The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains
Tags: autobiographical

Plot synopsis:
It is 1922. Robert Elliot Burns is having flashbacks of the horrors of World War I and is on the streets protesting for himself angry at his inability to find a job and society's apathy towards veterans. The next day, he is at his parents home and his brother Vincent, a minister, tries to console him. Elliot says he's had enough and wants to go down to Florida to find work.
Elliot is heading to Florida by train and by the time he stops outside of Atlanta, he is now a penniless vagrant. He joins a group of vagrants around a campfire that intend to rob him, but another man saves him from it. He offers Burns a chance to make some money by robbing a country store. Burns goes with the man to rob it, but tries to back out at the last second. The man holds him at gunpoint to rob the cash register, which contains only $5. The man knocks Burns out with his weapon and runs away, leaving Burns to be apprehended by local police. He is taken to court and his lawyer tells him he should plead guilty. The judge gives him a trumped up sentence of six to ten years hard labor.
Burns is taken to the Fulton County prison camp. It is a foul place consisting of wooden shacks, stocks, sweatboxes, and pure filth. He has iron chains attached to his legs and meets the warden, Harold Hardy, a fat, angry, and spiteful man of Irish descent who hates people from the North. Hardy calls him a "Yankee" and tells him to feel guilty and get used to chain gang life to make it easier on himself. He has one of his guards, Mr. Trump, escort Burns to his quarters. Burns is introduced to a foul shack of filthy, exhausted men and meets an elderly prisoner, Pappy Glue who laughs at him when he says he didn't commit the crime he was imprisioned for. He is introduced to an inedible meal of pig fat, bitter corn pone, and sorghum molasses and gags trying to eat it and gives his plate to a veteran prisoner enjoying and devouring it.
The next morning, the men are awakened at 5 am. Burns sleeps through the removal of the chains and is thrown on the floor by Trump. The men are taken to a quarry to dig rocks out of the ground with pick axes for 15 hours a day, with only a short lunch break of cowpeas and corn mush. A fellow prisoner, George Seals, falls over from exhaustion. Trump kicks him in the face and Seals pleads for water and to not be hit. That night after work, Seals is hung upside down and beaten several times with a leather strap by Trump and left there overnight. By dawn, he's died from the beatings and overwork and placed in a pine box.
The next day, the men are digging out dirt with pick axes and Burns is struggling to "keep the lick" towards the end of their shift. A black prisoner sings "There's Gold in the Ground" to help the men keep working. That night, the men are having their chains checked and Warden Hardy wants to smell the men to make sure they put in a good days work. He taunts Burns, asking how much he likes the chain gang, and Burns smarts off to him about Southern hospitality. He is taken by Hardy and two guards and put into a sweatbox until the next night.
Burns is removed from the sweatbox and thrown onto the floor of the sleeping cabin. He declares to Pappy Glue he needs to get out of there. Pappy tells him he needs to get used to the life on the chain gang because the only way he is getting out is the same way as Seals.
Sometime later the men are working on the railroad putting metal ties on the tracks with sledgehammers. Burns notices Big Sam, a towering black prisoner, can really swing the hammer. During a lunch break, Burns talks Big Sam into bending his shackles with the sledgehammer by hitting it against the track. That way, Burns can slide the chains off and "hang it on a limb" or escape. Sam does it with the guards backs turned and Burns is in extreme pain from it.
That night, the men return to camp and Burns has his chains checked by Trump, and they are checked out fine. Hardy is now asking Burns if he likes the chain gang, and Burns obediently answers yes. In his bunk, Burns removes the shackles in front of Pappy and invites him to come along. Pappy declines but gives him $5, wishing him luck.
The next day, Burns asks to "get out here", to relieve himself in the woods. While doing do, he removes his shackles, then makes a run for it. The guards and dogs run after him and he takes a boat in the swamp to freedom. Warden Hardy is furious, screaming out to Burns that he promises to find him. Later on that day, Burns is at a train station in Marietta and just before boarding, he thinks the police are about to catch him. But instead they catch a vagrant. He boards the train and makes it across the Tennessee border.
