The Pride of Jesse Hallam

I am 34 years old and was born and raised in Hopkins Co. Kentucky.. right next to Muhlenberg. I just watched this movie and found it to be very inspirational. It really hit home for me.. literally. I hope others find it so as well. I have always liked Johnny Cash's music, but I hadn't seen him as an actor until now. I am going to be volunteering to help in the literacy program in my area. I see things in a whole new light after watching this movie. I'm damn proud to be from Kentucky. I feel sorry for people who judge a book by it's cover and I hope to make a difference in the lives of others myself. God Bless.. I know He sure has blessed me. MSHC

Watching at old TV movie is sometimes like digging through a dead relative's closet. There's some air of familiarity to it, memories coming to the surface, and this odd feeling of discovery. Through the 70s and 80s, countless TV movies were filmed and aired in much the same way as early cinema - watched once, then forgotten forever. "The Pride of Jesse Hallam" is like something you might find in the back of a dusty drawer. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

I've always liked Johnny Cash as an actor. He was never really given the chance to pursue it on a deeper level, just a handful of televised roles - most of which went widely unseen. But he's always had a very dark and mysterious persona, and makes you believe every word he says. Here, he sings several songs for the soundtrack as well - one of which (Moving Up) he wrote. It's fascinating to see Eli Wallach, playing an elderly man here (he was only 66). Interesting to note that he is still alive over thirty years later (!), nearly a decade after the death of Johnny Cash.

The storyline of "The Pride of Jesse Hallam" is fairly standard TV movie fare. There's the sick child, the troubled youth, the awkward love interest, and so forth. But it's the main issue of illiteracy that makes things somewhat more unusual. The interplay of the characters is believable, especially between Cash and Wallach. They're the backbone of this story, and everything that holds it together. As far as I know, the only edition out there is a really dirty, unrestored film transfer. Hopefully it will be released in a higher quality edition at some point. It's not a great film, but it's worth the time.

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.

I am a musician & I've always loved Johnny.. so this was a given.. I just now saw it on country music channel...& just happened to be reading (Johnny Cash the man in Black) his biography... gave me chills! I would Highly recommended...for any fan of JC & anyone who likes a good solid movie!... My mom loved it too... I am a BIG horror fan, but music movies are always cool! True to form, Johnny plays a REAL person. He's been through it all, drugs, divorce, the hard life on the road, & it shows in his performance here. He is a natural actor (as are most musicians, not all though), He really made it nice, I'm going to buy this if I can find the DVD!

I saw this DVD as a double-feature with "Five Minutes to Live," another B-movie made by Johnny Cash, in the impulse-buy section at Wal-Mart. It was only $1, and I had never heard of either of these movies, but I said, "Why not? It's only $1, and I love Johnny Cash." I brought it home, and immediately put it in the DVD player. From the very beginning, I was so captured by it! Cash did an excellent job at this character, and I even found myself getting teary-eyed during his job-searching scenes. I recommend EVERYONE see this movie! It can really hit close to home, and make you consider what life would be like in his position.