Walt Olsen and "Celeste." Walt is the musician and "Celeste" is his electric piano. The pair are members of the eleven piece Brad Bannon Orchestra, playing locally at the Century Ballroom in Fife. (T. Times 12/27/1940, pg. 4)

Brad Bannon Orchestra (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Pianists; Pianos; Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Saxophone quartet, part of the Brad Bannon Orchestra, wails at the Music Box Theatre. The quartet is comprised of three altos and one tenor. The musicians are, left to right, unidentified (possibly Bob Newman, usually featured on the clarinet,) Bob Earle, Art Doll and Hal Gullett. Mr. Gullett had played with the orchestra from its origination and Mr. Earle for five years. Art Doll wrote and arranged much of the music. Mr. Doll also taught music in the Puyallup School District for 30 years until he retired in 1982. He performed with the Art Doll Trio from 1950 until his death and took over the baton of Max Frolic as conductor of the official band of the Western Washington Fair. He died in March of 1986 at the age of 65. (T. Times 12/27/1940, pg. 4; 1/31/1941, pg. 11)

Brad Bannon Orchestra (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Saxophones; Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950; Earle, Bob; Doll, Art; Gullett, Hal;

Brad Bannon in formal evening dress with conductor's baton poses at the Music Box Theater. Mr. Bannon was the leader of his own popular local dance band, the Brad Bannon Orchestra. The eleven piece orchestra would be opening the newly decorated and remodeled Century Ballroom in Fife on December 28, 1940. As dance music sank from popularity, Mr. Bannon became a successful insurance broker. (T. Times 12/27/1940, pg. 4)

Brad Bannon Orchestra (Tacoma); Bannon, Brad; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Conductors; Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Johnny Quinn, drummer of Brad Bannon's Orchestra at the Music Box Theatre. Quinn is pictured at his drum set, with the bass drum marked "J.Q" and "B.B." Bannon and his eleven piece orchestra played local dances and the Century Ballroom. (T. Times 12/27/1940, pg. 4)

Brad Bannon Orchestra (Tacoma); Drums; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950; Quinn, Johnny;

Bill Conner, of the Music Box Theater, accepts a can of green beans from Leonard South while Dorothy South and Nonie Ontai (far right) wait to make their contributions to the Salvation Army food drive. The Music Box Theater, 902-14 Broadway, had a special "canned goods" matinee at 11:15 on Saturday, December 21, 1940. Children who brought one or more cans of food to donate to the Salvation Army received free admission to the double feature showing that day. Looking on are Virginia Bucklin, an usherette at the theater and Major Earl Williams of the Salvation Army. (T. Times 12/18/1940 p.3)

Salvation Army (Tacoma); Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Conner, Bill; South, Leonard; South, Dorothy; Ontai, Nonie; Bucklin, Virginia; Williams, Earl;

On July 23, 1941, eleven Boy Scouts of Troop 42 from the Larchmont area of southeast Tacoma came downtown to contribute 135 pieces of scrap aluminum to the aluminum collection drive. The metal was needed to build bombers for the Army Air Corp. The main collection dump was at the corner of South 9th and Broadway, in front of the Music Box Theater. The Larchmont area centered near South 96th Street and Pacific Avenue; it was planned to be a select suburban community with streets named after famous colleges such as Harvard, Yale and Amherst. Boys taking part in the aluminum drive were: (in no particular order) Billy Bowlin, Walter Oden, Richard Ruth, Dickie Hansler, Don Lang, Elroy Burnett, Gerald Griffith, Raleigh Elkins, Stanley Vernon, Leslie Roley and Tomio Akimoto. (T. Times 7/25/1941, pg.3)

World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives; Boy Scouts of America, Troop 42 (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Aluminum;

On July 23, 1941, Boy Scouts from Troop 42 (Larchmont) and Sea Scouts from the SSS Rainbow (McKinley Hill) debate how much muscle power is needed to heave the 50 lb. aluminum door into the collection enclosure. The high wire fence behind the boys, located in the 900 block of Broadway, was the central collection site for donations. The mountain of used aluminum would be donated to the national committee to be melted down and used to build airplanes. The door was a relic of an old submarine, scavenged from the scrap heap at the Bremerton Navy yard for use at Camp Hohobas on Hood Canal. Sea Scouts (in no particular order) Bud Christiansen, Arne Skaugset and Roy Ernsbarger helped toss the door over the wire. Music Box Theater in the background. (T. Times 7/25/1941, pg. 3)

World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives; Boy Scouts of America, Troop 42 (Tacoma); Sea Scouts (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Aluminum;

