The Angry Silence (1960) on Netflix
Lathe worker Tom Curtis supports two children and his pregnant wife, Anna, on tight wages. When activist Travers and shop steward Bert Connolly call an unofficial strike, Curtis refuses to join.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.2/101,745 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
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Plot summary
Tom Curtis runs a lathe at a factory and has two children at home; his wife, Anna, is pregnant and money is short. Joe Wallace, a friend and fellow worker, lives with the family. An unofficial strike is planned by Travers, an activist from outside the plant, and organized by the shop steward Bert Connolly, who invents demands in a campaign to push management into a closed shop. Curtis is within his rights to refuse, and he does, losing his wages. Workers who stay on their jobs have bricks thrown through their windows and their homes set on fire, and many join the walkout out of fear. Curtis goes on working alone, while Joe cannot stand up for him and falls in with the majority.
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Angry Silence (1960)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Many working men's clubs banned the film because of its anti-strike plot, so Richard Attenborough visited one in Aberdare, South Wales, that was refusing to show it; after he explained his position, the miners there allowed it to be screened.
- Kenneth More was initially considered for the lead role of Tom Curtis but turned it down when he was offered the lead in Sink the Bismarck! instead.
- The Angry Silence was the first release through Beaver Films, the production venture of its screenwriter, Bryan Forbes.
- Director Guy Green said that "we all felt very noble" for not accepting full pay while making The Angry Silence, a film he called excellent for his career.
