79-470: Highland Park Bowl is a Brunswick bowling alley located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California . It opened in 1927 as Highland Park Bowl, but it was renamed to Mr. T's Bowl from 1966 until its temporary closing in 2014. It re-opened under its original name in 2016. Joseph "Mr. T" Teresa, an Italian immigrant by way of Louisiana , who owned a nearby liquor store, bought
158-537: A "Bob Hope Follies" USO show, which included actress Ann-Margret , Miss America, football star Rosey Grier , and others. According to Kerry biographer Douglas Brinkley, "When the Swift finally made it back to the My Tho River, the crew confronted the heartbreaking sight of a huge Navy landing craft ferrying the troops back. The USO show was over." Kerry later wrote, "The visions of Ann Margret and Miss America and all
237-529: A "serious" opera song to troops in Burma , "an applause erupted that stunned even the most seasoned performers." She later wrote in a letter, "Every woman back home wears a halo now, and those who represent her had better keep theirs on, too." Author Joeie Dee pointed out that "for women entertainers, traveling with the USO made it possible to be patriots and adventurers as well as professionals." She adds, however, that
316-520: A USO troupe in the South Pacific during World War II. Unfortunately, he died a week later as a result of physical exhaustion from his tour. According to Emily Yellin, many of the key foot soldiers in the USO's mission were women who were "charged with providing friendly diversion for U.S. troops who were mostly men in their teens and twenties." USO centers throughout the world recruited female volunteers to serve doughnuts, dance, and just talk with
395-697: A business development company in Charlotte, North Carolina. On November 15, 2019, Brunswick acquired Ebonite International and all of its bowling product brands. The division's products for bowling centers include capital equipment, such as Sync, a scoring and management system, Spark, an immersive interactive bowling experience, automatic pinsetters , bowling pins , "house" bowling balls, ball returns, lane surfaces , and bowling center furniture, as well as aftermarket products such as pinsetter parts, lane conditioning machines, and conditioners and cleaners for lane machines. The company's current pinsetter model
474-651: A day went by without the USO providing services somewhere in Korea. At home or overseas, in 1952 it was serving 3.5 million in the armed forces using much the same methods of operation as it did in World War II. Many stars, both well-known and new, came to perform, including Bob Hope , Errol Flynn , Debbie Reynolds , Piper Laurie , Jane Russell , Paul Douglas , Terry Moore , Marilyn Monroe , Danny Kaye , Rory Calhoun , Mickey Rooney , Linda Coleman, Al Jolson , Pérez Prado , Evita Muñoz and many others. Jolson
553-468: A day while also providing facilities for the wounded and convalescent who were on leave. They went to black businesses and fraternal organizations in order to find sponsorship for their USO group, and later expanded to fulfill the needs of soldiers during the Korean War. Moreover, they worked to merge black and white USOs into one desegregated unit. As black historian Megan Shockley noted, "Their work for
632-548: A free cup of coffee and an egg. The USO also brought Hollywood celebrities and volunteer entertainers to perform for the troops. According to movie historian Steven Cohan, "most of all ... in taking home on the road, it equated the nation with showbiz. USO camp shows were designed in their export to remind soldiers of home." They did this, he noted, by "nurturing in troops a sense of patriotic identification with America through popular entertainment." An article in Look magazine at
711-511: A great deal of new business. The company's billiard products were popular in the United Service Organizations (USO) centers. More than 13,000 billiards tables were installed at military bases by 1945. In 1972 Brunswick Billiards began the design and manufacture air hockey tables. In 2008 the company introduced a line of game room furniture. Brunswick Billiards dabbled in retail at two times in its history. In 1947
790-501: A haven for spending a quiet moment alone or writing a letter home, while others offered spiritual guidance and made childcare available for military wives. But the organization became mostly known for its live performances called Camp Shows , through which the entertainment industry helped boost the morale of its servicemen and women. USO Camp Shows, Inc. began in October 1941, and by that fall and winter 186 military theaters existed in
869-544: A hillside and many sitting in the trees. ... We've played to audiences in small units of 500 or so, and much oftener to audiences of 8 to 10,000. Every night we play a different place. Singer-actress-dancer Ann Miller described performing for badly wounded soldiers. She did forty-eight shows for "broken soldiers," who were mostly lying on stretchers in the lobbies of hotels, watching as she entertained them. Yellin writes, "During her last show she collapsed and had to be taken home on an Army airplane." Afterwards, Miller described
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#1732793569946948-731: A participatory sport and was instrumental in organizing the American Bowling Congress in 1895. In 1906 Bensinger opened a large manufacturing plant in Muskegon, Michigan . The plant became the cornerstone of the firm's manufacturing, producing such products as the revolutionary $ 20 Mineralite (hard rubber) bowling ball, and grew to over one million square feet by the 1940s. During World War II , United Service Organizations (USO) centers and military bases eagerly purchased bowling equipment, leading to more than 3,000 bowling lanes being installed at military bases by 1945. At
