Moving Picture World (Aug 1920)

August 14, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 873 First National 'Field Day” Stirs Oakland as Movie Folk Hold Stage THE initial “Field Day” for Associated First National Pictures, Inc., was made possible and brought about by Eugene L. Perry, manager of the T. & D. Theatre, owned by the Turner & Dahnken interests, which hold the franchise for First National for the San Francisco territory. “Field Day” was held in Oakland. It is declared that July 26 witnessed the largest crowd that was ever seen on the streets of Oakland. So great was the pressure to greet the film stars, that a call was sent in from a point adjacent to the T. & D. Theatre. It took the police to keep the pressing fans from overwhelming the passing stars. The populace then streamed to the baseball park, where a free program of sports participated in by the stars was staged. The film celebrities left Los Angeles for San Francisco in two special cars at 8 o’clock Sunday evening, July 26. They traveled all night and on their arrival in the city of promised excitement they were sidetracked for two hours and a half to make up for the slumber that is so often disturbed in a sleeping car berth. Greeted by Business Men. Oakland was on the qui vive for the celebration. At ten o’clock the sounds of music were heard in the vicinity of the station. Oakland could wait no longer. To the small boy, it was like a circus day and he was there for the arrival. The reception committee, selected from among business men of the city, had Walter D. Cole, president of the Chamber of Commerce as its chairman. They waited upon the First National stars and notified them that Oakland was waiting to welcome them with open arms and “open arms” meant packed streets. Behind the reception committee and the band on the trip from the train were Community Service girls garbed in white. They had baskets of bright yellow California poppy which they had showered on the visitors as they descended from their car. The First National stars were placed in “control” of the city by the operation of the mayor, John L. Davies, who took the visitors to his office and “swore” George Beban in as “Mayor of Oakland.” Beban was given the symbolic keys to the city and the warrant to establish his right to the title. The first event on the program was a parade participated in by Oaklanders. It was a difficult matter to get the visiting stars into automobiles, so great had the crowd about the hotel grown, but the feat was accomplished and they took their places in the procession, each with a banner on the side of the car to annouce to the people just who was in the car. Commercial Organizations Helped. The Marines and the Marine Band were followed by the business men’s organizations of Oakland, who valiantly rose to the occasion. The organizations represented in the line of march, all occupying automobiles, were the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, Ad Club, Rotary Club, Merchants’ Exchange, Mutual Business Club, Bussiness Development League, Elks, Lions, Kiwanis Club, Central Labor Council, Building Trades Council, Athenian Club, Progressive Club, Downtown Association, Uptown Association and Ashmes Temple. For the use of those of the clubs who had no motors, two automobile plants located in Oakland donated the cars necessary. The Navy contributed a band to help pay homage with an organization of 100 sailor musicians and 32 buglers. This organization was selected to precede the stars who came next in automobiles contributed by enthusiastic citizens or by automobile factories. A guard of honor of 300 armed sailors marched directly in front of the machines. Dense Crowd of “Hand Shakers.” As the procession neared the T. & D. Theatre, where the people were to be allowed to pass in and meet the stars, the streets were packed. At the doors men, women and children literally fought for a chance to get inside to shake the hand of the visitors. From the theatre the stars went to the baseball park, where the scenes of enthusiastic greeting were re-enacted. Ben Turpin and Charlie Murray organized a baseball team among the stars and met the Oakland baseball club, of the Pacific Coast League, on the diamond. The filmites had in their line-up Carter De Haven, Wesley Barry, George Beban, Roy Stewart, Bobby Vernon and Robert McKim. The ball game as described in the Oakland newspapers “was a riot of fun.” Vernon, Murray, Turpin and De Haven put on baseball stunts that are recorded as amusement history in Oakland. From the park the visitors were whirled to the Hotel Oakland, where they were guests at a banquet given by three hundred Oakland business men. Mayor John L. Davis welcomed the First National stars in behalf of the city of Oakland and announced that the keys of the city would always