[1936 GREAT LAKES EXPOSITION HOME MOVIE]

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1936

Description: This distressed, silent, 16mm amateur shot home movie shows rare views of the 1936-37 Great Lakes Exposition, also known as the World Fair of 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio. It was likely shot in summer of 1936, as it shows scantily clad dancers who were banned from the fair in the 1937 season. The Depression era fair was intended to give the area a financial boost. It commemorated the centennial of Cleveland's incorporation as a city, highlighting the progress that had been achieved in the Great Lakes region in the last 100 years. The expo drew 4 million visitors in its first season, and 7 million by the end of its second and final season in September 1937. The fair garnered some international attention but was never considered a full blown success, since attendance was not as large as hoped for, and plans to construct more permanent lakeside recreation facilities never came to fruition. Even so, the Great Lakes Exposition provided two summers of excitement and entertainment for many Cleveland residents and out of town guests at a time when spirits needed a lift The film begins with a shot of The City of New York (:17) a steam barquentine known for being Richard E. Byrd's flagship on his 1928–30 exploration of Antarctica. At (:35) the bandshell at Sherwin-Williams Plaza is shown, followed by images shot at the Midway aka "Streets of the World" including a pagoda. At (1:17) the Olympia theater is shown with scantily dressed women parading outside, followed by more footage of the Streets of the World. (Note: the "Streets of the World" area provided carnival style entertainment with an international theme. Controversy over appropriate entertainment on the Midway swirled around the expo. Originally, nudity and "exotic" dancers were banned, but in 1936 several venues featured scantily clad females and striptease dancers. In 1937 the nudity rule was again enforced.) At 3:13, the film shows some views of Cleveland, and a woman getting into a Zone Cab. The film then shows a large swimming pool, and views of Niagara Falls and the International Steel Arch Bridge connecting the USA and Canada. At (6:20) the Maid of the Mist is visible at the base of the falls.

Complete Record: This distressed, silent, 16mm amateur shot home movie shows rare views of the 1936-37 Great Lakes Exposition, also known as the World Fair of 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio. It was likely shot in summer of 1936, as it shows scantily clad dancers who were banned from the fair in the 1937 season. The Depression era fair was intended to give the area a financial boost. It commemorated the centennial of Cleveland's incorporation as a city, highlighting the progress that had been achieved in the Great Lakes region in the last 100 years. The expo drew 4 million visitors in its first season, and 7 million by the end of its second and final season in September 1937. The fair garnered some international attention but was never considered a full blown success, since attendance was not as large as hoped for, and plans to construct more permanent lakeside recreation facilities never came to fruition. Even so, the Great Lakes Exposition provided two summers of excitement and entertainment for many Cleveland residents and out of town guests at a time when spirits needed a lift The film begins with a shot of The City of New York (:17) a steam barquentine known for being Richard E. Byrd's flagship on his 1928–30 exploration of Antarctica. At (:35) the bandshell at Sherwin-Williams Plaza is shown, followed by images shot at the Midway aka "Streets of the World" including a pagoda. At (1:17) the Olympia theater is shown with scantily dressed women parading outside, followed by more footage of the Streets of the World. (Note: the "Streets of the World" area provided carnival style entertainment with an international theme. Controversy over appropriate entertainment on the Midway swirled around the expo. Originally, nudity and "exotic" dancers were banned, but in 1936 several venues featured scantily clad females and striptease dancers. In 1937 the nudity rule was again enforced.) At 3:13, the film shows some views of Cleveland, and a woman getting into a Zone Cab. The film then shows a large swimming pool, and views of Niagara Falls and the International Steel Arch Bridge connecting the USA and Canada. At (6:20) the Maid of the Mist is visible at the base of the falls.