1027-733: A period of rapid expansion, many privately owned centers found it difficult to pay the bills, and Brunswick took physical possession of 131 of these centers as payment for bowling equipment. In 1966, still suffering from the decline, Brunswick closed many European bowling centers. In 2007 the company opened its first Brunswick Zone XL centers, large, smoke-free facilities aimed at families, bowling leagues , parties, corporate meetings and group events, offering bowling, laser tag , bumper cars , video game arcades, Brunswick billiards tables, large screen TVs, and spacious meeting rooms. During 2013 Brunswick Bowling divested its seven remaining European bowling centers. In July 2014 as part of its exit from
1106-705: A request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. uniformed military personnel. Roosevelt was elected as its honorary chairman. This request brought together six civilian organizations: the Salvation Army , YMCA , Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), National Catholic Community Service , National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board . They were brought together under one umbrella to support U.S. troops, as opposed to operating independently as some had done during
1185-447: A successful Chicago meatpacker . The popularity of billiards grew quickly, and by the late 1860s, the U.S. billiards market was dominated by Brunswick's firm and two others. In 1873 Brunswick merged with one of his competitors, Julius Balke's Cincinnati -based Great Western Billiard Manufactory, to form J.M. Brunswick & Balke Company. In 1884, the company merged with the other competitor, New York -based Phelan & Collender, to form
1264-563: A veteran who asked her to sign a photo he took of her performing in Vietnam. Although the book's publishing representative for the signing event would not allow her to sign anything other than her book, the veteran's wife recalls: She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said, 'This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for 'my gentlemen.' In November–December 1968
1343-551: Is in the GS Series, but many A Series models remain in active service. Similarly, many centers still use Brunswick AS-80, AS-90, 2000, Classic, Frameworx, Vector, and Vector Plus scoring systems . Brunswick lane surfaces include the Anvilane and Pro Lane brands. The division's consumer products include its bowling balls , as well as, through licensing arrangements, bowling shoes, bags and accessories. Products are marketed under
1422-523: Is not good for morale as it implies that there are no showers or other comforts for soldiers in military camps." The film starred Ronald Reagan , then a captain in the Army Air Force . Fundraising was also aided by non-USO entertainment groups. Soldier Shows, which troops – often experienced actors and musicians – organized and held their own performances, were common. The army formed a Special Services unit that organized such shows and supervised
1501-767: The American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF) introduced the first fully automatic pinsetter in 1952 that Brunswick scrambled to get its own machine to market. In 1954 Brunswick formed the Brunswick-Murray Pinsetter Corporation with Murray Corporation of America , a manufacturer of components for autos and aircraft. By the time Brunswick's “Model A” pinsetters were in full production in 1955, Brunswick had bought out Murray. Brunswick's policy of selling pinsetters on credit, suburban expansion, and an aggressive advertising campaign all combined to make bowling centers enormously popular in
1580-789: The Army Emergency Relief Fund. The following year the show was made into a film by the same title, again starring Ronald Reagan. The This Is The Army stage production toured worldwide until it closed in October 1945 in Honolulu . The USO was also supported by the National War Fund . War correspondent Quentin Reynolds , wrote in an article for Billboard magazine in 1943, that "Entertainment, all phases of it – radio, pictures and live – should be treated as essential. You don't know what entertainment means to
1659-519: The Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. Although it is congressionally chartered , it is not a government agency. Founded during World War II , the USO sought to be the GI 's "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops and providing social facilities. Involvement in
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#17327935699461738-623: The Mantan Moreland & Ben Carter duo. One female entertainer wrote about conditions while performing: We've played to audiences, many of them ankle deep in mud, huddled under the ponchos in the pouring rain (it breaks your heart the first two or three times to see men so hungry for entertainment.) We've played on uncovered stages, when we, as well as the audience, got rain-soaked. We've played with huge tropical bugs flying in our hair and faces; we've played to audiences of thousands of men, audiences spreading from our very feet to far up
1817-682: The United States Marine Corps and elements of the United States Sixth Fleet which operated out of the Mediterranean Sea . Carrying on a tradition he had begun in World War II of spending Christmas with U.S. forces overseas, Bob Hope and his troupe of entertainers gave a show on board the battleship USS New Jersey on December 24, 1983. Four hundred Marines stationed in Beirut attended
