Matewan
“It takes more than guns to kill a man.”
Synopsis
Set in the coal mining region of West Virginia, *Matewan* portrays labor activism during a 1920s strike. Union organizer Joe Kenehan, a strikebreaker known as "Few Clothes" Johnson, and a supportive mayor and police chief work together to resist the authority of a coal company in the town of Matewan.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 54+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Sonya PolonskyShot by Haskell WexlerScored by Mason DaringDesigned by Nora Chavooshian
Box Office
1987 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.4× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$1.7M
Opening weekend: $24K — 1% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $39K — 2% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 1 theaters
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Cast & Crew
54 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Chris Cooper
as Joe Kenehan
James Earl Jones
as Few Clothes Johnson
Mary Mcdonnell
as Elma Radnor
Will Oldham
as Danny Radnor
David Strathairn
as Sid Hatfield
Ken Jenkins
as Sephus Purcell
Kevin Tighe
as Bill Hickey
Gordon Clapp
as Tom Griggs
Bob Gunton
as C.E. Lively
Jace Alexander
as Hillard Elkins
Joe Grifasi
as Fausto
Nancy Mette
as Bridey Mae Tolliver
Supporting cast
37Jo Henderson
as Mrs. Elkins
Josh Mostel
as Mayor Cabell Testerman
Gary Mccleery
as Ludie
Maggie Renzi
as Rosaria
Tom Wright
as Tom
Michael B Preston
as Ellix (as Michael Preston)
Thomas A Carlin
as Turley
Jenni Cline
as Luann
Michael Mantell
as Doolin
J K Kent Lilly
as Pappy's Voice (voice)
James Kizer
as Tolbert
Ronnie Stapleton
as Stennis
Davide Ferrario
as Gianni
Frank Payne Jr
as Old Miner
John Sayles
as Hardshell Preacher
Hazel Dickens
as Singer
Charles Haywood
as Sheb
Neale Clark
as Isaac
Mitch Scott
as Mister
Hazel Pearl
as Missus
Michael Frasher
as Lee Felts
Frank Hoyt Taylor
as Al Felts
Fred Decker
as James
Bill Morris
as Bass
Delmas Lawhorn
as Conductor
William Dean
as Broker
P Michael Munsey
as Broker
Thomas Hal Phillips
as Boxcar Guard
Stephen C Hall
as Redneck Miner
Percy Fruit
as Black Miner
Thomas Poore
as Injured Black Miner
Tara Williams
as Miner's Wife
Gerald Milnes
as Fiddler
Mason Daring
as Picker
Jim Costa
as Mandolin Player
Phil Wiggins
as Harmonica Player
Ida Williams
as Mrs. Knightes
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
2Other crew
5Parents Guide
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Where to watch
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