A year later, Burns is now living in Chicago and rents a room from Emily Pacheco, a Portuguese divorcee. She is a very nice and courteous but overly possessive woman. He types a letter to his brother Vincent about his work status and trying to get authorities to convince them of his innocence. She tells Burns to stop writing and typing so much and they go to a movie together. She keeps trying to get Burns' interest, but he's not in love with her and just doesn't feel the chemistry, but nevertheless, they sleep together after he reveals to her about trying to start a magazine business and be a statesman. He moves forward with starting the business.
Burns receives a letter from his brother Vincent that their father is dying. He goes back to New Jersey to attend the funeral afterwards. His mother is very upset that he wasn't ever able to come back to visit. Burns arrives home and Emily is all over him begging him to marry her, but he wants alone time.
One day while cleaning Burns' room, Emily comes across some papers he's been typing and there are flashbacks to his time on the chain gang being put in a sweatbox and treated like an animal. Emily is disturbed at the writing. Burns makes it home that night after a very successful day of selling his first magazine subscription and she reveals the papers he's written. He's very distressed, but she consoles him and asks him to make love to her and blackmails him into marriage.
By 1929, Burns is making it big in Chicago as a magazine publisher and motivational speaker. He's working long hours and neglecting Emily who is becoming increasingly possessive and jealous. While speaking at a dinner engagement, Burns meets a woman named Lilian Salo. After a few dates, he falls in love with her, much to Emily's dismay. He wants an amicable divorce, but she is furious and refuses.
A few days later at work, Burns is apprehended by police. Georgia authorities want Burns extradited back, but his lawyer refuses. They meet with a Georgia prison official in front of the judge assigned to hear the case. The official says if extradition is granted, he will have to go back to Georgia and serve the remainder of his sentence, plus additional time for escaping. But if he comes back voluntarily, he can serve a reduced term of 45 days and be paroled. He would also serve the time as a trustee at one of the honor farms.
Burns is returned to the same Fulton County camp he escaped from with Warden Hardy greeting him. When presented with the court agreement Burns signed in Chicago, Hardy says that "he is in Georgia now and things will be done Georgia's way." In the chow hall, Hardy berates Burns for his success and tells the prisoners that they are not to ever talk to him, and if Burns runs away again for the guards to kill him.
A month later, Burns is out working and secretly asking prisoners of the whereabouts of Big Sam, the black prisoner, the helped him get away, and Pappy Glue. Big Sam clubbed a guard and was moved to another prison in Southern Georgia and Pappy Glue died from beatings soon after Burns escaped. Burns is angry and pauses for a few seconds and asks to wipe off the sweat, but Trump refuses to let him do so.
That night at dinner, Hardy reads out a list of men not doing a hard days work and for them to get their whipping. Burns is included. Burns declares it's a lie, but none of the guards or Hardy defend him. He is tied to a tree and given ten lashes.
Some time later, Lillian comes to visit Burns assuring him of clemency, parole, or pardon. They embrace and the guards try to remove him, but he resists it and is beaten and placed in the stocks. Warden Hardy assures Burns he won't live to see himself get out despite people from up north trying to do so, and that the parole board turned him down. Burns realizes he was duped and will have to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Burns' brother comes to visit sometime later and tells him that his business is gone, but indirectly signals to him that there is money left from his business hidden inside a package of Lucky Strike cigarettes to help him get out. Mr. Rayford, another guard who works with Trump, detects Vincent giving Burns a package of cigarettes and wants to check it, but ends up taking a few of them for himself and gives Burns the package back. Later on, Burns finds over $100 in cash in it and feels it will be his ticket to freedom.
Burns is back working later on and Trump has made him a trustee. Trump orders Burns to fill up the water pail while he goes in a country store to get a soda pop. While Trump in the store, Burns talks to a local man that approaches him. The man says he's read about Burns in the papers and thinks he's had the short end of the stick on what has happened to him and that he would get him out if he could. Burns shows him a $50 bill and asks him to meet him the next day with his car, a hacksaw, and a change of clothes. The man is apprehensive, knowing he risks being put on the same chain gang, but Burns promises him another $50 if he can get him over the state line.
