A backwoods con man poses as a preacher to seduce, swindle, and stir up rural North Carolina.
PREACHERMAN
Phony backwoods preacher Amos T. Huxley stays in a small North Carolina town long enough to fleece his congregation, swindle the profits from a moonshine still, and seduce dumb blonde Mary Lou. Mary Lou's ex-boyfriend becomes suspicious of the preacher and gets the local police to investigate his actions.
Quick Answer
Preacherman is a 1971 American comedy-drama directed by Albert T. Viola about a phony preacher who cons a small North Carolina town, seduces a local girl, and schemes to profit from moonshine.
Programmer's Pick
If you like your sermons with a shot of moonshine and a wink at the congregation, Preacherman delivers. Albert T. Viola’s con artist preacher stirs the rural pot, tangling with sheriffs, stills, and plenty of hayloft hijinks. It's religion, Southern-fried and thoroughly exploited.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
A low-budget regional comedy that became a box office hit in the American South, Preacherman's success led to a sequel and later distribution by cult label Troma Entertainment, marking it as a notable example of independent Southern filmmaking in the early 1970s.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
Watch Amos Huxley charm, swindle, and seduce his way through rural North Carolina under the guise of a man of God.
Illegal stills and bootlegging profits play a key role as Huxley tries to outwit both the sheriff and his new flock.
The film leans into backwoods stereotypes, with visual cues like bare midriffs, haylofts, and plenty of rural mischief.
From a sheriff named Zero Bull to a nymphomaniac daughter and a parade of locals, the cast is a study in rural oddballs.
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
When was Preacherman released? +
Preacherman was released in 1971.
Who directed Preacherman? +
Preacherman was directed by Albert T. Viola.
How long is Preacherman? +
Preacherman has a runtime of 87 minutes.
What genre is Preacherman? +
Preacherman is a comedy-drama with exploitation and hixploitation elements.