larry41onEbay Review of The Whistle at Eaton Falls

The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951)

A message from yesterday that still applies today, that is if we want to have a job tomorrow...

[8/10 · 11 December 2018]

The Whistle At Eaton Falls (1951) Is a timeless drama about people facing changes, labor versus technology versus job security versus management profits and or the lack thereof. The whistle is on the largest employer in a small New England town, a plastics factory that is struggling to keep up with competition when the president suddenly dies. His widow played by former silent film legend Dorothy Gish promotes young labor leader Lloyd Bridges hoping he can inspire the workers to see that the new changes that must be made if the company town expects to keep most of their jobs. Inside the union there are factions that want the new necessary changes and equipment to fail so they can keep one man on one machine. But the new machines can run so efficiently, one man can operate two at one time thus making the company profitable enough to stay open. But first there are production contracts that must be made to sell those plastic parts to pay the bills and buy the new equipment. Before long Lloyd is running out of time and money so fast he is forced to close the factory, lay off the employees and sell the backlog of stock at a loss while he works non-stop, round the clock to find the timesaving edge over his competition. Meanwhile Murray Hamilton (the weak whiny mayor from Jaws) brings in outside agitators to try and take over the union. Also on the side of the opposition is Russell Hardie a disgruntled employee who is so bitter about not getting the promotion to president he goes to work for the competition and tries to convince the Eaton Falls union he's on their side, all the while he's planning to close the plant once they steal Bridges' new ideas. Can the situation be resolved before yet another factory closes permanently, or will only one side win and take down everyone else? A message from yesterday that still applies today, that is if we want to have a job tomorrow...