✅ SOLVED Snap shot of 1940s movie stars Who are they ???

[tamrock]

One of the things I like to do is go through the boxes of old photo's found in antique stores. I came across a bunch that had old shots of Washington DC and some were handwritten with a blue ink pen with some info of the photo and a few with the date June 1943. This 5-1/4" x 4" B&W photo is handwritten on the back, "Science Research Lab Anacostia D.C. Movie Stars etc.(no info as to who these people are). I would say the tall fellow 4th from the left-back-row is Jimmy Stewart, but that's just my opinion for now. As for the other people or so called movie stars in the photo, I've no clue just who they are?... I would say the photo was out of a personal collection that someone took of a trip to Washington D.C. in 1943. I also purchsed other photo I liked of D.C. from the collection.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[DCMatt]

I also agree on Michele Morgan.

DCMatt

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[nhbenz]

Maybe baldy is Otto Preminger? (or has that already been mentioned?)
Otto Preminger

 

[DCMatt]

Some additional candidates:

President Roosevelt's Diamond Jubilee. January 31, 1942. Pool feed to all networks, Mutual net, WOR, New York aircheck. Sponsored by: March Of Dimes fund appeal. A program of remotes from around the country. The program starts with birthday greetings in rhyme from Eddie Cantor. "Happy Birthday" is sung with each line of the song sung from a different city! Eddie Cantor (m. c.), Dinah Shore, Cookie Fairchild and His Orchestra, Walter Winchell, Kenny Baker, Danny Kaye, Sylvia Fine (piano), Katharine Hepburn, Maurice Evans, Bert Gordon (as "The Mad Russian"), Glenn Miller and His Orchestra (playing, "At The President's Birthday Ball"), Johnny Long and His Orchestra (from Washington, D. C.), Helen Young (vocal), Bob Houston (vocal), The Flatfoot Four (a barbershop quartet, from oklahoma City), Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (remote from Detroit), Hyman Tunensky and His Orchestra (? playing "You're A Grand Old Flag" from Dallas), Edward G. Robinson (from hollywood), Roy Rogers, Nelson Eddy, Tony Martin. 35:50

DCMatt

 

[Goodyguy]

Maybe baldy is Otto Preminger? (or has that already been mentioned?)
Otto Preminger

He never wore glasses.

 

[Breezie]

 

[tamrock]

View attachment 915109

Looking at height of John Payne in this picture who is in front of baldy in my photo. Sure! that could be the same guy?

 

[nhbenz]

So maybe the "dummy" in the corner is actually the little sailor in the middle there? Perhaps seated. And we're not seeing his whole face, making it appear smaller than it already is (relative to the adults).

 

[tamrock]

Some additional candidates:



DCMatt

Interesting! Sure says little something about how the this country thought of FDR on his special day. My 89 year old mother in her opinion says no president has ever been loved so much as FDR by this country ever since. She always starts with saying when talking about FDR " He did so many wonderful thing for this country" Mom loves to talk politics. I don't always agree with her, but she does make strong arguments, plus I believe she knows a thing or two.

 

[Breezie]

'If' the tall guy in the center is our 'baldy,' then we might could figure out who he is by the woman with him. I'm assuming it is the lady on our right/his left since she basically has her body pressed into his back. The guy on the right belongs to the unseen woman with a white glove on his arm. The short, grinning lady looks the right age and dress to be with the older guy in dark glasses. Our Christmas present to TNet & Tamrock would be to figure out who he is! Breezie

 

[Breezie]

James A. Farley Farley was commonly referred to as a political kingmaker and was responsible for FDR's rise to the presidency.

 

[tamrock]

Well thanks Breezie, I'm happy already on the results of this picture now. Your outstanding! But don't let me stop you. Man I sure wonder who took this picture. It is in the worst condition out of the others that I found of the pic's from DC dated 1942. I'm sure it was shown around allot in the past and considered a prize for some person 60 plus years ago. I found it in Salida, Colorado and the antique mall I found it in has changed hands and that dealer who had the booth I believe is now gone. I found it maybe a year or so ago. I think it is nice it can be shown to so many now with what we have to share stories in this day and age. I wonder also is this just a copy of a photo and others are out there or is this just a one off from a private collection?

