When I first saw this photo, I couldn’t understand why Carmen Miranda would be dancing on a car in front of the Melody Lane restaurant on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. And why did it look as though the intersection was packed with people? So I did some digging and found that the photo was taken on August 14, 1945, which is the date that President Truman announced to the American people that the Japanese had agreed in principle to the Allied’s terms of surrender, which meant that World War II was finally over. The news hit the west coast at 4pm at which time it felt like, according to one report I read, “every siren and automobile horn in Los Angeles went off.” The unofficial epicenter of the celebrations quickly became Hollywood and Vine. I don’t know how Miranda ended up performing for the crowds, but if they ever make a time machine, this time and place will be one of my destinations.
Anyone who says Convertibles are pointless needs to see this…what a perfect stage for her. Wonder if that kid might still be around to tell the tale of this event?
I bet he dined out on that story for decades.
I remember it well…
That kid. In front could have been me, except I don’t remember seeing her. I was there that day at age 11 in the huge crowd.
The caption I found said that she “gave an impromptu concert” but that might have just been “spontaneously sang a couple of songs unaccompanied.”