Moundsville Daily Echo
Filming Of Hunter Background Scenes Started Here Today
August 27, 1954
After considerable last minute red-tape wrestling, and with the cooperation of a number of local people and assistance from the Chamber of Commerce, actual shooting of background scenes for the forthcoming movie, “Night of the Hunter” was scheduled to get under way in the local area this afternoon.
This afternoon activity centered along the banks of the Ohio river at either Woodlands Island or Paden City, where John Crouch and Lois Jean Kennedy selected as doubles for the youthful thespians who will portray John and Pearl in the film version of the spine chilling novel penned by Davis Grubb, formerly of Moundsville, were to be eyes in the cameras in a small boat, rowing into the river.
But before they actually could go to work, many preliminary details had to be attended to yesterday.
Frank Parmenter, business manager of the film production company, learned that he must procure from Charleston a license for his corporation to do business in the state, and there was the added question of workmen’s compensation coverage. The Chamber of Commerce contacted Andy Ruckman, formerly of this city, who is in the state Industrial and Publicity Commission office at the capitol, and he advised that personal signatures to certa[i]n forms would be required to procure the necessary licenses and permits.
So yesterday afternoon, in Bill “Kreglow” Miller’s airplane, the producing official took off for Charleston, and by evening he was able to return here with all necessary papers to go ahead with the project today.
Parmenter and others of his staff expressed themselves as being somewhat taken aback by the generous hospitality and spirit of cooperation evinced by local people in connection with the project.
They have asked for and received the use of facilities which would run into many dollars expense elsewhere-for example, the use of Allan Crowther’s cabin cruiser on the river to place cameras to take shots of the youngsters in the skiff-prompting Parmenter to comment on the generous nature of Moundsville area people.
It was not certain today how long the actual filming would require, but it was expected the work would be completed shortly and the crews would return to the West Coast where the principal scenes of the picture will be made. Shots taken here will be worked in to provide authentic background for the film.