Above is a lovely visit to Harlem in the early ’30s (very early, maybe even late ’29 given the fashions on the women specifically). We see a world of pride, fancy clothing, friendly neighborhood deameanor…and perhaps that’s all that British-Pathe, who shot this footage (which includes a very good floor show with Duke Ellington’s orchestra) wanted anyone to see. The darker corners of Harlem in that era would have been obscured from the view of the English movie crew with the silly accents.