“Greenville in Reelife” Features 1941 Footage of Greenville, NC

Thanks to a 2019 National Film Preservation Foundation grant, we were able to restore and digitize “Greenville in Reelife,” which is a silent film recorded by Reelife Motion Pictures in 1941 that captures scenes of Greenville, North Carolina, including East Carolina University. While It presents many aspects of life at the time, we acknowledge it is only a snapshot of a segment of Greenville and is not representative of the entire community.

The film is a classic example of the itinerant film genre common during the first half of the 20th century in which filmmakers would travel the country recording towns and their residents, frequently having the local chamber of commerce finance the film in exchange for receiving the item after a showing run. The only known showing of “Greenville in Reelife” was at Greenville’s Pitt Theater. 

The film was re-discovered during renovations to the State Theater, and then eventually passed along to local historian Roger Kammerer, who donated it to Joyner Library. The film was sent to Colorlab for conservation and duplication services. Considering the advanced state of disrepair, when it was given to the library, the restored film looks tremendous. It is now a part of the Roger E. Kammerer, Jr. Collection MSS#870 and available for viewing online in our digital collections. Check it out!  Also, feel free to add comments identifying people and places in the film. We appreciate your contributions!