Appalachian Folktales in Film, Drama, and Storytelling Recordings

Compiled by Tina L. Hanlon

Film and Dramatic Adaptations Storytelling Films and Recordings Back to Folktale Bibliography Index
Most links on titles below go to details on variants of those tales in AppLit's Annotated Index of Folktales.


Film and Dramatic Adaptations

Bibliography of Live-action Fairy Tale Films Directed by Tom Davenport

 Bibliography of Dramas and Tales by R. Rex Stephenson

Bibliography of Works By and About Richard Chase: Audio and Video Recordings

Appalachian Spring. Dir. Peter Glushanok. Prod. Nathan Kroll. Perf. Martha Graham, Stuart Hoves, Bertram Ross. Phoenix Films, 1958. "Comments: A second version of the Copeland/Martha Graham ballet—an interpretation of a folk tale about the wedding day of a young couple living in the Appalachian wilderness during pioneer days." Information from Southern Mountaineers Filmography by J. W. Williamson, Appalachian State University Libraries.

Arnow, Pat. "The Road Company: Johnson City, Tennessee: Bob Leonard, Director." Now and Then, vol. 6:3 (Fall 1989): pp. 47-48. Interview includes discussion of folk ritual and drama.

Arnow, Pat. "Roadside Theater: Whitesburg, Kentucky: Dudley Cocke, Director." Now and Then, vol. 6:3 (Fall 1989): pp. 44-46. Interview includes discussions of folk ritual and drama.

Behm, Tom. Tarheel Tales. New Orleans: Anchorage Press, 1990. Plays for young people adapted by Tom Behm from stories collected by Richard Chase.

Brown, Joella. Molly Whuppie. Musical in 4 acts with Appalachian setting and language, combining adaptation of the folktale with a frame set in everyday life. Script published by New Plays for Children. (Other versions of "Molly Whuppie" are British predecessors of the Appalachian tale "Mutsmag.")

Buck, Pat. "Playing the Past." Now and Then, vol. 6:3 (Fall 1989): pp. 26-29. Illus. About folk rituals and folk dramas.

Chase, Richard. See AppLit's Richard Chase Bibliography for more detailed listings than appear on this page.

Cocke, Dudley and Edward Wemytewa, eds. Journeys Home: Revealing a Zuni-Appalachia Collaboration. Zuni Ashiwi Publishing, 2002. Foreword by Gregory Cajete. From the Publisher: "The story of the sixteen-year collaboration between artists from two of the United States' most traditional cultures, and the bilingual play they made together." Kentucky's Roadside Theater collaborated with Zuni Pueblo's Idiwanan An Chawe (Children of the Middle Place), the first Zuni language theater, in western New Mexico. Their play, "Corn Mountain/Pine Mountain: Following the Seasons," which toured nationally, is included in the book. It combines "traditional and original stories, oral histories, humor, music, and dance to celebrate and comment upon two agricultural ways of life that once provided physical and spiritual sustenance for people in Zuni and Appalachia." See Jack and the Robbers page for more details on stories within the play.

Crawford, Lauren. Dye Fry and Wicked John and the Devil.  Script published Charlottesville, VA: New Plays for Children, 2002. "Two short Appalachian folk tales in one volume, 25 to 35 minutes each." (See also "Old Drye Frye" and "Wicked John and the Devil.")

Davenport, Tom. See AppLit's bibliography From the Brothers Grimm: Tom Davenport’s Fairy Tale Films, and Davenport's web sites Davenport Films and Folkstreams.net. Clips from Davenport films with comments by viewers are also available on YouTube.com.

Davy Crockett films and drama. See index page on Davy Crockett at this link.

Gregg, William and Perry Deane Young. Frankie. New play performed at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre at Mars Hill (NC) College on Aug. 1-5 and 9-12, 2001. See Frankie—Review and photos by Lana A. Whited of play on Frankie Silver legend. (See also 2002 press release with photo, "Best-Selling Author to Visit Ferrum College.")

Hicks, Orville, and Hicks, Ray - see separate page on these famous storytelling cousins from NC. Fixin' to Tell About Jack includes Ray's telling of "Whickety-Whack, Into My Sack."

How the Sun Came Up: A Cherokee Folktale. Filmstrip 135 mm. + 1 audiocassette (9 min.). Chicago: Eye Gate Media, 1991.

Jack and the Robbers. Costa Mesa, CA: Pied Piper Productions, 1987. Richard Chase tells a folktale about a lazy young man who runs away accompanied by five downhearted animals. Describes their hilarious encounter with a band of fierce robbers.

Joey Learns to Fly. Dir. Ed Counts. Perf. Tommy Ray Bledsoe (narrator). 1992. "Comments: A wee little animated folk tale for children about necessity being the mother of invention. A story about magic, which seems just possible enough in the Appalachian mountains under the influence of Tommy Ray Bledsoe's voice." Information from Southern Mountaineers Filmography by J. W. Williamson, Appalachian State University Libraries.

