Sometime around September or October 1938, a young man took to the streets of his home town in South Dakota to film some of the residents going about their daily lives. The contrasting reactions of the people he meets are a joy to behold.
Most of them greet the camera with shyness, modestly turning away or covering their faces to avoid being caught on film. Some look downright horrified at the prospect, ducking behind cars and hiding in doorways to escape his gaze. Only a small few play along, willingly posing for the camera with varying degrees of silliness.
What I like most about this delightful footage is how obvious it is that everyone really liked the young man behind the lens. Even when his subjects are literally running away from him, they do it with smiles and laughter. So, who was this mysterious cameraman?
Well, unlike a lot of the footage used for The Memory Project, we know exactly who he was – and why he shot the film.
Ivan Besse, lifelong resident of the tiny town of Britton, South Dakota, loved the cinema. He began working at the local picture house aged 12, later rising to become the manager. In the 30s, he obtained a 16mm camera, and began shooting his own films in and around town. He would show them, before the main feature, as a novelty for the local audience.
Mr. Besse managed that cinema right up until 1985. He died 20 years later, in 2005, aged 98. You will probably be as pleased as I am to learn that his beautiful, art deco cinema – clearly visible in the background of a few shots – is still open for business, as of spring 2020.
However, I have absolutely no clue as to who any of the people in the film might have been. If anybody can identify them, I would love to know more. Might it be possible that one or two are still alive? Some of the children depicted may only be in their 70s now.
I love the Ivan Besse films for the completely unguarded look they give us at life in small town America during the Great Depression. A snapshot of ordinary folk just going about their business – even if they wished that darn kid with his camera would just leave them alone
I, for one, am very glad he didn’t.
Ivan Besse’s footage is in the public domain. The song is ‘Lost Kites,’ performed by Amy May Ellis and written by Will Cookson. It is published by Audio Network.
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