On November 27th, 1962, 361 days before Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, the Prime Minister of the Somali Republic, Dr. Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, had an official state visit to the White House. We were able to dig up this obscure film footage on YouTube (the Internet is amazing), which features the visit and ceremony on the South Lawn.
Below is the gift that the Prime Minister gave to the President on behalf of his country.
This gift of a carved giraffe was presented to President John F. Kennedy by Dr. Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, Prime Minister of the Somali Republic, during his state visit to the White House on November 27, 1962. (JFK Library)
Shermarke would also fall victim to an assassination in 1969, shot by one of his own bodyguards.
We put out a call the other day for some story suggestions and GoDCer from Chicago, Rose, sent along the idea of digging into Clara Barton’s former office and boarding house on 7th St. NW.
This excellent video by C-SPAN tells the incredible story of the building and how it had been “lost” for over a century before a construction worker discovered the true identity of the building. The building had been slated for demolition and redevelopment, but a last minute discovery saved the building.
It’s been a while since our last “Three Things…” post, so we queried the Twitterverse for GoDC suggestions on our next one. DrCapsFan, an old school GoDCer (i.e, a follower since week two) threw out a great suggestion to focus on Cleveland Park’s Uptown Theater, seconded by another frequent tweeter, stephaniekays (and big Nats fan). So that seals it … the Uptown Theater it is.
And of course, since it’s a movie theater with great history, we’ll dig up some of the bigger movies that have played at the favorite Cleveland Park movie house.
neon sign Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park (tawbaware.com)
1. Clark Cable and opening night at the Uptown
Cleveland Park had its own giant movie theater ready to dedicate in the fall of 1936, right in the heart of the Great Depression. The dedication ceremony was to be held on Thursday night, October 29th, 1936 at 8:15 p.m., according to the Washington Post. Below is the article announcing the public unveiling of the uptown gem.
The Uptown Theater, Warner Bros. new picture playhouse, located on Connecticut avenue at Newark street, will be dedicated this Thursday evening, October 29, at 8:15 o’clock, according to an announcement made late yesterday by John J. Payette, Warner Bros. general zone manager. Doors will open at 7:15 to give patrons ample time to inspect the theater throughout.
Two distinguished Washingtonians–District Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, and Thomas E. Clark, president of the Cleveland Park Business Men’s Association–will take part in the program.
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The inaugural attraction at the Uptown will be “Cain and Mabel,” Cosmopolitan Production, released by Warner Bros., and starring Marion Davies and Clark Gable. The presentation Thursday evening will be the Washington premiere of this new musical comedy.
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The most modern type of projection and sound equipment have been installed in the new house, which will seat 1,500 people in the orchestra, balcony and loges. Appointments throughout are the most modern available. Throughout the year, winter and summer, the Uptown will maintain an even temperature, the latest type of air-conditioning equipment having been provided.
Check out the trailer for “Cain and Mabel” below.
2. ‘Star Wars’ wreaks havoc in Cleveland Park
Star Wars – 1977
This might be the greatest epic saga in the history of film. Star Wars was playing at the Uptown in Cleveland Park (along with probably 10,000 other theaters).
A great Washington Post details the chaos that ensued when the movie opened to the public in 1977 … and for some reason, it slightly reminds me of a scene out of Dazed and Confused (also great).
Scene I, Take I: A quiet, residential street in Cleveland Park around the corner from the Uptown Theater where “Star Wars” is playing.
Time: A half hour before the 7:30 show.
Action: Moviegoers in cars frantically searching for parking spaces. A group of teen-agers near the end of the block-and-a-half line casually having a picnic on a resident’s front lawn as they wait for the movie to open. The Good Humor truck plying its way up and down the queue of people, tinkling out the allure of frozen goodies.
It’s not a new motion picture under production yet, but if there is ever a sequel to that intergalactic spectacular “Star Wars,” some of the residents of Cleveland Park would like to call it “Earthly Fallout.”
“It’s … it’s an invasion,” says Marcy Schuck, a Cleveland Park resident who no longer recognizes her peaceful neighborhood since “Star Wars” started playing. “There are people, people crawling up the streets constantly. We’re constantly being awakened when people line up for the midnight show. My alley was blocked up once and I just wanted to scream and beat up the cars.”
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Territorial imperative aside, however, [Ron] Hoffman did come home one time to discover a car blocking his driveway “I told my wife, ‘Hey, some clown is blocking the driveway.’ The funny thing is that it turned out to be a friend of my wife whose car was blocking the drive, a person who had just graduated from clown school.”
