A DAY WITH THE GOVERNOR

Year Published: 1945

Creator: Richard Lyford

Description: "A Day with the Governor" is an educational film made by filmmaker Richard Lyford in the mid to late 1940's. Lyford worked for the First Army Motion Picture Unit during WWII, and made films for Walt Disney and corporate clients in the post-war era. He is probably best known for co-directing "The Titan", an Academy Award winning documentary about Michelangelo. "A Day With the Governor" profiles West Virginia Governor Clarence W. Meadows. Meadows was the 22nd governor serving from 1945 to 1949. Meadows' main goals while in office were to push for an increase in traffic and transportation to the state in order to increase commerce as well as ameliorating a labor strife of the coal industry. After his term concluded, Meadows returned to his law practice; he died at the young age of 57, possibly due to the fact that (as seen in the film) he was a chain smoker. The film tours through West Virginia; captures the inner city, industrial areas, government buildings as well as buzzing scenes of government around the capital. It also includes shots of coal miners towards the conclusion. A Lyford Visual Symphony (:15). The title screen appears superimposed over a map image of West Virginia (:40). The Clock tower rings (1:24). A steam train arrives in Charleston (1:29). The West Virginia South Side Bridge follows (1:37). Automobiles run over Charleston city streets (1:44). The view runs down city buildings to pedestrians on the ground (1:52). A city bus (1:59) crosses the intersection. The Walter P. Dolle ferry (2:30) kicks up water. The ferry was originally the steamboat Lieutenant Lewis built in 1911. A wide shot cuts over red and white buildings, hills rise behind (2:41). Coal trains run past smoke stacks of the industrial area (2:53). Chesapeake and Ohio #1351 steam engine pulls a freight train (2:57). The Dome of Charleston’s State Capitol building (3:02) and the West Virginia’s Governor Mansion (3:08); also known as King Charles’s Governor Mansion follow. The front door swings open between white columns and the American flag (3:18). The governor first appears smoking a cigarette (3:31). Wide shots trace him down the red steps (3:41). He heads for the main building of the state capital (4:04). The view tips up for the gold crusted dome (4:16). A secretary within takes notes on a rotary phone call (4:48). The governor takes his seat in the governor’s office (5:13). Close shots watch the rotary phone (5:22). He signs off documents (5:36). A secretary takes handwritten notes (6:26) and later hammers on the keys of a Remington typewriter (6:28). The secretary stacks papers on wooden desk (6:43) and searches through files of the cabinet (6:47). The Governor makes a call on a rotary dial phone with various extensions. Operators Man the switch board (7:04).  A man takes notes with a quill pen (7:20). Scenes flick between government officials taking calls and the switch board operators (7:45). The Governor meets with cabinet members (8:15). A White waiter (9:17) delivers meals to the Governor, children and wife. Letters addressed to the Governor (10:36) fall into a stack and are sliced open (10:55). Meadows opens documents at the desk (11:17). He attends an evening party (11:34). Nancy Meadows and their two children (12:31) play in the field with autumn leaves. Clarence continues to flip through paperwork in the office (13:47). Smokes stack blow (14:46) from the West Virginia pulp and paper company. Other portions of the state's industrial plants appear including a salt refinery (14:54). Coal trains run for a mine tunnel (15:11). A woman peers over the city from an observation point (15:30). Foliage runs around a dirt road (15:40). Coal miners emerge from the mine (15:47). The sun falls under the Charleston Southside bridge (15:54). Meadows is assisted by his African American / Black butler who helps him put on his trench coat on at the close of the day (16:12) and exits the front door of the capital. 

Complete Record: "A Day with the Governor" is an educational film made by filmmaker Richard Lyford in the mid to late 1940's. Lyford worked for the First Army Motion Picture Unit during WWII, and made films for Walt Disney and corporate clients in the post-war era. He is probably best known for co-directing "The Titan", an Academy Award winning documentary about Michelangelo. "A Day With the Governor" profiles West Virginia Governor Clarence W. Meadows. Meadows was the 22nd governor serving from 1945 to 1949. Meadows' main goals while in office were to push for an increase in traffic and transportation to the state in order to increase commerce as well as ameliorating a labor strife of the coal industry. After his term concluded, Meadows returned to his law practice; he died at the young age of 57, possibly due to the fact that (as seen in the film) he was a chain smoker. The film tours through West Virginia; captures the inner city, industrial areas, government buildings as well as buzzing scenes of government around the capital. It also includes shots of coal miners towards the conclusion. A Lyford Visual Symphony (:15). The title screen appears superimposed over a map image of West Virginia (:40). The Clock tower rings (1:24). A steam train arrives in Charleston (1:29). The West Virginia South Side Bridge follows (1:37). Automobiles run over Charleston city streets (1:44). The view runs down city buildings to pedestrians on the ground (1:52). A city bus (1:59) crosses the intersection. The Walter P. Dolle ferry (2:30) kicks up water. The ferry was originally the steamboat Lieutenant Lewis built in 1911. A wide shot cuts over red and white buildings, hills rise behind (2:41). Coal trains run past smoke stacks of the industrial area (2:53). Chesapeake and Ohio #1351 steam engine pulls a freight train (2:57). The Dome of Charleston’s State Capitol building (3:02) and the West Virginia’s Governor Mansion (3:08); also known as King Charles’s Governor Mansion follow. The front door swings open between white columns and the American flag (3:18). The governor first appears smoking a cigarette (3:31). Wide shots trace him down the red steps (3:41). He heads for the main building of the state capital (4:04). The view tips up for the gold crusted dome (4:16). A secretary within takes notes on a rotary phone call (4:48). The governor takes his seat in the governor’s office (5:13). Close shots watch the rotary phone (5:22). He signs off documents (5:36). A secretary takes handwritten notes (6:26) and later hammers on the keys of a Remington typewriter (6:28). The secretary stacks papers on wooden desk (6:43) and searches through files of the cabinet (6:47). The Governor makes a call on a rotary dial phone with various extensions. Operators Man the switch board (7:04).  A man takes notes with a quill pen (7:20). Scenes flick between government officials taking calls and the switch board operators (7:45). The Governor meets with cabinet members (8:15). A White waiter (9:17) delivers meals to the Governor, children and wife. Letters addressed to the Governor (10:36) fall into a stack and are sliced open (10:55). Meadows opens documents at the desk (11:17). He attends an evening party (11:34). Nancy Meadows and their two children (12:31) play in the field with autumn leaves. Clarence continues to flip through paperwork in the office (13:47). Smokes stack blow (14:46) from the West Virginia pulp and paper company. Other portions of the state's industrial plants appear including a salt refinery (14:54). Coal trains run for a mine tunnel (15:11). A woman peers over the city from an observation point (15:30). Foliage runs around a dirt road (15:40). Coal miners emerge from the mine (15:47). The sun falls under the Charleston Southside bridge (15:54). Meadows is assisted by his African American / Black butler who helps him put on his trench coat on at the close of the day (16:12) and exits the front door of the capital.