Sunday, September 30, 1934

Went to Sunday school. I stayed for church. Ollie was over. Played cards in evening.

September 30, 1934: Babe Ruth's final game as a New York Yankee. He batted 0 for 3. From New York, he went to the Boston Braves. He played in his last Major League game in Philadelphia on May 30, 1935, when he left the field with a hurt knee.   

Saturday, September 29, 1934

Straightened up the house today.

Kansas City, 1934 - Postcard

Shows: Union Station, Union Station Grand Lobby, Swope Park Entrance, "The Scout" statue at Penn Valley Park, Nelson Gallery and Atkins Museum, Post Office, Skyline, Municipal Auditorium, Liberty Memorial, Pioneer Mother statue, Aerial View, KCP&L Building, Country Club Plaza, Petticoat Lane, Municipal Airport, New City Hall, Kersey Coates Drive, and Jackson County Court House.

Friday, September 28, 1934

Daddy took us to school. Mr. States came after us. Nadine and I went to Prospect. Saw "The Circus Clown" and "Massacre."

Starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis
Directed by Ray Enright
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 63 minutes

Plot Summary:

The Circus Clown is about a man who wants to join the circus against the wishes of his ex-circus clown father.

Thursday, September 27, 1934

Rained today. Walked home from school. Got some pears. Ruth Ray and Pauline down. Played cards.

Clell Miller (January 9, 1850 - September 7, 1876)
AKA Cleland D. Miller or Clenand Miller or McClelland Miller

Miller was an outlaw with the James-Younger Gang who was killed during the gang's robbery at Northfield, Minnesota. He was born on either January 9, 1850 (the date on his tombstone) or December 15, 1849 in Kearney, Missouri. His younger brother Edward T. Miller also joined the gang and was allegedly killed by Jesse James in 1881.

Miller's body was photographed (see "death photo", above) and then buried in Northfield. However, his father claimed the body and Miller was buried at Muddy Fork Cemetery in Kearney.

Wednesday, September 26, 1934

Note: Ruth didn't write in her diary today.

R.M.S. Queen Mary
AKA "Pride of the Clyde"

September 26, 1934: The first great Cunard Queen, R.M.S. Queen Mary,was lauched at the John Brown Shipyard into the River Clyde.


"I am happy to name this ship the Queen Mary. I wish success to her and all who sail in her." Queen Mary, September 26, 1934

Tuesday, September 25, 1934

Mother still doesn't feel well.

Henry Louis "Lou" or "Buster" Gehrig (June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941)

 First baseman who played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees (1923–1939) and set several major league baseball records, including the most career grand slams (23), which Alex Rodriguez tied in 2012, and most consecutive games played (2,130) since surpassed by Cal Ripken, Jr.

September 25, 1934 Gehrig played in his 1500th consecutive game 

Monday, September 24, 1934

Us girls walked to school and home together.

1934 black and white detailed charcoal sketch depicting the City Market on Walnut at Fifty Street as well as City Hall. Includes vehicles and people. Artist: C. L. Budworth.

P.S. Happy birthday to Ruth's grandson, Shane!

Sunday, September 23, 1934

Mother and I went to Sunday school and church. Ollie was over. Pauline, Ruth Ray, Nadine and I went to Central Show. Saw "Finishing School" and "House of Rothschild."

Finishing School

Starring Frances Dee, Ginger Rogers, Bruce Cabot, Billie Burke, John Halliday
Director: George Nicholls Jr., Wanda Tuchock
Running Time: 70 minutes

Plot Summary:

The scandalous doings behind the high-toned exterior of a private school for rich young women provides the framework for this drama. Much of the story centers on an unhappy socialite and her smart-alecky, world-wise roomy who has no morals at all when it comes to getting what she wants. This of course, puts her at odds with the school's overly class-conscious administration, who live in mortal fear of scandal. As a result, the staff is encouraged to remain cool and aloof, something that causes the lonely socialite, who longs for her parents love, to become deeply depressed. Unfortunately, her father doesn't seem to care and her mother is too busy climbing the social ladder to notice. The socialite becomes increasingly despondent and thinks of suicide. Still she is not immune to the girlish pranks and gaiety of her peers. Her life also improves when she falls in love with the handsome med student who works at the school as a waiter. Unfortunately, things get bad again when he accidentally impregnates her. Fortunately, it all works out for her in the end



Saturday, September 22, 1934

Nadine and I walked up to the Dime Store. Lost my hat. Saw Pauline. Went to Gweyn's. She is sick.

