Bad Charleston Charlie

As a grad student at the U. of Illinois, I worked "craft service" and got up at 4 a.m. to have coffee on the location for the cast & crew. Then, when they shot the march of the KKK, I was put in a hood (like the above commentator) and was part of the cast. I never saw the film. My brother and father saw it in its exceedingly brief theatrical release in small town Illinois. They agreed it was the worst film they'd ever seen. But I'm still dying to see it. I remember Kevin Thomas in the LA Times reviewed the film and began it with the classic line "Bad Charleston Charlie is not only bad, it's terrible." I did get to meet John Carridine and shake his incredibly gnarled arthritic hand. Ivan Nagy, director, and Ross Hagen, star, had no idea what they were doing making the film, as far as I could tell. They did manage to get farmers from around central Illinois to put up the money for this film. But I enjoyed being around the making of a pseudo-Hollywood film.

I'm glad someone at least got to see this film. I was in it as one of the KKK marching band that followed the clan leader (Dal Jenkins) around. I was a member of a popular regional rock and roll band based out of Champaign Illinois. A friend turned us on to the director as he thought we would be perfect for the band parts. Ivan Nagy, the director let us audition in his motel room and loved us. We were on the road gigging when the flick was premiered in Champaign and never got to see the film. All the principals split for the coast and I have been trying to obtain a copy in any format, Sanskrit, Swahili, VHS or whatever. Any help in that direction? Thanks. One of the hooded guys in the movie.

When I first saw this film it looked like someone had scratched it with a razor blade. Although the print was destroyed, I could still see the film quite well. It is an entertaining low budget film about two miners who decide to become gangsters, just like Al Capone. The film stars character actor Ross Hagen, and there is a funny cameo appearance by John Carradine as a drunken reporter. See this film for a good laugh.

I worked at Svoboda's Nickelodeon in Chicago Heights in 1972-73 and supposedly my employer and a few of his other employees appeared in this film. Their part was in a dream sequence wherein they were playing their Zingabooms- a musical contraption comprised of a sort of pogo stick to which was attached a drum head, cowbell, percussion block and a vibra-slap, to the accompaniment of an accordian.

The place where I worked was in an old working class neighborhood and was a combination tavern, restaurant and antiques museum. Mr. Svoboda, his son Corky and one or two other persons provided the musical entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

The building had a large dining room off of which were adjoining rooms of priceless antiques, German mechanical music cabinets and various Nickelodeons and arcade games. The place was packed on the weekends.

I would love to be able to see this movie.