Widen Film Project - a WV masterpiece
Outside of automobile driven by Charles Frame, murdered during 1952 Widen Strike
Saturday, April 26, 2007 12:40 PM
Kelley Thompson, one of West Virginia’s outstanding new filmmakers, made a unique visit. He brought over the just completed film, “The Widen Film Project,” to my home, giving me a scene by scene explanation of his amazing film about Widen, a little town in Clay County, West Virginia. We sat down together since I am recovering from serious health problems and truly enjoyed a personal screening of the best researched, most wide-ranging but still friendly film about Appalachia I have ever seen. The UMWA spent $500,000, J.G. Bradley spent $1,000,000 in 1952 dollars fighting for years starting in 1952, finally ending in 1957, over who was going to control one of the largest non-union mines in the Eastern U.S. One man was murdered, bridges were blown, and eventually 200 miners lost their jobs in 1957 when a new company bought the Widen mine. It was Bill Blizzard’s last major role as a union organizer after his victory at Blair Mountain in 1921. J.G. Bradley, one of the most powerful coal miner owners not only in WV but the country, finally lost his 50 year war against the UMWA, leaving his adopted state forever.Kelley Thompson, a self-taught filmmaker who has made many recent films including ones for January Johnson, a Charleston dance leader, worked with Terry Lively, president of the WV Filmmakers Guild, on several of her films, and more has spent thousands of hours researching this film. He began in spring 2006 interviewing Clay seniors . He then went to Richard Fauss, film archivist at the WV State Archives, looking for footage. Eventually I contacted him, and the mega-project began. People I work with, people all over the state, started bringing their stories to Kelley. One such person was William C. Blizzard, the son of Bill Blizzard. Various member of the West Virginia Labor History Association including Gordon Simmons, were interviewed. The interviews just continued….and more yet will take place in the near future.Thompson has made a unique hybrid film, both showing the positive side as well as a few parts of the dark side, of this once ultimate company town, Widen. Hopefully he will be able to add some extra footage to the commercial DVD that will be released. If ever there was a film that showed the microcosmic world reflecting the macrocosmic forces that truly control our universe, it is this.The murder of Charles Frame on September 7th, 1953 is of course the single most intense story partially revealed. I know that one miner was convicted, he was sent to prison, but his sentence was commuted. Thompson was unable to find a copy of the commutation record in the state archives. Given that Frame’s brother is still alive, as are other people who were present at the murder, one has to wonder if some local prosecutor might re-open the case of who killed Charles Frame. We shall see.Bob Webb provided outstanding music for this film and a cast of hundreds of Clay County people were involved in helping Thompson create this film. Hopefully when the film is shown around the state, country, and world, people will learn a lot more than they knew about a lost mountain town called Widen that for a while was the ultimate “corporate paradise” utopia that has ever existed….and what forces led to its demise.
World premiere – May 10th, South Charleston Museum, 7 PM
The Buffalo Girls of Clay County will talk about their projects to save the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad and promote tourism in Clay County. They will also provide a cake and refreshments before the film. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
The WV premiere of “Mother Jones – America’s Most Dangerous Woman,”the first film about Mother Jones will follow.
Copies will be available for sale at the premiere. For further info, contact Kelley Thompson at killer64@suddenlink.net.
Revised info sent -
- Ronald Cottrell Says:
April 30th, 2008 at Also the miners were layed off Jan. 1, 1959 not 1957. Elk River Coal and Lumber Company was sold in 1958 to Pittson Coal Company.
April 30th, 2008 at
According to information I have, Charles Frame killing took place on May 8, 1953. Also the miners were layed off Jan. 1, 1959 not 1957. Elk River Coal and Lumber Company was sold in 1958 to Pittson Coal Company.
April 30th, 2008 at
According to information I have, Charles Frame killing took place on May 8, 1953. Also the miners were layed off Jan. 1, 1959 not 1957. Elk River Coal and Lumber Company was sold in 1958 to Pittson Coal Company.
April 30th, 2008 at
I need to revised my statement I made on when Charles Frame got killed. It was May 7, 1957 not May 8, 1957. From: Ronald Cottrell
May 17th, 2008 at
Hi, My husband Roy Lane and I were married in July 1958 and moved to Roane st in Widen. He originally worked on the BG:&E railroad then transferred to the mines. He was one of the ones laid off in Jan 1958. Our rent was $11 per month for a 4 room house- a duplex. Our coal was delivered for $3 a ton. Milk from the Cresmont dairy was delivered for 25 cents a quart. We didn’t have to leave Widen for any of the necessities of life. I shopped at the Company store and still have a wash tub, round cake pans, a tube pan, rolling pin, 9×13 pan and a colundar bought there after 50 years. My daughter Karen Culbertson, who has also contacted you and ordered a film thinks this is awesome. My father-in-law Carmel Lane worked there as did my uncles, Dempsey , Roscoe, and Ernie Triplett and Richard Nicholas. Dempsey’s car was blown up, Richards farm tractor was blown up and Richard was killed by his farm hand Johnny Johnson, It was suspected the company hired the killing but couldn’t be proven. Johnny died in jail before coming to trial. I remember going to the Frame trial with my aunt Elsie Nicholas. 2 of my uncles were strikers, and 2 were “scabs”. Lots of memories of these days.
Faye Lane Broadbent
June 19th, 2008 at
My parents were living at Widen when I was born 12-30-1955, My Grandfather worked both BC&G and ERC&L companies his name was George keen and my Grandmother, Melinda Alice Holcomb Nicholas Keen was married to a Nicholas before him and I wondered if they were a relation to Faye