Explore Black History

1947

A previously thought-to-be-lost Union Film, produced by Carl Marzani. "Made with the collaboration of the Los Angeles-based H. Arthur Klein, this film defended and publicized the circumstances of San Pedro, Calif., fishermen, who were being accused of monopolistic practices and price fixing."

A documentary film with the title The Case of the Fishermen. It consists of a single reel of black and white 16mm acetate film with optical sound. A Union Film production, it was produced by Carl Marzani in association with the International Fisherman and Allied Workers of America (IFAWA) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The film advocates for fishermen in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, who were being accused of price fixing and monopolization.
The film opens with footage of fishing ships in the harbor while the introduction credits appear on the screen. The voiceover narration begins as fishermen are seen working on the deck of a ship. The narration describes the hard working conditions of fishermen as the footage continues to show the fishermen working. The footage then cuts to newspaper headlines from August 23, 1946, and a document about allegations that the fishermen violated the Sherman Antitrust Act because the union cannot represent the fishermen, since they are classified as independent businessmen and not employees. The document further alleges a price fixing conspiracy between the fishermen and the fish dealers. The voiceover narration repeats the “businessmen” allegations as the footage again shows fishermen at work on boats. The narrator explains that the government considers the fishermen businessmen because they are paid according to a share of the catch rather than with wages.
The next scenes show boats being repaired and boats coming in from the ocean and unloading the fish at a dock. The narrator explains that fishermen can only get better prices from the dealers by acting as a group through collective bargaining because the dealers have multiple options for preserving the fish, but fishermen must sell their catch immediately. This attempt by the fishermen to bargain collectively for fish prices before they go fishing is the main issue for the federal government. The footage shows one of the men mentioned in the case, George Knowlton, talking to a dealer on the docks. The next scene shows Knowlton at home with a woman knitting. The next scene shows the exterior of a labor union building while the narrator discusses the CIO. The footage includes CIO General Counsel Lee Pressman, and he explains the problems with the suit against the fisherman, particularly referring to the union as a monopoly. He speaks directly to the camera and also consults books about the definition of a monopoly. The scene cuts to fisherman in boats on the ocean before cutting back to Pressman. A graphic appears on the screen to illustrate the growth of fishermen due to the support of the labor union.
After some footage of fishermen on the docks working, the footage shows Pressman again before another graphic appears that shows the growth in fish caught from 1936 to 1946. The next graphic explains that fishermen are not responsible for the eventual price consumers pay because of the involvement of other sectors of the fishing industry. Pressman uses the illustrations to make his point that the fishermen do not have a monopoly, especially when compared with concentration of wealth and control by corporations. A graphic shows how much eight corporations control of the economy, and an illustration of eight shadows of rich men turns an octopus. The narrator contrasts this with the fishermen that want a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. To illustrate this, the footage includes several different domestic scenes.
The next scene shows a meeting in a union hall, and the narrator explains the tradition of fisherman unions on the west coast and introduces the International Fishermen and Allied Workers of America, Local 33 of the CIO. There is a montage of fishermen engaged in various activities while the narrator discusses important achievements by the union. An illustration shows that more federal aid goes to farmers than fishermen, and the narrator discusses various advantages the farmer has compared to the fisherman. The film ends with a montage of fishermen working on boats while the narrator explains the unfair actions by the attorney general against the fishermen.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Pearl Bowser Collection

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2012.79.1.10.2a

sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
short subjects
16mm (photographic film size)

Public Domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

acetate film

Physical extent (film): 775 ft
Duration: 21 min.

Title • The Case of the Fishermen

nmaahc_2012.79.1.10.2a

NMAAHC

THE CASE OF THE FISHERMEN

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1940s

Pressman, Lee • Glandbard, Max • Union Films • Marzani, Carl • International Fishermen and Allied Workers of America • Bowser, Pearl • Knowlton, George • Congress of Industrial Organizations • Klein, H. Arthur • Rocklin, Dan

United States • North and Central America • Los Angeles • California

Labor unions • Professional organizations • Associations and institutions • Business

City • Los Angeles • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

black-and-white films (visual works) • short subjects • 16mm (photographic film size) • sound films

No Known Copyright Restrictions