The Guy Who Remade the Same Movie Hundreds of Times

Melton Barker was an "itinerant filmmaker." He went from small town to small town across the US, where he would cast local children -and a few adults- in his latest film. It was always the same film, The Kidnapper's Foil. He charged each "actor" a fee to cover production costs. Was it a scam? Not much of one, since he actually produced the films, which were shown in each local theater. Barker made a living, and the kids got to be in a movie. What's more, these local movies, the ones that survive, are a snapshot into the era of the small town in which they were made. Sure, some parents may have had unfulfilled hopes of stardom for their children, but the kids mostly just had fun. And Barker kept making this same movie for 40 years! Was this movie made in your hometown? Check out this map to find out. Filmmaker David Friedman would like to see a revival of The Kidnapper's Foil, so he linked to the script in case you want to film your own community production of the movie. -via Laughing Squid