Gresford Disaster - September 22, 1934

The Gresford Disaster was one of Britain's worst coal mining disasters and mining accidents. It occurred on September 22, 1934 at Gresford Colliery near Wrexham, in north-east Wales, when a violent explosion shook a section of the Main seam of the mine, over a mile from the bottom of the shaft, and a fire took hold. A total of 266 men died. Only eleven bodies were ever recovered from the mine.

Friday, September 21, 1934

Girls were down this evening. Played piano. Mother didn't feel very good. Went over to Mrs. Raifert's.

Group portrait of members of the Firestone Service Company bowling team with trophy, identified as the 1933-34 champions of the South Central Business Association of Kansas City Bowling League.

September 20, 1934

Mother stayed in bed today.

Sophia Loren
AKA: Sofia Lazzaro, Sofia Loren, Sofia Scicolone
Birth Name: Sofia Villani Scicolone
Date Of Birth: September 20, 1934
Country Of Birth: Italy
Birth Place: Pozzuoli, Campania

Loren is widely recognized as the most awarded Italian actress. She was the first actress of the talkie era to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance, for her portrayal of Cesira in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women. Her other awards include one Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Laurel Award. In 1995 she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements, one of many such awards.

Wednesday, September 19, 1934

Note: Ruth didn't write in her diary today.

Bruno Richard Hauptmann (November 26, 1899 – April 3, 1936)
September 19, 1934: Arrested for Lindbergh kidnapping and murder

A German ex-convict, Hauptmann was sentenced to death for the abduction and murder of the 20-month-old son of Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The Lindberg kidnapping became known as "The Crime of the Century".

Tuesday, September 18, 1934

Ruth Ray and Nadine down. Pauline down a minute.

Orpheum Theater
Kansas City, Missouri
Opened on December 26, 1914

The Orpheum was designed for a sumptuous experiences inside and out. Built to resemble the Paris Opera House, the exterior was faced with terra cotta designed to resemble Tennessee marble. Embedded along the top of the building’s facade were carved panels symbolically depicting art and music.


The lobby floor was enhanced with a random marble mosaic in figured patterns and panels. A spacious ladies lounge provided divans, lounging chairs, writing desks, telephones, and dressing tables as well as offering maid service. Inside the auditorium was a domed roof painted blue and highlighted with artificial stars. The main stage curtain was made of wire woven asbestos painted to resemble velvet drapery and weighed in excess of 1,200 pounds.

As motion pictures gained in popularity and vaudeville declined, the Orpheum owners tried to draw audiences with legitimate theater in the 1930s, motion pictures in the 1940s and legitimate theater again in the 1950s. These efforts proved to be unsuccessful at filling the theater’s seats, and in 1962, the Orpheum was brought down to make room for an addition to the Muehlebach Hotel.




Monday, September 17, 1934

Rode to school with Daddy. Changed lockers. Ollie and Mrs. Raifert over for supper.

Beethoven's 5th -The main theme of the third movement

September 17, 1934: First 33 1/3 rpm recording released (Beethoven's 5th)

Sunday, September 16, 1934

Went to Sunday school and church. Daddy bet $2. Lost. Pauline and I went to the show. Saw "Golddiggers of 1933" and "Gambling Lady." We wore our green dresses.

Theatrical Release Poster
Drama
Run time: 66 minutes
Released March 31, 1934

Plot Summary:

Lady Lee (Barbara Stanwyck), gambler's daughter, plies her trade while pondering the proposal of a social-register suitor (Joel McCrea).

Saturday, September 15, 1934

Pauline came down a while. Went to store. Took some dishes over to Carrie's for Mrs. Raifert. Read a while this evening.



Lotus Leaf quilting pattern

This small quilting pattern can be used as a single section. Or put all four corners together, you get an interesting square with points at each corner. Combined, it fits a 10" to 12" square. Published in The Kansas City Star on Sept. 15, 1934.

Friday, September 14, 1934

Rode to school with Daddy. He came after us. Ruth Ray and Pauline and I went to the show. Saw "Kennel Murder Case" and "The Fugitive."

The Kennel Murder Case movie poster (1933)
Starring William Powell, Mary Astor and Eugene Pallette
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Genre: Mystery
Run time: 73 minutes
Release Date: October 28, 1933

Plot Summary:

Philo Vance, accompanied by his prize-losing Scottish terrier, investigates the locked-room murder of a prominent and much-hated collector whose broken Chinese vase provides an important clue.

