THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1998 °5-D OURCENTURY 1936 ATA GLANCE Cleveland hosts a big bash PLAIN DEALER FILE Jesse Owens and presidential candidate Alf Landon in 1936. Owens dashes Hitler’s hopes for Olympics Adolf Hitler was riding high. He had forced Austria into union with Germany and signed treaties with his Italian wannabe, Benito Mus- solini, and with the generals who had taken charge in Japan. Together, the ‘‘Axis Powers’’ were a new international force. PLAIN DEALER FILE Hitler was counting on the Olympics in Ber- lin to show the superiority of the Aryan race At left, the crowd kept the barkers in front of the Streets of the World plenty busy, milling about in front of the International settlement in 1936. In the over the rest of the world. photo at right, Billy Rose, left, Eleanor Holm and Johnny Weismuller, right, cut up for the camera during the Great Lakes Exposition. He didn’t count on a 22-year-old from Cleve- land’s East Technical High School and Ohio State University. James Cleveland ‘‘Jesse’’ Owens won gold medals in the 100- and 200- 7 million pass through Great Lakes Exposition; gloom of Depression lifts meter sprints, the long jump and as part of the 400-meter relay team. Hitler, infuriated, left Plane, Flying Scooter and other car- som, who got 100 wealthy Cleveland- 1937 show lost a number of exhibits, the stadium rather than congratulate Owens By Fred McGunagle nival rides or see 30-foot monsters, ers to contribute $1 million in seed but gained the one for which the expo or the nine other black Americans who won instruments of crime and violence, money. Dickey became general man- was best remembered: Dickey signed Shaking off seven years of gloom, monkey auto races, a midget circus ager. impresario Billy Rose to stage an ex- medals. on June 27, Cleveland kicked off what Owens became a national hero, but that and a snake show. Then there was the The site was what is today North panded water show featuring Eleanor would come to be called ‘‘the biggest Holm, who had been kicked off the didn’t translate into riches. To support him- ‘‘Nudist Colony’’ show, of which Coast Harbor, including the Rock and bash Cleveland ever threw.’’ Loveland observed that although Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and 1936 U.S. Olympic team for draining self, he ran exhibition races against horses At the stroke of noon, President too many glasses of champagne, and and dogs, barnstormed with the Harlem ‘‘something less than customers ex- the Great Lakes Science Center. But Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed a but- pect, it is probably more than they at the time, as John Vacha noted in a Johnny Weismuller, the Olympic Globetrotters, tap-danced with Bill ‘‘Bo- ton on his desk in Washington and the swimmer who had become ‘‘Tarzan’’ jangles’’ Robinson, and worked as a janitor. should see anyway.’’ 1996 article in Timeline Magazine, it pylon gates at E. 6th St. and St. Clair Visitors could eat on the showboat ‘‘served the city as a dump and some in the movies. Later, he was named ‘‘director of Negro per- Seventy-five ‘‘Aquabelles’’ and Ave. swung open. Whistles blew S.S. Moses Cleaveland or at the Al- of its least fortunate citizens as an ad- sonnel’’ for Ford Motor Co. He died in 1980. throughout the city, while on the lake- ‘‘Aquadudes’’ put on a swimming, pine Gardens, Mammy’s Cabin, dress for their Hooverville.’’ Three diving and water ballet show featur- • front, fireworks exploded as planes Clark’s, Chin’s, the Syrian Coffee thousand workers, including Works roared overhead and flags in tiny par- ing Holm in a blue swimsuit with The 1924 Republican National Convention Shop, Swedish Tea Room, Slovak Vil- Progress Administration crews, 10,000 sparking sequins in a ‘‘love achutes descended on the thousands lage Cafe and dozens of stands. For 35 turned the 135 acres into a fantasy in Public Hall had produced a victorious presi- below. duet’’ with Weismuller. It was an im- dential candidate, and the Republicans came cents, they could watch a condensed land in 80 days. mediate hit. The band struck up ‘‘Columbia, version of Shakespeare plays at the Roosevelt visited the expo on Aug. back to Cleveland in 1936. The winner on the Gem of the Ocean,’’ and hundreds of Bad weather hurt attendance, first ballot was Gov. Alfred Landon of Kansas, Globe Theater (‘‘As You Like It’’ ran 14. The welcome for his motorcade which was only 3 million for a two- carrier pigeons rose, bearing word 42 minutes). And they could applaud was, The Plain Dealer said, ‘‘proba- with Chicago newspaper publisher Frank everywhere that the Great Lakes Ex- year total of 7 million. But the expo swimmers and divers in a water show bly the biggest demonstration that was, as Vacha dubbed it, the city’s Knox as his running mate. Landon sent a tele- position was open. The crowd surged gram accepting the nomination. — though the show would be bigger anyone ever received in Cleveland — ‘‘biggest bash.’’ It made Clevelanders toward the lakefront. ‘‘They were and better in 1937. larger even than that given Col. feel better about themselves and their Billing himself as an ‘‘everyday American,’’ positively merry,’’ Roeliff Loveland Landon promised the widest radio campaign The exposition was the idea of Lin- Charles A. Lindbergh in 1927.’’ city. As bad as things were, they wrote in the next day’s Plain Dealer. coln Dickey, who had been manager After the expo drew 125,000 people could agree with what Roosevelt had to date. Later in the month, Roosevelt ap- ‘‘Can you imagine a crowd of Cleve- peared before thousands of cheering Demo- of Public Hall and who, by 1936, on Labor Day, backers extended it said when he visited the expo: landers looking merry three years headed the New York Convention Bu- another eight days. When it closed, it ‘‘Things are a lot better in the country crats in Philadelphia’s Franklin Field to ac- ago?’’ cept renomination. reau. It was to be a 100-day celebra- had drawn nearly 4 million visitors, than they have been for some years Not that prosperity had returned. tion of Cleveland’s100th anniversary employed 11,000 Clevelanders and past.’’ It looked as if voters were against him when Employment was up 5 percent over Maine voted for Landon at its September pres- as a municipality. Dickey sold the had broken even, so the committee McGunagle is Cleveland free-lance 1935, but was still far short of the idea to philanthropist Dudley Blos- announced it would be held over. The writer. idential election. Landon drew an enthusiastic 1929 level. Only days earlier, county crowd of 17,000 when he finally appeared in commissioners once more had Public Hall in October. warned they had nearly exhausted re- • lief funds. Mayor Harold Burton wired Gov. Martin Davey to send ei- A July 6 exhibition against the St. Louis Car- ther more funds or the National dinals gave the Indians a chance to see what Guard. their latest prospect, a 17-year-old Iowa farm But 61,000 people — the first of 7 boy, could do. Kicking his left leg high in the million over two years — forgot their air, Bob Feller struck out eight Cardinals in troubles for the day as they swarmed three innings with blazing fastballs. through exhibits and sideshows. Visi- In his first American League start, as the tors included a boatload of 1,190 youngest player to date in a Major League Chrysler employees from Detroit, the game, Feller struck out 15 St. Louis Browns. first of more than 2 million out-of- Three weeks later, he struck out 17 Philadel- town visitors. phia Athletics to tie Dizzy Dean’s Major For 50 cents (10 cents for children) League record. He also walked nine, hit one they could hear the Cleveland Or- and allowed nine stolen bases; opponents chestra on the Mall (temporarily learned to stay loose in the batter’s box. called Sherwin-Williams Plaza), Feller wound up with a 9-7 record and 150 watch Col. Stoopnagel do his show strikeouts in 148 innings. The Indians had vio- from Public Hall (temporarily Radio- lated rules by signing a sandlot player to a Ma- land) and tour exhibitions that in- jor League contract. He might have been de- cluded the world’s largest light bulb clared a free agent, eligible to sign with the (50,000 watts) at the Hall of Progress, highest bidder. The Yankees, Red Sox and Ti- a display of steelmaking at the Ro- gers reportedly were willing to pay him mance of Iron and Steel, exotic flow- $250,000, but Feller’s father announced he and ers at the Horticulture Building and his son would sue if their contract with the In- Gardens, an air-conditioned motor- dians was broken. Commissioner Kennesaw bus complete with a drinking foun- Mountain Landis fined the team $7,500, but let tain at the Automotive Building, and Feller stay. royal palms, orange trees and tropi- His arrival made a good team better. First- cal bushes at the Florida Exhibit. baseman Hal Trosky hit 43 home runs for a For a few dollars more, they could Tribe record and batted .343. Earl Averill hit take speedboat, paddle boat or am- .378, second in the league, with 28 homers. phibious plane rides. For a dime or a PLAIN DEALER FILE Outfielder Roy ‘‘Stormy’’ Weatherly hit .337. quarter, they could ride the Loop-a- An aerial view of the Streets of the World with the stage of the International Circle in the center.