In March, 1940 the American Legion of Willimantic, CT staged a benefit featuring the town’s businesses and religious and civic organizations. The local paper ran daily articles leading up to the performances advising the public to what was happening and calling for participants. There was a plot and a leading lady and leading man. These 7 entries are transcriptions of those articles found in my Mother’s scrap book. Sorry, but there was no mention of the paper or journalist. [It seems that “the director, young and fetching Miss Showalter” directed a number of “Movie Queens” throughout NE.]
Movie Queen Now getting Under Way
Sponsored by Auxiliary to American Legion Post
Production of Movie Queen a four act presentation in which the first three acts are given over to sprightly dancing, singing, a style show and vaudeville features and the fourth a motion picture of local people, is in the process of getting under way this week.
The mammoth presentation is being sponsored by the auxiliary to James J. Shea Post, No. 19, American Legion and Miss Margaret Showalter of the American Theater Guild of Boston, Mass will direct the efforts of local amateurs.
The director, young and fetching Miss Showalter, is a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. and a graduate of the School of Speech at Louisiana State University. Majors in dancing and dramatics fitted Miss Showalter for her position. She will be in charge of both the stage and movie features of Movie Queen and reports the latter will be centered around a real queen chosen from the local younger set.
The plot of the play deals with the hilarious situation arising when a naive country girl writes an essay on her petunia garden and is awarded a trip to Hollywood. Arriving there she is mistaken for an eccentric Russian actress and plummeted to stardom in scenes that are dizzy burlesque of the film industry.
The heroine of Movie Queen is to be carefully selected and her identity kept secret until Saturday afternoon when she will ostensibly arrive at the local railroad station from Hollywood via Hartford and the 2:21 bus. She is to be greeted by the mayor and a host of other notables, paraded to the town hall and presented the key to the city. Cameras will grind away during all these festivities and the scenes used to provide the fourth act of the drama portraying the country girl’s return to her home town as a star.
Incidentally motion pictures will be taken of everyone on hand for the “welcome home” and parade, so numerous local people will have the opportunity of seeing themselves on the screen when the production is given in St. Mary’s Hall at 8:15 p. m., March 28th and 29th. There will be a special matinee for children on the first day.
