The Barefoot Mailman

The Barefoot Mailman
	Film poster
Directed by	Earl McEvoy
Produced by	Robert Cohn
Written by	James Gunn; Alfred Lewis Levitt; Francis Swann
Based on	novel by Theodore Pratt
Starring	Bob Cummings; Terry Moore; Jerome Courtland
Music by	George Duning
Cinematography	Ellis W. Carter
Edited by	Aaron Stell
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	December 3, 1951;
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Barefoot Mailman is a comedy-adventure film starring Robert Cummings and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1951. The film was based on the 1943 novel The Barefoot Mailman by Theodore Pratt. Filmed in Super Cinecolor on location in Florida where the events take place, it features many elements of the Western.[1]

Plot

Set in 1895, Robert Cummings plays a con man, Sylvanus Hurley, who is trying to raise the selling price of land he owns by convincing the residents of Miami that a railroad is coming to town. Jerome Courtland plays the barefoot mailman, Steven Pierton, who leads Sylvanus along the beach from Palm Beach to Miami, and who is skeptical of Sylvanus's scheme. Terry Moore is a run-away teenager, Adie Titus, who joins Sylvanus and Steven on their walk by impersonating a child. John Russell plays Theron, a swamp gang leader who tries to carry Adie away.

Cast

Robert Cummings as Sylvanus Hurley
Terry Moore as Adie Titus
Jerome Courtland as Steven Pierton
John Russell as Theron
Will Geer as Dan Paget
Arthur Shields as Ben Titus
Trevor Bardette as Oat McCarty
Arthur Space as Piggott
Frank Ferguson as Doc Bethune
Percy Helton as Dewey Durgan
Ellen Corby as Miss Della
Renie Riano as Miss Emily

Production

The film was based on a novel by Theodore Pratt published in 1943. The New York Times called it "salty and colorful."[2]

In April 1950 Columbia reported that Alfred Lewis Levitt was writing a screenplay based on the book for the studio.[3] In September Columbia said they would film the bulk of the movie in Florida starting October 3.[4]

Cummings was cast in November 1950.[5]

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References

BAREFOOT MAILMAN, The Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 19, Iss. 216, (Jan 1, 1952): 49.
Special Delivery: THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN. By Theodore Pratt. 215 pp. New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce Company. $2.50. By WILLIAM DU BOIS. New York Times 25 July 1943: BR6.
WARNERS FEUDING WITH TALENT UNIT New York Times 27 Apr 1950: 47.
UNIVERSAL TO FILM CALIFORNIA DRAMA New York Times 11 Sep 1950: 27.
U.I. STUDIOS LIST TWO NEW MOVIES New York Times 9 Nov 1950: 43.

External links

The Barefoot Mailman on IMDb
The Barefoot Mailman at TCMDB

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[1] BAREFOOT MAILMAN, The Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 19, Iss. 216, (Jan 1, 1952): 49.

[2] Special Delivery: THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN. By Theodore Pratt. 215 pp. New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce Company. $2.50. By WILLIAM DU BOIS. New York Times 25 July 1943: BR6.

[3] WARNERS FEUDING WITH TALENT UNIT New York Times 27 Apr 1950: 47.

[4] UNIVERSAL TO FILM CALIFORNIA DRAMA New York Times 11 Sep 1950: 27.

[5] U.I. STUDIOS LIST TWO NEW MOVIES New York Times 9 Nov 1950: 43.