Natchez Trace (film)

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Natchez Trace
Directed byAlan Crosland Jr.
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • Lloyd Royal
  • Tom Garraway
Starring
Production
company
Panorama Pictures Corp.
Release date
  • September 1, 1960 (1960-09-01)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Natchez Trace (also known as Bandits of the Natchez Trace) is a 1960 American film starring Zachary Scott, Marcia Henderson, and William Campbell, produced by Lloyd Royal and Tom Garraway, and directed by Alan Crosland Jr.[1] The now-lost film was based on a novel of the same name by William Bradford Huie.[2][3]

Plot

The film takes place in the 1820s focusing on the exploits of John Murrell, a slave trader and bandit who worked the central part of the Natchez Trace in the 1820s and 1830s. The plot centers around the revenge against Murrell by a bank clerk following the abduction of his fiancé and murder of her father.[4][5] Reportedly, Mississippi Governor James P. Coleman declined an offer to play Governor Gerard C. Brandon in the film.[6]

Production

The film premiered in Waynesboro, Tennessee, near where filming took place in Perry County, Tennessee and Wayne County, Tennessee in 1957.[7][2] It is possible that some filming took place in or near Meridian, Mississippi, where the production company was headquartered.[8]

Prior to filming commencing, both the film's director and second lead were swapped. Actor Gene Nelson was originally cast as the film's second lead. However, the role was given to William Campbell after Nelson was hospitalized following an injury sustained when a horse fell on him during rehearsals near Hohenwald, Tennessee.[9][8] As a result of the injury, Nelson sued the production company for $150,000 and was awarded $72,765 in 1961 ($783,966 in 2025).[10] Director Ray Nazarro was originally slated to direct the film, however a scheduling conflict precluded his participation, causing the producers to offer the job to Crosland.[11]

References

  1. "Natchez Trace". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  2. "1957: When Hollywood Came to Flatwoods". Perry County: It's Just Our Nature (2022-23 ed.). 2022. p. 9. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  3. Carter, Jane (August 11, 1957). "Yup! Biggest Day for a Sleepy Town". The Tennessean. p. 11. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Natchez Trace". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. Pitts, Michael (2013). Western Movies. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 222. ISBN 9780786463725.
  6. "Governor Passes Up Offer of 'Natural' Film Role". Boxoffice: SE-5. June 8, 1957.
  7. "Zachary Scott Has Lead Role In 'Natchez Trace'". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. July 28, 1957. p. 9. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Natchez Trace". AFI Catalog. American Film Institute. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  9. "Gene Nelson Suing Panorama Pictures for $75,000 Damages". The Wayne County News. Vol. 101, no. 19. November 1, 1957. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  10. "Gene Nelson Wins $72,675; 1957 Horse Fall Damages Based on Earnings Loss". Variety. Vol. 223, no. 5. June 28, 1961. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  11. "Panorama Switching Directors on Film About John Murrell". The Jackson Sun. July 18, 1957. p. 3. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.