That damn George Lucas … screwing up peaceful Cleveland Park. Any of you GoDCers wait in line to see it back then?
Here’s the trailer for Star Wars … AMAZING!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP_1T4ilm8M
3. T-Rex and velociraptors terrorize Connecticut Avenue
You guessed it. Jurassic Park played at the Uptown, but not only that … it was the world premiere! The Washington Post wrote about it on Friday, June 11th, 1993 (the screening was Wednesday at the Uptown). All the celebrities were in town to see and be seen.
The Scene: World premiere of Universal’s “Jurassic Park” in Washington. The screening Wednesday was at the Uptown Theater, the after party was in the National Building Museum. Locally, a movie premiere is a major attention-getter since “glamour is as extinct in Washington as dinosaurs,” as one woman put it.
Who Was There: The film’s stars, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Samuel Jackson; plus 1,100 guests, including Muhammad Ali, Tom and Peggy Pollock, Sid and Lorraine Sheinberg, Lew Wasserman, Sens. Barbara Boxer, Arlen Specter, Harris Wofford, Patrick Leahy and Bob Kerrey; Reps. Tony Beilenson, Henry Waxman, Maxine Waters and Pat Schroeder; plus Mickey Kantor, Ron Silver and Peter and Eileen Norton.
Who Wasn’t: Director Steven Spielberg (still working on “Shindler’s List”) and President Clinton and family; recent petty sniping from reptilian East Coast media pundits about Hollywood influencing the White House was said to have kept them away. L.A. media consultant Josh Baran said, “Rampaging dinosaurs reminded him too much of the press corps.”
Best Line From a Politician: Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California): “This is the first dinosaur Hollywood has sent to Washington since Ronald Reagan.”
Quoted: Of co-starring in this film, Samuel Jackson said, “Steven is basically the star of his own film. Then you have the dinosaurs. Everybody’s anticipating what they look like. People are coming to see them. Then they’re coming to see us. Kind of. We’re kind of filler.”
Of course we wouldn’t leave you without the trailer. Here it is … in crappy quality though.
If you read this piece in the Washington Post on Wednesday morning, November 20th, 1963, you probably didn’t think much of it.
President Kennedy was making a trip to Texas, the Vice President’s home state. The White House explicitly stated that the event was nonpolitical, but without a doubt, there were some political undertones for this trip.
President and Mrs. Kennedy arrive in San Antonio – November 21st, 1963 (Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum)
It was time to start thinking about the 1964 election and the Kennedy-Johnson ticket had barely won Texas in the last election. The President intended to go down and mend some fences within the Texas Democratic Party and get them primed for the 1964 election.
President Kennedy will make five speeches in Texas Thursday and Friday, attend two receptions and spend a night at the ranch of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Mrs. Kennedy will accompany her husband on the trek, described by the White house as “nonpolitical.”
Pierre Salinger, White House Press Secretary, said yesterday that he expects Mrs. Kenndy [sic] to be with the President at most of his public appearances in Texas.
Mr. Kennedy will fly from Washington to San Antonio Thursday morning, make a speech there, and proceed to Houston where he will address an evening testimonial dinner for Rep. Albert Thomas (D-Tex.)
On Friday evening, the President and Mrs. Kennedy will go by helicopter from Austin to the Johnson City ranch of the Vice President.
Salinger said the Kennedys probably would return to Washington by mid-afternoon on Saturday.
The White House also announced that President Kennedy will spend Thanksgiving Day at the traditional Kennedy family gathering at Hyannis Port, Mass.
He also plans to attend the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 30, and probably will fly there from Hyannis Port, Salinger said.
This has to be one of the best finds in a long time … and this appears to be authored by fellow GoDCer Brian at National Journal. The film he uncovered is from the Works Progress Administration, done in 1936. It depicts a day in the life of Washington during the Great Depression.
Read Brian’s full piece here and then follow him on Twitter.
Here is film that I came across in the Library of Congress’ archives. It was shot on August 8th, 1903 in rural Washington, D.C. and is completely fascinating. Times have changed … just a little bit.
The film shows the delivery of U.S. mail by a two-horse vehicle. The postal employee gets out of the wagon and places mail in a standard metal mail box. A woman comes out of her house and removes the mail from the mail box, then buys stamps from the mail carrier as the picture ends.
If you couldn’t tell, today I’m feeling a little nostalgic about 1980s’ television. If you lived in the area back in the 80s, you’ll remember this. It’s the Sunday matinée opening for DC20 and the movie is Captain Blood (1935) with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Check out the movie trailer on YouTube.