The next day, Burns is working diligently and the man shows up. He asks to "get out" to relieve himself, and Rayford allows him to do so. Burns immediately runs for the man's car and Rayford shoots at him for trying to escape but misses. Warden Hardy is more furious than ever, telling the guards they will lose their jobs if they don't catch him.
Some time later, Burns is seen typing his new book which says that he is a fugitive, he moves around a lot and can't keep jobs for long. The book he is writing depicts his time on the chain gang and it's horrific conditions. He specifically mentions the men who died while he was imprisoned and dedicates the book to them. Burns briefly visits his brother about his situation, who tells him there are several people asking to have movie rights to the book. Burns grants his brother Power of Attorney, then disappears into the night.
Some time later, Burns visits his former love Lilian, who is now married. She says she had been praying for him the entire time and she is happy to see him alive and well. He later goes to a local library to read his published book and hears on the radio that it will be made into a movie. Burns anonymously attends a screening of the movie I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang and has flashbacks to his time there. He is satisfied to find that the movie accurately reflects what he has been through. Phone calls, telegrams, and letters flood the Georgia Department of Corrections demanding a reform of the prison system.
The film ends with scenes of the Fulton County Camp now empty and abandoned. It is noted that Robert Elliot Burns finally received a pardon after many years of struggle in 1944 and that the Georgia chain gang system was abolished.

Review: Intense and great acting.
Just saw this movie on VHS.
I had no idea what kind of movie it was before I pushed "play", so it turned out to be a very intense movie and wouldn't let you go.Val's character was a regular veteran, and he played it like a regular guy too, no overacting.
Because the character was so real, the following prison and labor scenes contrasted greatly with the ordinary character and made them even more dramatic than in an action movie.At times it was just unbearable to watch and I had to FF it, not because it was bad, on the contrary, because they were so good and real.
Other than Val's excellently subdued performance, the supporting casts did well too.The acting was top notch, story line was flawless, and the ending was justified but not Hollywood typical.
So it's a very well done movie, worth watching it..
Harrowing but brilliantly done.
This is a film based on a true story, the story of Robert Burns, a World War I veteran who fell upon hard times, turned to petty crime in a point of desperation, and then went through the harrowing experience of the Southern prison system, with all the inhumanities that are attendant to that.
Deprivations and cruel punishments abounded, as prisoners were literally whipped to death and set to work at back-breaking labour on chain gangs.
At a certain point, Burns escaped, and finding a new life in a Northern state, became a prosperous businessman, still ever mindful of his escapee status.
Burns, being assured of the justice of the system and that such inhumanities would not happen again, was led to seek to clarify his status by returning to the South, only to be absorbed once more into the inhuman system.
However, this time his public profile was known around the country, and his cause became a cause célèbre.
It forced a change in the prison system that remains a turning point in the humane treatment of prisoners to this day.This film is based upon Robert Burns' own book, 'I am Fugitive from the Georgia Chain Gang'.
Directed by Daniel Mann, the story stars Val Kilmer in a remarkably full role, with powerful performances by Charles Durning, Kyra Sedgwick and Elisha Cook Jr.
(a veteran actor whose credits include 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'Sergeant York', in this his final role).
The scenes are often breathtaking for their brutality and realism, and the overall tone is very true to life, albeit a reality we often want to hide from.This is a rare film, not yet available on DVD, but one well worth watching, particularly for those who are interested in American history of a different sort..
Good, solid remake of the Paul Muni classic.
Nicely cast, well-directed film, and a fitting "last hurrah" for the magnificent character actor Elisha Cook Jr, who plays Kilmer's aging mentor on the chain gang.
