Figure 1.-- "Boy Slaves" raises the issue of the exploitation of boys in reform school by using their labor. (The populastiion of reform schools in the 1930s was mosdtly boys. Girls rarely got into serious trouble. A gang of homeless boys including 12-year old Jesse Thompson steal food, hop the rails, and drift through train yards. They are caught by authorities and eventually sentenced to reform school. They are offered an opportunity to work on a turpentine farm run by the seemingly benign employer--Charles Lane.

The United Artists film "Boy Slaves" raises the issue of the exploitation of boys in reform school by using their labor. (The populastiion of reform schools in the 1930s was mosdtly boys. Girls rarely got into serious trouble. A gang of homeless boys including 12-year old Jesse Thompson steal food, hop the rails, and drift through train yards. They are caught by authorities and eventually sentenced to reform school. They are offered an opportunity to work on a turpentine farm run by the seemingly benign employer--Charles Lane. The prospect of getting out of a jail-like confinement and early release is dangled before them. Once at the turpentine farm they find it is a strictly run work camp and that they are essentially slaves. They work long hours without compensation at dangerous jobs. Not only are they not paid, but they pile up debts at a country store. When one of the boys dies as a result of the conditions, the boys riot and breaks out of what is really a prison camp. They are hunted down with more tragic results. The boys are finally able to relay the facts to the outside world, and Lane is brought to justice. The film is based on several actual incidents at Southern work farms. A black boy is included in the roupo of boys, but in the South they would have been separated. Roger Daniel, James McCallon, Alan Baxter

Created: 11:48 PM 8/1/2009
Last updated: 11:48 PM 8/1/2009