The Legend of Hillbilly John. Dir. John Newland. Prod. Barney Rosenzweig and Percy Rodriquez. Perf. Severn Darden, Hedges Capers, Sidney Clute, Denver Pyle. Jack H. Harris Enterprises, 1973. "Comments: Filmed in NC and AK and based on a book by Manly Wade Wellman. This weird movie had the look of Hippie Storybook Theatre—a Jack tale in which Jack encounters a seemingly limitless series of embodiments of Old Lucifer himself (the corrupt adult world?), and defeats every one of them. This is the mountaineer as classic 'fool'—the naif who blunders across a boundary into what is taboo and has to deal with the devil." Information from Southern Mountaineers Filmography by J. W. Williamson, Appalachian State University Libraries.

Lime Kiln. Since 1983, the unique outdoor Theater at Lime Kiln, near Lexington, VA, has presented dramas based on Appalachian folklore and culture, as well as other plays. Adaptations of specific folktales have included Munci Meg, Three Drops of Blood, and Like Meat Loves Salt (the latter on a web page with 2003 special events). The Baker, the Bear and the Blacksmith is a musical comedy about folk hero Simon Greene. The Magic Mirror is based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" and set in Virginia.

The Little Ice Man. Filmstrip. Imperial Films Co., 1969. Color. 35 mm. and phonodisc. Also issued with cassette. Listed for elementary and junior high school. Based on the story of the same title by Gilbert Livingstone Wilson (1868-1930). "Relates the Cherokee legend that explains the hissing noises in the lake bottom as the remains of a large fire put out by the ice man from the North" (WorldCat). Audio cassette, 1968, 8 min., by International Teaching Tapes, Lakeland, Fla. Moss, Gary. Old Dry Frye. 16 mm. film and videocassette. Riverwoods, IL: Film Ideas, 1986. 30 min. "Set in North Georgia in the late 19th century, the film tells how the accidental death of a chicken-gobbling itinerant preacher initiates a bizarre episode of guilt and deception among the residents of an isolated 'holler'" (WorldCat).

Musick, Darrell. "Interview with Ron Short." Appalachian Heritage: A Magazine of Southern Appalachian Life & Culture, 17:2 (Spring 1989): pp. 6-13. Discussion of Roadside Theater.

Pica, Tony. Tradition Will Never Die. One-man show on Richard Chase, written and performed by Ferrum College drama senior Tony Pica. Includes a retelling of "Jack and the Robbers," and a depiction of Marshall Ward as an off-stage character introducing Chase to the Jack Tales. Directed by R. Rex Stephenson. Feb. 2003.

Pumpkinhead. Dir. Stan Winston. Prod. Howard Smith and Richard C. Weinman. Perf. Lance Henriksen, Jeff East, John Di Aquino, Kimberly Ross, Joel Hoffman, Kerry Remsen. Lion Films/United Artists,1988. "Comments: Teenage urban invaders violate nature and suffer the revenge of Pumpkinhead, a hillbilly monster raised by a mountain witch out of a mountain cemetery. Stan Winston was the man who created the monster in Alien, so Pumpkinhead bears more than a faint resemblance." Information from Southern Mountaineers Filmography by J. W. Williamson, Appalachian State University Libraries. The sequel Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994, Dir. Jeff Burr) moves from 1958 flashback to 1990s teenagers who resurrect the murderous son of Pumpkinhead, which goes on a rampage for revenge. President Clinton's brother Billy plays a supporting role.

Richardson, Howard and William Berney. Dark of the Moon. Script rpt. New York: Routledge/Theatre Arts Books, 1987. A musical play about a witch boy in a Smoky Mountain community who falls in love with beautiful Barbara Allen (based on the heroine from ancient ballads). When Barbara becomes pregnant with his child, the witch makes a deal with a conjure man that allows him to become human for a year, with hopes for longer human life if Barbara Allen will remain his true wife. Barbara's local admirers and other meddling, superstitious townspeople and their preacher contribute to the tragic development of the plot. A Broadway hit in 1945, the play continues to be produced often across the country, in high schools and colleges as well as professional theatres. A Boston production is described in Life Magazine September 11, 1944. There was a live TV production on NBC Cameo Theatre in January, 1952. See background on Richardson (1917-85) and his papers at University of Iowa.

Shelby, Anne. The Adventures of Molly Whuppie. A play based on eastern Kentucky tales collected by Leonard Roberts about heroic girls and Jack. The play is described in March 2001 Events, Women's Studies, University of Kentucky; and in Meihaus, Stacie. "Get Ready for Some Folk 'Whuppie.'" Kentucky Kernel 7 Mar. 2001, online archives of the student newspaper of the Univ. of KY, Lexington. See also "Rema Keen and the After School Drama Team." In "2002-2003 Visiting Artists." Polk County, NC Schools, 2001. Description with two photos of Rema Keen's adaptation of The Adventures of Molly Whuppie with students at Saluda School (preK-8th grade), Saluda, NC. For details on Shelby's 2007 book The Adventures of Molly Whuppie, see Appalachian Folktale Collections K-Z.

