The Wobblies is a 1979 American documentary film directed by Steward Bird and Deborah Shaffer. The documentary is done as an oral history about the Industrial Workers of the World, nicknamed "Wobblies".
| The Wobblies | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Steward Bird Deborah Shaffer |
| Produced by | Steward Bird Deborah Shaffer |
| Narrated by | Roger Nash Baldwin |
| Cinematography | Judy Irola Sandi Sissel |
| Edited by | Stewart Bird Peter Gessner Deborah Shaffer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Production
editThe Wobblies was directed by Stewart Bird and Deborah Shaffer. Prior to making the film, Bird had co-wrote the play The Wobblies: The U.S. vs. Wm. D. Haywood, et al in the late 1970s, which was performed at the Hudson Guild Theatre in New York City. Several IWW organizers attended these performances. Shaffer, a friend of Bird, watched a performance one night and noticed old Wobblies in the audience. She went to Bird after the performance and suggested they should do a film about them.[1] Due to the late ages potential Wobblies members would be, the directors put out ads asking for members. They would end up interviewing twenty-six Wobblies, with nineteen of them making it into the film.[2]
Rip Torn and Geraldine Page did voiceover work for the documentary.[1]
Release
editThe Wobblies' worldwide rights were acquired by Kino Lorber in late 2021,[1] releasing a 4K restoration on various video on demand platforms.[3]
Reception and legacy
editMichael Blowen for The Boston Globe said the film conveyed the conviction and grace of the IWW with straightforward grace.[4]
In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c Carey, Matthew (May 4, 2022). "1979 Union Organizing Doc 'The Wobblies' Re-Released, Just As Labor Movement In America Comes Back To Life". Deadline. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Paparella, Max (May 1, 2022). "The Wobblies Take Manhattan: An interview with Stewart Bird and Deborah Shaffer". Screen Slate. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Bergeson, Samantha (April 1, 2022). "'The Wobblies' Trailer: Landmark Labor Movement Documentary Gets Stunning 4K Restoration". Indiewire. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Blowen, Michael (September 27, 1980). "'The Wobblies' in all their glory". The Boston Globe. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ulaby, Neda (December 14, 2021). "'Return of the Jedi,' 'Selena' and 'Sounder' added to National Film Registry". NPR. Retrieved April 19, 2024.