Cook, best remembered for his portrayal of "Wilmer" (the cheap little gunsel) in THE MALTESE FALCON, does his usual superb supporting work.KIlmer does a fine job, not falling into the obvious trap of going "over the top" -- which might be an understandable portrayal if this were fiction, but Kilmer's (like Muni's) somewhat subdued performance is much more in keeping with the real-life character's personality.
Both versions drive me a bit nuts because I keep wanting him to kill his wife, who turned him in out of pure vindictiveness..
Predictable but gripping.
This is a well produced and gripping film that effectively captures both the period and the grim reality of a Georgia prison camp.
As soon as he met Emily, you just knew what would happen.
But it's still worth a watch.
I think I spotted one goof.
In one scene in 1929 there is a dial telephone.
I don't believe they were introduced until the thirties.
Also there were not the sort of radio newscasts in the twenties that were used to advance the story.
But both are small points in an otherwise excellent film..
A great television film, with superb acting by Kilmer.
Like many TV movies, "The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains" has suffered an unfortunate fading into obscurity through no fault of its own.
Truly, this film is every bit as good as the Paul Muni original, if only a bit less for being the second go-around.Director Daniel Mann gives the film a real edge, a surprising sense of desperation from a director who spent a career filming melodramas like "The Rose Tattoo" (1955).
In fact, it was his last film before passing away at the age of 78 in 1991.
He gives the film real claustrophobia and suspense.This is one of Val Kilmer's best roles, and he makes you believe he's really experiencing all of this.
As the warden, Charles Durning is very menacing, digging his heels into every ounce of hatefulness he can drag out his character.
It's an excellent performance.
The female roles are well-played within their limits, but the other real standout performance is from James Keach.
I always felt that James was every bit as good an actor as brother Stacy, and was quite disappointed when he quit acting for a rather mediocre directing career (save for the stunning "The Stars Fell on Henrietta").The script is very dark, providing few moments of light.
Even in civilian life, Eliot Burns finds his life constantly unraveling.
I began to believe that Burns got into trouble more through his lack of foresight than his lack of luck.
Overall, it's a very good picture, and an excellent historical document of the chain gang life - nearly as good as "Cool Hand Luke" (1967).RATING: 7.6 out of 10.
Heartbreaking Drama.
This was one of the first HBO productions I ever saw, in spite of having HBO for several years.
I was spell bound by it.A man wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit, and subjected to the absolute worst period in American penitentiary history.The kangaroo court, the false testimony, the trumped up charge, the brutalization of an honest man "doing time" shackled to other convicts, and the brutality of the labor itself of "making small rocks out of big rocks."Based on a true story of how a tragic miscarriage of justice absolutely destroyed an honest man's life.
A man who fought for us, for Uncle Sam, for the nation, and was rewarded with misery for most of his life.You will shake your head, and perhaps shed a tear at Val Kilmer's depiction of an individual who fought back the only way he could.It is almost a crime that this film is not available to view again.
In time I'm sure it will be made available to the public once more.Rarely do I recommend films about men who have gotten a rotten lot in life, but this is a must see.
The tragic truth is that we still have some miscarriages of justice today, but the US and friendly nations are a bit more methodical in both investigation and meting out appropriate punishments.
Even so, there are those who still fall through the cracks.
This films looks at a day and age when lots of people fell through the cracks, and tragic consequences thereof.
It is a film about strength of character, and the will to survive with hope that it will all work out in the end.I won't say "enjoy it", because it's a tough watch.
But in my book it is a must see..
Empathy-provoking film.
I was really touched by the realism in this movie.
Kilmer portrayed an average guy, like any you or I might know, who gets thrown into a completely brutal environment.
I found myself wanting to shout at the screen for the injustice of it!
Kilmer looks just like someone close to me, which gave me even more empathy for his character.
He could have been my brother, and I think the movie would have stirred up the same feelings of compassion.The brutality of this film was actually a bit much for me, but so was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
I thought parts of the movie were a little too gory.I enjoyed all of what I didn't have to shield my eyes for.
Well--enjoyed is a strange word for this movie--I appreciated it.