Night shot of the Motion Picture Electrical Parade at the Los Angeles Coliseum, September 25, 1932 |

Night shot of the Motion Picture Electrical Parade at the Los Angeles Coliseum, September 25, 1932 On the night of September 25, 1932, a pageant of 30 floats paraded around the then-new Los Angeles Coliseum. It was called the “Motion Picture Electrical Parade” and each spectacular float was ablaze with lights. The five major film studios—Paramount, RKO, Columbia, MGM, and Fox—were represented, as well as some individual stars and famed cosmetologist Max Factor. 70,000 lucky Angelenos got to see the display, including soon-to-be-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had held a presidential rally at the Hollywood Bowl that afternoon. Ticket prices were $2 for adults and 50 cents for children—not cheap, especially during the Depression, but the proceeds went to both the Motion Picture Relief Fund and Marion Davies Foundation.

The floats were given whimsical names, such as Max Factor’s “Cameo of Jewels”, MGM’s “Rainbow’s End”, Paramount’s “Fountain of Beauty”, Educational Pictures’ “Submarine Garden”Rock of Gibraltar (Columbia), as well as “Spirit of Hollywood”, “Aladdin’s Paradise”, “The Tropical Shower”, and “Phantasy of Color.”

Here are some of the floats:

Hollywood float in the Electrical Parade at the LA Coliseum, September 25, 1932