(1954, B&W, 94 min.) In a gritty mining town in New Mexico, Mexican-American workers go on strike to protest their dangerous working conditions and low wages. They meet with fierce opposition from company thugs and local sheriff;s deputies. After vicious beatings and the suffering of the miners families, the wives and mothers of the striking workers take over the picket line in a final demand for justice. Stylistically mirroring Italian neo-realism, Salt of the Earth was produced, directed and written by victims of the 1950s anti-Communist blacklisting, including Herbert J. Biberman- one of the "Hollywood Ten" who was jailed for refusing to cooperate with congressional inquiries. With the notable exception of Will Geer (Grandpa on The Waltons), the cast is almost entirely comprised of workers who participated in the real-life strike on which the story is based.