If you’re looking for a scene of an eight-year-old enjoying a cigarette while his father plays the banjo in a one-room log cabin, you’re in luck. This picks up just after the boy finished an energetic little jig. By John Ferno and Jullian Roffman, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

About the film, from The Field Guide to Sponsored Films:

Stark, realistic documentary showing poorly educated “mountain peoples” living in poverty and stricken with disease. Their solace comes in strong family bonds and the prospect of improved educational opportunities.

Shot in Kentucky, the film was made in conjunction with The Children Must Learn (also 1940).

Creative Commons/No Rights Reserved. You can watch and/or download the whole thing (24min) from The Internet Archive.