Big Jim Folsom: the Two Faces of Populism

The belief that history is really the study of biography gains support with this video portrait of Jim Folsom, the twice-elected populist governor of Alabama who served the state in the '40s and '50s. Nicknamed "Big Jim" for his six-foot-eight-inch height and "Kissin' Jim" for his fondness for the ladies, Folsom was a progressive who upgraded schools, paved roads, and tried to build bridges of understanding between the state's poor whites and blacks. Folsom was undone by cronyism, alcoholism, uncouth personal manners, and a southern backlash against the emerging civil rights movement. This video details Folsom's humble beginnings, his battles with Alabama's entrenched legislative gentry, and his split with former ally George Wallace over the race issue. With Wallace's rise to power in the '60s, Alabama gained an unsavory reputation for its violent resistance to racial integration. The documentary makes the point that Wallace and Folsom represent two sides of the populist coin, one side appealing to fear, the other to hope. Newsreels and interviews with historians and Folsom's political associates highlight a perceptive look at a stormy career. Recommended, particularly for southern history collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)