interesting candid? photo

[DickLindsay]

Hello all:

I have an interesting newspaper photo circa 1946 (i think) with Jose Iturbi, Lucille Ball, Walter Pidgeon, JOhn Garfield and Red Skelton.  Not sure why the three people in-between Jose Iturbi and Lucille Ball are.  anyone know.

I am guessing this must be a candid-publicity tour type of photo.  Interesting, right??

 

[LawrenceA]

Brian Donlevy is second from left.

[scsu1975]

The brunette looks a bit like Jane Randolph.

[Sgt_Markoff]

I'm guessing local city council members enlisted to aid in the idea of not turning in war bonds

[MilesArcher]

A group of Hollywood stars traveled to Washington for FDR's birthday on January 30th, 1944.  Hey what day is it today? 

 The party was held at the Statler Hotel. 

Getty images incorrectly identified Brian Donlevy as Brian Ahearn and the woman next to him as Jeanne Cagney, but I believe that it's Maria Montez.  The older gentleman in the middle is identified as commissioner Russ Young.  Commissioner of what, I don't know.  

 

Here's Eleanor Roosevelt cutting the cake with Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, and John Garfield looking on. 

 

Here's another angle with Joan Fontaine receiving a piece of cake from the first lady.

[DickLindsay]

wow, this is just terrific!  Thank you SO VERY MUCH for posting these additional photographs from the FDR event!  Wish I had a few more from this event!  again, WOW!

[MilesArcher]

All I did was to go to GOOGLE IMAGES and type in different combinations like "Red Skelton and John Garfield".  You might be surprised at what comes up.  

[Sgt_Markoff]

John Garfield looking all of his 5'7" height there next to Walter Pideon's 6'3"

[slaytonf]

Demonstrating that acting stature is independent of physical conditions.

[MilesArcher]

I found some more photo's of FDR's birthday party.  Apparently, this was an annual celebration held to raise money for the fight against infantile paralysis.

 

That's Maria Montez next to Garfield.

Here's a close-up.

  

 

 

  

The woman that I thought was Maria Montez in my first photo is actually actress Jinx Falkenberg.  It is Jinx who is between Joan Fontaine and Mrs. Roosevelt in my third photo. 

 

The tall man with the mustache next to Joan Fontaine is her husband, Brian Aherne.

 

Here is a group photo of the celebrities at the White House.

 

This photo was taken on January 29, 1944.  It appeared in the February 14th issue of Life magazine.

A constellation of stars forgathers in White House for annual party portrait with First Lady. Standing (left to right) are: Joan Fontaine, Martha Scott, Mary Martin, Virginia Field, Mary Pickford, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lucille Ball, Maria Montez, Jinx Falkenberg, Jean Cagney, Lily Pons and Patricia Collinge. Seated (left to right😞 Orchestra Leader Guy Lombardo, Brian Aherne, Writer Grantland Rice, Roland Young, Red Skelton, John Garfield, Orchestra Leader Meyer Davis, Walter Pidgeon and Brian Donlevy.

It was a formal affair in 1938.

 

That's Ken Murray, Fredric March, and Florence Eldredge (Mrs. March) with the first lady.

This next one is from 1941.

 

That's Benny Goodman, Constance Moore, and a young Sterling Hayden with Mrs. Roosevelt.

Next is 1942.

 

That's a partially hidden Dorothy Lamour, Rosalind Russell and band singer and actress Carol Bruce with the first lady.  You may remember Carol Bruce in her later years as Mrs. Carlson, the station owner on "WKRP In Cincinnati".

FDR's final birthday party was in 1945.

 

As near as I can tell, we have Gene Kelly, Virginia Mayo, Gale Storm, Charles Bickford, Veronica Lake, Joe E. Brown, Jane Wyman, Myrna Loy, George Murphy, and Margaret O'Brien with Mrs. Roosevelt.

Here is a very short video clip:

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/sits-at-desk-celebrities-from-hollywood-come-to-news-footage/504862713 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MilesArcher]

I found a few more shots.

This is from 1937.

 

 MOVIE FOLK LUNCHEON GUESTS AT WHITE HOUSE. WASHINGTON, D.C. JANUARY 30. THE MOVIE STARS THAT ARE IN WASHINGTON TO HELP CELEBRATE THE PRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WERE LUNCHEON GUESTS OF MRS. ROOSEVELT AT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY. THEY MET THE PRESIDENT AND ALL WISHED HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. L TO R: FREDERICK JAGEL, METROPOLITAN OPERA TENOR; MISS MARSHA HUNT; ROBERT TAYLOR; MISS MARIA GAMBERELLI, DANCER; MRS. F.D. ROOSEVELT; MISS JEAN HARLOW; MISS MITZI GREEN; AND COMMISSIONER GEORGE ALLEN ON THE PORTICO OF THE WHITE HOUSE

If you believe studio bios, Marsha Hunt was just nineteen at the time.  I believe she is still with us at age 101.  Jean Harlow would die later that same year.

 

This one is from 1938.

 

That's Janet Gaynor with Mrs. Roosevelt.

 

 

Red Skelton grabbing the cake for himself in 1944.  John Garfield and Maria Montez look on.

 

 

Lucille Ball meeting with the First Lady, 1944.

President Roosevelt was stricken with a form of polio called infantile paralysis at an early age.  Mrs. Roosevelt started these annual birthday galas in 1934 to raise money to fight the disease.  It was a national event held at several sites around the U.S.

 

 

In 1938 FDR is credited with founding the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

 

Eddie Cantor, seen here with Shirley Temple, urged his radio listeners to send in their loose change to the foundation.  It then became known as "The March Of Dimes", which was a takeoff on the name "The March Of Time", a popular radio news show in the thirties. 

 

 Here is Mrs. Roosevelt buying ticket no. 1 for the 1940 Birthday Ball.

Irving Berlin even wrote a song about the annual ball and Glenn Millar and his Orchestra recorded it.

 

You can hear it on Youtube.

Since FDR was recognized as the founder of "The March Of Dimes", when he died, it was only fitting that his likeness would be placed on the dime.