be ready for a First National contingent as long as George Beban retained authority. President Walter D. Cole, of the Chamber of Commerce, congratulated them on the wonderful progress of the film business, and ex-President H. C. Capwell contributed the witty part of the evening’s speaking. Manager Eugene L. Perry, manager of the Oakland T. & D., was tendered an ovation when he arose to speak. Impromptu Show Follows Banquet. At the close of the banquet, the stars went to the stage of the Oakland T. & D. Theatre, where the stars appeared in an impromptu vaudeville to the delight of a packed house. Such stars as Charlie Murray, Ben Turpin, Carter De Haven, Bobby Vernon, Fay Tincher and George Beban brought down the house, while the others in the company made short talks. Theatrical men and amusement promoters on the Pacific coast are one in pronouncing the event the biggest exhibitor feat accomplished and ever attempted out that way. The two men directly responsible for its success are Manager Eugene L. Perry, of the Oakland T. & D. Theatre, and Exchange Manager Sam Y. Edwards, of the Associated First National Pictures, Inc., of northern California. Their judgment of the feasibility of such a tremendous undertaking was underwritten by the firm of Turner & Dahnken, holders of the northern California franchise in First National. Showmen shook their heads when Manager Perry broached the subject of a First National day on such a scale, but they reckoned without knowing of the ability of Perry as an enthusiasm generator. He found a willing co-worker in the person of Exchange Manager Edwards, and together they journeyed to Los Angeles to get an insight into the attitude of the stars before they began making definite arrangements. The proposition was “sold” and the pair came back with twenty pledges to attend. Manager Perry immediately set to work on the Oakland details. Mr. Edwards cooperated with Sol Lesser, franchise holder in Southern California of First National, and his publicity director in Los Angeles, John MacCormick. The date was only ten days off and Manager Perry proved to be the superman. He secured the aid of the mayor of Oakland, who issued a proclamation asking the cooperation of the citizens. He secured the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce and eleven other civic organizations. Uncle Sam came to his aid with the army, navy and marines. Community Service Girls, Boy Scouts, hastened to aid in bringing First National stars to Oakland. The police department offered anything he wanted, as did the fire department. Manager Perry, practically alone and unaided, unraveled the mass of detail in connection with the event. In the meantime Mr. Edwards got busy. He notified the exhibitors in every city and town in his district of the projected day and backed up his statements with what the papers said. With everything ready in practically a week, Edwards divorced himself from the Oakland end and went to Los Angeles, where with McCormick and Lesser the final touches were put on the project. Oakland's Honored Guests. Mack Sennett saw the possibilities and had Frank Powell, his business manager, come on from Cleveland for the occasion. With a large crowd of exhibitors contemplating attendance, their decision was clinched with an arrangement for a preview of “Married Life” the morning of the big show at the T. & D. Theatre, for the visiting exhibitors. Agnes Ayres, Robert McKim, Walter Anthony, True O’Neill, Wesley Barry, Roy Stewart, Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Roy Stewart, George Beban, Bobby Vernon, Mildred Harris Chaplin, Mrs. Bobby Vernon, Mrs. Harris, Ben Turpin, A1 Cohn, Mrs. Ben Turpin, Carter De Haven, Fay Tincher, Marjorie Daw, Sol Lesser, Marguerite De La Motte, Bert Daniels, Charlie Murray, Carl Jensen, Harvey Graham, Frank Loew, “Ham” Beale, Frank Powell and Pete Smith. The Big Chiefs : Eugene L. Perry and Sam Y. Edwards. “The Go-Getters”: Sol Lesser and John MacCormick. The “Line ’Em Ups”: Edward M. Beland, N. H. Brown. The Backers : Fred Dahnken, Mrs. James Turner and D. A. Turner, comprising the firm of Turner & Dohnken. The “O. K.” Man: L. C. Cooke, auditor of Turner & Dahnken. Sidelights on the Big Show. Agnes Ayres, Marjorie Daw and Wesley Barry came into Oakland via the airplane route and Cliff Durant’s private flying field. George Beban as “Mayor for the Day,” occupied the official automobile set aside for the mayor of Oakland. Mildred Harris Chaplin and her mother stopped off on the way to New York to partake of Oakland hospitality. Carter De Haven seemed to have more personal acquaintances than any other visitor in Oakland. He was busy shaking hands all day. Margaret De La Motte was the idol of the ball players. They insisted that she occupy a place on their bench and work on the coaching lines.