Pioneer, Go Home!
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Pioneer, Go Home!'' is a satirical novel by Richard P. Powell, first published in 1959. The novel follows a New Jersey family, The Kwimpers, who move to Columbiana, a fictional state that resembles Florida, and squat on the side of a highway where a new bridge is being built, outraging local officials. The book was adapted into a play by Herman Raucher and also an Elvis Presley film, '' Follow that Dream'' (1962).


50th anniversary edition

In 2009 a 50th anniversary edition of ''Pioneer, Go Home!'' was released and includes a previously unpublished preface by the author.


Plot summary

The Kwimper family of Cranberry County, New Jersey is on a vacation in Columbiana when their car runs out of gas. Somewhere along the way, the Kwimpers had made a wrong turn and ended up on an unfinished highway. While waiting for assistance to arrive they set up shacks on the side of the road. The Kwimper clan consists of Pop Kwimper who has lived his entire life off government welfare programs such as unemployment compensation and Aid to Families with Dependent Children, his happy-go-lucky son Toby Kwimper (whose "Strength is as the strength of ten because his heart is pure"), adopted identical twins Eddy and Teddy that nobody can tell apart (and whose parents "tried to beat a train to a crossing and only came out tied"), and the family babysitter Holly Jones. When confronted by state officials and treated poorly Pop Kwimper decides that the family will settle on the side of the highway permanently. Pop learns of old
homesteading Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and may also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craft work for household use or sale. Pur ...
statutes in the state and determines that he has a legal right to occupy the land. The novel revolves around the family's comical battles with the government, as they establish their lives on the untitled land and are eventually joined by other pioneers. The family also contends with meddling social workers, their own poverty, starting up small businesses, a hurricane, and a group of gangsters that tries to squat on nearby land to run an illegal casino. Of the novel's satire, in the first edition of the novel the publisher writes:
"It's possible that some readers may see woven into this comedy the theme of Little Man versus Big Government. They may also find it a study of the classic pioneering spirit and of its chances of survival in America today."


Inspiration

The novel is based on a true story. After World War II, Powell moved to
Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
. Powell learned that the state of Florida had just built a bridge to Pine Island. The fill used to build the bridge inadvertently created a tract of land that did not exist on maps but now is known as Matlacha. A group of squatters moved onto the land, building shacks and starting small businesses, as in the novel. Eventually, the state granted
property title In property law, title is an intangible construct representing a bundle of rights in (to) a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different ...
s to the squatters. Powell's previous novel was ''The Philadelphian'', a serious novel about four-generations of a Philadelphia family as they navigate the city's complex social ladder. The book spent 6 months on the best-seller charts. Most observers expected Powell to follow up with a similar book, but instead he wanted something different and wrote a comedy.


Adaptation

In 1962, the book was adapted into a movie starring Elvis Presley. Although the name ''Pioneer, Go Home!'' was considered for the film, it was ultimately named '' Follow that Dream''. The film adaptation was a musical, scored by
Hans J. Salter Hans J. Salter (January 14, 1896 in Vienna – July 23, 1994 in Studio City, Cal.) was an Austrian- American film composer. Biography Salter gained his education from the Vienna Academy of Music and studied composition with Alban Berg, Franz S ...
. (The movie had 4 songs in it, not including the opening credits song, totaling 8 minutes. That is not the definition of a musical). Elvis played the role of Toby Kwimper.
Arthur O'Connell Arthur Joseph O'Connell (March 29, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an American stage, film and television actor, who achieved prominence in character roles in the 1950s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both ''Pic ...
played Pop Kwimper. The screenplay was written by Charles Lederer, who also wrote the original '' Ocean's Eleven'' and the
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
version of '' Mutiny on the Bounty''.


References

{{reflist 1959 American novels American novels adapted into films American satirical novels