The Killing Floor Woodard

The film was the pilot production for a proposed ten part pbs series on american labor history but financing from public television for the series could not be obtained.

The killing floor woodard.

What he got was a job on the killing floor and a place in history. Don t pass up the killing floor on the mistaken notion that the film is a western shoot em up or cop drama. With damien leake alfre woodard moses gunn. Set in the early 1900 s this powerful story retells the often brutal and violent beginnings of the u s.

The title refers to that special area in the chicago stockyards where the cattle are. Produced by public forum productions ltd. Starring damien leake alfre woodard denis farina clarence felder moses gunn and john mahoney 113 min. The killing floor is a 1984 american award winning made for television drama film directed by bill duke which highlights the plights of workers fighting to build an interracial labor union in the meatpacking industry in the years leading up to the chicago race riot of 1919 the film debuted on pbs via the american playhouse series on april 10 1984 and was produced by public forum productions.

Damien leake alfre woodard dennis farina and moses gunn star in the film which won the sundance film festival special jury award. The killing floor is part of our nation s history a fascinating and bloody episode in the history of the u s. Praised by the village voice as the most clear eyed account of union organizing on film the killing floor is a powerful historical drama set in the era of the great migration during world war one. And funded by the national endowment for the humanities american playhouse foundations corporations and dozens of unions the killing floor premiered on american playhouse in 1984.

1984 bill duke usa 118 min. Fri nov 22nd 3.