Episode Five: “The Battle for Silver City”

De: John Mankiewicz

Narrado por: a full cast

Congressman Donald L. Jackson delivers an incendiary speech about “Salt of the Earth” on the floor of Congress, igniting a firestorm of controversy. The national media attention turns Silver City into a war zone.©2022 Fresh Produce (P)2022 Fresh Produce

Film noir

Strong film noir vibe. Very good cast music and production values also very well written

Great Noir Acting. Most fun if you assume the Communist infiltration was real.

Well done drama. it is even more enjoyable if the listener is willing to engage in a thought experiment. What if the allegations of Communist infiltration of the entertainment industry, media, academia and government were TRUE? While this is clearly not the perspective of the writers, Soviet and FBI files made public in the 1990s document that there was in reality a "conspiracy so immense." It was NOT all fabricated by "Red baiters." Whether you agree or disagree that the real history is more nuanced, it is very enjoyable to assume (for purposes of listening) that the anti-Communist allegations and perspectives presented in the drama are true. This adds a layer of nuance to the listening experience, of ambiguity, unintended by the writers, but great fun. Instead of just a contemporary political polemic, the story becomes a COMPLEX psychological and geopolitical thriller, raising the question: Are you, like the protagonists, going to be duped by the Commies?

I felt like I was there watching the action

Just a good listen, I felt like I was there watching the action. Worth the time to listen

Missed the mark for me

Soapy, overdone & not in a good a way. It was a miss for me. Was hoping for more with such an A list cast.

A melodrama not a detective story

It is a radio soap opera not a detective story . Too much drama no detecting,