The Coliseum was the place where you “could see ’em” yesterday — from front row celebrities to the farthest Joe Fan — as Los Angeles welcomed its newest “lodger” — El Dodger — in championship style.
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Packed between first and third base was probably the largest seated “Who’s Who” galaxy ever to crowd into a single stadium… Edward G. Robinson, with his cigar and wife (not necessarily in that order)… Actor Jimmy Stewart rushing out to buy a new Japanese straw hat to shield wife Gloria from the sun… Comedian Ray Bolger getting laughs with his Army surplus helmet, on which he had painted, “L.A. DODGER BEANBALL PROTECTOR.” Ray’s helmet had “HIS” on it; his wife’s read “HERS”… Beans Reardon on hand to see that nobody threw out the first umpire, and Babe Herman there to make sure nobody jammed up third base… former Coliseum prexy Jim Smith…
Brown Fearless
Atty. Gen. Pat Brown tempting fate (and votes) by confiding that if he gets elected he’s gonna campaign to change the San Francisco Giants’ name back to “SEALS.” That Brown is a fearless soul; he also stated he’s in favor of the sack dress… Gov. Goodwin J. Knight staring up at the sky as a helicopter with the streamer “CHRISTOPHER FOR U.S. SENATOR” buzzed the Coliseum… Director Al Hitchcock taking up a seat and a half in Section 9… Gregory Peck, wearing dark glasses and a hat down to his eyebrows, sitting on the Giant side with his young son… Athletic-appearing City Atty. Roger Arnebergh wearing a Dodger cap and looking as if he could play center field easily.
Danny Kaye, sitting by the Dodger dugout and insisting he has priority rights on the whole deal “because, after all, I was BORN in Brooklyn”… But he’ll have to dispute that with fellow Actor Chuck Connors, sitting five rows back of him, who played for both Dodgers and L.A… And probably the champ old-timer of them all is Howard Lorenz, ex-Angel official now with the Dodgers, who saw his first baseball game in Los Angeles in 1892. It was the “Tough Lions” versus San Diego in a game at Athletic Field at 6th and Alameda in the Southern California League… Who was the youngest fan present? Possibly Jim Livesay, 9 months old, who came with parents attached — Mr. And Mrs. Ronald Livesay of 6018 Alviso St., L.A….
(Photos by Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images; AP Photo)
Autograph Paradise
The section behind the Dodger dugout was an autograph hunter’s paradise: plain fans Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, Nat King Cole, Danny Thomas, Buddy Rogers, Ralph Edwards, director John Ford, Ted Husing, Tennessee Ernie, Gene Autry — with cowboy hat — Groucho Marx with cigar… In the special chairs on the playing field (known as “V.I.P. Gardens”) were Walter O’Malley with a blue flower in his lapel (color: Dodger blue) and his wife and pretty daughter, Terry, dressed entirely in blue… George Jessel with Del Webb, famed as the Guy Who Built That Left-Field Fence. Del sneaked out early with a topcoat over his arm. TOPCOAT?… Giant owner Horace Stoneham and Veep, Chub Feeney, his nephew, sitting in shirt-sleeves… Virginia Knight is a large white hat; Councilwoman Rosalind Wyman in a baseball cap…
Actor Dennis Morgan, ex-semipro player who used to work out with the Chicago White Sox, predicting that doubles will go for singles on that short left-field side… Eddie Brannick, Giant club secretary (with the club since 1906) arriving at the Coliseum at 9:30 a.m. for his first look at the joint — and mistaken coming through the concession entrance… Ten cute gals, who came with Johnny Boudreaux’s band, making a quick-change: from “Ramettes” to “Dodgerettes” (but the gold-sequined costumes were new)… a brave guy named Joe Hunt of Pasadena showing up in Bermuda shorts… Sitting on the Giant side: Jimmy Roosevelt, sheriff candidate Pete Pitchess, Walter Winchell and Dodger Ticket Manager Harold Parrott — who squeezed into HALF a seat at the end of the fourth inning… Sports personalities present: Win Clark, Mrs. John McGraw, Joe E. Brown, Olympic matchmaker George Parnassus, the Cal Eatons, Paul Schwegler, Mel Morrison, Ed Crowley, and some 78,000 more…