |pages=a11, a12. |id={{ProQuest|1705096215}} |magazine=Boxoffice}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|0232791|That Tennessee Beat}} *{{TCMDb title|92723}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20200812153620/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b77918626 ''That Tennessee Beat''] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
Category:1966 films Category:American drama films Category:1966 drama films Category:20th Century Fox films Category:1966 English-language films Category:1966 American films Category:English-language drama films
{{1960s-drama-film-stub}} {{1960s-US-film-stub}}