55 years ago,
Brown v. Board of Education was decided, which lead to the controversial court-ordered school integrations in the South. Four years later,
the prolific Charles Beaumont wrote his
only solo novel,
The Intruder, based on a true story but set in a fictitious small southern town of Caxton that is riled up by a mysterious man from out-of-town who wants to halt the school integration. The novel was turned into
a movie by the same name in 1962, produced, directed and financed by
Roger Corman, starring
a charismatic William Shatner as the mysterious intruder, some 4 years before the start of his iconic role in Star Trek.
Shot on location, using
locals who were not fully aware of the plot of the movie, the whole film was made for $80-$90,000, and was Corman's only film to lose money at the box offices. The production was
banned in some Missouri cities because the local people objected to the film's portrayal racism and segregation. The film finally saw a profit after its re-release on DVD in recent years. (
Previously discussed as part of this 1970s Shatner post; video links inside)
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Jul 7, 2009 -
26 comments
