Remembering When
by
Jerry Person
Huntington Beach City Historian
Dedicated to the people of Huntington Beach
Celebrating Huntington Beach's Golden Jubilee
The year was 1954 and Huntington Beach would be celebrating their July 4th with four days of fun. Starting three months in advance as Bill Gallienne and his committee began lining up who would be in our famous parade and in many events that comprise four days of pleasure that begun July 2 thru July 5th. The number of people on the many committees in both Huntington Beach and Orange County totaled 258 who helped to stage this gigantic event.
After all our city of Huntington Beach can have only one golden birthday and when it reached 50 years, the city celebrated as only our city could, "in a big way." Starting the great event with s Vigilante Committee who "Jailed" the mayor and other male VIPs because of the lack of chinwhiskers which was in style for the celebration.
Beginning over at the Pavalon Ballroom at the pier on July 2nd the coronation was held for the Queen who would rein over the events along with her Court. There was dancing with music provided by the Pastels and many of our residents took to the dance floor.
There was even a fishing contest of boys and girls. The teens fished off shore from the barge Elise II.
On July 3 a Kids Day parade was held in the morning with Sheriff John of television fame as its grand marshal. In the afternoon a stage show presented by the Pepito and Joanne Dance Academy. As night fell it was time for the jalopy races and ending the day with a Golden Jubilee Coronation Dance held in the Pavalon Ballroom.
But if the Linzenmeyer of Huntington Street had waited just a few more hours, their son would have been born on the 4th.
July 4th begun not with a parade, but with the birth of a baby girl added to the Pinket family over at Hoag Hospital. In the morning of the 4th the Pacific Electric Red Car with city officials rode into town just like it did 50 years ago in 1904.
In the afternoon a style show was held along with a 1904 Bathing Beauty Revue and Pageant.
On July 5 our famous grand patriotic and military parade starting at 14th Street and Main Street with this year's Grand Marshal motion picture actor James Cagney and followed by Honorary Marshal Miss Welcome to Long Beach Miss Marlene Becker.
In the Afternoon Val Moore and her troupe of Hawaiian Dolls entertained the people at the Open Air Beach Amphitheater. This was followed by in the amphitheater a Golden Jubilee Pageant of stars that included The Ca Can Girls, Pauline & Rene's Bounding Trampoline, Wally Blair Unicycle juggling, Blair soft shoe, Hector and his Comedy Dogs, Diana "The Rolling Globe" and closing withi the Red, White and Blue Line by Pepito & Joanne.
The Grand Display Golden Jubilee Fireworks aerial show directed by our own Bud Higgins at the pier.
No one can say that Huntington Beach doesn't do its events in a big way.