International photographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

miles into the city itself. The party was put into three huge busses and, guarded fore and aft and on the sides by squadrons of motorcycle police, the Hollywood guests sped to the Hotel Reforma, on Mexico's famed Paseo de la Reforma, the historic street down which the Presidents of Mexico have ridden and down which, also, the tragedy-freighted Maximillian and Carlotta used to ride. The party no sooner had landed at the hotel than it refreshed itself from the long airplane trip and proceeded at once to the American Embassy for official reception by Honorable Josephus Daniels, United States Ambassador to Mexico, and Mrs. Daniels. Following this, the entire group was received by His Honor, Rojo Gomez, the Mayor of Mexico City. In the few hours remaining until nightfall, the stars prepared for the first of a series of personal appearances in the leading film theatres of the city. That night, through screaming, cheering mobs of countless thousands, the stars visited four theatres, in which not only every seat but the aisles themselves were jammed from entrance right down to the footlights. Mexican stage and film actors of renown volunteered as masters of ceremonies and introduced the personalities to wild applause. The theatre managers in each case served buffet supper backstage. The Sunday program began early with a charro festival and riding and bull fighting exploits for the Hollywood guests. After a thrilling exhibition of Mexican prowess in these sports, the party departed for El Rancho Blanco, the oldest ranch in Mexico in the unbroken possession of one family. For 416 years, almost since the time of Cortez, the ranch has been held by the Alessandro family. There native Indian Aztec and Chichimeca tribes performed centuries old dances and rituals to the fascinated gaze of the Hollywood visitors. One group of Chichimecas, performing he now forbidden ritual of El Volador, had walked 150 kilometers to show the men and women of the United States a thrilling, ancient Aztec ritual ceremony in which six men, seated atop a narrow platform on a 100-foot pole, suddenly leap into space and slowly spiral down, head-first on the end of long ropes. A barbecue in the native style was served at El Rancho Blanco, after which, reluctantly leaving the ancient rancho and its picturesque old buildings, some of the party returned to the hotel while others visited Chapultepec Castle, the home of Maximillian and Carlotta, and of Mexican presidents after them. This ancient hill was the original home of the Aztec emperors, the only high spot in the middle of a volcanic lake. When Mexico City began to grow after the Spanish conquest, the lake was gradually filled in until now the great city sprawls across a man-made plain in which Chapultepec stands high and alone. Special privileges were extended by the Mexican Government to the Hollywood visitors and they were taken upstairs in the palace into the living apartments of Maximillian and Carlotta, later to be occupied by a succession of Presidents, notably the famous Porfirio Diaz. There they saw Carlotta's own furniture and decor, the famous Aubusson carpet, the crystal chandeliers, the gold-plate, the silver and other now national treasures of Mexico, including priceless tapestries given to Maximillian by religious and political orders in France. Easter night the film group made personal appearances at five theatres, after which in the gigantic, stunning Palace of Fine Arts they were guests of the Mayor of Mexico City at a formal banquet and ball. The event to which all had looked forward and which was in effect the capping of the entire trip, took place soon after noon on Monday when, after a series of visits to the Ministries of Interior, Communications and Foreign Relations, the entire group was received by His Excellency, Manual Avila Camacho, the President of Mexico, in his suite in the presidential palace, the White House of Mexico City. President Avila Camacho expressed the pleasure of himself, his government and his people at the visit, and his sentiments were responded to by Direc Milling <tow«I outside IIi>i«'I Reforma at night (Wallace)