Lolly Madonna War

Metro-Golden-Mayer  set  up  location  headquartet1s for  the
filming of "Lolly-Madonna War" in Union County about thirteen
miles north of Knoxville in the summer of 1972.  The filming
site was chosen by Sarafian and producer Rodney Carr-smith
because every outdoor setting needed for the film was available
within a five-mile radius.   Specific sets were chosen after
being scouted by the producer and director from helicopters.

	Principal sets were a two-story, squarish house which became
the  movie  home  for  (Rod)  Steiger  and  his  family"  and  a
somewhat smaller house about 200 yards up a country lane which
became home for the (Robert) Ryan clan.

	Both houses and the 300 acres upon which they sit was owned
by  Kenneth  Bucknet,  a  descendant of  the  family who  first
settled the land shortly after the Revolutionary War.  Buckner,
now well into middle age, was born in 'the Steiger house' as
was his father before him.

	The house occupied by Steiger in "Lolly-Madonna, War" was
expanded from an original rock and log cabin.   Nearby are a
spring house,  smoke house and a building that once housed
slaves, all made of notched logs and dating back to the late
1700's according to Buckner, The house and its barns were built
originally for tenants, or share-croppers.

	Midway between the two houses on the west side of the lane
is  a  natural  meadow  in  which  sarafian  staged  the  first
conttontation between the Steiger and Ryan families.   In the
movie this meadow  is set afire, but because of its proximity
to the farm buildings Sarafian did the actual burning in a
similar meadow a few miles distant.

	At one end of the Buckner meadow is a family cemetery1 which
in its own way tells the story of the Buckners and the Hamilton
family into which Buckner's grandfather married.  Among the
grayed, weathered stones are small makers over the graves of
infants, a grim reminder that children, too, faced a struggle
for survival in pioneer America.

	Just across from the meadow, on the east side of the lane,
MGM set up location headquarters--a generator truck to supply
power  for  stage  lights,  portable  dressing  rooms,  sanitary
facilities, huge vans in which wardrobe or equipment could be
stored,  a  mess  tent and  a  catering truck equipped  so hot
lunches could be prepared on the site,

	Because the Buckners are no longer full-time farmers, except
for some tobacco planting and dairying, MOM rented chickens and
pigs, from nerby farms to give the Steiger and Ryan barnyards a
realistic look.

	The script, adapted by Carr-Smith and Sue Orafton from Ms,
Grafton' S novel,  'The Lonna-Madonna War,tm called for Timothy
Scott, who plays one of Steiger's sons, to have a pet dog.  A
mixed Collie named Brandy was rescued from death row in the
Knoxville dog pound for the part and later went to Hollywood as
the personal dog of property master Harry Bedig.

	Some key scenes filmed in the Maynardville area include the
mistaken ideniby kidnapping of a young woman, played by Season
Hubley; the accidental fatal shooting of Ryan S wife  (Tresa
Hughes), the rape of Ryan's daughter (Joan Goodfellow) by two
of  Steiger's  sons  (Scott  Wilson  and  Ed  Lauter)  and  the
destruction of some of Steiger '5 property by two of Ryan's sons
(Kiel Martin and Paul Koslo).   other cast members included
Katharine  Squire,  as  Steiger's  wife,  Randy  Quaid  as  his
youngest son, and Gary Busley as Ryan 's youngest son   Jeff
Bridges played the dramatic role as Steiger's rebellious son in
the film.

	Sarafin said he and Carr-Smith wanted to film in a southern
mountain area, such as they found in Tennessee, as a matter of
cinematic honesty.  The script has a southern mountain setting
reminiscent of a half-century ago, even though the events take
place in 1972.

	Although the newspaper clipping did not have the publisher
listed, it is believed that the foregoing article appared in
the Claiborne County Progress in May of 1973.  The Huckner home
has since been purchased and remodeled by Jim Miller owner of
Miller  Farms.   A photograph of  the  remodeled  Buckner  home
appeared on the cover of Pathwa S Volumn 6 No. 4 in December,
1978.  WGT

Atticus Buckner home used by the Robert Ryan Clan in the filming of the movie "Lolly Madonna War" in Union County in the summer of 1972.

House occupied by Steiger in "Lolly Madonna, War" wasexpanded from an original rock and log cabin. Nearby are a spring house, smoke house and a building that once housed slaves, all made of notched logs and dating back to the late 1700's according to Buckner, The house and its barns were built originally for tenants, or share-croppers.

For more information on this article or any article or publication of the Union County Historical Society please write them at:

Union County Historical Society
P.O. Box 95
Maynardville, TN 37807

Or
E-mail the Union County Historical Society.

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