Radium City (1987) User Reviews

What he said....

[atzilut93 · 8/10 · 9 December 2002]

I can't really add much to billmarrs' review, but I will say that this film really stayed with me for years. I'd gladly trade six hours of the shrill, strident and hysterical histrionics of anti-globalization rhetoriticians for two hours of this film. And encourage anyone else to do the same.

This film blew me away and got me into documentary work in the first place

[marco99 · 10/10 · 23 January 2017]

I saw this at the first annual US Environmental Film Festival in Colorado Springs when I was awaiting my medical discharge from the army there at Fort Carson.

I think it screened at the UU church but I might be wrong about that. There were about a dozen places around town that this festival was happening and Paramount hadn't agreed to underwrite it yet. They were waiting to see if it would succeed before saying yes finally, but I digress.

This film blew me away. I liked biographies and documentaries in general before I saw this film but after watching this I was absolutely certain that the rest of my life I would have to help make documentaries.

Thank you Carole Langer for being you!

cheers, marco frucht

posted pictures today for the empty tray

[greg0658 · 8/10 · 2 January 2018]

My involvement was the public showing Tues. February 9th 1988, in Glassworkers Union Hall, Ottawa IL (my birth town). It was on 16mm film, multiple reels & I still own the projectors we used .. set up the event on a 9' wide white paper roll of portable photo background .. I have no pictures of show, but remember Carole catching a stand that was starting to fall by crowd push after the showing, thwarting disaster. I was Carole's driver and spent a couple days visiting in the area, before driving her to St. Louis MO for a tv gig .. pictures of this time I'll try & post into imdb: Carole, the show flyer, Carole & Marie Rossiter (who film is dedicated to), WCMY Radio talk show w/Dan Parker.

My vhs copy is via Cinemax shown July 14th 1988 6pm on then Sammons Communication Cable, runs 1h_45m.

Movie credits ..

Produced & Directed by Carole Langer

Photographed by Luke Sacher

Edited by Carole Langer & Brian Cotenoir

Music by Tim Cappello

Scientific advisor Vilma Hunt, PHD.

Location manager Daphne Mitchell .. Associate producer Susan Brand .. Research coordination Arianna Dworsky .. Re-recording mixer Lee Dichter .. Negative matcher N&D Films .. Sound editor Thomas Gulino .. Processing TVC Labs

Documentary On The Effects Of Radium In The Early 20th Century.

[WSAP1303 · 23 January 2003]

An excellent film about radium and other radioactive chemicals used by plant workers who were not told of the major health risks of the substance. Interesting that plant officials knew and did not reveal the information to keep from losing employees. That behavior would result in "Lawsuit City" if it happened today. Keeps your interest.

Oh my gosh!

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 29 March 2012]

This is possibly the most horrifying documentaries I've ever seen. I remember that after seeing it I had trouble sleeping--it's THAT disturbing. And, while it would ruin the film, I must clearly warn you about the film--it is very, very, very disturbing. Now I am NOT saying not to watch it--just think twice and for the love of God, do NOT let your kids see this! I am not kidding.

The film is about the Radium Dial Company. Back in the old days, glow in the dark faces on watches were made by using radioactive paint. Assembly lines of ladies would work all day painting the numbers with ultra-fine brushes. The work was very exacting and the women were in the habit of touching the brushes to their mouths to make the brushes easier to use--and the workers ingested radioactive poison. You'll hear some of the workers, now elderly, discussing their experiences. Then, when the film is almost over, the camera pans back and you see the most horrifying images of living people you could imagine--with HUGE cancerous limbs that will scare the snot out of you!! If ever there was a film that would scare the crap out of you about radiation, this is IT!!! Don't say I didn't warn you. A very, very sad story indeed and expertly crafted.

Company indifference and national security lead to medical horrors

[rander-88123 · 8/10 · 29 December 2020]

Truth is, the alpha emissions of radium are basically harmless UNLESS it comes into direct contact with skin or (obviously) internal organs. But once it does, it can cause terrific damage, as witness not just by the women who worked with radium-based paints, but in a couple examples where ex-pat Russians have been poisoned by the use of similar radioactive elements with high alpha-emissions. The documentary concerns the very untimely deaths of women who worked in the Radium Dial and other plants where aviation gauges, watches and clocks. They had their dials painted with radium-based paint that glows in the dark, making the numbers easy to see. The "pointed" the tips of fine paint brushes with their lips (with no control by the company) to make them fine enough to paint the small numbers and hands of the clocks. By doing this, over time they ingested large amounts of the radioactive radium which tended to settle (like calcium from milk) in their bones where it proceeded to destroy the bone, cause cancers, and other issues. When this came to light, the company stone-walled all attempts to attribute the health problems of "fit" young women to the radium. Though most participants are dead now, the legacy (contamination of soil) of the radium company still exists in the town in which the company resided. It's a pretty good documentary, with vivid, first-hand descriptions of what transpired. If you are interested in more examples of what happened in the 20's with radium, look up: Evan Byers and radithor.

a chilling tale of the folly of mankind, a deadly naiveté

[billmarrs · 7/10 · 5 December 2002]

Though dry at times, this documentary slowly puts the pieces together on a chilling tale of the folly of mankind. Beautiful young girls are exposed to radiation, wholly unaware of the consequences. Eerie group pictures of the young women who worked at the Westclock factory, painting radioactive paint on the dials of their clocks will haunt you after you view this cautionary tale. Their happy demeanors and bright smiles mock the reality of them all dying of cancer in short order afterward. Memorable moments in the film include a description of the women clock painters using their tongues to sharpen the point of their paintbrushes (used to paint the radioactive Radium on the dials of the clocks) and a Geiger counter used over the graves of some of the dead women, clicking away madly. One is left with a sense of the duality of the US's golden age during the 1950's; both filled with wonder and joy and a deadly technological naiveté.

Live from cancer central

[bedpan3 · 20 March 2004]

"Radium City" is about the way corporate entities have and still do destroy rural areas to fatten their pocketbooks.

After living and working in the town on which this documentary is based, it was a terrifying jolt of reality to watch this movie. As a nurse in the town's hospital, I every day take part in the standard jokes about the copious amounts of radium in the soil and water; as well as the disturbing number of illnesses that are "rare" that happen to pop up on a daily basis. Multiple sclerosis, rare cancerous tumors and legions of leukemias. The scariest part of all is that the town has been trying to crush the legacy of both Radium Dial and this movie into the background for years. The local video stores "aren't allowed" to carry this movie, I've been told (I guess they worry about local government) so you can obtain a bootleg copy of this if you promise to return it and keep your mouth shut about where you got it. How scary is that?

By the way, in the past year it has come to light that there are huge amounts of arsenic in the neighboring town's soil, left over from a careless glass factory. Oh, and I'm moving away in 2 months- thank God. Hopefully I wont have to repeat this story to an oncologist in the future.

paranoid resident's comments off base

[ynot4tony2 · 10 July 2009]

Sure, they are from 5 years ago or so, but I just wanted to correct a couple things in bedpan3's comments.

"'Radium City' is about the way corporate entities have and still do destroy rural areas to fatten their pocketbooks." Geez. Exaggerate much? Sounds like bedpan3 is setting up for more of an anti-corporate rant and less of a movie review.

"The local video stores 'aren't allowed' to carry this movie, I've been told." Maybe because it was NEVER RELEASED COMMERCIALLY. *rolls his eyes* "By the way, in the past year it has come to light that there are huge amounts of arsenic in the neighboring town's soil, left over from a careless glass factory..." Glass factory? In a review of a movie about a watch factory? As I said, more of an anti-corporate rant than a movie review.