Snipes, Larry. Jack and the Wonder Beans. New Orleans: Anchorage Press, 1996. A musical play based on James Still's retelling of the folktale. Musical selections with original lyrics by Mark Noderer, additional lyrics by Vivian Robin Snipes.

Stephenson, R. Rex. See Bibliography of Dramas and Tales by R. Rex Stephenson.

Surface, Mary Hall and David Maddox. Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales. Theater of the First Amendment. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 2000. Conceived by Mary Hall Surface (from KY) and David Maddox (from NC). Written by Mary Hall Surface. Lyrics by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddox. Music by David Maddox. Play with music based on Appalachian folktales, including "Jack of Hearts and King Marock," "Catskins," "Jack's First Job," "Jack and the Wonder Beans," "The Sow and her Three Pigs," and "The Enchanted Tree." Web pages include photos, authors' notes. Also produced as set of 2 CDs. Picture, summary of each tale and downloadable script excerpts at Dramatic Publishing Online Catalog. Reviews of CD at Mega Music Reviews.

Tailypo: The Folktale. Austin, TX: Bill Wadsworth Productions, 1990. A film adaptation of an Appalachian children's folktale about an old hunter who chops off the tail of a critter which got stranded in his cabin. The hunter cooks the tail for supper, and the critter returns for his tail after the hunter falls asleep.

Three Mountain Tales. Appalshop, 1982. 12 min. "Roadside Theater produced these mountain folk tales, illustrated with pastel drawings by Angelyn DeBord. Told in mountain dialect and accompanied by fiddle, banjo, and guitar," the tales for all ages include "Fat and Lean," a ghost story;"Little Fish Story" from the Smoky Mountains; and "The Big Toe," about a boy's encounter with a goblin. Originally produced as a filmstrip.

Unto These Hills. An outdoor drama performed every year in the ancient homeland of the Cherokee. It is primarily a history play, beginning in 1540 when white explorers first encountered the Cherokee and ending with the Trail of Tears (1838-9). Historical figures such as Sequoyah, Junaluska, Drowning Bear, and Tsali are included, as well as traditional music and the Eagle Dance. "Presented yearly since 1950 on the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina."

See also AppLit's essays and bibliographies on WV and Appalachian films by Steven Fesenmaier.

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Storytelling Films and Recordings

Note: Some web sites also contain audio and video recordings of storytellers. See Appalachian Folktales in General Collections, Journals, and Web Sites.

 Adams, Sheila Kay. See Adams' recordings (stories and music) and books, such as Come Go Home with Me, on her web site at this link. Many of her stories are about the small town of Sodom, NC.

Appalachian Journey. Film by Alan Lomax. Association for Cultural Equity, 1991. 58 min. Available at Folkstreams.net with background materials. Lomax presents video clips and discussion of Appalachian history in relation to storytellers, musicians, dancers, and makers of toys and instruments. He talks with members of the Hicks family: Stanley Hicks tells a tall tale of a catfish that lives on land for a while and Ray Hicks tells a tall tale about hunting with Jack. Lomax says that such tales reflect the "delight of hungry pioneers at the game-rich woods" they found in America. He calls this living storytelling tradition a "main source of American imagination." They sing songs and talk about toys and courting traditions in their youth, as well as the creation of recreation areas that shut them off of land they were used to traveling on. Frank Proffitt, Jr. sings on the film and Lomax tells the history of the song about Tom Dula (Dooley), which begins with Proffitt's father singing it. He discusses John Henry and other influences of African Americans on Appalachian music and dancing. People "played their misery out" in ballads related to poverty, making moonshine, mining and black lung and unions, floods, etc.

Arneach, Lloyd. Can You Hear the Smoke? CD and MP3. 2004. Sold by CDBaby. A collection of Native American stories and legends adapted by Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach

Awiakta, Marilou and Belcher, Andrenna. See Telling Tales and For Old Time's Sake.

Birch, Carol. A Storytelling Treasury: Told at the 20th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival (at Jonesborough, TN). 5 cassettes. National Storytelling Network, 1994. Many kinds of stories, including Hardy Hardhead.

Carden, Gary. The Cherokee Stories. Audio cassette. Highland, NC: Media Divide, 1992. Contains "Uktena" and "The Nunnehi." Carden is a NC storyteller who worked with the Eastern band of the Cherokee for some years.

