[BifRayRock]

'33 Long Beach Quake


Some are familiar with W.C. Field's contribution to earthquake safety allegedly filmed during the '33 quake.

During the filming of one of W.C. Fields' scenes, a mild earthquake struck Los Angeles. The earthquake was supposedly captured on film. In the film clip, Fields and his co-stars are speaking their lines on the hotel lobby set, when the picture begins to shake as if the camera is vibrating. A chandelier on the set begins to swing back and forth, and a lamp suddenly falls over. Fields calmly ushers his co-stars off the sound stage, telling them to stay calm and walk slowly. The "earthquake footage" of Fields was played in newsreels across the country in the weeks following the 1933 quake. Nearly forty years later, however, director A. Edward Sutherland admitted that the "earthquake footage" was a hoax concocted by Fields and himself. It was done by rigging wires on the lamp and chandelier, and shaking the camera to simulate an earthquake. Sutherland claimed that he and Fields were amazed when the "earthquake footage" was accepted as genuine by newsreel distributors. "We shared a big laugh and an even bigger drink," the director recalled. To this day, the fake "earthquake footage" is occasionally broadcast and accepted as genuine by entertainment TV shows such as "Access Hollywood." The footage appears in the film Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024183/trivia

Footage of the Long Beach Quake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4-26EIqEac


Relief Camp at Lincoln Park, LB
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...3XJ6B8A258.jpg

Day after LB Quake
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...3FPAUJBYVY.jpg

Pike suffers damage too.
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...NQJBXFSG91.jpg


Compton (seen before) Example of widespread damage.
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...NDG8HPEXP3.jpg


Shore Patrol stands guard
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...E2QLUY41VB.jpg


Open Air Mkt
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...ALG9M7M8Q2.jpg



'33 LA Suburbs - Where peanut butter and jelly is appreciated.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1200&h=676

http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1200&h=768

Compton Bank Now Open. Wondering if they can cash a check/
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1124&h=768


Ideal Laundry, South Van Ness, Long Beach
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1200&h=685


Apts on Cedar Street, Long Beach.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1200&h=672





And in a few short years no more double vision?

Source dates this image to 1940. Autos appear to be from much earlier date. Presently unable to peg date to Musical Premier. Anyone have tickets?

1940(?)
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Converter?i...0&w=1030&h=643