Quaker Film Series
August – October 2015
The Library Committee is sponsoring a lengthy
(32 weeks total) Quaker Film Series which began
in March 2015. Information about the sixth
through eighth showings is on this page. Films
will be aired on third first days (Sundays) of the
month, and are suitable for all ages. They come
from a variety of sources, but are typically
valuable documentaries or commercial films
lasting about 60-90 min. The latter often have a
strange take on Quaker culture. We will both
learn and be amused.
The August through October films deal with the
iron and whaling industry.
The time is 1pm in the social hall. Popcorn will
be provided. The complete list of films is on the
reverse. If you miss one, you may check it out
later from the library's media collection. 6. August 16th, Female Industrialist Documentary - Rebecca Lukens
In 1825 Rebecca Lukens took over her late
husband's iron mill. The company still thrives–a
testament to the management abilities of this
pioneering woman CEO. She became a
businesswoman renowned for her shrewdness
as an entrepreneur , the owner of Brandywine
Iron Works, a business in the making of iron
plate for ships. During the Panic of 1837–in reality a
full-blown depression that plagued the country
for six years–Rebecca refused to lay workers
off, but instead set them to repairing the mill or
working on her farm. When there was no cash,
she paid them in produce. It is no coincidence
that the only other iron mill that was run by
women, when the famous English Darby firm
was bereft of adult males, was also a Quaker firm.
7. September 20th, Whaling Industry Documentary & Silent Film
The American whaling industry was dominated by
Quakers on Nantucket, and later in New Bedford. In
1857 there were 329 whaling vessels in New
Bedford’s fleet which employed 10,000 men.
Unfortunately, the documentary barely mentions
Quakers, who were responsible for the prosperity.
Down to the Sea in Ships (1922) was Clara
Bow’s first film. It includes an attempt to
educate about Quakers, but the corny plot
gets in the way of “Truth.”. The lead
character, Charles W. Morgan, was based
loosely on a Philadelphian who had
married into the major whaling dynasty. Melville wrote in Moby Dick: "The town itself
is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all
New England..nowhere in all America will you
find more patrician-like houses, parks and
gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford.”
8. October 20th, Moby Dick
in 1841, Herman Melville boarded a
whaleship and sailed out of New Bedford,
returning from sea five years later to
write. Melville’s Moby Dick has
Nantucket Quakers as most of the major
characters, although his depiction of
Quakers does not make it obvious.
Quaker Captain Ahab of the Pequod
(played by Gregory Peck in this 1956
version) lost his leg to Moby Dick and is
single-minded in his pursuit of the
whale. The ship’s owners, Peleg and
Bildad, retired whalemen, and the first
mate, Starbuck are also Quakers.
Complete Quaker Film Series
Berkeley Friends Meeting Library
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George Fox and the Quakers
Jan De Hartog's Early Quaker Stories
William Penn Documentaries
William Penn Movie - Courageous Mr. Penn
Reform of the Asylum Movie - Bedlam
Female Industrialist Documentary - Rebecca Lukens
Whaling Industry Documentary & Silent Film - New Bedford
Whaling Industry Movie -Moby Dick, or The Whale
Anti-Slavery Documentaries
Underground Railroad Docudrama - Whispers of Angels
Civil War Movie - Friendly Persuasion
Quaker Settlers in the West Movie - The Winds of AutumnAdvocate for Indians Movie - Cheyenne Autumn
Guy with Gun meets Beautiful Quaker #1 - Angel and the Badman
Guy with Gun meets Beautiful Quaker #2 - High Noon
Guy with Gun meets Beautiful Quaker #3 - The Outsider
Women's Rights Movie (Western) - The Lady from Cheyenne
Women's Rights Documentary - Susan B. Anthony
Women's Rights Docudrama - Iron Jawed Angels
Rufus Jones Documentary
General Relativity Docudrama - Einstein and Eddington
Herbert Hoover Documentary
Quakers as Environmentalists Movie - The Big Trees
Quakers & WWII Documentaries
Quakers & WWII Movie #1 - The Deep Six
Quakers & WWII Movie #2 - Raid on Rommel
Edward R. Morrow Movie - Good Night and Good Luck
Bayard Rustin Documentary
Late 20th C. Quaker Documentaries
Quakers & Nonviolence Movie #1 - The July Group (Canada)
Quakers & Nonviolence Movie #2 - A Prayer in the Dark (US)
BFM Members Mary Lou & Ernie Goertzen Documentary