Before the GWTW premiere

Image and excerpt from Hollywood’s Garden of Allah Novels Facebook Group, posted May 28, 2022.

Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels, by Martin Turnbull
“Every now and then I’m asked ‘If you had a time machine, where would you go?’ This photo is exactly my first choice. What we’re looking at here are the preparations for the West Coast premiere of “Gone With the Wind,” which took place at the Carthay Circle Theater at 6316 San Vicente Blvd in Los Angeles on December 28, 1939. Those bleachers on the right is where the lucky fans got to sit and watch the parade of even luckier movie capital A-listers walk into the theater to see the most anticipated movie of all time.”

Pasadena Rose Parade 50th anniversary

Image: souvenir postcard packet (damaged at fold)

This is the outer cover that would be folded over and mailed to send a collection of postcards instead of just a single one.

Also see my blog post on the parade from a few years ago.

Auto show at Pan Pacific auditorium

Image: Auto Show in Pan-Pacific Auditorium. Photo from the LA Times via UCLA Library Collection (1939) from https://www.findinglostangeles.com/la-in-memoriam/2019/4/8/pan-pacific-auditorium .

This photo from October shows new 1940 model year automobiles. The best-selling 1940 Dodge was the Deluxe 4-door sedan (learn more at https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1940-1948-dodge4.htm ).

“The Pan-Pacific Auditorium opened on May 18, 1935 in the Fairfax District as a stunning example of Steamline Moderne architecture, with its green and white facade and distinguishable fin like towers and flagpoles. Behind the entrance was a wooden auditorium that could hold 6000 guests. The building was commissioned by Phillip and Clifford W. Henderson with the intention of giving Los Angeles a public convention center ‘to accommodate the annual automobile show and a wide variety of cultural, recreational and sports events.'”

Excerpt from Finding Lost Angeles link above.

Parade in Bakersfield

Image: cropped from Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/pin/340444053067647050

Circa 1939, Parade view at Baker’s Motor Market at 2328 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, California. Despite close inspection, the graphics on the costume are not easily readable. The emblem on the front does not appear to be the seal of the city nor of Kern County but the word at the bottom appears to be “CALIFORNIA.” The lettering on the side might be “ANY BOOK YOU NEED” and possibly “BY ANNE [unreadable]” with “COUNTY LIBRARY” at the bottom.