The Pride of Jesse Hallam (1981)

Jesse Hallam, an illiterate coal miner from Kentucky, moves to Cincinnati so that his daughter may receive spinal surgery. Determined to support his family in the city, he decides he must ... See full summary »

Director:

Gary Nelson

Writer:

Suzanne Clauser

Stars:

Johnny Cash, Brenda Vaccaro, Ben Marley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Cash	...	Jesse Hallam
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Marion Galucci
Ben Marley	...	Ted Hallam
Eli Wallach	...	Sal Galucci
Guy Boyd	...	Policeman
Chrystal Smith	...	Jenny Hallam
Earl Poole Ball	...	Uncle Charley
Linda Bennett	...	Receptionist
Viola Borden	...	Mrs. Kleeman
Michael Burnham	...	Tully
Tara Cash	...	Student
Malinda Comer	...	Clerk
Ray Comier	...	Trucker
William Dickerson	...	Schofield (as William Dickenson)
Dale Doerman	...	2nd Policeman

Storyline

Jesse Hallam, an illiterate coal miner from Kentucky, moves to Cincinnati so that his daughter may receive spinal surgery. Determined to support his family in the city, he decides he must learn how to read and write as an adult, and resolves to graduate from high school.

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Plot Keywords:

school | family relationships | literacy | reading | learning | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Analphabet

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati Art Museum - 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Königsberg Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

1st Student: [seeing Jesse and Ms. Gollucci walking together] Old Gollucci Magucci's got a boyfriend!
Sarah June: Poor guy must be desperate!

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Soundtracks

"Moving Up"
Sung by Johnny Cash
Written by Johnny Cash

User Reviews

Trying Time for an Illiterate in the Big City.

There are 25 million functional illiterates in the United States, and this film made for television is purportedly based upon events in the life of one of them, Jesse Hallam, portrayed here in typically wooden fashion by Johnny Cash, primarily about Hallam's troubles after moving to a large city (Cincinnati). Hallam, a miner since 14 from the Coal Fields sector of Western Kentucky in Muhlenberg County, has no choice but to leave his country home when his young daughter requires spinal surgery in the Ohio metropolis, paid with cash in advance obtained from the sale of his property after his wife's death. He pits his native intelligence and work ethic against the problem of not being able to read or write, and discovers that in order to support himself and his two children, he must become literate; scenes involving the methods used in developing his new skills are the most engrossing of the production. Brenda Vaccaro plays Marion Galucci, vice-principal of the high school which Jesse's son Tom attends, doing her best with an underwritten role as Hallam's mentor, and one must appreciate the spirited performance of veteran Eli Wallach as her father Sal, employer and sponsor of the erstwhile coal miner. Adequately helmed by television director Gary Nelson, the work's stature rises from fine camera-work by Gayne Rescher, while Cash sings several appropriate songs on the sound track, which features some excellent instrumental performances, including deft banjo work by Oscar Scruggs.