Thursday, September 13, 1934

Went to school today. Tonight got lessons all evening until I went to bed. Sure had a lot to do.



Wednesday, September 12, 1934

Got my locker at school. It was hot today. Pauline and I walked home together.

Gaetano Lococo (1895-1993)

AKA "Tano" or "Thomas"

 

Lococo was a mobster identified as one of the "Five Iron Men of Kansas City." In his early years he was known as an enforcer with the Kansas City crime family. Later on, he controlled an interest in several illegal gambling establishments.

 

In March 1950 Lococo was identified at a meeting of U.S. and Sicilian mobsters at a Tiajuana, Mexico hotel. When local Mexican police found out about the meeting, they ended it prematurely. Less than a month after the conference, Kansas City boss Charles Binaggio and underboss Charlie Gargotta were assassinated. It was speculated during the Kefauver hearings on organized crime a few years later that the decision to whack Binaggio had been made at the Tiajuana meeting.

 

Gaetano Lococo died  of natural causes at the age of 98.

Tuesday, September 11, 1934

Went to school. Got lessons done, then Pauline, Nadine and I went to church. They had some slides.

Region 8 Sea Scouts BSA
September 11, 1934 - Lincoln, Nebraska

Sea Scouting is a coed outdoor program for young adults 14-20 years old and their adult advisors.

The Sea Scout Promise follows:

As a Sea Scout I promise to do my best:

To guard against water accidents;

To know the location and proper use of the lifesaving devices on every boat I board;

To be prepared to render aid to those in need;

To seek to preserve the motto of the sea, Women and children first.

Monday, September 10, 1934

Went to school. Rode with Pauline. Kind of cold. Got my lessons done. Pauline and I went walking in evening.

Kansas City jazz, which came into its own in the 1920s and 1930s, is distinguished by the following musical elements:

A preference for a 4/4 beat over the 2/4 beat found in other jazz styles of the time. As a result, Kansas City jazz had a more relaxed, fluid sound than other jazz styles.

Extended soloing. Fueled by the non-stop nightlife under Political Boss Tom Pendergast, Kansas City jam sessions went on well past sunrise, fostering a highly competitive atmosphere and a unique jazz culture in which the goal was to "say something" with one's instrument, rather than simply show off one's technique. It was not uncommon for one "song" to be performed for several hours, with the best musicians often soloing for dozens of choruses at a time.

So-called "head arrangements". The KC big bands often played by memory, composing and arranging the music collectively, rather than sight-reading as other big bands of the time did. This further contributed to the loose, spontaneous Kansas City sound.

A heavy blues influence, with KC songs often based around a 12-bar blues structure, rather than the 8-bar jazz standard.

One of the most recognizable characteristics of Kansas City jazz is frequent, elaborate riffing by the different sections. Riffs were often created - or even improvised - collectively, and took many forms: a) one section riffing alone, serving as the main focus of the music; b) one section riffing behind a soloist, adding excitement to the song; or c) two or more sections riffing in counterpoint, creating an exciting hard-swinging sound. The Count Basie signature tunes "One O'Clock Jump" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside", for example, are simply collections of complex riffs, memorized in a head arrangement, and punctuated with solos. Glenn Miller's famous swing anthem "In the Mood" closely follows the Kansas City pattern of riffing sections, and is a good example of the Kansas City style after it had been exported to the rest of the world.

Sunday, September 9, 1934

I went to Sunday school today by myself. Mother didn't feel well enough to go. It rained hard tonight. Read and studied. Ruth Ray and Nadine down.

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)

An American business magnate, investor, aviator, aerospace engineer, film maker and philanthropist, Hughes was one of the wealthiest people in the world. As a maverick film producer, he gained prominence in Hollywood from the late 1920s, making big-budget and often, controversial films like The Racket (1928), Hell's Angels (1930), Scarface (1932) and The Outlaw (1943).

 Hughes was one of the most influential aviators in history: he set multiple world air speed records, built the Hughes H-1 Racer and H-4 "Hercules" (better known to history as the "Spruce Goose" aircraft), and acquired and expanded Trans World Airlines, which would later on merge with American Airlines. Hughes is also remembered for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle in later life, caused in part by a worsening obsessive–compulsive disorder and chronic pain. His legacy is maintained through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Saturday, September 8, 1934

Straighted up the house a bit. Was going to go to town but didn't go. Kind of cool today.

