Triangle: Remembering the Fire (2011)

On March 25, 1911, a catastrophic fire broke out at the Triangle Waist Company in New York City. Trapped inside the upper floors of a ten-story building, 146 workers - mostly young ... See full summary »

Director:

Daphne Pinkerson

Writers:

Michael Hirsch, Richard Lowe,

Stars:

Suzanne Pred Bass, Leigh Benin, Dennis Clancey

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Suzanne Pred Bass	...	Herself
Leigh Benin	...	Herself
Dennis Clancey	...	Himself
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Narrator (voice) (offscreen)
Susan Harris	...	Herself
Erica Lansner	...	Herself
Ray Ott	...	Himself
Bruce Raynor	...	Himself
Alfred E. Smith IV	...	Himself

Storyline

On March 25, 1911, a catastrophic fire broke out at the Triangle Waist Company in New York City. Trapped inside the upper floors of a ten-story building, 146 workers - mostly young immigrant women and teenage girls - were burned alive or forced to jump to their deaths to escape an inferno that consumed the factory in just 18 minutes. It was the worst disaster at a workplace in New York State until 9/11. The tragedy changed the course of history, paving the way for government to represent working people, not just business, for the first time, and helped an emerging American middle class to live the American Dream.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blowback Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Susan Harris: From a personal point of view, I'm happy that my grandfather didn't have to go to jail. Looking at it from the victims' and their families' point of view, if my daughter had died in that fire, you know, if he hadn't been my grandfather, I probably would have shot him.

User Reviews

Remember: Triangle: Remembering A Turn in History ****

Outstanding documentary where descendants of the victims and survivors of the Triangle Shirt Waist fire were interviewed among the pictures of the horror of the March 25, 1911 inferno which set a total change in course involving government intervention in the protection of workers in the workplace.

The governor and legislature of Wisconsin, and the Tea Party right wing lunatics should be made to view this documentary. What they are advocating would send the working people back to factory conditions that existed before this tragic fire.

Imagine that the owners of the factory Harris and Blanck were found not guilty of creating such hazardous conditions in the workplace that allowed for the tragedy to occur.

How ironic that a 1909 strike of garment workers had basically failed to produce safety and protection of workers in the workplace. It had to take such a tragedy such as this for government to get involved. Special kudos to Al Smith, Robert Wagner and Frances Perkins for their efforts in the commission that was set up following the inferno.

As we prepare to remember this tragic event on its 100th anniversary, we cannot go back to conditions that existed. Government will always have to be involved. It's not just about the wealthy.