The Pride of Jesse Hallam
Encyclopedia
The Pride of Jesse Hallam is a 1981 made-for-TV movie starring Johnny Cash
, first airing on CBS.
. He sells the family farm to his brother-in-law Charlie, receives $15,000 in cash, packs up Jenny and his son Ted, and piles their belongings high on a red pickup truck as they head to Cincinnati to start a new life.
Upon arrival in Cincinnati, Jesse checks Jenny into the hospital, paying the $14,000 for her operation in cash from the money he received from Charlie. After getting Ted registered at Harding High School, Jesse sets out to find work. However, his behavior is peculiar...as he's presented with a job application to fill out, he backs off and leaves. His efforts seem futile until he witnesses a vendor trying to cheat an elderly grocer by selling him inferior apples. Jesse intervenes and stops it. The grocer, an Italian immigrant named Sal Galucci (Eli Wallach
), is impressed enough to immediately offer Jesse a job.
One day, as Jesse is helping Sal set up a stand at a farmer's market, Sal rebukes him for setting their wares on a spot marked with another name. In his anger, Sal says "whatsa matter, don't you read good?" When Jesse turns away to hide his shame, Sal comes to realize the truth. He manages to convince Jesse to allow Sal to have his daughter Marian (who's also Ted's principal) teach him. Marian is reluctant at first, but gives in when Sal tells her how much he wants Jesse to continue working for him.
Throughout all of this is a subplot involving Jesse's son Ted. Though his athletic abilities land him a spot on the track team, Ted is struggling academically, especially with reading (a parallel similar to his father). Because of this, he also struggles socially, leading him to hang out with a group of wild friends from school. This culminates in a police officer bringing Ted home to Jesse after Ted is found to be consuming alcohol.
Jesse sits Ted down and tells him not to 'run away from words' as he did all his adult life. He tells Ted that the choice is his, but to know what he's throwing away. He offers to learn to read and write and help Ted improve his own skills, and Jesse pledges to get his G.E.D. while Ted works for his diploma. With some reluctance, Ted agrees.
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, first airing on CBS.
Plot
Jesse Hallam is a recently widowed coal miner, who's also recently lost his job. His daughter Jenny is in need of an operation on her back, and the nearest hospital that can successfully perform the procedure is in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He sells the family farm to his brother-in-law Charlie, receives $15,000 in cash, packs up Jenny and his son Ted, and piles their belongings high on a red pickup truck as they head to Cincinnati to start a new life.
Upon arrival in Cincinnati, Jesse checks Jenny into the hospital, paying the $14,000 for her operation in cash from the money he received from Charlie. After getting Ted registered at Harding High School, Jesse sets out to find work. However, his behavior is peculiar...as he's presented with a job application to fill out, he backs off and leaves. His efforts seem futile until he witnesses a vendor trying to cheat an elderly grocer by selling him inferior apples. Jesse intervenes and stops it. The grocer, an Italian immigrant named Sal Galucci (Eli Wallach
Eli Wallach
Eli Herschel Wallach is an American film, television and stage actor, who gained fame in the late 1950s. For his performance in Baby Doll he won a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and a Golden Globe nomination. One of his most famous roles is that of Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
), is impressed enough to immediately offer Jesse a job.
One day, as Jesse is helping Sal set up a stand at a farmer's market, Sal rebukes him for setting their wares on a spot marked with another name. In his anger, Sal says "whatsa matter, don't you read good?" When Jesse turns away to hide his shame, Sal comes to realize the truth. He manages to convince Jesse to allow Sal to have his daughter Marian (who's also Ted's principal) teach him. Marian is reluctant at first, but gives in when Sal tells her how much he wants Jesse to continue working for him.
Throughout all of this is a subplot involving Jesse's son Ted. Though his athletic abilities land him a spot on the track team, Ted is struggling academically, especially with reading (a parallel similar to his father). Because of this, he also struggles socially, leading him to hang out with a group of wild friends from school. This culminates in a police officer bringing Ted home to Jesse after Ted is found to be consuming alcohol.
Jesse sits Ted down and tells him not to 'run away from words' as he did all his adult life. He tells Ted that the choice is his, but to know what he's throwing away. He offers to learn to read and write and help Ted improve his own skills, and Jesse pledges to get his G.E.D. while Ted works for his diploma. With some reluctance, Ted agrees.
Production notes
- This movie was filmed entirely on location in Cincinnati, Ohio and rural Kentucky.