The Miners’ Story Part 1 of 3
WCAU-TV Philadelphia - Starring Jack Palance
High pan across derelict mine complex in north-east Pennsylvania. Palance walks through derelict site & delivers hyperbolic piece to camera re this being his home despite jet-set Hollywood lifestyle - “I’m still a coal cracker at heart”. Musical title sequence showing miners underground.
01:02:36 Palance to camera re hazards of miners’ working lives. Aerial views over desolate deforested landscape w/ hills scarred by mining, slag heaps, etc. AV small towns set among abandoned collieries; VO “the land of anthracite coal...500 square miles of the richest hard coal country in the world”.
01:04:54 Palance to camera re legends of early coal era; cutaways to portraits depicting birth of coal industry & its development. Palance in front of derelict mine tower - talks re Irish immigrants - early stills of immigrants & miners at work - “Molly Maguires” vigilante gang & early union activity. Formation of United Mine Workers of America 1890 - founder John Mitchell.
01:09:58 More early stills of miners - VO re low pay & child labour - strike of 1900.
01:12:01 Palance to camera re militia breaking strikes - negotiations between Theodore Roosevelt, George Behr & Mitchell. Palance looks out over blackened valley & recalls what it was like before mining ruined it.
01:13:27 Nostalgic footage three young boys walking home, carrying shirts after swimming - white picket fence; boys skinny dipping in lake. High shots across mining town - small houses. Morning whistle - miners walk to work in semi-darkness. Miners gather round camera; down into pit followed by horses.
01:15:42 Cut back to Palance “Times were good in this valley”. Post-WWI coal boom montage: neon lights in Times Square; AV huge foundry; locomotive pulling goods wagons; coal transportation; general mining scenes. Oilfield shots - VO re decline of coal industry by 1926 - two thirds of anthracite miners in PA unemployed by 1930s - miners stealing coal from abandoned mines.
01:17:51 Miner feeding poor family of 9 kids on outdoor table - CU dirty kids eating. John L. Lewis, President of United Mine Workers - influence on 1933 National Recovery Act & union; group of miners gather to hear speaker outside mine. CU sign above hall ‘Mass Meeting - Hear John L. Lewis’; INT crowded meeting; CU Lewis speaking MOS. WWII increase in coal mining but still behind oil & gas - Palance to camera re further decline in late ’40s.
NB Slugs left in for commercials. STILL PHOTOS MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS - USER BEWARE.
Heavy Industry. Progress. Depression. Unemployment.
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The Miners’ Story Part 1 of 3 WCAU-TV Philadelphia - Starring Jack Palance High pan across derelict mine complex in north-east Pennsylvania. Palance walks through derelict site & delivers hyperbolic piece to camera re this being his home despite jet-set Hollywood lifestyle - “I’m still a coal cracker at heart”. Musical title sequence showing miners underground. 01:02:36 Palance to camera re hazards of miners’ working lives. Aerial views over desolate deforested landscape w/ hills scarred by mining, slag heaps, etc. AV small towns set among abandoned collieries; VO “the land of anthracite coal...500 square miles of the richest hard coal country in the world”. 01:04:54 Palance to camera re legends of early coal era; cutaways to portraits depicting birth of coal industry & its development. Palance in front of derelict mine tower - talks re Irish immigrants - early stills of immigrants & miners at work - “Molly Maguires” vigilante gang & early union activity. Formation of United Mine Workers of America 1890 - founder John Mitchell. 01:09:58 More early stills of miners - VO re low pay & child labour - strike of 1900. 01:12:01 Palance to camera re militia breaking strikes - negotiations between Theodore Roosevelt, George Behr & Mitchell. Palance looks out over blackened valley & recalls what it was like before mining ruined it. 01:13:27 Nostalgic footage three young boys walking home, carrying shirts after swimming - white picket fence; boys skinny dipping in lake. High shots across mining town - small houses. Morning whistle - miners walk to work in semi-darkness. Miners gather round camera; down into pit followed by horses. 01:15:42 Cut back to Palance “Times were good in this valley”. Post-WWI coal boom montage: neon lights in Times Square; AV huge foundry; locomotive pulling goods wagons; coal transportation; general mining scenes. Oilfield shots - VO re decline of coal industry by 1926 - two thirds of anthracite miners in PA unemployed by 1930s - miners stealing coal from abandoned mines. 01:17:51 Miner feeding poor family of 9 kids on outdoor table - CU dirty kids eating. John L. Lewis, President of United Mine Workers - influence on 1933 National Recovery Act & union; group of miners gather to hear speaker outside mine. CU sign above hall ‘Mass Meeting - Hear John L. Lewis’; INT crowded meeting; CU Lewis speaking MOS. WWII increase in coal mining but still behind oil & gas - Palance to camera re further decline in late ’40s. NB Slugs left in for commercials. STILL PHOTOS MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS - USER BEWARE. Heavy Industry. Progress. Depression. Unemployment.