Riding The Rails

Year: 1997

Grade: B-

Country: USA

Director: Lovell/Uys

Review

documentary about kids who, during the depression, left home and rode the rails in search of employment, adventure, or something else. it’s an interesting piece of american history and one that most don’t know about. apparently, though, it was quite a problem at the time and several local governments enacted laws in order to thwart the influx of teenage transients. california even (illegally) closed its arizona border for six weeks because so many people (teenagers among them) were flooding into the state. it occurred to me that FDR, as much as he is thought of as a lefty president, probably did a great deal to thwart the rise of socialism because his new deal programs were successful enough to appease the socialist movement which was gaining significant strength at the time. good little documentary.