iframe
Description
Content warning: View of open heart surgery at the 22 mark. A promotional color film produced in 1968 by Tom Spain depicting the economic, cultural, and geographic identity of Charlotte, North Carolina with the majority of footage showing white communities and groups. Charlotte is portrayed as a city that is "enterprising, intent, and in motion." Discusses industries such as trucking, transit, light manufacturing, and food production. Showcases the The Charlotte Douglas Airport as well as commercial banks and the federal reserve branch that contributed to Charlotte being known as "The marketplace of the Carolinas." Discusses media outlets including the Charlotte News and Charlotte Observer and WBT, with footage of Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith and the Crackerjacks. Includes footage of a Duke Power Plant -- the Marshall Steam Station -- under construction and Charlotteans enjoying the Festival in the Park. Highlights the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, Johnson C. Smith University, area hospitals, and Central Piedmont Community College. Briefly discusses Charlotte's participation in the "Model Cities" program. Also includes sketches for development projects that were completed in Charlotte after the production of the film. The film obliquely touches on race with references to education, policing, and poverty.