Many movies have been filmed in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties throughout the years. The first to receive local acclaim was a short two-reel film called Charlottesvilles Hero that made its debut at The Jefferson Theater on this date in 1930. Financed by The Daily Progress to show just how a movie was made, the movie, using subtitles and live musical accompaniment, was filmed completely in the city and starred prominent residents including Mayor J. Y. Brown. Director Don O. Newland was brought in to oversee the film. Newland was known for his Hero collection of films, each one commissioned by a local newspaper, highlighted a particular small town and contained a standard but customizable plot that often included a head-on car crash to show trick photography and a character that played the role of a town reporter, showing how the newspaper was produced. Newland produced a similar film in Staunton in 1929.

Many townspeople were unaware that they were being filmed until they saw themselves on the screen. In the many Daily Progress articles prior to the movies premiere, the plot was not divulged but readers were told that filming was done at the library (now the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society), the office of The Daily Progress on Market Street, and various other locations in town. The article of this date noted that the audience will find a handsome, heart-stirring hero who would make John Gilbert look like a chronic case of yellow jaundice.

Mayor Browns character, Mr. Henpeck, is described as a throwback to the stone age when men tossed spears and ate raw meathe is a regular he-man. For instance he throws the hero out of the window with no more effort than he would thumps a cigarette pow, just like that.until Mrs. Henpeck grabs his hair to give him a vigorous shampoo, he becomes meek as a lamb and weaker than the sleeping sickness. Miss Clifford Hanckel, as the pretty heroine is clever and beautiful enough to write home about her actingMiss Nancy Doner, as Katrinka, the country flapper, can do more stunts on her roller skates than are ordinarily seen at a circus

Two days following the movie premiere, a review of sorts noted: Interesting indeed were the scenes of the making of a newspaper from the time of the gathering of the news of the accident to the automobiles pictures to the huge and modern linotype machine of The Daily Progress to the make-up department of the composing room where the process of making forms to fit the press that is daily serving Charlottesville with the news of the world.

A copy of the film is not known to exist.

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'Hero' film produced just for Charlottesville featured the mayor, The Daily Progress - The Daily Progress