An immigrant coal miner finds himself in the middle of a bitter labor dispute between the workers and the mine owners.An immigrant coal miner finds himself in the middle of a bitter labor dispute between the workers and the mine owners.An immigrant coal miner finds himself in the middle of a bitter labor dispute between the workers and the mine owners.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 nominations total
John Qualen
- Mike
- (as John T. Qualen)
J. Carrol Naish
- Steve
- (as J. Carroll Naish)
Joseph Crehan
- Farrell
- (as Joe Crehan)
Sara Haden
- Sophie Shemanski
- (as Sarah Haden)
G. Pat Collins
- Lefty - Company Policeman
- (as George Pat Collins)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film was banned outright in Chicago, Guatemala, Spain, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and other countries. Many other locales required cuts in police brutality, Mike's murder and the mine explosions. The Hays office was concerned about Joe's criminal behavior in setting off the mine explosions not being punished, but eventually issued a certificate of approval.
- GoofsAt c. 24 minutes Joe is counting out his money, but he is inconceivably inaccurate. After counting to 68 dollars he places two further bills on the table and counts "73" out loud. A few moments later he counts up to 75 dollars, but, after four more bills have been placed in front of him he announces "76" dollars as his total.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood and the Stars: The Angry Screen (1964)
- SoundtracksWhy Do I Dream Those Dreams?
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played on piano in bar during scene where men challenge Radek
Featured review
Woman is for man like rain is for the dirty ground
Joe Radek (Paul Muni) is a simple-minded, hardworking immigrant coal miner who dreams of buying a farm and settling down with his girl, Anna (Karen Morley). But when Anna leaves him for another man, Joe falls apart and takes to drinking. In Joe's current state of mind, he's manipulated by a union buster (J. Carrol Naish) into revolting against the mining company. This has disastrous results for the laborers but Joe determines to set things right by any means necessary.
Paul Muni's only film with director Michael Curtiz. As was often the case with Muni, his performance can be seen either as brilliant or 100% ham. Whichever it is, I enjoyed it a lot. The cast is full of reliable Warner Bros contract players that are always fun to watch, especially great character actor J. Carrol Naish. It's not surprising this is from WB, the 1930s home of movies about the working class. Certainly interesting from a historical and sociological perspective as a view of labor issues in Depression-era America. It's also fine dramatic entertainment. Based in part on a true story of a 1929 incident at a mine in Imperial Pennsylvania.
Paul Muni's only film with director Michael Curtiz. As was often the case with Muni, his performance can be seen either as brilliant or 100% ham. Whichever it is, I enjoyed it a lot. The cast is full of reliable Warner Bros contract players that are always fun to watch, especially great character actor J. Carrol Naish. It's not surprising this is from WB, the 1930s home of movies about the working class. Certainly interesting from a historical and sociological perspective as a view of labor issues in Depression-era America. It's also fine dramatic entertainment. Based in part on a true story of a 1929 incident at a mine in Imperial Pennsylvania.
helpful•50
- utgard14
- Aug 7, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Black Hell
- Filming locations
- Pennsylvania, USA(second unit backgrounds and establishing shots)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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