Rarely-seen
independent film from
1954.
Directed by
Herbert J. Biberman and written by
Michael Biberman and
Michael Wilson. Starred a few
professional actors, like
Will Geer, and a bunch of
non-professional actors -- in other words, many of them had never
acted before.
Based on an actual
strike against the
Empire Zinc Mine in
New Mexico, the movie dealt with the
prejudice against the
Mexican-American workers, who
unionized and went on
strike to attain
wage parity with
Anglo workers in other
mines and to be treated with
dignity by the
bosses. The film has a strong
feminist theme, because the
wives of the
miners, against their
husbands'
wishes, play a
pivotal role in the strike.
Quite a few members of the
cast and
crew, including the
director,
Will Geer,
screenwriter Michael Wilson, and
producer Paul Jarrico, were members of the "
Hollywood Ten," who had been
blacklisted for refusing to answer questions before the
House Un-American Activities Committee. After the movie was completed, the
filmmakers had trouble finding anyone who would
process their film, much less
release it. The film was
denounced as
pro-Communist, and the movie was in
theaters for a very short period, thanks to
angry protestors and
skittish theater owners. Even today, "
Salt of the Earth" is a
difficult movie to find on
video. If your local
video store carries it,
rent it -- it's a
good one.