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In 1959 and 1960, Elia Kazan and Twentieth Century Fox brought Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and Jo Van Fleet to Tennessee to film the movie
"Wild River". For several months, film crews and Hollywood came to Charleston, Tennessee. Wild River tells a story of the Garth family refusing to leave their land, an island, soon to be
flooded by the building of a Tennessee Valley Authority d am. Montgomery Clift plays the TVA representative
who is assigned to get the Garths to move off their island. Several agents who had come before him had failed. Over 80 local residents had parts in the movie including one local
coon dog. Many local buildings and cars were used in the filming. Ross Apperson even provided a Bradley High School letter sweater for the movie. Bruce Dern, in his very first movie role, wore the sweater.
Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary at "Wild River Days". Many events, food vendors, music
and showings of the movie will highlight the event. You can also ride the ferry across the river to the "Garth Island".
Meet local Wild River historian and author David Swafford who is preserving the history of the movie in a book to be published in 2010. |
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