june march american film director screenwriter producer set cinematographer actor considered modern independent filmmakers pierce directed thirteen films span years best known cult hits legend creek town arkansas resident life pierce directorial debut faux documentary style film inspired legend like monster low budget film grossed roughly million pierce followed success inexpensive regional films set southern united_states including town based true story murders pierce continued directing films 1980s wrote story film sudden impact screenplay said written phrase ahead day famous movie quotes history years pressure producers pierce directed sequel legend continues considered worst film career later comedy television series mystery science theater early life born hammond indiana june boys born family moved southwestern arkansas city months old childhood friend neighbor future film television director home movies old camera professional foray media entertainment mid-1960s art director louisiana later hosted children cartoon channel pierce continued working production jobs television stations arkansas louisiana texas moved bought camera started advertising agency started contract based firm built wheel trailers farm equipment pierce developed commercials company played footage shot trucks highway farming equipment said reputation developed commercials later helped launch film career time pierce played character named mayor local arkansas children television pierce launched independent film career early 1970s sought funding owner skeptical idea ultimately agreed provide budget pierce film prior directorial debut pierce worked set television shows like western series films like legend creek pierce directorial debut legend creek inspired seven foot tall like creature said live swamps near arkansas pierce said necessarily believe legend fascinated stories interviewing residents said encountered monster pierce impressed authenticity earth qualities approached acquaintance advertising business adapt eyewitness tales screenplay film shot locations camera pierce built home filmed faux documentary style included interviews residents mixed supposed encounters creature like pierce film financial actors involved film pierce cast actors approaching customers local gas station saw somebody looked like fit parts hired high school students crew members helped load equipment creature limited sightings figures felt film frightening creature left viewer imagination pierce sang theme song featured film film completed reel trunk car drove los_angeles seeking post production services met owned small post production company agreed work film limited pay small percentage film box office receipts pierce find major studio willing distribute rented local movie theater week screen film cleaned property prepare debut released legend creek premiered later called lines stretched block pierce expect financial success weeks single theater eventually pierce entered distribution deal owner independent distribution company paid pierce million percent interest film pierce signed foreign television distribution hit drive movie theaters eventually gaining cult status bringing pierce fame film went gross million making highest grossing films year time film release pierce incorrectly predicted newspapers win academy_awards similarly styled films strange allegedly true phenomena released subsequent years success legend creek resident appeared film production company filed lawsuit pierce financial supporters pierce declined speak media suit career following success legend creek pierce encouraged film sequel resisted wanted prove filmmaker duplicate idea continued inexpensive regional films set southern united_states primarily targeting small town rural audiences family said pierce liked continuously working start new film immediately finishing sophomore effort period action comedy film rival families making featured major performance went play television series charlie angels pierce followed film released violence native americans white villagers film proved difficult pierce shoot challenges weather problems horses set according pierce widely seen legend creek second western winds autumn pierce wrote films partner pierce trademark casting friends films pierce performed minor roles winds autumn period pierce continued working set films pierce returned horror genre film town based true story unidentified serial killer murdered people pierce remembered scared news stories killer youth received criticism graphic violence portrayed film particularly scene killer ties woman tree knife end repeatedly stabs playing instrument pierce said purposely film violent felt real life situation horrific want filming horror scenes tried create mood clearing set essential cast staff refusing let talk scenes shot pierce appeared town police spark plug comic relief character real life nickname given director energy pierce described town easy enjoyable shoot major problems set period pierce worked set films year town piece directed wrote western based legend white man child indian wife kidnapped young warrior named pierce appeared film half insane white man takes identity wrote directed starred viking prince traveled america rescue father indians working dollar budget pierce shot film florida locations new port year wrote directed documentary style horror film young couple rural louisiana farmhouse find lives endangered series strange events pierce inspired write script reading true story detective magazine kansas family murdered somebody trying property order match late evening sunlight cinematography farmhouse set pierce set outside sunlight windows fitted sheer white actors eerie glow little seen financially disappointment distributor pierce believed better films considered film said unhappy ending probably didn way end later career 1980s career filmmaker pierce moved met befriended actor pierce shared film treatment developed liked story helped pierce develop fourth entry film series pierce given writer credit story pierce said written phrase ahead day film famous line went identified best movie quotes time american_film_institute phrase inspired father told pierce youth encouraging son lawn come home tonight yard going day pierce truly invented phrase brought question line action drama film vice squad previous year time pierce directed released year sudden impact pierce released sequel legend creek called legend continues encouraging sequel years believed financially profitable resistant idea participate earlier sequel return directed like final film legend continues pierce starred brings students expedition track creature son starred tim students pierce ultimately considered worst film believing role large cast friends supporting roles featured episode comedy television series characters watch jokes bad films episode ultimately increased pierce visibility wider audience pierce largely fell movie industry public eye shortly release directed western film starring meets rescues young woman shooting film pierce met woman second wife directed adaptation classic children book christmas starting began production western film chasing wind gritty epic mountain man proved pierce final directorial effort continued working set television shows including twilight zone miniseries prime time soap operas pierce work earned primetime emmy award nomination outstanding art direction miniseries special pierce began writing screenplay sequel town film came fruition developing horror film wild man directors sought pierce cited major influence work graves wanted pierce work consultant film turned according graves running interested death legacy pierce honored little rock film festival festival producers screened retrospective films presented lifetime achievement award year festival best film award renamed honor best film arkansas october honored pierce judges special recognition award governor arts awards ceremony pierce died natural causes march signature care nursing home dover tennessee moved years earlier pierce directed thirteen films span years considered modern independent filmmakers credited breaking new ground independent filmmakers particularly arkansas film industry director pierce childhood friend neighbor praised finding success independently time film industry controlled major studios director documentary style said strongly influenced legend creek favorite films growing said fellow director wanted tap fear generated fact fiction format like legend creek orlando sentinel article ran halloween identified legend creek film inspired september pierce inducted ceremony arkansas governor mansion personal life pierce married years children grandchildren pierce briefly married appeared role film town later divorced later married gaining step grandchildren pierce fan arkansas college sports teams selected filmography
Charles B. Pierce