Long Island Tropical Storm of September 8, 1934 (Hurricane #6)

On September 8, 1934 a tropical storm first reported over the eastern Bahamas passed over Long Island after brushing by Cape Hatteras on its journey north. The storm attained hurricane strength with the lowest pressure point received from a ship at sea being 28.56 inches (967 millibars).

The New York City area was on the western side of the storm as it crossed Long Island, but still reported near hurricane force winds and very heavy rain that caused roads to become impassible. The 4.86 inches of rain that fell in Central Park on September 8, 1934 stands to this day as the 8th greatest single day precipitation total. At the time it was the 4th greatest single day total.


In the New Haven, CT area electric lines were reported down and transportation impaired by the storm, including in Milford where trolley cars were reported to have been inundated. Near Atlantic City, NJ, 3 men on a fishing trip drowned when their 35 foot power boat capsized 2 ½ miles off shore. Cape Hatteras reported 7.72 inches of rain in 24 hours and a peak wind gust to 65 mph in the wake of the storm as it moved away to the north, but no property damage or loss of life.

Friday, September 7, 1934

Went to the Murray Show and saw Little Miss Marker again with Nadine and Pauline. Saw Freckles in person.

Freckles and his Friends - 1934

Freckles and his Friends was a popular American comic strip set in the peaceful small town of Shadyside where young Freckles McGoosey and his friends live. Although the long-run strip, created by Merrill Blosser, is remembered for its continuing storyline involving a group of teenagers, it originally featured a child at the age of six or seven in gag-a-day situations.

Illustrated by Blosser and later by Henry Formhals (1908-1981), Freckles and His Friends was ghostwritten by Fred Fox (1903-1981). A gagwriter for Groucho Marx and Judy Canova, Fox scripted for radio, television and films. Widely syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, Freckles and His Friends had a long run through much of the 20th Century.

Thursday, September 6, 1934

Went to school with the kids. My teachers are Shorthand - Cornell, Typing - Cornell, English - Kite, Latin - Wynne, History - Deeson.

A bolide (an especially bright meteor)

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on September 6, 1934, a large meteor was witnessed by people in all quarters of the State of Kansas, from many parts of Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, and the Panhandle of Texas.



Wednesday, September 5, 1934

Daddy took us to school. I'm taking Shorthand, 2nd year Latin, English, Typing and History. Walked home with the girls.

Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl
(22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003)

A German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker, Riefenstahl's most famous film was Triumph of the Will, a documentary film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the National Socialist Party.

Riefenstahl's prominence in the Third Reich, along with her personal association with Adolf Hitler, destroyed her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.



Tuesday, September 4, 1934

Went to school today. Walked home with the girls. Didn't get books. Went to the library downtown.

Central High School
3611 East Linwood Boulevard
Kansas City, Missouri

The school was termed the first million dollar school. It was founded in 1924 and cost about $900,000 to build, a considerable sum of money then. The architect was Charles A. Smith who designed it in the Neo-Classical style. A reconstruction took place in 1984.

It is the only school building in the Kansas City, Missouri School District to have a ramp that winds back and forth from the first floor to the third floor. It includes two gymnasiums and an auditorium that seats 1700. There is a swimming pool which has now fallen into disuse.

The school closed in 2010.

Monday, September 3, 1934

Today is Labor Day. Mother got up out of bed today. Pauline was down tonight.

Residence of Henry A. Auerbach, co-founder, Palace Clothing Co., after 1934 drought, 4500 Warwick Blvd.

The hottest Kansas City summer on record was 1934, with an average temperature of 84.9 degrees.




Sunday, September 2, 1934

Didn't go to Sunday school today. Mother is still sick in bed. Aunt Kate and Uncle Laten came by and took me to the magazine shop.

Clara Shortridge Foltz (July 16, 1849 – September 2, 1934)

Foltz was the first female lawyer on the West Coast. She was the sister of U.S. Senator Samuel M. Shortridge. The Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles was renamed after her in 2002, and is now known as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Saturday, September 1, 1934

Had pancakes for breakfast. Mother was sick in bed today. Ollie and Mrs. Raifert were over. Uncle Laten came by for a bit.

September 1, 1934 - U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt talks about the artist's special place in society.