In 1935, after forty years in a West Virginia prison, three released convicts wish to open a legitimate business using the $25,000 earned in prison, but a crooked prison guard in cahoots with the town banker plans to defraud them.
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Title: Fools' Parade (1971)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| James Stewart | ... | Mattie Appleyard | |
| George Kennedy | ... | 'Doc' Council | |
| Anne Baxter | ... | Cleo | |
| Strother Martin | ... | Lee Cottrill | |
| Kurt Russell | ... | Johnny Jesus | |
| William Windom | ... | Roy K. Sizemore | |
| Mike Kellin | ... | Steve Mystic | |
| Katherine Cannon | ... | Chanty (as Kathy Cannon) | |
| Morgan Paull | ... | Junior Kilfong | |
| Robert Donner | ... | Willis Hubbard | |
| David Huddleston | ... | Homer Grindstaff | |
| Dort Clark | ... | Enoch Purdy | |
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James Lee Barrett | ... | Sonny Boy |
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Kitty Jefferson Doepken | ... | Clara |
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Dwight McConnell | ... | Station Master |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
When a trio of ex-convicts led by Mattie Appleyard is released from prison, they hope to open a general store using money Mattie has saved during his 40-year sentence. This attempt is met with great resistance from a corrupt prison official and the banker who issued Mattie the check. Written by Greg Helton <ghelton@airmail.net>
Plot Keywords:
riverboat | ex convict | punctuation in title | apostrophe in title | train |Taglines:
Every greedy gun-toter in the hills is after this fool and his money! See more »Parents Guide:
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Many Wheeling and Moundsville WV residents took part in the making of the movie. Kitty Jefferson Doepken who played Clara the bank secretary was a reporter for a local newspaper. See more »Goofs
In the closing scene and credits, the vehicles crossing the bridge over the railroad track are correct older vintage cars. However, on the second bridge in the distance, new cars can be seen crossing. See more »Quotes
Mattie Appleyard: [removing his glass eye] If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out.See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening credits prologue: 1935 See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1971 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Fools' Parade See more »Edit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$60,500Company Credits
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My Dad grew up in WV and took my brother and I to see this movie at the theater when it came out in 1971. It was a great film! I have waited for 35 years to see it again, with no luck.
The beginning of the movie was set and filmed in Moundsville, WV in the early 30s. Jimmy Stewart played a character with a glass eye, who had served some 30 or 40 years in prison and was headed to the WV capitol to cash his check for funds owed to him for his prison labors. The conflict in the movie is the evil warden type, played by George Kennedy, who is out to kill Stewart and his two buddies, one of which is played by Strother Martin. The Strother Martin character wants to open up his own grocery store with the help of the Jimmy Stewart character.
This is a wonderful film, somewhat similar in style to The Film Flam Man, and of the same vintage. I would love to get a copy of it, or see it again on TCM or another channel.
Could anyone guess why this movie has never been made available since its original release? I would sure like to know...