PHOTOS: Hollywood’s biggest movie stars who visited Fort Worth during 1940s-1950s
Matt Leclercq
·9 min read
Fort Worth was a frequent stop for some of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars during the 1940s and 1950s.
These photos from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s archive capture some of the glitz and glamour of those visits, including movie premieres, war bond drives, fundraisers, publicity junkets and personal trips.
Do you know of other stars from Hollywood’s golden years who came to Fort Worth? Let us know, and we’ll search for Star-Telegram photos to add to this gallery. Shoot an email to mleclercq@star-telegram.com.
Jan. 30, 1942: Judy Garland is in Mineral Wells to visit Camp Wolters for a USO show. She poses with two of her admirers, Billy Suddith, left, and Herbert Cohen of Mineral Wells. Miss Garland led a parade of 2,000 school children to the post office to purchase stamps. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 7, 1952: Joan Crawford and William Haines, both of Hollywood, were honored guests at a cocktail party given before The Assembly ball by Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Windfohr, and later attended the ball. Miss Crawford is the house guest of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Schenecker.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 3, 1941: Katharine Hepburn and Van Heflin coming down the balcony steps of the Hollywood Theater in Fort Worth after watching Heflin’s performance in “Santa Fe Trail,” the current picture at the theater.
Sept. 26, 1953: “Elaine Stewart, MGM’s newest glamour girl, shows how to descend gracefully from a tank on her arrival in Fort Worth with an assist from George Murphy, left, and Richard Widmark, while Russ Tamblyn is ready to shove from behind.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 10, 1953: Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart and Mrs. Stewart attending the wedding of Mrs. Hohnson Ehrhart and William Mitsch in Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 17, 1946: While on tour in Fort Worth, Bob Hope stopped by the Colonial Country Club for a round of golf. Mr. Hope was in town to perform a two-hour benefit show at Farrington Field the next day. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Dec. 4, 1949: From left, David Butler of Hollywood, Mrs. Gaylord H. Chizum, Bob Hope, Mrs. Lee H. Armer and Mrs. Robert K. Hanger, packed aboard a motor-scooter at the River Crest Country Club during the Milk and Ice Fund benefit match between Hope, Byron Nelson, Raymond Gafford and Jimmy Nichols. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 4, 1950: “Work was virtually at a standstill on Carswell Air Base’s flight line for Sgt. James Hamilton, left, and Staff Sgt. Arthur Botten. Reason was Petty Girls Barbara Freking, Shirley Ballard, Dorothy Abbott and Mona Knox and movie star Janis Carter who visited in connection with personal appearance at the Hollywood Theater in Fort Worth.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 30, 1942: Movie star Judy Garland is in Mineral Wells to visit Camp Wolters and appear in a USO show. She led a parade of 2,000 children to the post office to purchase defense stamps from Postmaster D. C. Harris. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 9, 1938: Frieda Betsky and Charles Ludwig, passing through Fort Worth on their way to Hollywood to be in the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
March 20, 1959: Van Williams grew up on a ranch near Fort Worth and attended TCU. He was discovered by a Hollywood producer in 1957 and signed a contract in 1959, which is probably why the Star-Telegram photographed him here. He would star in “The Green Hornet” in 1966. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
March 4, 1953: Stars of “I Confess,” Roger Dann and Anne Baxter, are kept laughing on their visit to Fort Worth by director Alfred Hitchcock’s humorous comments on movie-making. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 1, 1941: Movie star Ginger Rogers, right, is visiting Fort Worth with her mother, Mrs. Lela Rogers. Rogers, who grew up in Fort Worth, spent the day visiting and taking pictures in her childhood home. In 1940, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in her performance of “Kitty Foyle.” Her mother worked as a theater critic for the Fort Worth Record when Ginger was a young girl. The women are climbing aboard a train to return to California. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 19, 1945: Actor Gary Cooper, left, with his Fort Worth hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Wilkinson, center, and R. J. O’Donnell, far right. They are pictured on the Wilkinsons’ Highland Farms, where Cooper was the guest of honor at a barbecue. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 30, 1942: Judy Garland and her husband, David Rose, are visiting Fort Worth. Garland is set to perform in a USO show for the soldiers at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells. The couple is shown arriving at the Texas and Pacific Railway Station with an escort of Fort Worth Military Police. Ms. Garland is the first honorary woman member of the military police of World War II. The officers are, from left, Pvt. L.M. Howell, Cpl. L.A. Owen, Pvt. Jack Betz, Pvt. N.O. Shepherd, and Pvt. Robert Cooper. