January 2, 2013 /

THE UPLIFTERS – HARRY HALDEMAN, SPENCER TRACY, HAROLD LLOYD, L. FRANK BAUM,

Here’s the skinny from the Los Angeles Times about a club in Los Angeles where the high and mighty got silly and drank during Prohibition…

Goofy Goings-On at Honcho Hangout – Los Angeles Times.

The founder was the grandfather of the infamous Haldeman who was involved in the Watergate scandal. Grand papa was a “plumbing magnate” from Chicago who missed the “Hi Jinx” of his friends back home – so he recreated their (all male) milieu in a club house in Rustic Canyon.

A Group of happy campers at the dinner table in 1939:

1939 dining with the uplifters

Dressed up for the “Hillbilly Picnic”:

hillbilly day

The winners at the Uplifters Pajama contest:

1940 pajama winners

Here’s Milton Berle entertaining 3000 servicemen at the Uplifters USO picnic in 1942:

1942 Milton Berle Trudy Marshall Private Robert Haines 3000 enlisted attend picnic

You’re welcome, Mr. Lanier! I feel certain some of those ‘hillbillies” are men in drag 😉

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CategoriesChoreography Culture Design Entertainment fashion Film Friendship History Hollywood Humor law Los Angeles Movies News Photography Politics Relationships Theater Travel

TagsClark Gable Club grandfather Haldeman Harold Lloyd hi jinx Judges lawyers Milton Berle plumbers Politicians Prohibition retreat Rustic Canyon Sol Lesser Spencer Tracy Watergate Will Rogers

5 Comments

  1. laniersmith
    January 2, 2013

    What a Hoot! Yep Howdy I see some drag goin’ on in them thar hils!

  3. Ella B
    May 2, 2020

    Hi! Are these pictures yours? I am making a student documentary about The Uplifters and would love to credit you for these pictures if I can!
    Best,
    Ella

    • Vickie Lester
      May 2, 2020

      Hi Ella! I’m trying to remember the source of those pictures, I think they were from https://tessa.lapl.org/photocol — the digital collection of the Los Angeles Public Library — I just checked, yes, their collection is extensive and the credit should go to them. Check out the link and good luck with the documentary!

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