by John Stiles, Blount County bureau chief
April 3, 1994
MARYVILLE — Jeff Sagansky may need a bigger mailbox.
Sagansky, president of CBS-TV Entertainment, will be hearing from Blount County if local supporters of the movie “Christy” have their way.
“If you enjoy CHRISTY on April 3rd and/or on Thursdays, we would like to enlist your help with a letter writing campaign in praise of CHRISTY to the CBS network in April, May and June. Individual letters are greatly appreciated, but this is also a worthwhile project for your organization, church, youth group, club or school. Your letters will make a difference in the future of family entertainment,” says a flyer being distributed in the area.
“Christy” is a made-for-television movie based on the book of the same name. The Catherine Marshall book tells the story of a 19-year-old schoolteacher who left her North Carolina home in the early 1900s for the mountains of East Tennessee to open a mission school. The movie was filmed in Townsend and stars Kellie Martin as Christy.
In addition to the publicity the film has brought to Blount County, it also brought jobs. Residents ranging from children to senior adults were employed as extras. Others watched after children on the set, provided transportation for the movie crew, helped with costumes, passed out food and performed other work.
The movie airs at 8 p.m. tonight on WKXT-TV, Channel 10. Six more episodes are planned for Thursday nights.
Supporters want “Christy” to become a permanent series, following in the footsteps of “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Waltons.”
Producer Ken Wales said it took years to convince the studios to make the novel into a movie. Its theme of people wrestling with their religious faith caused some Hollywood officials concern.
Wales has appeared on several religious television shows including the “700 Club” and “Robert Schuller.” While the movie set is a simple structure on a hilltop in a remote area of Townsend, the staff has used a section of Townsend City Hall as offices.
One of the players in the movie is Bruce McKinnon, a Maryville native. His mother, Mary McKinnon, also lives in Maryville.
Many of the area residents involved with the movie will gather at the Best Western Motel Conference Center in Townsend tonight to watch the premiere on a big-screen television. All tickets to the event have been sold.
The flyer being distributed also contains a sample letter writers can use as a guideline. The sample letter states:
“Thank you so much for presenting CHRISTY on CBS. Catherine Marshall’s book is a favorite of mine. It is the delightful family entertainment we have long awaited. The story exemplifies the values we believe in and provides a positive influence for our youth.
“I hope you will continue to air CHRISTY and other entertaining programs which teach values, commitment and service. This program offers good role models for our society. Thank you again.”