| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Will Geer | ... | Sheriff | |
| David Wolfe | ... | Barton | |
|
|
David Sarvis | ... | Alexander |
|
|
Mervin Williams | ... | Hartwell |
| 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 |
| Ernest Velasquez | ... | Charley Vidal (as Ernest Velasquez) | |
Based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico, the film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers, who struck to attain wage parity with Anglo workers in other mines and to be treated with dignity by the bosses. In the end, the greatest victory for the workers and their families is the realization that prejudice and poor treatment are conditions that are not always imposed by outside forces. Written by Bob Shields <rshields@igc.apc.org>
At the height of anti-communist paranoia this film was bound to be blacklisted. But its realism, naturalism, cinematography and significant plot make it a work of art. A harsh yet beautiful one. And one that has aged well - not dating itself at all even after the fall of communism. Things were never as simple as a duel. They are even less so now. And much of our hope resides with the fact that within the remaining superpower dissent should be at the very least tolerated - at best a multiplicity of views encouraged.