Slim

It's easy to see why this was one of Henry Fonda's favorite roles. I personally think there is more action and entertainment packed into this one short film than the award winning "Grapes of Wrath", filmed with Fonda just a few years later.

Fine acting performances all around take the viewer into the waning years of the Great Depression with an authenticity of characters, time, and place. The cinematography and the period details are simply fantastic.

Add to all of this the pure poetry of the dialog exchanges between many of the characters. It's as lyrical as anything written by Shakespeare. The character "Stumpy" for instance begins almost every sentence with either a variation on a song "Mother said to Mabel"... or his own unique way of expressing himself. "You think that old Stump boy would...".

Even the often quoted phrase of Slim "That's what's the matter." rings true as heroic in every sense for our protagonist.

Also, it is of great interest to see how people were treated in the workplace back in this era. Can you imagine your boss literally kicking you in your rear end when he thought you were slacking off or distracted? This was a time when men were desperate for jobs and there was no OSHA, EEOC, or sympathetic human resources director. After seeing this nostalgic view, one is almost tempted to wonder what it would like to give your contemporary office co-workers a sharp kick in the rear when they slump off during the a project or show up for work late.

Accurately depicted in the movie... During the 1930's if you messed up at work because you were drunk the night before, you were simply fired. That's it, pick up your last check and hit the road! If a man was killed or injured in an industrial accident, he was simply replaced with minimal fuss and ceremony. It may sound cruel by today's standards, but it served a purpose back then.

So fine is this movie that I must further elaborate on the cinematography and the set decoration. Where else do you get actual 150 foot steel electrical towers under construction filmed with racing steam engine trains in the background highballing along the right-of-way? Under the expert direction of Ray Enright, the viewer actually imagines the feeling of the bone-chilling cold depicted outside the boarding house where the linemen crew is housed. One can almost taste Stumpy's "eating potatoes" on the table. If you are old enough, you remember that there once were women who behaved exactly like the lady who plays the boarding house manager. A masterful performance.

The hotwire substation at 88000 volts is the scariest set since Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. Don't miss it. A must see!

This is a poorly written, directed and acted film, although there are some good camera shots when the characters are climbing up the electrical pole. It has shades of 'Manpower' with Edward G. Robinson about it, but neither film provides any engaging characters or compelling storyline. The film is pedestrian and just plods along at a snail's pace throughout. We don't care about the characters or the situations they are in. I don't know how this got made, but it is a poor excuse for a film that only adds to Henry Fonda's credits. I don't believe him as a tough man, although you do see scars on his face when he gets into a brawl. He is youthful looking and naive, but there is nothing else to commend this film.

Because I was a youngster and raised during the depression years,the movie "SLIM" has remained with me all my life. It was the first movie I had ever seen with Fonda and as far as I am concerned, every time I watch it now, it brings back all those childhood memories of the Great depression. It took me many years to finally watch it again and because I was able to make a copy of it, I now watch it quite frequently. I can only wonder why it is not presented more often or why it is never mentioned whenever his list of great films are mentioned. At this time I am 85 years young and I still consider Slim one of the real great films of Henry Fonda.

Seasoned veteran Pat O'Brien and soon-to-be-great Henry Fonda make this fast moving action drama fun for the entire family to watch together. The story of linemen's dangerous work on the tall towers and hot electric lines takes place back in the 1930's, long before OSHA instituted safety procedures on such undertakings. It's a shame this film has never been made available for home rental.

"Slim" is a gritty film that depicts superbly the profession of a linemen. As far as I know, there's no other film that looks at this trade any more than passing. For that reason, it has some cultural and historical value. The movie itself is a drama based on a 1934 novel of the same title by William Haines. It is also a romance, but that clearly is secondary to the film's depiction of the profession of the linemen.

The title also describes very well the character that Henry Fonda plays in this movie. The lanky Fonda was just 32 years old and in the kind of physical shape yet that it would take to be playing a lineman. In this case, it's specifically about the pole climbers. These are men (and perhaps an occasional woman in modern times) who have worked to erect and keep wires up since the advent of telegraphy and electricity.

Linemen work in three different fields of business. The most prominent are those for electric utilities, as in this film. But others work for railroads and telephone companies. I worked one year as a lineman on a railroad signal crew and climbed poles to string and replace electric wires that connected and operated the train signals on the tracks. I later worked 20 years for one of the largest electric generation and transmission firms in the U. S., but not as a lineman. And, I never had any of the harrowing experiences or rough conditions the men in this movie experience. As to nicknames, it must truly be a tradition among linemen wherever they are. It was a long time ago for me, but I still remember some of the guys on the two signal crews I worked with. I also had a "Red" for a foreman, but I can't remember his real name. Another foreman was Wally, and a couple of the guys were Kansas and Speed (he had a souped up sports car).

Most utility poles through the mid-20th century were wood, coming from one of three species of trees. But the larger, high-voltage transmission lines (115-kilovolt and higher) were made of steel from early in the 20th century. Most of the poles in neighborhoods and telephone and signal lines along railroads and roadways are 40-foot to 60-foot in length, and still made of wood from very straight trees. The shorter poles are buried six feet, and the taller ones eight feet in the ground. Most of the poles that I climbed were in this range, although I did work on one project that required climbing 80-foot poles, which were buried 10 feet deep.

Any men who have worked on electric utility line crews, for the telephone companies of the old days, or as linemen in the signal department of a railroad, know the rigors of climbing and working at the top of poles. As shown in this film, the linemen used belts and climbing hooks. The latter are strapped to the legs and boots and dig into the wood. The belt enables the lineman to use his hands for work at the top of the pole, instead of having to hold onto the pole. For extra safety, some linemen will use their belt while climbing, sliding it up the pole with each step that they take up. It keeps one from falling backward if he should lose his grip climbing the pole. But, if a hook isn't set well - jabbed into the pole, and it slips out as he lifts himself up another notch, a lineman "rides" the pole down. That can result in broken legs and other injuries, and it's sure to include splinters from the pole.

In this film, Pat O'Brien plays Red Blayd, the "pro" lineman who takes Slim under his wing. The two become friends but also become two-thirds of a love triangle. Red's girlfriend, Cally (Margaret Lindsay) and Slim fall for each other. One might guess how this part of the plot will play out. But, it's something of a surprise to see how the story ends. This is a very good look at this small section of the working world. It was a sort of romantic way for a young man to work and help the country make progress and recover from the Great Depression. It makes a good setting for a drama with some excitement

All of the cast are very good. Among other supporting actors who may be recognized are Stuart Erin as Stumpy, Jane Wyman as Stumpy's Girl, Joe Sawyer as Wilcox and John Litel as Wyatt Ranstead.