Dumes.Net

A website dedicated to the family of Chaim and Sadie Silk Dumes from Viski, Latvia

Dumes.Net

Family Movies

You may be surprised to learn that William J. Dumes started filming the Dumes family in the 1930s, and every branch of the family is represented in his collection. His films make the basis of what is presented here.

The first movies in the 1930s were in 8mm black and white, but he sometimes splurged on the color film, which must have cost a fortune. But the images are very pretty. Sometime in the early 50s he went to 16mm, and some of the clips are excellent. The quality of the movies vary, but they are a wonderful record of the Sadie Silk Dumes family in America.

For me, this is the culmination of an assignment given to me by my Dad over 50 years ago to find a way to best distribute these movies, which he considered to be treasured items to the family.

Click on the images below to watch the movies. These are all now, or soon will be, newly remastered in HD, 1280x720.


Click me to play!
Chattanooga, but no Choo Choo (1950)

Millie and Al Lerman in Chattanooga, also seen is Millie's dad Ben Shapiro and William J. Dumes. The Lerman and Shapiro families were related through Freda Fialco Dumes.

This clip is 1m 27s long.

People seen in movie:
Mildred Shapiro Lerman
Ben Shapiro
Bill Dumes
Alvin Lerman
Click me to play!
Rock-n-roll dance party! (1958)

This is one of my favorites! We are in the home of Dave and Mildred Dansker in Bloomington for a cousin get-together.

This clip is 2m 44s long.

People seen in movie:
Mildred Shapiro Lerman
Stanley Dumes
Mildred Dumes Dansker
Sandra Dumes Simmons
Alvin Lerman
David Dansker
Click me to play!
Here come the Lermans! (1966)

The Lermans were cousins via Freda Fialco Dumes, who was Millie Lerman's Aunt.

This clip is 4m 28s long.

People seen in movie:
Mildred Shapiro Lerman
Stanley Dumes
Freda Fialco Dumes
Bill Dumes
Sandra Dumes Simmons
David Dansker
Mildred Dumes Dansker
Alvin Lerman

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