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Besse (Ivan)[Amateur films: Ivan Besse collection: Britton, South Dakota 1938-39] (Part I) (1938)

Daily life in a South Dakota town during the Great Depression, shot by Ivan Besse.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Besse (Ivan)
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Si, B&W
Keywords: Amateur films; Home movies; South Dakota: Everyday life

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: norton67 - - December 7, 2007
Subject: see what u wanna see I guess.
I thought this was cool and didn't see the negative things some other reviewers mentioned even though they gave the film high marks. I thought most people WERE smiling and happy. The parade was kinda funky but I bet it was fun. I got a real good feeling seeing this film.

Reviewer: TrapperJohn - - September 21, 2007
Subject: Beautyful
This ia amazing.But you have to look behind the action.It seems that behind the few buildings there is just a big emptynes,when you look at the people who just walked by you sense some kind of hollownes.I recognise the images from films of people in the Netherlands after the depression years.There is hope again,action;but they all look as if they have been beaten up in the past.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - December 10, 2005
Subject: The Lady On The Roof
I liked this installment of Besses travels in his own back yard.. Here we discover the shell shocked kids of the town. None of them are really smiling, most are just wondering whats going on. Perhaps during this time, noone really had a camera? We then go to what Besse does best, shoot people on the street and see how they react. Some of them cower, some of them smile, but best of all, I like how some people walk past with this damned If Im going to take part in this expression. We also see some shots of unexplained thing. Was that a rather large wheel with rats on it? Was that an oil rig? We then watch a pretty lame parade with practically every single business having a car in it with streamers on it. And a pretty lady on the roof if youre lucky. And a pretty lady on the roof with streamers on her neck if youre really lucky. And 3 pretty ladies, 1 on the roof, 2 on the bumper if youre really really lucky. If you cant find any, just use any spare children and disregard any child safety laws.. After that, we go to school! Well, outside of a school, where we see mostly older kids going to school, the yunguns are just below camera range, those camera hogs. Soon, theyre JAMMED into school, my goodness! No Pushing!

I loved it! This is a MUST SEE on this site!

Reviewer: cashel - - December 9, 2003
Subject: The real U.S.A.
In 1938,Mr.besse,a projectionist at the Strand cinema made actuality movies in around his home town of britton ,s.dakota..Here we have...1. delighful cameos of little children 2.residents filmed in the main street as they go about shopping 3.The xmas street parade...This is still held in britton and reported in the local newspaper which can be read on the internet 4 football match.. Mr Besse still lives in Britton and the strand cinema is open and proudly supported by the town

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