 

[tamrock]

So maybe the "dummy" in the corner is actually the little sailor in the middle there? Perhaps seated. And we're not seeing his whole face, making it appear smaller than it already is (relative to the adults).

He could be that test pilot that lost his life on a test flight down in Roswell New Mexico around 1947 I think it was?... What was the name of that pilot He was a little guy "Just kidding"

I do have a hunch that the dummy was being toted around by Gene Autry and he pick up a bit of pointers on throwing your voice from a ventriloquist by the name of Max Terhune who loaned Autry the puppet. At this time in the life of Gene Autry he was one the biggest celebrities of the 1940s youth. I could see Autry brining the puppet to entertain the children he would be visiting on this trip he made to the Capital in 1942. That's just a thought.

 

[Breezie]

Thank you for the kind words, and I'll say THANK YOU from the entire group since it was a total group effort. [/B] I'm happy already on the results of this picture now. We still have to nail down our 'baldy;' I'm not totally conveniced it is James A. Farley. But don't let me stop you. Man I sure wonder who took this picture. It is in the worst condition out of the others that I found of the pic's from DC dated 1942. I'm sure it was shown around allot in the past and considered a prize for some person 60 plus years ago. I found it in Salida, Colorado and the antique mall I found it in has changed hands and that dealer who had the booth I believe is now gone. I found it maybe a year or so ago. I think it is nice it can be shown to so many now with what we have to share stories in this day and age. I wonder also is this just a copy of a photo and others are out there or is this just a one off from a private collection? I think it's the real deal judging by the wear and the back, but if there is another one out there identical to this one, we probably would have found it somewhere on the net. I was wondering if you would consider posting it on the Actors Fund Facebook page? It's possible someone may recognize our mystery guy, plus some of the family members of these people might want to purchase this pic. At any rate, it's something to think about.

(I typed within your quote, now I'm getting an error message that my message is too short, so I had to add this sentence. LOL)

 

[DCMatt]

Looks like were down to the mystery man...................

View attachment 914851

How about James Roosevelt - son of FDR?

 

[DCMatt]

'Nuff said?

DCMatt

 

[Breezie]

'Nuff said?

DCMatt

Oh, Matt, I wish I could agree so we could wrap-up & put a bow on this pic, but our original baldy can't be James R., FDR's son. He is too short. James Roosevelt was 6' 4" tall. John Payne was 6 feet tall. Our baldy is shorter than John Payne in the pic.

BUT, our 2nd Baldy could be James Roosevelt. The lady beside him looks like Betsey Cushing, his first wife. The guy on the right looks like FDR's youngest son, John A. roosevelt. He's certainly the right height.



Breezie

 

[tamrock]

I must agree that it is most likely Radcliffe. The newpaper photo gives a clue. Also, Radcliffe was Chairman of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis for decades and that is why all the stars are gathered.

Special thanks to Bramblefind for not succumbing to "group think".

DCMatt

DCM, Bramble, Good job on this one guys!....So, "Head em up" - "Move em out" Lets hit the trail with this cattle drive!

 

[DCMatt]

James Roosevelt. Not much question in my mind. I think we determined that this photo was taken the same day as tamrock's based on several of the women wearing the same clothes. I can't account for the height difference. Maybe he stooped to better fit in the photo. I do that for photos with my wife's family as they are all much shorter than me.

 

[DCMatt]

By January 1942, James Roosevelt was married to Romelle Schneider. I can't tell if that is her or not.

DCMatt

 

[Bramblefind]

I really thought at first that you nailed it Matt. James Roosevelt does bear a striking resemblance to the mystery man in the photos you provided! And when I researched him I saw that he was also a movie producer with a lot of Hollywood ties.

But Breezie did make a great point about his height. Also here is a photo from when he married his second wife and you can see he does -- to me -- look younger and a little different at that time. I'm not sure how old he was in the photo you matched.

Also .. while it doesn't mean anything definitive at all.. I did find this reference regarding Boston FDR Birthday Ball for 1942 and all it says is he didn't attend there since he was in the marines. (1/31/1942 Boston Herald) I found other references in early February to him being out in California but nothing on where he was on January 30th. So he could very well been in Washington for that party instead...