The 1937 Film

The first of two films made by filmmaker H. Lee Waters in Cliffside, North Carolina. During the thirties and forties he traveled from town to town, capturing the citizens at work and play. The second film he made in Cliffside was three years later, in 1940. They were usually about 20 minutes long and silent. We’ve added music from recordings that were popular in those years. Mr. Waters would return to the town a couple of weeks after shooting and show the footage in the local theater. Our thanks to Phillip White for locating and purchasing these two films and allowing us to share them.