Movie, Swamp Girl, premiered at Folkston's Topper Theater in 1971.

Photo shows Jack Mays, right, and starlet in film Swamp Girl during activities in
front of Folkston's Topper Theater for premier of movie Swamp Girl in 1971.
Swamp Girl was filmed in the Okefenokee and featured country music singer,
Ferlin Husky. The film had disappointing reviews.

In 1971, a Hollywood movie company began filming in the Okefenokee Swamp south of Folkston., It was producing a movie to be titled "Swamp Girl" starring Country Music Singer, Ferlin Husky.

The film was to be a low-budget, Class B production, but was expected to make a profit for the producers.

Filming took only a few weeks as cast and crew entered the Okefenokee at what was then called "Camp Cornelia" at the Suwannee Canal entrance into the huge wilderness area. Each day the stars and cameramen probed into the swamp dutifully going through the script. Finally, the filming was over and the performers and camera crew put it in the cans.

It would premier in Folkston, Georgia at the Topper Theater on the town's Main Street. Promotions and local conversation excited the residents as the time of the first showing neared.

A Low-Boy trailer was pulled up on the street just in front of the theater's front doors. Loudspeakers were set up and country music performers began strumming their guitars as locals gathered around. It was to be the town's first movie premier, and the townspeople meant to make the most of it.

Onto the trailer came the movie's star, Ferlin Husky, who immediately began to sing one of his famous songs, "On the wings of a dove." The crowd around the trailer-stage leaned forward, enjoying every word from Husky's mouth. The town's Chamber of Commerce Director, Jack Mays, acting as Master of Ceremonies, introduced the female stars of the movie and the show was on.

Locals crowded into the Topper Theater for the premier performance. It was disappointing, the actors and actresses gave poor performances, reciting their lines like they were reading from the script. There were few praises to be heard, even though Husky's singing brought a few.

Little was heard of Swamp Girl, it never made the big time list of movies, but those there for its Premier will never forget the town's first and only movie premier.