West Virginia: it’s known for its mountains, its coal mining heritage, and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Its significance to film, however, is minimal. Excluding some documentaries and indie films, few films have been shot in West Virginia — and several only filmed certain scenes here, like The Deer Hunter (1971) and The Night of the Hunter (1955).
Some major films shot primarily in West Virginia include Stage Struck (1925), Matewan (1987), We Are Marshall (2006), and Super 8 (2011). All of them are available on Blu-ray. Yet one substantial piece of Mountain State film history — a movie set, shot, and premiered in the state — isn’t even on DVD. Or VHS.
That film is Fools’ Parade, a 1971 comedy-drama starring James Stewart and directed by Andrew McLaglen, who also directed multiple John Wayne films. A brief stint on Amazon Prime Video and TCM aside, this movie has never been on home video in America. And that’s a shame: it’s not only historically significant, but also quite entertaining.
Fools’ Parade owes much of its value to Stewart’s excellent performance as convicted murderer Mattie Appleyard. At the beginning, in 1935, Mattie is released from state prison in Glory, West Virginia along with fellow ex-convicts Johnny Jesus (Kurt Russell) and Lee Cottrill (Strother Martin). Prison Captain “Doc” Council (George Kennedy) escorts them to the train station with a $25,000 check. The ex-cons board the train to Stonecoal, intending to use the money to open a general store. But after departing, they realize the check can only be cashed at the bank in Glory.
Soon after, they learn Doc is in Stonecoal with two gunmen waiting to kill them and cash their check in Glory. This is where Stewart truly starts to shine. His character, though a killer, is an ordinary American trying to make an honest life for himself. When other forces stand in his way, he uses his cunning to get by. For example, he saves himself and his friends from an Evangelical gunman by pretending to hear God “cursing” his eye. He then removes his glass eye, terrifying the gunman and allowing them to escape.
The rest of the film follows Mattie, Johnny, and Lee as they try to cash their check and keep away from Doc and his lackeys. Though the stakes increase, it retains a comedic touch. Several scenes play like more down-to-earth Looney Tunes sketches, like one where Mattie convinces a prostitute that a suitcase full of dynamite actually contains money.
One downside is that the cinematography, score, lighting, editing, and coloring are unremarkable. They’re all adequate, but not particularly inspired, which may contribute to the movie’s relative obscurity. Audiences should not expect a visually stunning film; instead, they should expect a perfectly cromulent movie with an engaging story and strong performances.
Overall, Fools’ Parade is both a funny, inspiring film and an unjustly overlooked piece of West Virginia history. It belongs on the shelf of any Jimmy Stewart fan… assuming Columbia ever releases it on Blu-ray.