Carson, Rick. Giggles and Ghosts. Audio cassette. Elizabethtown, KY: Alpha Recording, 1991. A storyteller from Hamilton, Ohio tells how he got advice about storytelling and soaking up the flavor of the land from an old storyteller he met at the Jonesborough, Tennessee festival. The introduction blends into a tall tale about his impossible hunting adventures with this old man. Other tales told include "Soap, Soap, Soap," and “Wicked John and the Devil.”

Chase, Richard. See AppLit's Richard Chase Bibliography for more detailed listing. Items based on Chase's work are no longer added to this page after 5/30/03.

Chase, Richard. "Jack and the Robbers." Pied Piper Productions, 1974. "Comments: The veteran poseur Richard Chase, who popularized Jack tales to a huge American public in the late '40s and '50s, narrates a Jack tale in App dialect." Information from Southern Mountaineers Filmography, Appalachian State University Libraries.

Chase, Richard. Richard Chase Tells Three “Jack” Tales from the Southern Appalachians. LP. Sharon, Conn: Folk-Legacy Records,1962. "Jack and the Three Sillies," "Jack and the Robbers," Jack and the King’s Girl" (about Jack's foolish behavior making the princess laugh).  Jacket notes say Chase, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America,” discovered Jack tales nearly 30 years before. His books give the Jack tales “written down much as he heard them told, but the printed page, for all of its magic, can offer only a pale replica of the story-teller’s art. 'To get ‘em right, you’ve got to hear ‘em!'—and to hear them right, one should hear them being told to children.” Thus these tales were recorded live in a 2-room school in NE Tenn.with an audience of children.

Crabb, Gladys. Jack and the Mule Eggs and Other Jack Tales. CD. Musark, 2003. Told by a storyteller from Virginia and Georgia. Includes "Jack and the Mule Eggs," "Jack and the Bean Tree," "Jack & The King's Girl," "Jack and the Varmints."

Daboiku, Omope Carter. Stories from Around the World, Lesson #1. CD. Cincinnati, OH: Kaldy Studios, 2003. Five well-told stories from different countries by an African American Appalachian storyteller, including "Jack's Wife." The CD stresses the lessons about life that are learned in each story. When Omope told this tale at the 2003 Ironweed Festival, she also told a humorous story from her childhood in Ironton, Ohio.

Davis, Donald, and Ted Parkhurst. Going to Grandma's. CD. Little Rock, AR: August House Audio, 2002. "Going to Grandma's" (including "Old man Hawkins' Lucky Day") (27:56); "Jack and the Soap" (7:05); "The Time Jack Lost his Wishes" (10:08).

Davis, Donald. Grandma's Boy. 1 sound cassette (59 min.). Little Rock, AR: August House Audio, 1999. Recorded in Sevierville, TN. "Grandma's Boy" is "a vivid memoir" of childhood visits to Davises' grandmother's house. Side two contains "The Time Jack Made the King Mad."

Davis, Donald. Grandma’s Lap Stories. Audio cassette. Little Rock, AR: August House Audio, 1995. Davis "weaves for a new generation the same tales his grandmother told him as he sat in her lap so many years ago" in "the heart of the Appalachian Mountains."  Tales include "Working in the Garden," "The Little Red Hen," "Jack and the Animals," "Grandma's Farmyard," "The Pig Who Went Home on Sunday," and "The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Syrup Can."  In "Jack Poems," Davis discusses and recites "The House that Jack Built."  Marketed for ages 3 to 7. 

Davis, Donald. Jack Tales: More Than a Beanstalk. Weston, CT: Weston Woods, 1985. 1 sound cassette. 44 min. Includes "Jack and Old Bluebeard," "Jack Tells a Story," "Jack and the Silver Sword." WorldCat links these tales to Jack Tales collected by Richard Chase.

Davis, Donald. Jack's First Job. Little Rock, AR: August House Audio, 1993. 1 sound cassette. 56 min. Four tales from Davis' book Jack Always Seeks his Fortune: "Jack's First Job" (19:13), "Jack Seeks his Fortune" (9:57), "Jack Told a Big Tale" (13:43), "Jack Stole Some Cows" (12:45).

Davis, Donald. The Lighter Side of Jack: Five Stories. Cassette recording. Charlotte, N.C.: D. D. Davis, 1983. "Jack Cures the Doctor," "Jack Fools the Miller," "Jack's First Job," "Jack's Biggest Tale," "Jack's Two Rides."

Davis, Donald.  Listening for the Crack of Dawn: A Master Storyteller Recalls the Appalachia of the 50's and 60's.  Little Rock: August House. Audio Cassette, 1991. Audio CD, 2000. A former Methodist minister and professional storyteller tells four original stories based on his childhood in a small mountain town in NC. From the book with the same title. Includes a story of Christmas in Sulphur Springs.

Digital Library of Appalachia. Appalachian College Association. A collection of digital reproductions of print, visual, audio and video items from archives in colleges affiliated with ACA. Includes audio of storytellers such as Ray Hicks and Loyal Jones telling Jack Tales, audio versions of tales collected in 1949 and published by Leonard Roberts.

