source: Violent Journey

The Fool Killer

I first saw The Fool Killer when I was ten or eleven on tv late at night and I never forgot it. The haunting images and the story line stayed with me and I spent years trying to find it again. Well, after nearly forty years, I finally have and it is as every bit as good as I remember it. Anthony Perkins is excellent as Milo, a Civil War soldier who has lost his memory and is obviously still very traumatised. Edward Albert, the son of Eddie Albert is great as George, a young boy who ran away from his abusive foster parents and meets up with some very unusual characters along the way. Henry Hull was funny and likable as Dirty Jim. The rest of the cast were also very good in their various roles, but it is Perkins who really is the captures this movie. As other reviewers have stated, It is no Night Of The Hunter, but it is worth watching.

I was a part of the filming of this movie.I appeared in at least one scene as an "extra" and was there for the filming of many other scenes.It was filmed on location in Knox County and Blount County in Tennessee in 1963 and premiered at Tennessee Theater in Knoxville TN in April 1965.The outside of Dirty Jim's house was filmed at my home place at Concord Tennessee.The cast did an excellent job.My rating is high for the cast.The plot is good but could have been handled a bit better in my opinion.Overall,this movie is worth seeing.This movie portrays a young boy befriending people while he is on his own and shows a scared but loving kid.