Highly Overrated But Still Good

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I to wish this movie was available on DVD or VHS.....can't even get it from video stores etc. There is however another excellent movie from this author available, "Night of the Hunter" excellent also. I also lived in Moundsville when they were filming this move (lets not talk about how My BFF and I tried to sneak on set to see Kurt Russell) but I would have loved it at any rate. Excellent story to begin with. The entire cast is in top form. Shooting it in WV was a brilliant move with all of the natural scenery, railroads and old buildings makes the film that much more enjoyable and realistic for this period piece. If you wish to read some of this authors books, they are available online (used) Although, Amazon now has a hard back reprint of this title, for those who wish to read it. Davis Grubb in my opinion was the William Faulkner of West Virginia and I'm so glad that I have dragged those books every time I moved, as now I can share them with the other readers in the house.

Aside from seeing Jimmy Stewart, I really can't think why anyone would want to see this rather silly film. I have seen almost every film Stewart has made and I am a bit compulsive about things like this, so I forced myself to watch this slight film. The problem is that the writing and acting was rather poor and it's a sad way for Stewart to begin wrapping up his acting career with such films.Stewart and two other men are being released from prison in 1935. They're all friends and plan on going into business together but they are indeed a motley crew--guys you wouldn't expect to be friends, as they range in age from an old Stewart to a very young Kurt Russell. The film begins with the three being placed on a train and being sent to a West Virginia town near the Ohio border. However, once they arrive, the same nasty jailer (George Kennedy) is waiting for them with some sidekicks, as they want to kill and rob the three men. It seems that Stewart has accumulated a huge bankroll while in prison and Kennedy will stop at nothing to get it. Now at this point you are left wondering--if the three men took a train, given the roads of 1935, how could Kennedy have beaten the train there?! The rest of the film consists of the three men being chased by the homicidal maniacs. Considering Stewart was a very fine actor, such chase films seem way out of his league and he certainly deserved better. There were also some clichés in the film that just seemed more like plot devices than anything else (such as the romance between Russell and the teenager they pick up during their travels). As for the acting, it wasn't too bad except for George Kennedy. With his horribly stained teeth and over the top acting, he more closely resembled a wild hog than a villain--making it one of the worst performances of his career.The bottom line is that this isn't a particularly interesting or inspired film. In hindsight, I really wish Mr. Stewart hadn't done this film as it was simply beneath his abilities and star power to be in such a sub-par movie.

The plot is simple: 3 convicts have done their time and are being released from prison. Mattie Appleyard (James Stewart) has saved a large sum of money while behind bars and plans to open a small store with his two compatriots. However, we know from the very first scene that prison authority 'Doc' Council (George Kennedy) is not a friend of inmates nor those who have paid their debt to society, and this is where the story begins. Both Stewart and Kennedy give very solid performances, and as to why this movie is not widely recognised for being one of the best in either actors' careers is very much beyond me. No, it doesn't have space aliens blowing up New York, or laser beams shooting out of mutants' eyes, or even alleged terrorists fighting each other with bio-chemical weapons in some far flung country. However, what it does have are actors practicing their individual crafts as best as they know how to and providing the viewing audience with an extremely good product. This is what is called entertainment.

I was 10 years old when Fools Parade was filmed in my hometown of Moundsville, West Virginia, and I remember vividly all of the excitement we felt as we observed the actors at work in various locations. Kurt Russell couldn't go anywhere without a crowd of adoring young females screaming for his attention. I made it to the front of the crowd just once as he was ushered into a limo that would drive him to the days shoot. As I stood on the other side of the car window, my 10 year old face twisted with the emotional devastation of just missing the chance to touch him, he looked directly at me and flashed a brilliant, "I'm sorry" smile that made my day! Jimmy Stewart was very friendly and often took time to converse with the locals. My mother remembers a having conversation with him in which he demonstrated his use of the glass eye. To answer an earlier question - I believe the glass eye was called, "Tye".Fools Parade was the second Davis Grubb novel to be filmed in Moundsville (Davis Grubb's hometown), the first being, Night of the Hunter. Both novels (and movies) explore the hypocritical, mindless nature of the "herd mentality" that can be so easily manipulated by rotten leaders & officials - especially through the use of religion and labeling. Those who see through it end up being society's outcasts, while those who follow it (in mindless hopes of acceptance and salvation) foolishly cut off their own noses to spite their faces. It's a scenario that plays out again and again in human history and is especially relevant today. A thoughtful viewer will easily see how these themes of labeling, discrimination, and fear of rejection have played out in forming the personal values of each character and boxing them into specific life circumstances - from the pathetically self-serving, desperately patriotic Cleo, to the train attendant with the tormented conscience who must choose between doing the right thing or keeping his job (and being able to feed his family during the depression).I don't know why this movie is not easily accessible, but I have heard that it has something to do with legalities involving the Ann Baxter estate. It has, however, played on late night TV occasionally and I have a low quality video recording from quite a few years ago.. I hope it will eventually come out on DVD.