Kidnapper's Foil: Hollywood Comes to Monroe

In June of 1941, movie producer Melton Barker rolled into town to make a little film using local children.

Barker traveled the country making this "Our Gang"-type comedy, using the same script and upwards of 100 local children in the roles.

Wheeler Smith, manager of the Center Theatre, sponsored Monroe's production though a small fee was often collected from participants as well.

Local news articles, apparently Barker's press releases, announced it wasn't necessary to be able to sing and dance as "all types are needed to fill the cast".

In spite of information found in the Monroe Enquirer (July 21, 1941, page 1) the week it was premiered that "around 75 children" were used, only 56 names were in the article that also gave a synopsis of the film:

The story begins with a little girl being kidnapped and carried off to a hideout and held captive by the kidnappers. A large girl, playing the part of her big sister, reports the kidnapping and the local gang gets busy at once trying to find the kidnappers. A little boy, leader of the gang, is told that he is too small to go on the hunt, so he organizes a gang of his own--but you should see the picture yourself and see how the gang rescued the little girl and dealt justly with the kidnappers.

Whatever happened to the print? It possibly could be deteriorating in someone's basement or attic somewhere but few of Barker's films survived given that only one print was made for each production.

Monroe's production of "Kidnapper's Foil" premiered on July 25, 1941.

Some Sources (including Barker site listed below):

"Interest in Local Movie Increases", Monroe Enquirer, June 16, 1941, p 4

"Monroe Children to Act in Movie Filmed Here", Monroe Journal, June 20, 1941, p 3

"Monroe Girl 'Kidnaped' [s.i.c.] 'Released' When Found", Monroe Enquirer, July 21, 1941, p 1

Newspaper articles pulled from microfilm available at the Union County Public Library
http://unioncountync.gov/departments/library 

More information about Melton Barker can be found at http://www.meltonbarker.org/