Page 112 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

American food restaurants represented at the Exposition included: a restaurant specializing in
Tuna dishes, the Oakwood Barbecue with its outside barbecue pit to flavor the air, and, of
course, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Building. Other American res~urants having displays were the
Bean Pot, Jolly Roger, Doughnut Corp., Pig'n Blanket, Vacationland, California Coliseum
Restaurant, Com on the Cob, Fisherman's Grotto, Tropical Fruits, two Fish Stands, a Fike Coffee
Shop, Louis Kahn stands, and a frozen custard stand.

The largest "entertainment" display at the Exposition was the "Cavalcade" show. In 1939, it was
titled the "Cavalcade of the Golden West"; and "America! Cavalcade of a Nation", in 1940. The
theater production, considered the "theme spectacle" of the Exposition, was performed in an
auditorium that seated 7,000 people. The live action performance written by Art Linkletter
covering 400 years of American history, was performed on a stage 400 foot in length and used
stage sets that traveled on rails. The events depicted by the performance included the discovery
of gold, the short reign of the Pony Express, and the San Francisco earthquake and fire. Some of
the characters protrayed by the thespians were Portola, Balboa, Serra, Cortez, Fremont, Sutter,
and Marshall.

Even before its official opening on February 18, 1939, the Golden Gate Exposition was a magnet
for dignitaries and celebrities. President Roosevelt toured the island while the Exposition was
under construction. Eleanor Roosevelt, during a separate tour than that of her husbands, actually
operated a steam shovel (for a short time). J. Edgar Hoover also paid a short visit to the
Exposition following its opening. The mayor of New York City, Fiorello LaGuardia, toured the
Exposition with San Francisco's Mayor Rossi. Since New York was hosting the "World's Fair"
at the same time as San Francisco was hosting the Exposition, there was the typical braggadocio
attitude of "My city can do this better than your city." However, it is worth noting that after the
Mayor returned to New York City the "World's Fair" adopted several methods used by the
Golden Gate Exposition. Among the dignitaries that attended the Exposition were the Crown
Prince of Denmark, and the Maharaj a of Karputhala, India, who was accompanied by the British
Consul, Sir Geoffrey Butler. -

The Exposition drew "big name" entertainers. A partial list of those best known included: Bing
Crosby, Bob Hope, Count Basey and his orchestra, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Fibber McGee, Kate
Smith, Bums and Allen, John B. Hughes (newscasts), the Billy Rose Aquacade with Johnny
Weismuller and Esther Williams, Phil Harris Review with Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone,
Betty Grable, the violinist Rubinoff, Benny Goodman and his orchestra, the Ziegfield Follies, the
Folies Bergere, the Fred Waring Glee Club, Lily Pons and Andre Kostelanetz, and the legendary
Leopold Stokowski (the conductor in the movie "Fantasia") directing the San Francisco
Symphony. One of the most noted events of the Exposition was a concert given on September
24, 1940. The concert, titled "Those Who Make America's Music", was a joint venture
presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. This group included
thirty-six composers some of which were famous names, such as George M. Cohan, Mack
Gordon, Jerome Kem, Dave Stamper, Hoagy Carmichael, and Irving Berlin. See Figure 37.

2-8 Historical Study ofYerba Buena Island, September I, 1995
Treasure Island, and their Buildings