1896-562: The Bowlero or AMF names. United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. ( USO ) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of War , and later with
1975-582: The Brunswick bowling center division was the second largest operator of bowling centers in the United States, with 88 centers in the US and Canada. Brunswick centers offered bowling and, depending on size and location, in-house restaurants, taverns , outdoor patios, billiards, video and redemption games, laser tag , pro shops , and meeting and party rooms. In 1965, facing a decline in business after
2054-506: The Brunswick name among other brands. Brunswick began to directly operate Bowling centers in the mid 1960s. In 2014, the bowling centers were sold to Bowlero Corporation , which phased out the Brunswick name by 2020. The billiard operations were placed in the fitness equipment division, which was spun-off into Life Fitness in 2019. In 2022, the Brunswick Billiards line was sold to Escalade Sports . The billiards division
2133-589: The Brunswick, DV8, Radical, Ebonite, Columbia 300 , Hammer , and Track brands. Products are manufactured or sourced mainly from facilities located in Michigan and Wisconsin in the United States, as well as in Hungary and Mexico . Bowling products are sold through a direct sales force or distributors in the United States and through distributors in non-U.S. markets. Before its acquisition by Bowlmor AMF (now known as Bowlero Corporation ) in October 2014,
2212-574: The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company. (The company name was changed to Brunswick Corporation in 1960.) The company grew quickly and added new product lines to its business in the 1880s. Brunswick began selling functional and decorative wooden backs for bars. Prohibition prompted a drastic change in the products offered by the company. And while the Depression was a difficult period for Brunswick, World War II brought
2291-485: The First World War. Roosevelt said he wanted "these private organizations to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces." According to historian Emily Yellin, "The government was to build the buildings and the USO was to raise private funds to carry out its main mission: boosting the morale of the military." The first national campaign chairman was Thomas Dewey , who raised $ 16 million in
2370-446: The G.I.s in the USO audiences "tended to see these women in a different light – as reminders of and even substitutes for their girls back home, as a reward for fighting the war, as embodiments of what they were fighting for." Edward Skvarna remembers 1943, when he met Donna Reed at a USO canteen and asked her to dance. "I had never danced with a celebrity before, so I felt delighted, privileged even, to meet her. ... But I really felt she
2449-576: The Muskegon plant. In 1967 Brunswick introduced the automatic scorer . In 1984, Brunswick acquired the Schmid Company of Scherzenbach, Switzerland , and with it the rights to manufacture and sell its GS pinsetter. The GS is Brunswick's current pinsetter series. The mechanical portion of the pinsetter was originally manufactured in the Brunswick plant located in Stockach , Germany . In 1999
Highland Park Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-457: The Rat Pack. George Peppard, successful star of stage, TV and motion pictures, arrived in Vietnam for a USO HANDSHAKE TOUR in 1970 to visit the military in the hospitals and out in the "boonies."... He showed a keen interest in the men's mission while they were hungry for news of life back in the "World."... Polaroid pictures were taken by Mr. Peppard's escort officer, autographed, and given to
2607-635: The Sig Sakowitz troop from Chicago performed over 36 shows in South Vietnam with the USO in: Pleiku, Dalat, Danang, Cam Ran Bay, Phu Bai, Phu Loy, Hue, Natrang, Tan Son Nhut Airbase, Saigon and places in the boonies known only to military intelligence and the lonely soldiers yearning for a taste of home. The troop consisted of Doublemint Twins Terrie and Jennie Frankel, Gaslight Club singer Sara Sue, Comedian Tony Diamond and personality Sig Sakowitz. Shows were also performed with comedian Joey Bishop of
2686-575: The USO had more than 3,000 clubs, and curtains were rising on USO shows 700 times a day. The USO's fundraising efforts were controversial. An MGM film, Mr. Gardenia Jones , created to assist the USO in its fundraising campaign, was nearly withdrawn from theaters due to objections by the War Department, mainly because of scenes showing soldiers jumping with joy at the opportunity to shower in canteens and rest in overstuffed and comfortable USO chairs. The Army, noted The New York Times , "feels this
2765-572: The USO was awarded the National Medal of Arts . Currently, the USO maintains over 200 locations in 27 U.S. states and 13 foreign countries. During a gala marking the USO's 75th anniversary in 2016, retired Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. , the chairman of the USO Board of Governors, estimated that the USO has served more than 35 million Americans over its history. The USO was founded on February 4, 1941 by Mary Ingraham in response to
2844-516: The USO was disbanded, due partly to lack of funds. In 1951, when the United States entered the Korean War, Secretary of Defense George Marshall and Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews requested that the USO be reactivated "to provide support for the men and women of the armed forces with help of the American people." According to war historian Paul Edwards, between 1952 and 1953, not
