Dr. Philip Mosley to discuss historic anthracite films at local event

Attorney F. Charles Petrillo of Wilkes-Barre, and Dr. Philip Mosley, professor of English and comparative literature at Penn State Worthington Scranton will present and discuss three historic anthracite film productions on Friday, April 19 at King's College.

Their presentation, "Documenting Anthracite on the Silver Screen" will take place in the Burke Auditorium, McGowan School of Business, King's College, at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served in the Postupack Room of the Business School at 6:30 p.m.

Petrillo and Mosley will show and discuss a group of historic anthracite films (silent and talkies) that document various aspects of coal mining in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The films were made between 1915 and 1965 and some have never been shown publicly. As a group they offer a unique perspective on an industry that brought thousands of immigrant workers to the area while creating great wealth for investors and laying the foundation for hundreds of anthracite communities. The films include:

1. The Price of Carelessness (circa 1915). Produced by The Edison Company for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, filmed at Truesdale Colliery, Nanticoke. (Silent)

2. The Mining and Preparation of Blue Coal (circa 1938). Produced by Jam Handy Organization for the Glen Alden Coal Co, filmed at the Huber Colliery, Ashley. (Sound)

3. The Miners' Story (circa 1965). Produced by WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, Directed by Don Matticks, Narrated by Jack Palance. (Sound) This is a rare documentary.

Atty. Petrillo and Dr. Mosley have been researching and writing about anthracite culture and history for many years and recently discovered a treasure trove of anthracite-related productions. The program will last approximately two hours and will include a question-and-answer session.

The public is invited to attend the event free of charge. The evening is sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Foundation in affiliation with King's College. For more information on the Foundation visit http://ahfdn.org/.