Slim (film)
Encyclopedia
Slim is a 1937
movie starring Henry Fonda
. The movie is sometimes (incorrectly) called Slim the Lineman.
It is a film adaptation of the 1934 novel Slim, written by William Wister Haines
, which concerns linemen in the electric power
industry. This movie documents how the electrical lineman's job and language have evolved and yet still remains the same in much of the terminology from the 1930s to today.
plays Slim
, a farm boy from the southern United States
. As he is plowing the fields on his family's farm
he stops to watch a crew of linemen erecting transmission towers
across the property. He finally asks them for a job and is hired as a groundman. His partners on the job are Stumpy (Stuart Erwin
), another groundman, and Red (Pat O'Brien
), an experienced lineman who takes Slim under his wing.
Slim wins over the respect of the other linemen when he helps them in a fight during a poker
game against some people from out of town who are trying to cheat them out of their money. Slim then advances in the job to become a lineman himself. When Slim and Red are both fired from the job at the same time for refusing to speak against a lineman killed in an accident, the two go on the road. They head to Chicago
to see Red's girlfriend, Cally (Margaret Lindsay
) a nurse, and Slim finds himself falling for her too and competing with Red for her affections.
The two then head to New Mexico
in search of another job. They are hired, only to find that one of the linemen on the job, Wilcox (Joe Sawyer
), is an old acquaintance of Red's and the two harbor a dislike of each other. Wilcox sees Red and Slim as competition to his own desire to be promoted to foreman, and one day stabs Slim on the job. The other linemen chase Wilcox off the job site while Slim recovers in the hospital. Cally comes to nurse Slim and tries to talk him out of line work, saying it is too dangerous. Slim however recovers and returns to work.
The job in New Mexico finished, Slim and Red then head to a new job in New York City to find that Stumpy and their old boss Pop (J. Farrell MacDonald
) are both on the crew there. During a blizzard
, the crew is called to a substation
to restore power where Red falls to his death. Cally makes the trip from Chicago to New York to visit Slim and once again try to talk him out of line work, leaving Slim to face the choice between his job and his girl. Slim carries on with his job because "that's what's the matter".
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
movie starring Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
. The movie is sometimes (incorrectly) called Slim the Lineman.
It is a film adaptation of the 1934 novel Slim, written by William Wister Haines
William Wister Haines
William Wister Haines was an American author, screenwriter, and playwright. His most notable work, Command Decision, was published as a novel, play, and screenplay following World War II.-Personal history:...
, which concerns linemen in the electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
industry. This movie documents how the electrical lineman's job and language have evolved and yet still remains the same in much of the terminology from the 1930s to today.
Plot
Henry FondaHenry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
plays Slim
Slim
Slim may refer to:* Field Marshal William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim , a British military commander and 13th Governor-General of Australia* Slim , Band member from the group 112...
, a farm boy from the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. As he is plowing the fields on his family's farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
he stops to watch a crew of linemen erecting transmission towers
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
across the property. He finally asks them for a job and is hired as a groundman. His partners on the job are Stumpy (Stuart Erwin
Stuart Erwin
Stuart Erwin was an American actor. Erwin began acting in college in the 1920s, first appearing on the stage, then breaking into films in 1928 in Mother Knows Best...
), another groundman, and Red (Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien (actor)
Pat O’Brien was an American film actor with more than one hundred screen credits.-Early life:O’Brien was born William Joseph Patrick O’Brien to an Irish-American Catholic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as an altar boy at Gesu Church while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets...
), an experienced lineman who takes Slim under his wing.
Slim wins over the respect of the other linemen when he helps them in a fight during a poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
game against some people from out of town who are trying to cheat them out of their money. Slim then advances in the job to become a lineman himself. When Slim and Red are both fired from the job at the same time for refusing to speak against a lineman killed in an accident, the two go on the road. They head to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to see Red's girlfriend, Cally (Margaret Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive...
) a nurse, and Slim finds himself falling for her too and competing with Red for her affections.
The two then head to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in search of another job. They are hired, only to find that one of the linemen on the job, Wilcox (Joe Sawyer
Joe Sawyer
Joe Sawyer was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1930 and 1962.He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and died in Ashland, Oregon from liver cancer....
), is an old acquaintance of Red's and the two harbor a dislike of each other. Wilcox sees Red and Slim as competition to his own desire to be promoted to foreman, and one day stabs Slim on the job. The other linemen chase Wilcox off the job site while Slim recovers in the hospital. Cally comes to nurse Slim and tries to talk him out of line work, saying it is too dangerous. Slim however recovers and returns to work.
The job in New Mexico finished, Slim and Red then head to a new job in New York City to find that Stumpy and their old boss Pop (J. Farrell MacDonald
J. Farrell MacDonald
Joseph Farrell MacDonald was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. MacDonald, who was sometimes billed as "John Farrell Macdonald", "J.F...
) are both on the crew there. During a blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
, the crew is called to a substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
to restore power where Red falls to his death. Cally makes the trip from Chicago to New York to visit Slim and once again try to talk him out of line work, leaving Slim to face the choice between his job and his girl. Slim carries on with his job because "that's what's the matter".