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 30, 1942: Movie star Judy Garland is in Mineral Wells, Texas, to visit Camp Wolters and appear in a USO show. The famous “Wizard of Oz” actress poses with Brigadier General Emil F. Reinhart, center, and Mayor J.C. Miller. Garland led a parade of 2,000 school children to the post office to purchase defense stamps. Date Created: 1942-01-30 Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Feb. 17, 1959: “James Garner, better known as “Maverick” in the television series, flashes an oversized key given him by Fort Worth Mayor Thomas McCann as the actor visited here. Margie Ward, mail clerk at the Hotel Texas, saw that Garner got plenty of official attention during his stay.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
May 30, 1952: “Glamorous Joan Crawford, left, thrilled at being back in her native Texas, enjoys a chat with her hostess, Mrs. E.W. Schenecker, during her visit here.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 20, 1940: Following a parade on 7th Street in downtown Fort Worth, movie studio mogul Samuel Goldwyn shakes hands with Amon Carter, owner of the Star-Telegram. In car is Mrs. Goldwyn and Gary Cooper, star of the movie “The Westerner,” partially filmed in and around Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 11, 1951: Kent, 4, and Kimmie, 2, cowboy sons of Ralph Houps, find it’s not so tough to hold up the screen’s No. 1 Western Star, Randolph Scott. The stickup was staged after Scott’s arrival here for the “Fort Worth” world movie premiere. Kent, Kimmie and Randolph Scott is shown wearing a cowboy hat in the photograph.
May 14, 1958: “Tina Louise, Hollywood’s newest sex package who has appeared semi-draped in some of the national magazines lately, arrived in Fort Worth on Wednesday draped in a blue linen, lattice front sheath dress and matching picture hat.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 21, 1952: “After several months of interviewing inebriates and inmates at city jail, ex-cop shop reporter Blair Justice drew luscious Joan Crawford on Joan’s first visit in more than 43 years to her native Texas.” Dub McPhail/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 3, 1956: Movie actor Jimmy Stewart with fans Bill Parsons and Cherie Johnson who greeted him at Amon Carter Airfield. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
March 21, 1938: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on a personal tour preceding the motion picture’s opening at the Hollywood Theater in Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 18, 1945: Actor Gary Cooper trying on cowboy boots in his Worth Hotel suite in Fort Worth, where he visited for a premier of his film, “Along Came Jones.” He produced and stars in the film. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 18, 1942: Attending a patriotic luncheon featuring Hollywood stars in Fort Worth, from left, Nigel Bruce, Janet Gaynor, Frank Weatherford, Basil Rathbone and Robert Stack. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 18, 1942: Janet Gaynor in Fort Worth for a patriotic war bond rally featuring Hollywood movie stars. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
May 30, 1952: Joan Crawford of the movies greets Bill Haimes, a former star himself, on her arrival in Fort Worth for the Mint Bar Party of the Fort Worth Art Association. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 14, 1952: Humphrey Bogart, Academy Award winning actor, lighting a cigarette in Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 18, 1942: Movie star Robert Stack shakes Nigel Bruce’s hand in Fort Worth for a war bond rally. At center is Al Broofsky of Galveston. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 19, 1962: Bob Newhart disembarking from a train in Fort Worth for the Opera Association’s “Holiday in Vienna” ball at Ridglea Country Club. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 13, 1950: Golfer and actor John Agar, of Hollywood, relaxing in Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 30, 1942: Judy Garland and her husband, composer and director David Rose, visiting Fort Worth for a USO show at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells. The couple arrived at the Texas and Pacific Railway Station. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 14, 1953: Stars of the 3-D shocker, “House of Wax”, enjoyed morning coffee in Fort Worth before personal appearances at the Worth Theater with the movie. Carolyn Jones sweetens up the coffee for Vincent Price, left, and Frank Lovejoy. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 1940: Actor Gary Cooper reading a Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
May 30, 1952: Joan Crawford of the movies greets Bill Haimes, a former star himself, on her arrival in Fort Worth for the Mint Bar Party of the Fort Worth Art Association. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
MORE: Check out other historic photo galleries from the Star-Telegram archives here, including:
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