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"Hillsdale in the 1930’s" film shows ‘swinging’ town, people

"Hillsdale in the 1930’s" film shows ‘swinging’ town, people

Clips from the Roecliff Jansen Historical film “Hillsdale in the 1930s - A Swinging Town” include: (left) the First United Methodist Church, Greek Revival with Romanesque detail, built in 1845 at the intersection of Route 22 & Route 23, Hillsdale: (center) a Methodist Church Picnic held at Prospect Lake in North Egremont, Mass.; and (right) the Roeliff Jansen Central School, a two-story Colonial Revival building that was constructed in 1931 by the Works Progress Administration.

Photo provided

The town and its people are the stars of the latest production of The Roeliff Jansen Historical Society’s 22 minute film “Hillsdale in the 1930’s — a Swinging Town.”

The rare footage from the day — mainly black and white with some color mixed in — was shot by an unknown amateur and given to then town historian Palmer Vincent, whose grandchildren Doug, Ron, and Sue Vincent DiClementine donated it to the society after having enjoyed it as children.

Hillsdale documentarians Julia Brandi and Marilyn Herrington and editor Elizabeth Wilder Elm then came together to create the film — their third collaboration for the Society. It was produced by Brandi, Harrington and Ron Vincent.

They highlighted images with music by the likes of Bing Crosby, the Dorsey Brothers and Irving Berlin to create not just a narrative of the town, but a sense of the moment during which, despite the economic challenges of the day, the “town flourished,” according to Lesley Doyle, current Society president.

Registration is already full for the film’s premier which will fittingly take place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall. The building is a major character in the town’s history, having been built in 1926 as the town library and serving since 2011 as the Town Hall.

A second showing will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. at Roe-Jan Brewing Company, 32 Anthony Street, Hillsdale. That 1851 building was originally the site of the Hillsdale Mercantile Association and various stores and a shirt factory.

Registration for that event at swinginghillsdale@gmail.com was still open as of press time.

Following the unveiling, a silent version of the film will be looped there in its entirety as the audience dines on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 6 and 7, and may be seen either at the Society’s website at roeliffjansenhs.org or the town’s site at hillsdaleny.com.

Carol Kneeland

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