This film is from
Grays Harbor County, Washington in 1951. Features dairies, the
Aberdeen Daily World,
KXRO, Morck
Hotel,
Bijou Theatre, and more (SEE BELOW)
Thanks to Roy Vataja for researching this film and finding the following information in
2013 before previewing this film at the
7th Street Theatre in
Hoquiam, WA
During the first week of August 1951, Reelife Productions of
Los Angeles was in Aberdeen filming people, businesses, civic clubs. Reelife Productions was a documentary film company run by
Robert Allen, a former cameraman at
Walt Disney studios. By 1951, he had produced 650 films of this type, in 46 of the
48 states.
The original title of this film was "The Aberdeen
Story" with musical background and narration, and excerpts were to be incorporated into a film on
Washington State as a whole. It was presented at the Aberdeen
Theater on August 15-17, 1951.
Following the premier showing, a copy of the film was turned over to the
Chamber of Commerce to be made available for use by schools, service clubs and other civic organizations.
Concurrent with "The Aberdeen Story", the film company was shooting a second picture, "
Life in
Hoquiam". It is unknown if Industries of GH is a compilation of the two or a truncated version of only The Aberdeen Story.
We abruptly open on
Andrews Bottling Works located at
3102 Simpson Ave., Hoquiam. (now
Harbor Saw and
Supply)
Newman's Dairy - Located at 516 E.
Market St. (in the area where
A-1 Roofing and
B & B Appliances is now)
Int. office
Aberdeen
World Building on the SE corner of Market and I
Streets
Next door on second floor is KXRO radio station (torn down in the early 80s to make another parking lot)
Veldkamp's
Bakery located at 421 W Wishkah (where the new
DSHS building is -- Veldkamps burned in December,1951)
Truck and
Tractor Inc. located at 1621 Simpson
Avenue (now
Duffy's parking lot)
Elks
Orchestra
Morck Hotel --
Banquet room --
(
The producer and his wife were staying at the Morck while filming locally).
Pictures were taken this noon [
August 1] of the Aberdeen
Rotary club meeting at the Morck Hotel. -- (they put on quite a spread)
(Opened in 1924.
Originally it was to be called the
Hotel Washington but upon the sudden death of Mr. Morck, his son changed the name to honor his father. Even today there is a "W" visible in the facade of the building referring to the original name.)
Highlander Room --
Scottish Decor
Aberdeen Theater -- Wishkah
Street showing "
Fort Worth" w/
Randolph Scott 1951
The New Bijou Theater located at
109 E Heron St. (now the Aberdeen
VFW Hall) "
Double Crossbones" film with
Will Geer
"
Play and Win" card game
Short Stop Drive In located at
1915 Simpson Ave., Aberdeen. (
now the Prudential Realty office -- in the 80s it was
Louisa's
Mexican restaurant)
Highlands Golf Course,
Cosmopolis
SUNDAY MORNING
Looking up
I Street from
First --
Trinity Lutheran Church on corner with
First Methodist Church at 2nd St.
Worshippers leaving Trinity Lutheran Church, First and I Streets (now
Ingram, Zelasko & Goodwin attorney's office)
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at
Fourth and I streets.
Rev. M.W. Nesse,
Pastor
St Andrew Episcopal church at First and G -- Rev. Norris Twitchell, Pastor (shrub across the street was
Bridges)
THE END
- published: 01 Dec 2013
- views: 1727