George Lanning and the "Three Sensational Royals"

July 4th 1937 ... Shirlie was at Santa Cruz Beach as usual. She just loved the beach ... more than her precious "Valley of Hearts' Delight." Shirlie had just turned 19 years old, two years out of San Jose High School. Still finding her way and enjoying every minute of it.

Happenstance, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk had booked "the greatest aerial act of all time," the "Three Sensational Royals." Headed by an equally young George Lanning, this act did acrobatic and trapeze stunts atop a 100 to 150 foot tall rotating and swaying pole. Gads! 

The two met and must have had a great time, as George wrote Shirlie a week later saying the group would be in "Frisco a couple more weeks" and wanted to see her again. 

What happened to their relationship ... I do not know. Shirlie never mentioned it to me, but George wrote again (at least once) in February to let Shirlie know they were back in San Francisco. He re-introduced himself as "the crazy guy that you met at 4th of July at Santa Cruz 1937."

Well George became pretty successful with his aerial trapeze act, traveling all over America at fairs and carnivals. He was written up in local and national newspapers and such publications as Billboard.

The_Enterprise_Ledger_Fri__Nov_6__1942

The_Elba_Clipper_Thu__Nov_5__1942

Billboard Mar 28, 1942

Alas, he who lives on the edge, .... George Wesley Lanning perished in a horrific accident in front of a crowd of 1,200 spectators when his trapeze bar broke during a performance. That was on the evening of May 12th 1949, at the "World of Pleasures Show" in Battle Creek Michigan. George was only 31 years old, married with two young sons. Shirlie had a beat up old clipping of his death notice among her mementos.

The_Sandusky_Register_Fri__May_13__1949

The_Fairmount_News_Thu__May_19__1949

Shirlie always seemed to attract men with stories to tell and adventures to live. George Lanning (1918 - 1949), "The Sensational Royal," was another one of those.

The Storms of Jan - Feb 1969

Recent heavy rain makes me think about other historical storms here in San Jose. I remember the big storm at the beginning of 1969. I had recently rented a house on Lencar Way … the landlord gave me free first month rent if I would plant the backyard with grass. I said “sure.” Got it rototilled, amended the soil and spread the seed. Then the storm hit! Ruined everything I did as the whole backyard became a swamp … water turning the beautiful soil into eight inches of mud. Seed washed away, buried under mud or pooled into the puddles that dotted the surface of the soil.

Shirlie was already an established photojournalist by this time … and other than photographing wrestlers, her favorite assignments were disasters. Like car crashes, big fires, murders, strikes and, in this case, flooding in downtown San Jose.

The rainy season of 1968-69 poured an average of 27 inches of rain over the state. A series of powerful storms in January and February of 1969 resulted in widespread flooding across California, resulting in at least 60 deaths, according to one federal report. Forty California counties were declared disaster areas during that series of storms that also contributed $300 million in economic losses. Here’s a couple of storm photos that Shirlie took for the San Jose Mercury … with deep watery streams where roads are supposed to be.

Flooding on East Santa Clara Street. The Foursquare Church in the background has a sign: "Moved to 1470 McKinley Avenue" a move they made in the beginning of January 1969.

Flooding in front of the Williams Funeral Chapel on Santa Clara Street between at Seventh and Eighth Streets.

Happy Valentine's Day Shirlie Bug

In amongst other cards and stuff from Shirlie, I found this homemade, handmade Valentine card from Kenny. Thought I'd share it.

For Shierley Bug

God I’m glad yer my chum

Cause you are a little plum

But listen here ole pal of mine

Won’t you be my Valentine?!

Tee Hee!!

Maybe you would rather be

A Valentine to Dear S.C.

But I fergot – Tsk Tsk, Dear, Dear

You were their Valentine last year

Or if I were a little Kanakee

I’d take you to my grass shackie

Then let it rain or let it pour

But we could take a little detour!

But I’ve Thot ‘n Thot real hard

And remembered about a cute life guard

So I guess you’d rather be

A Valentine to Kenny – Whee!!

So There!!!

Santa Clara University Footall Programs 1930s

Back in the late-1930s and again in the late-1940s, Santa Clara University had great football teams. Tops in the nation. Went to post-season bowl games, at a time when that meant something, not like today. Here are a couple of programs from that era. (These came out of Shirlie's collection.)

For a lot of facts & fun stuff about SCU football through the years, check out History of Santa Clara University Football

San Jose State College Football 1937

Shirlie had this awesome scrapbook of photos she rescued from the San Jose News morgue ... all of college kids and sports from 1937-1938. She just could not see these great photos going into the trash. These are some that depict San Jose State College (later to become San Jose State University) football. Three are from the 1937 Thanksgiving Day game where the Spartans hosted the San Diego State College Aztecs. (SDS won 7-6) The other two are from 1938 showing some off the field activities of a few ball players and in 1937 greeting the gridders from Willamette, Oregon.

Paul and Peter Tiulana

Shirlie was a very outgoing young lady. During WWII she met sailors and soldiers and airmen because of her job and wrote letters with nearly all of them. A particular pair of brothers caught my attention ... Peter and Paul Tiulana. Both came through San Jose while in the military. Shirlie had held on to a number of letters from the Tiulana brothers. The ones that caught my eye were from Paul. He lost his leg in an accident shortly after he joined the armed forces to fight in WWII. He and Shirlie had met through his younger brother Peter and they corresponded while he was recuperating. 