The Folktellers (Barbara Freeman and Connie Regan-Blake). White Horses and Whippoorwills. Asheville, NC: Mama-T Artists, 1983. Sound recording. 50 min. Tales include "Two White Horses" (9:22) by Elizabeth Seeman, "Old Drye Frye" (12:58) by Richard Chase, "Jazzy Three Bears" (1:50), "No News" (3:01), "Mountain Whippoorwill" (7:38) by Stephen Vincent Benet, "Oliver Hyde's Dishcloth Concert " (14:55) by Richard Kennedy.

For Old Time's Sake. Appalshop, 1989. Videocassette. 87 min. Presenter: Anndrena Belcher. A blend of storytelling, music, and dance designed especially for use in educational settings, including "Ashpet" (30 min.); "Bubble Gum Baby" (24 min.); "Jim Barton's Fiddle" (15 min.); Interview (18 min.).

Freeman, Barbara. See Folktellers, above, and Graveyard Tales and Storytelling the National Festival and Tales of Fools, below.

Grandfather's Greatest Hits. Whitesburg, KY: June Appal, 1900-1979? LP sound recording. Tales from Chase's Grandfather Tales: "Soap, Soap, Soap," "Gallymanders, Gallymanders," "Chunk of Meat," "Mutsmag," "Two Old Women's Bet." With voices of Don Baker, Jeff Kiser, Marcia McIntosh, Jane Moody, Jack Wright, Angie DeBord, Frank Taylor. Roadside Theater (WorldCat information).

Graveyard Tales. Audio cassette. Jonesborough, Tenn.: National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling, 1984. 45 min. Little Rock: August House, 1992. Live from the National Storytelling Festival. Five ghost stories and one poem. " Recommended in review by P. Hoffman in Wilson Library Bulletin, vol.66 (May 1992): p. 74. (Information from MediaRevDigest). Includes "The Skeleton Woman," told by Gayle Ross, "The Ghoul" by the Folktellers: Barbara Freeman and Connie Regan-Blake, "The Hole that will not Stay Filled" by Kathryn Windham, "Dead Aaron" by Mary Carter Smith, "The Woodcutter" by Laura Simms with Steve Gorn, "The Monkey's Paw" by Jackie Torrence.

Hackworth, Dianne. Tales & Tunes. Audio cassette. Contains "Jack & The Frogs," "Don Gato," "Possum & Snake," "The Fox," "You Talk Too Much," "Jack & The King's Girl," "Cat Came Back," "Chipper," "Father Grumble." Description at Dianne's Storytelling Site. See also The Jack Tales Festival and Mountain Tales.

Hamilton, Mary. Haunting Tales. Audio cassette. Frankfort, KY: Hidden Spring, 1996. CD. 2001. Includes "Tailypo," "Sop Doll." Click on her name for other information and recordings in Hamilton's web site.

Hamilton, Mary. Stepping Stones: Stories for Ages 4-10. Audio cassette. Louisville, KY: Hidden Spring, 1992. An international collection that includes a tale called "Jack and the Wishgiver."

Hamilton, Mary. Some Dog and Other Kentucky Wonders.  Audio CD. Frankfort, KY: Hidden Spring, 2001. Contents: "Lazy Jack"; "Stormwalker" (based on Roberta Mae Brown's true story recorded in her book The Walking Tree and Other Scary Stories); "The Farmer's Daughter"; "Some Dog," a tall tale that includes an incredible "split dog"; "Jeff Rides the Rides," a funny family anecdote; "Jump Rope Kingdom," a childhood memory about learning to jump rope that contains children's schoolyard and jump rope rhymes.

Hicks, Orville, and Hicks, Ray - see separate page on these famous storytelling cousins from NC.

Hider, Sam. Cherokee Legends. Audio cassette. Indian Legend Series. Various Indian Peoples Pub., 1991. ca. 25 min. Contains "The Rabbit and the Bear" and "Why the Hog's Tail is Flat."

Hush Little Baby. Weston, Conn: Weston Woods Studio, 1970. LP recording. Songs include "Billy Boy" by Richard Chase, "Casey Jones" by Glen Rounds, "Mommy, Buy Me a China Doll" from book by Aliki.and Harve Zemach. Performers Jennifer Brown and Ann Markussen. Also issued as four filmstrips with four booklets, 1974 (WorldCat).

The Jack Tales Festival. 2002. Includes "Big Jack & Little Jack" by Connie Regan-Blake, "Jack's First House" by David Joe Miller, Jack & the Frogs by Dianne Hackworth, "Mutsmag" by Charlotte Ross, and "Jack and the Doctor's Girl" by Orville Hicks. Videotape from the 4th annual festival to benefit the Ray and Rosa Hicks fund, August 17, 2002, at Bolick Pottery and Traditions Pottery, near Blowing Rock, NC. For more information, see page The Latest Tale. . . . by Dianne Hackworth in Dianne's Storytelling Site, or call 336-877-4110.

