Quand la foule gronde

I first saw this when it was screened as a supporting feature in Australia in 1951/52 and hasn't been seen here since. A pity, because it was rather more cerebral and realistic than almost anything else seen in that era. I was only 14 when I saw it so I can't remember much about the plot but its realism came through (I was a pretty savvy kid movie-wise, I must admit). I could only remember Lloyd Bridges until I looked it up just now and was surprised to see who else was in it: Anne Francis, Ernest Borgnine, Carleton Carpenter, Murray Hamilton etc, before they became known. I'm also a little surprised director Robert Siodmak didn't run into strife with the McCarthy hearings in those years as it seemed to me the movie could be seen as a tad leftish, but I may be wrong as I was too young to understand that at the time, and this was not an issue in Australia then. Anyway, the semi-documentary treatment and the (apparent} filming on location added to the straightforward treatment. Columbia made some interesting movies around that time, some that I would suggest are a high-water mark in American movie-making and should be seen more often. If it's as good as I remember it, it should be seen as a minor classic.

In the midst of monsters from outer space and marauding dinosaurs, here is an attempt to deal with a real world problem: the decline of light manufacturing in small American cities, despite an overall boom in the US economy. The suspense is gripping, as Lloyd Bridges grapples with old loyalties and new necessities. This picture would make an excellent second feature for Rod Serling's masterpiece, "Patterns" (1956).

Late 40s/ early 50s Hollywood was not notable for its workplace dramas, especially when the workplace was a plastics factory and the drama involved labor/management relations. Which makes this film commendable from the outset if for no other reason than its daring to go against the prevailing ethos of the culture. That it is also visually striking, with great location shooting in New Hampshire and harsh, almost noirish, cinematography that pictorially reinforces the conflicts going on between workers and bosses, as well as being even handed in its treatment of both sides, never demonizing nor putting characters on pedestals, adds up to a film that should have garnered more attention and acclaim than it did. But then again movies have always been escapist in their overall mood, never more so than from the 30s to the mid 50s. The bulk of the film audience then tended to come from the factories or other blue collar work sites and the last thing they wished to do when the lights went down and the big screen came up was to be thrust back there. Especially at the time this film was made audiences wanted to walk down a shadowy LA street next to Liz Scott or down Rio way with Cary Grant. So maybe it's prescient that the product being made in this specific New Hampshire factory is a TV channel selector because workplace dramas and sit coms would, in less than ten years from the time of this movie, become a staple of the much less dreamy small screen in the much more prosaic kitchen or den. That this film, however, is at no point small, prosaic or confined in its tone or look is thanks to director Robert Siodmak, cinematographer Joseph Brun and a fine cast of actors just starting out like Lloyd Bridges, Murray Hamilton, Helen Shields, and James Westerfield, as well as Dorothy Gish, who was winding down.

So why 8 rather than 9 or 10 stars? Didn't care much for the dull ingenues Carlton Carpenter and Anne Francis and the ending was way too upbeat as if all labor problems had been banished from at least Eaton Falls, New Hampshire, forever. Give it a B plus.

While "The Whistle at Eaton Falls" is neither a famous film nor one that's highly rated, I absolutely loved it and think it's a terrific lesson about basic economics. It manages to tell a very intelligently written story in such an exciting way that it left me very impressed despite its overall current score of 6.8. If you give the film a chance, I think there's a good change you'll like it.

The story is set in a New England town where the economy is based on a couple factories. After one of them closes, this makes it only one...and if that company fails, so goes the town. But the owner of the existing factory has bad news...they cannot keep up with the competition and unless there's a reorganization of the company (which means, at least temporarily, some layoffs), the company will have to close. Before he can implement this austerity plan, however, he has to consult with the head of the local union, Brad Adams (Lloyd Bridges). Adams is reluctant to go along with the plan and before he can say yea or nay, disaster strikes when the president of this plastics company is killed in a plane crash. Now here is where it gets interesting. The dead man's widow is going to pick a new president to run her company...and she picks Brad. After all, the union appears to be behind him and he is a smart and reasonable man...perhaps he can somehow manage to keep the company afloat.

I loved so much about this film. Instead of showing the union or management as being 'the enemy', it's more about give and take and basic economics. It's also interesting because it delves into human nature...and explores the motivations of some who wouldn't mind destroying the company! Overall, exquisitely written and although it might seem a bit cerebral, an excellent lesson and an excellent and exciting story. Well done by everyone...especially Bridges and Murray Hamilton, who played the local jerk trying, for his own ends, to destroy everything.

THE WHISTLE AT EATON FILES (1951) is a real time capsule of turn of the 20th century America and that is its greatest asset. Shot almost entirely in the town of Portsmouth, NH and a couple of other New England locations, it gives us the look and feel of what is was like back then. This is only fitting as producer Louis de Rochemont started his career by making the popular MARCH OF TIME short documentaries shown in theaters in the 1930s. He continued to make documentaries during World War II. After the war he made a couple of dramatic films in a Film Noir setting starring James Cagney before making what he called docu-dramas of which WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS is one.

It tells the story of the struggle between labor and management at a plastics factory in the fictional town of Eaton Falls, New Hampshire. The factory's equipment is old and outdated and they can no longer produce their products at a competitive price. The opportunity arises to install new more efficient equipment which will need to employ only half the workforce. The head of the local union naturally opposes this until the company CEO points out that not doing it will result in the closure of the plant and a loss of all jobs. The CEO is then unexpectedly killed in a plane crash and the union boss is appointed the new head of the company. How does he keep the plant open and protect his workers?

Complicating matters are a disgruntled office manager who resents being passed over and a union rabble rouser who tries to organize a general strike of all the employees. The CEO's widow is sympathetic to the worker's plight but is opposed by her lawyers and other top management who pressure her to sell the company. After a beloved worker is killed in a confrontation, things are ready to explode and only a miracle can save the plant. Despite being a low budget, independently produced feature shot on location, it's still a Hollywood movie with a "deus ex machina" ending which I won't reveal other than to say it concerns a new phenomenon called television.

A young Lloyd Bridges is very good as the union boss who becomes CEO. He is likable but tough when he needs to be. Silent movie star Dorothy Gish (Lilian's sister), in one of her rare sound film appearances, is even better. The strong supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Murray Hamilton, Anne Francis, and Arthur O'Connell. The movie was directed by Noir specialist Robert Siodmak. The biggest problem with WHISTLE is producer de Rochemont's insistence on even-handedness. There are heroes and villains on both sides and as a result there is no dramatic tension just a "you are there" approach. In trying to appeal to both union and management viewpoints, he appealed to none.

The film flopped big time and then disappeared from view for over 60 years, It was eventually located in the Library of Congress and was restored with the help of the Louis de Rochemont estate and the team behind the recent Cinerama restorations. THE WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS is the second in an ongoing series from Flicker Alley called Flicker Fusion. The first was THIS IS FRANCIS X. BUSHMAN. FF offers high quality Blu-Rays at an affordable price. In addition to the disc there are a number of bonus materials including audio commentary, subtitles, a restoration comparison, and a booklet essay about producer Louis de Rochemont from film historian Richard Koszarski...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.