The Tiulanas were from King Island in the Bering Strait, just off the Alaskan Seward Peninsula. He was an Inupiat Native and was taught at an early age how to survive in nature, how to hunt and where to go on the ice floes to look for seals. In addition, he learned how to mark moving ice, shore ice, and mainland ice to help understand drifting patterns and other necessities of living on a remote Alaskan island. 

The King Island Eskimos were forced to leave their island in the 1950s and were resettled in Nome, Anchorage and other locations in Alaska. Tiulana taught carving classes and workshops for the native organizations that serve Anchorage and he was a member of the King Island dancers for more than 40 years, serving  as their leader starting in 1956. He toured extensively with this group throughout Alaska and in the lower United States.

Even with an artificial leg, Paul accomplished so much in the world of art and dance, that in 1983, Tiulana was named Citizen of the Year by the statewide Alaska Federation of Natives for his work in promoting cultural heritage.

So here are some photos of his letters, which I have repatriated to the Tiulana family. The first three letters are from 1941 from King Island. Paul included a photo of himself by way of introduction. The others are from 1943 during the time of his recuperation.

A lifelong Alaska resident Paul Tiulana, 72, died June 17 1994 (b 21 Jun 1921) at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. He was a King Island elder, a culture bearer, a traditional musician and a lecturer. His Native songs and his carving talent live on in his children and his children's children. His family said, "We will remember Paul for his smile, his loving spirit and his willingness to share his culture."

Nana Ruth Gollner ... friend of Shirlie

Nana Ruth Gollner (Jan 8th 1919 – Aug 30th 1980)

I was rummaging through some more of Shirlie’s old letters when I came across a couple from “Nana Ruth.” At first I thought this was someone of her parent’s generation … “Nana” usually being a nickname for “grandma.” But when I read one of the letters, Nana wrote: “Shirley (sic) you must keep this a secret but next summer I may go to Europe on a dancing concert tour. Of course we would play America first. I am going to be the solo dancer of a small ballet for Mr. Kasloff. Wouldn’t that be great? I’m wild to go.” I just had to follow up on this!

So I discovered who Nana Ruth Gollner was. She was a remarkable lady. Born in El Paso, Texas, in 1919, Gollner was stricken with infantile paralysis at age two. One leg was severely affected, and an El Paso doctor suggested that instead of an operation Nana should try walking in sand. As Nana got stronger, the doctor also thought that daily ballet lessons would help … little Nana took to the dancing lessons with glee. By the age of eight, most signs of her paralysis were gone.

In 1927 or 1928, the Gollners moved to Los Gatos, California. This is where Nana Ruth Gollner met Shirlie Alice Montgomery. The two hit it off right away. (I remember Shirlie mentioning Ruth in conversation.) They both took ballet lessons and in 1929, the two girls were cast as Blossom Princesses in the Saratoga Blossom Festival.

Shirlie & Ruth Blossom Festival - Oakland Tribune Mar 21, 1929

 

1929 Blossom Princesses ... Shirlie on the left ... Nana Ruth on the right

NOTE: Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were also in ballet classes in Saratoga at the same time … Shirlie remembers them well from taking dancing lessons with them. Did they also dance with Nana Ruth?

The first letter I have is dated Feb 25th 1928. Nana was but nine years old. She was on her way to San Francisco on the train on her way to see Queen Mary’s Dollhouse.

Have you heard of the queen’s doll house? If you have not here is the story. Queen Mary of England has a doll house, that was given to her by a man. It has the very best of arts. The little piano is so small that it has to be played by tooth picks but a tune can be played. It has real books. The doll house has fifteen rooms in all. I am going to see it today, and in my next letter I’ll let you know more about it. Queen Mary of England has named it Titiana’s Palace. It took the man twenty years to finish it. I guess it is a beauty.

Nana Ruth also mentions that she is writing short stories and she included one she wrote in the envelope for Shirlie.

Nana Ruth’s story (all grammar and spelling is as she wrote it):

Once open a time there was a king who had a Prince, and a queen who had a Princess. One day the king and queen married.

The princess who was very beautiful was then taken to the ball and so was the prince. At first sight of the Princess the Prince fell in love with her. At the ball there were three wise men who told the life of the Prince and Princess. They told the king that the Princess would bring them bad luck. So the king had the Princess put in prison.

One day when the Prince heard of this he went around the street telling poiple what had happened. Finally he had quit a large army. They marched up against the king and made him tell them where the Princess was. When he did this and they found her the king was put in her place.

The queen was so glat to see her Princess that even though she dident like the Prince she gave them permission to marry. This they did and lived happily ever after.

Both the letter and the story are exceptional for a nine year old to write.

The second letter is the one that had caught my attention. It is undated, but probably early 1930s, as Nana Ruth started her professional career at the age of 14 (c1933). In the letter she says she in living in Hollywood and working at the studio … Kosloff Studio on Bronson & Franklin.

From Los Gatos by Peggy Conaway 2004 Arcadia Publishing

Nana Ruth Gollner went on to have a long and successful career, both as a ballerina and as a ballet teacher. During the 1940s she appeared alternately with the American Ballet Theatre, the Ballet Russe and the London-based International Ballet, becoming the first twentieth-century North American to gain prima ballerina roles in a European company. In 1952nshe moved to Belgium with her husband (Danish dancer Paul Eilif Petersen), where she lived until her death in Antwerp in 1980.

From an article in LIFE Magazine Feb 19, 1940

Shirlie led a truly interesting life and met some remarkable people along the way. Nana Ruth Gollner was another of those over-achievers that crossed paths with Shirlie.