John Henry. At this link AppLit's Annotated Folktale Index gives many recorded songs and retellings of the John Henry legend.

Lawson, Patty Hatfield. Perfect Quilts and Burnt Coffee. 2002. Sold by CDBaby. A native of rural East Tennessee, who is a psychologist and therapist as well as a storyteller and teacher, tells four stories about her farm family and rural culture in the 1950s and 1960s.

Lawson, Patty Hatfield. Aunt Ruby's Funeral Trip. 2005. Sold by CDBaby. Five stories, including "The Melungeon Gift," a "tribute to a Melungeon farm hand named Lidgie."

Lomax, Alan. See Appalachian Journey.

Littlejohn, Kathi Smith. Cherokee Legends I and Cherokee Legends II. Cherokee, NC: Cherokee Communications, 1992. Tales told by a Cherokee storyteller, with background music.

Long, Maud. Folklore of the United States. Jack Tales I and II. Told by Mrs. Maud Long of Hot Springs, NC. Ed. Duncan Emrich. LP. Washington: Library of Congress, Division of Music, 1947.
I. Introduction to Jack Tales, "Jack and the Drill," "Jack and the Sop Doll," "Jack and the Bull"
II. "Jack and the Giants’ New Ground," "Jack and the Varmints"
Jacket notes say Long "tells the tales in much the same way they were told to her by her parents." Her mother, Mrs.Jane Gentry, had sung for the British folklorist Cecil Sharp.

Mountain Tales. "This video includes 2 hours of tales from the Appalachian Region." Orville Hicks tells "Red Devil Suit," Jack and the Varmints," "Two Uncles and Their Horses," "Jack and the Three Sillies." Dianne Hackworth tells "Here's To Cheshire"; "The Hoe Handle, Snake, and Barn"; "Old Dry Frye"; "Chipper." Charlotte Ross tells "Catherine Sherrill" and "The Cabin." Info. with photos at Dianne's Storytelling Site.

Mountain Tales by Roadside Theater. 1 33 1/3 rpm, mono. sound disc (36 min.). Whitesburg, KY: June Appal Recordings, 1980. Contents: Jim Wolf [story] -- Cripple Creek [song] -- Fat or Lean [story] -- Fat Man [story] -- Thousand Legged Worm [song] -- Cat and Rat [story] -- Old Smokey [song] -- Three Gold Nuts [story] -- Handsome Molly [song].

Mountain Talk. Dir. Neal Hutcheson. Executive Producers Walt Wolfram and James W. Clark. Narrated by Gary Carden. North Carolina Language and Life Project and NC State Humanities Extension Publications, 2003. Contains hundreds of interviews on language and life of Appalachia, including storytellers such as Orville Hicks.

Norman, Gurney. Ancient Creek: A Jack Tale. Sound recording. Whitesburg, KY: June Appal Recordings, 1976. With "King Condominium the Third" (24:20), "The Last Panther in Eastern Kentucky" (15:08), "The Prisoners" (24:20), "Jesse Bull" (8:06), "The Ceremony" (22:00). Performers Gurney Norman and Si Kahn, Roadside Theater.

Ramsey, Gwynn. Telling Six Tall Tales from the Southern Appalachians. 199?   VHS  videocassette.  30 min. color. 1. The Split Dog. 2. The Norther and the Frogs. 3. Pat and the Mule Eggs. 4. Pat and the City Billies. 5. The Snake Bit Hoe Handle. 6. The Big Toe. Told by Gwynn Ramsey, Professor of Biology Emeritus at Lynchburg College. This information is from the Randolph Macon Women's College Video List.

Regan-Blake, Connie. See Folktellers, Graveyard Tales, and The Jack Tales Festival on this page. See also her web site at this link for other recordings and audio clips.

Regan-Blake, Connie. Dive-Into Stories: A Telling Performance. Audio CD. Asheville, NC: Storywindow Productions, 2006. Contents: "Lantern," a funny tall tale about two girls telling fishing tales; "The Foolish Bet"; "Two Friends and One Horse, "a folktale told in Israel about making peace"; "Rice Balls," a Japanese tale about a hungry old woman outsmarting hungry and perpetually hungry ogres; and "Lucky Duck," a true story about a mentally retarded man and a social worker. "Ray's Amazing Grace" tells of Regan-Blake's close friendship with Ray Hicks and his family.

Ross, Charlotte. See The Jack Tales Festival and Mountain Tales.

Ross, Gayle. For other tales recorded by Cherokee storyteller Gayle Ross, see AppLit bibliography at this link.

