Mexican workers at a Zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers and daughters, that they eventually triumph.
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Title: Salt of the Earth (1954)
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3 wins.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Will Geer | ... | Sheriff | |
| David Wolfe | ... | Barton | |
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David Sarvis | ... | Alexander |
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Mervin Williams | ... | Hartwell |
| Rosaura Revueltas | ... | Esperanza Quintero | |
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E.A. Rockwell | ... | Vance |
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William Rockwell | ... | Kimbrough |
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Juan Chacón | ... | Ramon Quintero (as Juan Chacon) |
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Henrietta Williams | ... | Teresa Vidal |
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Ángela Sánchez | ... | Consuelo Ruiz (as Angela Sanchez) |
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Clorinda Alderette | ... | Luz Morales |
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Virginia Jencks | ... | Ruth Barnes |
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Clinton Jencks | ... | Frank Barnes |
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Joe T. Morales | ... | Sal Ruiz |
| Ernest Velasquez | ... | Charley Vidal (as Ernest Velasquez) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
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>
Taglines:
Banned! The film the US government didn't want you to see! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
14 March 1954 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La sal de la tierra See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Independent Productions, The International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
Ramon Quintero: It isn't right, she says. Was it right that we bought this... this instrument? But you *had* to have it, didn't you. It was *nice* to listen to.
Esperanza Quintero: I listen to it... every night... when you are out at the beer parlor.
Ramon Quintero: 'No money down'. 'Easy term payments'. I tell you something -...
[...]
See more »
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by the women on the picket line
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This movie was the only blacklisted film ever in American film history. It was blacklisted during the 1950s during the height of the Cold War scare. See more »Goofs
When Ramon is in the bar, his hands change position several times between shots. See more »Quotes
Esperanza Quintero: Ramon, I don't like to bother you, but the store, they say, uh, we will not make another payment on the radio this month, they'll come and take it away... We're only one payment behind... I argued with her. It isn't right.Ramon Quintero: It isn't right, she says. Was it right that we bought this... this instrument? But you *had* to have it, didn't you. It was *nice* to listen to.
Esperanza Quintero: I listen to it... every night... when you are out at the beer parlor.
Ramon Quintero: 'No money down'. 'Easy term payments'. I tell you something -...
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
The final credits are divided into "the professional cast" and "the non-professional cast." See more »Soundtracks
We Shall Not be Moved(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by the women on the picket line
See more »
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As a U.S.-born Latina whose family has lived in the northern New Mexico/southern Colorado region since the early 1700s, I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of this film. I was trolling through Netflix for something to watch one night when this popped up in my "suggested films" list. Boy, am I ever glad I watched it.
My grandfather was a coal miner in southern Colorado, and the coal-mining industry (and its effects on Hispanos of the Southwest) has been an interest of mine all of my life. Quite simply, this film brought history to life for me. The actors, location, themes, language, and other details were so authentic, that I felt I was watching a documentary at times. I felt a spiritual connection to my grandparents, who lived and worked in coal mining camps in the early part of the 20th century. I grew up hearing their stories, and the devastation of the Colorado Coalfield Wars and the Ludlow Massacre.
This is, quite simply, a stunning cinematic achievement, especially given that it was written and filmed in 1954. Sadly, many of the prejudices and themes in the film resonate today. Little has changed for many of the hardworking Hispanos who have called the Southwest home for centuries.