NFR Project: 'Cologne: From the Diary of Ray and Esther' (1939)

 

NFR Project: ‘Cologne: From the Diary of Ray and Esther’

Dir: Esther and Ray Dowidat

Scr: Esther and Ray Dowidat

Pho: Esther and Ray Dowidat

Ed: Esther and Ray Dowidat

Premiere: 1939

15:30 

Home movies are exactly that – records of family life, a way of preserving the memory of loved ones. In this case, the home movie becomes an ambitious documentary that gives us the portrait of a small town in America in the 1930s.

First, do read Scott Simmon’s excellent essay on the film, which you can click on here. He makes the point that the filmmakers, married couple Esther and Dr. Ray Dowidat, were possessed of a very professional spirit. Their film covers the time period from July to September, 1939, and profiles the tiny town of Cologne, Minnesota, pop. 350, located southwest of Minneapolis.

The film starts with a literal overview of the town – a panoramic taking-in of the town from its highest points. It discusses the nature of the inhabitants – mostly of German and Dutch descent – and provides a pocket history of the town, once an important rail junction but now a sleepy backwater. We see various citizens doing their jobs (fortunately, Dowdidat had access to a bright spotlight, and used it to record interior scenes fairly clearly). We go to the local saloon.

The film moves briskly along, punctuated by written passages from the Dowidats’ “diary” entries, which serve as a guide and as a framing device. The end result is a well-crafted film that belies its origins as a hobby, and rises to the level of homespun art.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Destry Rides Again.