Ross, Gayle. How Rabbit Tricked Otter and Other Cherokee Animal Stories. The Parabola Storytime Series. Caedmon Audio Cassette, 1996. A Cherokee storyteller from Texas, daughter of Cherokee leader John Ross, tells tales of Rabbit, the Cherokee trickster hero, from a time with animals and people spoke the same language. For details on the book, see Appalachian Folktale Collections.

Rucker, Sparky, with Rhonda Rucker. Patchwork Tales: Stories From the Rucker Performance Archives. An African American North Carolina storyteller tells "The Tricksters," "Long John," "Bootlegger's Blues," "Against the Law," "Airborne!!!" "Goin' Fishin'," "Brer Rabbit and Sister Hornet," "Tailypo," "Chain Gangs and Donuts," "Here Rattler! Here." Maryville, TN. No date is given but orders are taken from the Rucker web site.

Stories from the Mountain: Appalachian Folk Tales and Traditions. 1 sound cassette. Author Jim Thompson. Reader Donovan H Bond. Bruceton Mills, WV: Unicorn Limited, 1993.

Storytelling the National Festival. 2 LPs (c. 95 min.). Jonesborough, Tenn.: National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling, 1983. Contains (not all by Appalachian storytellers): Side 1. Count those Buzzards / Kathryn Windham (1 min., 35 sec.) -- Elvira and Henry / Jackie Torrence (9 min., 50 sec.) -- The Bubble / Jay O'Callahan (3 min., 43 sec.) -- The Coin / Cora Bardwell (55 sec.) -- Joseph / Michael Parent (7 min., 51 sec.) -- Side 2. No News / The Folktellers (3 min., 2 sec.) -- Jack Seeks his Fortune / Donald Davis (10 min., 28 sec.) -- Nazrudin / Pleasant DeSpain (4 min., 53 sec.) -- Desert Pete / Lee Pennington (2 min., 55 sec.) -- Side 3. The Princess and the Frog / Ed Stivender (8 min., 35 sec.) -- The Seer of Lublin's Shirt / Diane Wolkstein (5 min., 21 sec.) -- Tucker's Knob / Doc McConnell (3 min., 49 sec.) -- Great Splash / Ray Hicks (1 min., 7 sec.) -- Priests of Mungret / Maggie Peirce (4 min., 2 sec.) -- Side 4. Martin and the Snakes / David Holt (6 min., 46 sec.) -- The Baker's Smell / Heather Forest ( 2 min., 59 sec.) -- Romeo and Juliet / Henry Hatch ( 9 min., 8 sec.) -- Perceiving the Godhead / Gayle Ross (4 min., 11 sec.) -- The Storyteller / Ron Evans (1 min., 33 sec.) Also in 2 Audio cassettes (116 min.).

Tales of Fools and Wise Folk. Cassette tape. Jonesborough, TN: National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling, National Storytelling Press, and August House Publishers, 1991. c. 50 min. "In these classic tales, the honest win rewards while the evil do themselves in, rubes get the best of Ph.D.'s, and a poor young adventurer finds a helpmate with powerful magic" (WorldCat). Recorded live at the National Storytelling Festival. The seven tales by different storytellers include "Old Dry Frye" told by Barbara Freeman, "Jack and the Northwest Wind" told by Jackie Torrence, and "The Poor Man and the Rich Man's Purse" told by Mary Hamilton.

Tales of Humor and Wit. Cassette tape. Jonesborough, TN: National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling, National Storytelling Press, and August House Publishers, 1991. c. 50 min. Contents: Obedient Jack / Elizabeth Ellis and Gayle Ross -- The Walkin' Catfish / Doc McConnell -- How the Rhinosaurus Got his Skin / Carol Birch -- The Hog-o-phone / David Holt -- Cinderella / Ed Stivender -- The $50,000 Racehorse / Hannah McConnell Gillenwater -- Sketches of Nostalgia / Gamble Rogers (Worldcat).

Tall Tales of the Blue Ridge Mountains: Stories From the Heart of Appalachia. Ray Hicks, Donald Davis, Sparky Rucker. Dir. Phillip Williams. Videocassette. Asheville, NC: Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1992. c. 42 min. Music by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker.

Tell Me a Story - series of storytelling videos; see also Williams below.
Tell Me a Story. Vol. 1. Videocassette. Hometown Entertainment, 1995. 60 min. Live performances from the 20th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn. (storytellers aren't Appalachian). David Novak (from Calif.) uses string in amazing and humorous ways to tell "Jack and the Beanstalk" and performs "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," Ed Stivender (from Pa.) tells "Brer Possum," Rex Ellis (Williamsburg, Va.) tells "The Girl with Large Eyes" (from Julius Lester's Black Folktales), Jon Spelman (from Md.) tells "The Necklace," Jackson Gillman (from New England) tells "I was Right, I was Wrong," Johnny Moses (Tulalip Native American, B. C.) tells "The Boy Who Wished for a Bicycle," and Bob Jenkins (from Calif.) tells "The Man Who Wanted Incredible Things."

