Reel

Biography of U.S. labor leader John L. Lewis.

MSs United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) labor union President John L. Lewis seated at table laden with microphones, delivering fiery speech at Senate Committee hearing on mine workers conditions "If we must grind up human flesh and bones in the industrial machine called modern America, then before God I assert that those who consume the coal and you and I who benefit from that service because we live in comfort, we owe protection to those men first. And we owe security to their family if they die. I say it. I voice it. I proclaim it. And I care not who in Heaven or Hell oppose it. That's what I believe about that." John L. Lewis speaking.

DO NOT USE Opening Titles

DO NOT USE Opening credits and introduction by Mike Wallace.

Labor leader John L Lewis standing outside building, wearing dark suit and coat, cigar between fingers of left hand, flanked by white men dressed in crisp business suits and fedora hats. Traveling shots John L. Lewis and entourage walking toward building.

Tilt down to coal mine rigging to white male coal miners walking away from camera, lunch pails in hand. White male coal miners walking with lunchboxes, miner's lights on helmets. Caucasian male coal miners exiting coal mine entrance. MS mine shaft elevator unloading group of coal miners, changing shifts. TLS coal miners riding cart uphill outside mine.

Panning high angle LS company mining town, endless sea of wood shacks. TLSs wood houses, company town. Coal refinery, slag, coal dust.

Panning Caucasian coal miners standing, waiting in yard; dirty, grimy faces of hard labor. Rear view TLS three coal miners walking into coal mine, sign above entrance reading, "Be Careful Today." Excellent head-on TLS silhouetted group of coal miners entering mine, walking toward camera from blinding light; miner's headlamps turned on. MS coal miners leading horses inside coal mine. TLS coal miners pushing cart train of harvested coal inside mine.

Coal mine disaster. Gas explosion. CU old white man wearing glasses and hard hat helmet turning toward sky. TLS steam whistle atop building blowing. TLSs white men boarding mine shaft elevator, preparing to down into mine. TLS crowd gathered outside coal mine following mine disaster or accident, night; MS white male coal miners walking past camera, many huddled under blankets.

LS large group of white male labor workers gathering in field near coal mine & plant, older white man stepping onto wood barrel to deliver speech; panning MS white male coal miners standing, listening, many wearing helmets with miner's lamps.