My own roots go back to this rustic mountain time. The dialog may seem corny, but that is pretty much the way folks talked in those distant days. Robert Mitchum wrote, produced, wrote the music, starred in - everything in this cult film.
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I didn’t know that! :)
I am guessing you are referring to Robert Mitchum wrote, produced, wrote the music, starred in - everything in this cult film - not my roots.
Mitchum seemed to really understand mountain ways; I have often wondered how. He hired Keely Smith to play his club singer 'squeeze'. She did just a fair job. Mitchum wanted Elvis Presley to play his younger brother - and Elvis wanted to do it - but Col. Tom Parker priced Elvis above the budget of the whole movie production, so Mitchum hired his own son to play the role; a good choice.
One of the lines that brings the film home to me is when young Roxana asks Luke (Mitchum), 'what time was that?' and Luke says, 'I don't rightly remember.' That's the way I relate to my roots: 'I don't rightly remember.' How do you describe a distant time and place that no one remembers? When I went back in the early 80's even the mountain folk couldn't remember not having electricity and said they could not live without it. TVA and television changed everything.