A couple of Sea Scouts, from the SSS Rainbow- McKinley Hill area, give a 50 pound aluminum door the old heave-ho on July 23, 1941, tossing it into the area set aside in the 900 block of Broadway for scrap aluminum donations. The aluminum will be melted down and put to use building airplanes. Bud Christiansen, Arne Skaugset and Roy Ernsbarger helped toss the metal, a relic from an old submarine, over the wire. (T. Times 7/25/1941, pg. 3) TPL-9145

World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives; Boy Scouts of America, Troop 42 (Tacoma); Sea Scouts (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Aluminum;

This venerable Pierce Arrow rolled up to the defense metal "corral" at 9th and Broadway on July 23, 1941 and was donated to Tacoma's aluminum drive by Cole E. Oliver, owner of Oliver Taxi and Ambulance Company, and William E. Erickson, who worked with him. The vehicle was purchased as an ambulance and at its prime was valued at $9,000. Aluminum Drive Chairman Russell N. Anderson hoped to get 1,000 pounds of the metal out of the car, which was made almost entirely of aluminum. Pictured around the vehicle, left to right, are Cole E. Oliver, Tommy Burns, Kenny Johnson, William Erickson, Police Officer Ross Mowre and Russell Anderson. In the background is the Music Box Theater, 902-14 Broadway, showing Clark Gable and Rosalind Russell in "They Met in Bombay." For several years in the early to mid-1920s the Pierce Arrow was manufactured with bodies cast of aluminum. This appears to be a 1926 Model 80 4-door sedan. (T. Times 7/23/1941, pg. 3)

World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives; Pierce Arrow automobile; Oliver, Cole; Erickson, William; Anderson, Russell N.; Burns, Tommy; Johnson, Kenny; Mowre, Ross; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma);

The Music Box Theatre was built in 1889 by the Tacoma Opera House Company and was first known as the Tacoma Theater, it officially opened in January 1890. In 1925 the building was sold to S. R. Barkwill and a group of associates from the Tacoma Theater Building Company for $450,000, making this the largest single realty transaction in Tacoma, at this time. In 1927 it was renamed the Broadway Theater. View of new candy bar at the Music Box Theatre.

Snack bars--Tacoma; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Confectioneries--Tacoma; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma);

In 1933 the theater was renamed the Music Box, and at one time it was known as John Hamrick's Music Box. In 1939 they featured the famous "The Wizard of Oz" with Judy Garland. Throughout the years the Music Box had special appearances made by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Sally Rand. View of candy bar and candy girl at the Music Box Theatre, staircase view on upper left side. TPL-9263

Snack bars--Tacoma; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Confectioneries--Tacoma; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma);

Music Box Theatre had remodeled the interior and opened up a new candy bar in December 1947. The theater was currently featuring MGM's "The Bride Goes Wild" with Van Johnson and June Allyson, and "The Adventuress" with Deborah Kerr. View of unidentified woman, possibly a Music Box employee with the new "Bunny Rabbit" at the Music Box Theatre, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Stage props; Rabbits; Plywood; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Music Box Theatre was getting ready to show Walt Disney's "Bambi", the movie was re-released by RKO Radio Pictures. The second feature would be "Gas House Kids in Hollywood" and Walt Disney's "The Bone Stealer" starring Pluto. View of new plywood "Bunny Rabbit" at the Music Box Theatre, an unidentified woman is standing by it wearing a movie usher uniform, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Stage props; Rabbits; Plywood; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Uniforms; Ushers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

This is the proud contest winner at the Music Box Theater happily posing with a new Westinghouse Rancho range. The electric stove has four burners, all on one side, an oven with a storage drawer underneath and an open area under the burners that has been labeld as "Tuck-Away" room. Ordered by Ross Schmidt.

Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Stoves--Tacoma--1950-1960; Contests--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The students of Arlington Elementary School were invited to the Music Box Theatre to watch Walt Disney's "So Dear to My Heart" in technicolor on March 2, 1949. The movie poster reads "A Dilly-Dilly Delight;" Burl Ives, Beulah Bondi, Harry Carey, Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten star in the movie. Exterior view of the Music Box Theatre, Arlington's 2nd and 3rd grade students are standing with their teacher, holding a sign that lists their names.

Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Motion pictures; Motion picture posters; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Motion picture audiences--Tacoma; Arlington School (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma);

Mrs. F.F. Paige, the grandmother of the actress Janis Paige, was shown a special screening of the movie "Her Kind of Man" on Friday May 3, 1946 at the Music Box Theater in Tacoma. Warner Brothers sent a special print of the film to Tacoma because Mrs. Paige had been seriously ill. Janis Paige, the former Donna Mae Jaden, was a 1941 graduate of Stadium High School. "Her Kind of Man" was her first feature film to be released. (T.Times, 5/4/1946, p.4) Album # 5

Actresses; Paige, Janis--Family; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Motion pictures--1940-1950;