Salt of the Earth (1954)

Director:

Herbert J. Biberman

Writer:

Michael Wilson (by)

Release Date:

14 March 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Banned! The film the US government didn't want you to see!

Plot:

Based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico, the film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers...

Plot Keywords:

Strike | Feminism | New Mexico | Mexican American | Dignity

Awards:

3 wins

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 29

2:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Will Geer	...	Sheriff
David Wolfe	...	Barton
Mervin Williams	...	Hartwell
David Sarvis	...	Alexander
Rosaura Revueltas	...	Esperanza Quintero
E.A. Rockwell	...	Vance
William Rockwell	...	Kimbrough
Juan Chacón	...	Ramon Quintero (as Juan Chacon)
Henrietta Williams	...	Teresa Vidal
Ángela Sánchez	...	Consuelo Ruiz (as Angela Sanchez)
Clorinda Alderette	...	Luz Morales
Virginia Jencks	...	Ruth Barnes
Clinton Jencks	...	Frank Barnes
Joe T. Morales	...	Sal Ruiz
Ernesto Velázquez	...	Charley Vidal (as Ernest Velasquez)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:13 | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bayard, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Independent Production Company (IPC)

Trivia:

Because blacklisted people were among those who made the movie, the production was fraught with outside interference. The entire cast and crew were met by a citizens' committee in Central, New Mexico, where they had planned to film, and were ordered to leave town. The following day they moved the production to Silver City, NM, and were warned to "get out of town... or go out in black boxes."

Quotes:

Esperanza Quintero: [opening narration] How shall I begin my story that has no beginning? My name is Esperanza, Esperanza Quintero. I am a miner's wife. This is our home. The house is not ours. But the flowers... the flowers are ours. This is my village. When I was a child, it was called San Marcos...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Crime to Fit the Punishment (1982)

More Than Just A Blacklisted Film

Salt Of The Earth is best known as a blacklisted film made by many of the artists whose lives were destroyed by HUAC and the complicity of the film industry. While the film's very exsistance is a tribute to the determination of the artists to do the right thing and not be silenced, it is much more than that. It is also a moving film tribute to the underclass of America who suffer greatly due to injustice and inequality. The film portrays the strike of Chicano mine workers in New Mexico. Their demands, which the company took 15 months to meet, included such outrages as safety, equality, and indoor plumbing. The most interesting aspect of the film is the way in which the women of the community are forced to take a leading role. By linking the oppression of the workers to the workers' oppression of their wives, the film becomes not only a pro-union film but also a feminist one. The story is stirring, and the scenes where the women are attacked for standing by their men are unforgetable. Salt of the Earth probably has more to do with everyday American lives than 99 percent of Hollywood films. Its humane portrayal of regular people fighting for their rights cannot help but awaken the common elements in us all.