1939 - The Movie Queen

From the October 21, 1939 edition of the

Plymouth Record and Ashland Citizen

Ashland Fire Department to Sponsor Entertainment

Members of the Ashland Fire Department met Wednesday to discuss plans for the showing of “Movie Queen” to plat at town hall in Ashland on October 26-27. “Movie Queen” is a combination stage show and moving picture, a 3-act musical comedy on the stage plus Ashland in the movies.

It follows the career of Mary Brown, who wins a trip to Hollywood as a reward for writing a winning essay on her petunia garden. Arriving in Hollywood, she is mistaken for the great actress, Marlena Slarbo and gets into the movies entirely by mistake. The rest of the stage show has to do with making her into a star and is a comedy of errors from beginning to end, from all of which Mary finally emerges as a Movie Queen. Having become the Queen, she wishes t make a return trip to her home town, Ashland. It is at this point that the stage show stops, and the movies begin, starting with the Queen’s arrival ostensibly from Hollywood. Her arrival is scheduled for the 12:40 train this Saturday, October 24. The film will include her reception, the parade in her honor, under the chairmanship of Roger McGlone, the presentation of the key to the town, her attempted kidnapping, with well-known business and professional men in the roles of kidnappers, her thrilling rescue, and many others. Movies will be taken around town all during the next two weeks, an many unsuspecting citizens will find themselves unexpectedly upon the screen.

The identity of the local girl, selected to play the part of the Movie Queen, will not be revealed until she steps from the train on Saturday. Movie pictures will be taken not only of participants in the parade but also of spectators and will be shown as part of the production on October 26-27.

Committees were appointed by Fire Chief Crowley, general chairman last night. An all-star cast is in the process of being selected under the chairmanship of Joseph Boyle, with rehearsals scheduled to start immediately. Other committeemen are “Red” Young, chairman of the film and ticket committee, George Cote, chairman of the publicity committee, Raymond May, chairman of the property committee.  Mr. McGlone’s assistants on the parade committee are Walter Brown, Raymond Micklon, and Lawrence Lee. Other committee members will be announced later.

A dancing chorus will be selected from the High School group as part of the stage show.

Stage Show! Comedy! Dancing Choruses! Glamorous Style Show! Moving Pictures! No ingredient has been left out to make this production, staged for the benefit of the Fire Department, an outstanding event of the season.

Miss Evelyn Anderston will direct the production.