Telling Tales.  KY Educational TV series of folktale programs.  See http://www.ket.org/education. for information on programs and videos.  Teacher's Guide online (Part One,with Table of Contents; Part Two) contains summaries of each tale and discussion questions and activities. In addition to four African-American tales, the Appalachian tales and tellers are:

Thompson, Jim, and Donovan H. Bond. Stories from the Mountain: Appalachian Folk Tales and Traditions. Bruceton Mills, WV: Unicorn Limited, 1993. Includes Jack tales.

Torrence, Jackie. Country Characters. LP and audio cassette. Chicago, Il: Earwig Music Co., 1983 and 1986. From an evening of storytelling live in Lexington, MA to benefit Arts Created Together. Recorded at Cary Hall, Lexington, MA. Includes Old Dry Frye, Wicked John and the Devil, Sop Doll, "The Maco Station Light," and "The Fiddler's Dram."

Torrence, Jackie. My Grandmother's Treasures. Audio recording. Description at August House (with audio file of "The Stawberry Pie"): "In these stories, recorded here for the first time, the woman known to audiences nationwide as 'The Story Lady' tells how some of the rough moments of childhood have helped smooth her way as an adult. Rich in details from her . . . youth, and leavened with humor, these stories recall lessons learned from gentle folk, and the rewards of a constant heart." Contains "My Grandmother's Treasure" 17:52, "The Big Cotton Patch" 6:45, "Miss Maetroy's Flower Bed" 6:43, "My Granddaddy's Haint" 7:36, "The Strawberry Pie" 8:40. The last story is about the storyteller's mother's childhood experience of taking a strawberry pie from the pie safe and being frightened into confessing. Torrence is from North Carolina east of Appalachia; she was influenced by Richard Chase's tales and also tells mountain stories.

Twentieth Anniversary of the National Storytelling Festival: A Commemorative Documentary. Videocassette (20 min.) S. I.: Hometown Entertainment, 1995. Dir. David Coggeshall. "Storytellers from all over the world share their stories. . . Recorded live from Jonesborough, Tennessee, the National Storytelling Festival./ Participants: Storytellers: Carol Birch, Milbre Burch, Rex Ellis, Diane Ferlatte, Heather Forest, Jackson Gillman, Bob Jenkins, Syd Lieberman, Waddie Mitchell, Johnny Moses, David Novak, Jay O'Callahan, Michael Parent, Jon Spelman and Ed Stivender" (WorldCat).

An Unclouded Day: Stories and Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. CD. North Carolina Language and Life Project and NC State Humanities Extension Publications, 2003. 60 min.

Vencill, Jerry. Tall Tales from Long Ago. JO-NAH PRODUCTIONS (P.O. Box 338, Pounding Mill, VA 24637), 1997. Cover design by Ken Henderson. "56 minutes of stories, songs and riddles from the 1800's and early 1900's, told by Jerry 'Old Jonah' Vencill and set in the Appalachian Mountains with mountain music and scenes of the past." (Back of Video Box)

Voices of Memory. Authors John Morgan and Richard Smith. Performers Greg Jowasis, Jim Slone, Stanley Hicks, Ray Hicks, Bob Hutchison. Videocassette (60 min.). Lexington, KY: The Kentucky Network, 1989. Summary: "Focuses on the importance of the oral tradition as the only voice of a people's memory, specifically the Cherokee Indians."

Wheeler, Billy Edd. Some Mountain Tales about Jack.  Told and sung by Billy Edd Wheeler.  Spoken Arts Cassette Library for Young Listeners, 1980. Vol. III contains “Jack and the Doctor’s Daughter,” “Jack and the Heifer Hide,” “Jack Goes A-Swappin,’” “Jack and the Wild Animals.”

Williams, Michael "Badhair." Tell Me a Story. Vol. 5. Videocassette. Irwindale, CA: Barr Entertainment, 1986. 30 minutes. A professional North Carolina storyteller who does great character voices tells stories to a small group of children. Includes "Muts Mag," "Old One-Eye" and a short song, "Turkey in the Straw."  Tales are from Richard Chase's Grandfather Tales. Cartoon-like drawings illustrating the plot are shown occasionally during the storytelling. Also released by Butterside Studios as a cassette tape, 1986.

Williams, Michael "Badhair." Tell Me a Story. Vol. 6. Videocassette. Irwindale, CA: Barr Entertainment, 1986. 25 minutes. Williams tells "Wicked John" and "Soap, Soap, Soap" to a group of children.

Ywahoo, Dhyani. Audio cassette. Cherokee Teaching Stories. Bristol, VT: Sunray Meditation Society, 1990. Contents: "The Story of Magic Lake," "Immortals Among Us" and "The Coming of the Fire."

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This page's last update: 05/09/2008
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