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Paul Muni (I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Life of Emile Zola) stars as an immigrant coal worker who unwittingly finds himself a union representative in a volatile dispute with the mine owners. When the owners hire ‘scabs’ to replace the union workers, the miners turn against Muni’s character. But when a close friend (John Qualen) is killed in a skirmish with the mine owners’ hired police officers, he takes drastic measures that could destroy the mine and end his life.
At the start, Black Fury paints a compelling portrait of a small, dedicated mining community in which Muni’s character is much beloved. But the film gets more implausible and less interesting as it goes. Muni’s character is somewhat likeable, but lacks agency until late in the story. He’s drunk when his comrades nominate him union leader. He finally becomes a hero in the third act when he wires the mines with explosives and demands the union’s demands be met. Muni’s a good actor, though he dons such a thick Hungarian accent that it’s hard to understand what he’s saying sometimes. The ending is a contrived happy one that boldly defies reality. A flacid romantic subplot between Muni and a cheating girlfriend (Karen Morley) doesn’t help the film, either.
Directed by Michael Curtiz. With William Gargan, Barton MacLane, and J. Carrol Naish.
Oscar Nomination: Best Actor (Paul Muni)