Swamp Country (1966)

Director: Robert Patrick

Starring: Rex Allen, Sue Casey, Lyle Waggoner and Baker Knight

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: SEE MAN ATTACKED BY A FEROCIOUS KILLER BEAR! SEE MOONSHINERS WHO PLAY FOR KEEPS AND ONLY THE LUCKY SURVIVE! SEE DEATH STRUGGLE IN QUICKSAND THAT SWALLOWS A MAN ALIVE!

Plot: In a small southern swamp town, a local girl is found murdered. A young California man passing through town is blamed, and in fleeing the local lynch mob he escapes into the Okeefeenokee Swamp, where he runs into even more dangers.

My Rating: 7/10

Would I watch it again? Bank on it.


This is part of a double bill with SWAMP GIRL as part of a Something Weird DVD box set called Drive-In Classics Collection. It's a steal at Amazon and Wal-Mart for $8.99 for the set.

Ahhhh, the memories...

I like this film for a lot of the same reasons as I liked SWAMP GIRL (1971). The beautiful Southern locales near the Georgia/Florida line, not too far from where I grew up. The use of local actors and their charming nature. SWAMP COUNTRY was more fun to watch even though it's not as technically good as SWAMP GIRL (acting-wise and whatnot). Part of the reason is because the print is widescreen and full of those wonderful pops and scratches. I thoroughly enjoyed this picture and I would gladly watch it again.

Won't somebody please send me a man?

You won't understand a word this man says but, whatever it is, it's hysterical!

There's a lot more to the story here than in SWAMP GIRL. The man accused of killing the girl in the hotel is a big, overweight, middle-aged fella that escapes custody and flees into the swamp. There, he goes into survival mode. A few locals, with the sheriff, go into the swamp to get him. One is mauled by a bear (you can't go wrong with a bear fight in your picture) and another drowns in quicksand, and not that thick-takes-forever-to-sink-quicksand either. The accused takes the mauled man back to the edge of the swamp where he'll be rescued. Surely he couldn't have been the killer, could he?



It turns out this guy was a war hero or something and a hardcore survivalist. Once the sheriff discovers that, he suspects they're looking for the wrong man but it's too late. He's out there in the swamp and they don't know where. Parts of this are sounding like FIRST BLOOD (1982).

Hey, kids! It's Bigfoot!

SWAMP COUNTRY has a couple of neat things. It's Lyle Waggoner's first film. Don't know him? He was a regular on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW and TV's WONDER WOMAN. Or perhaps you know him from his Playgirl layout (he was Playgirl's first centerfold):


The best thing about this picture is definitely Baker Knight. He's a country/rock-a-billy song writer/performer. He's definitely not an actor but that doesn't really matter much 'cause his songs and performances are absolutely outstanding, fun and VERY contageous. I challenge you to watch this film and not come out the other side singing, "Swaaaaaaamp country. I'm talkin' 'bout swaaaaaaaaaaa-a-aamp country..." Great stuff. It turns out Knight wrote a shitload of hits including "Lonesome Town", a HUGE hit for Ricky Nelson, and of his nearly ONE THOUSAND SONGS, many were performed by Elvis, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Mickey Gilley, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. He was born and died in Birmingham, Alabama and if I had seen this film a few years ago (he died in 2005), I would have driven up there to meet the man. This guy had some serious talent. Watch it for him if that's all you need.


Knight plays a lazy no-account who hangs around wherever there's people (the general store, the local greasy spoon, on the hoods of cars) playing his guitar and singing all kinds of fun, folksy songs, seemingly making them up as he goes.

Look out! It's the swamp mafia!

Feets don't fail me now!

Throw in a love triangle between a redhead, Knight and the sheriff, moonshiners, some mafia types who threaten Knight with cutting his fingers off, a bear attack, aligators, GREAT location shooting, some local talent, and toss in a ho-down at the end and you've got yourself a real hum-dinger of a good time.




I would love to have seen this in a drive-in theater forty years ago. Oh, the stories I'd have...but then they wouldn't have been about the movie. I bet with all the goings-on in the back seat I'd've had a great time, not seeing more than the first five minutes of the film and comin' out the other end singing that infectuously catchy title song...and she would, too.