JOHN HENRY AND THE RAILROAD | Omeleto

A freed slave works on a railroad.

[Laeadern]

John Henry is the kind of man that made America...period.

[apathy]

The actor playing John Henry couldn't be more perfect!

[strings]

If John actually made his hammer from his former chains, this might be the best folk story ever.

[hangfried]

This version really tore down a common stereotype of the old western story, that is that a man wearing a bowler hat is always a bad guy.

[ethanm]

I never knew that he survived. I’m glad that he did, too. The story I was taught in school was that he died from over-working himself and I didn’t wanna see that again, because the story of John Henry is one of the best stories I’ve ever heard.

[thefishfin-atic]

"How hard we work, when no one's looking, that's who we really are inside" That one line is what I'll take away from this ... I think it just changed my life.

[andrewwilson]

"How hard you work when no one's looking is the iind of person you really are on the inside" theres not a truer lesson on planet earth

[jenngosline]

I have showed this movie to my 5th graders every year for 8 yrs when we get into Tall Tales week! It has the best messages that they need to be successful to get through the rest of this year, as they transition to middle school, and in life! I have former students see me out and about and sometimes they just say, "Grit, Sweat, & Love". We are getting into tall tales next week and I can't wait to show a new group of students!

[ZInChat]

_"I'm a bad storyteller..."_ Then proceeds to tell us an epic story.

[blacklight]

Honestly I like this version way better then the mainstream one, because John didn't die.

[mikejackson]

I'm very happy about the strong bond and community between the workers of all races. We don't celebrate that enough in our history.

[josephmyers]

John Henry has ALWAYS been my favorite Tall Tale. So inspiring.

[ShiningDarknes]

There are all sorts of stories like this one that need telling in America.

[michaelpottorff]

The real question that needs to be asked is, can Thor pick up John Henry’s hammer?

[gitBritt]

He took his chains that made him a slave and used them to crush a mountain.
That's an extreme level of when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Like Cave Johnson said, I'm going to make a lemon that burns your house down (Portal 2 reference)

[Moont]

Ladies and gentlemen this is what a father figure looks like

[staceymeans]

"Daddy, those hammers are ludicrously oversized."
I also liked the anachronistic glasses of the machine driver. Way to point out the concept of cold, uncaring progress.

[hdwarrior]

I always adored all the tall tales, Babe the blue ox and Paul Bunyan and some fella who roped a tornado (been so long I can't remember who) but John Henry was my hero. First time I heard it was in a song when I was very little, but he died at the end and my parents had to console me! This presentation brings a wonderful depth to the story. The racing music.... inspiring! I'm so glad to know he actually didn't die and it seems he did a fantastic job raising his boy. I'm sure he's proud looking down from heaven!

[ered]

"There's always a bigger hammer."
Yup, there it is folks, America in a nutshell.

[littlemrpinkness]

I love that narrator/singer, Eugene H Russell IV.

That was WAY more entertaining than I thought it would be.