2923-645: The USO was one of the many ways in which the nation had come together to support the war effort, with nearly 1.5 million people having volunteered their services in some way. The USO initially disbanded in 1947, but was revived in 1950 for the Korean War , after which it continued, also providing peacetime services. During the Vietnam War , USO social facilities ("USOs") were sometimes located in combat zones. The organization became particularly known for its live performances, called "camp shows", through which
3002-592: The USO, and the experience from the Soldier Shows led to Irving Berlin 's Broadway show This Is the Army . Performers and writers from throughout the army were recruited for the production; they remained soldiers and continued drills. Berlin, who had written and produced the similar Yip, Yip, Yaphank during World War I, took the entire 165-person cast on tour in Europe in 1942, raising nearly $ 10 million for
3081-523: The USO. During his show, he said, "This is the most privileged moment of my life, the opportunity to be here with you." The following month, Camp Shows began in Normandy. Until fall 1944 overseas units contained five performers or fewer; The Barretts of Wimpole Street , using local theaters in France and Italy, was the first to use an entire theater company, including scenery. At its high point in 1944,
3160-602: The United States. Overseas shows began in November 1941 with a tour of the Caribbean. From Laurel and Hardy Central : The Flying Showboat, was the first revue. The troupe of show business professionals toured U.S. military bases in the Caribbean. It included comedians Chico Marx , Laurel and Hardy , singer Jane Pickens, dancer Ray Bolger , and actor John Garfield , who acted as master of ceremonies. These stars performed under some extremely trying conditions, as
3239-538: The armed services in their Stage Door Canteens. Funds from the sale of film rights for a story about the New York Canteen went toward providing USO tours of shows for overseas troops. Following the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, Edward G. Robinson was the first movie star to travel to Normandy to entertain the troops. He had already been active back home selling war bonds, and donated $ 100,000 to
Highland Park Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-400: The bowling business by the end of 2014, retaining its heritage billiards business as part of the fitness segment. In 2018, the company announced it would be spinning-off its fitness equipment business, including its Brunswick Billiards division, as Life Fitness Holdings in 2019. In May 2019, Brunswick announced its intention to sell Life Fitness Holdings to KPS Capital Partners . The sale
3397-486: The bowling business, Brunswick announced that it had agreed to sell the bowling center business, which brought in $ 187 million in revenue in the prior year, to its much larger competitor Bowlmor AMF (now known as Bowlero Corporation ) for $ 270 million. The sale of the bowling center division to Bowlmor AMF was completed in September 2014. By January 2020, all remaining Brunswick Zone locations were rebranded with either
3476-649: The business to 1933 Group, who restored and reopened the building in April 2016. The Spanish Colonial Revival facade was restored. The original bow truss ceiling was revealed, a 1930s forest mural was uncovered, and eight bowling lanes were refurbished, with new chandeliers made from old pinsetter parts. The business was renamed "Highland Park Bowl" and bands perform on a stage named for Mr. T. 34°6′34″N 118°11′37″W / 34.10944°N 118.19361°W / 34.10944; -118.19361 Brunswick Bowling %26 Billiards Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
3555-429: The clubs. According to Westheider, "The young women wore miniskirts – no slacks were allowed." Each club had a snack bar, gift shops, a barbershop, photo developing, overseas phone lines, and hot showers. When providing entertainment, the USO did its best to attract known stars from back home to help relieve the stresses of war. Senator John Kerry recalled how important this kind of diversion would become. He remembered
3634-687: The company opened "Cue and Cushion" establishments, family-friendly billiards establishments that include a lounge and soda fountain . In 2003 the company opened its first “Home & Billiards Store” in the Chicago area, and went on to open one other store in Boston and two in Denver . All of these establishments were later closed, and the company returned to selling its products exclusively through dealers. Brunswick announced in July 2014 its intention to leave
3713-489: The desegregation of USOs had begun during World War II, and it finally paid off." Women were also key entertainers who performed at shows. Stars such as Marlene Dietrich , Judy Garland , Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth had traveled over a million miles. Yellin notes that on one tour, Hayworth visited six camps, gave thousands of autographs, and "came back from Texas with a full-fledged nervous breakdown from over-enthusiasm!" Opera singer Lily Pons , after she had performed
3792-448: The entertainment industry helps boost the morale of servicemen and women. In the early days, Hollywood was eager to show its patriotism, and many celebrities joined the ranks of USO entertainers. They went as volunteers to entertain, and celebrities continue to provide volunteer entertainment in military bases in the U.S. and overseas, sometimes placing their own lives in danger by traveling or performing under hazardous conditions. In 2011,
3871-402: The experience: We went from ward to ward to ward, singing and dancing and trying to boost the morale of these men. It was just hell. ... I just fell apart and I think the shock of seeing those men with their arms and legs blown off – it was just frightening. But when you do it, you do it. You try to help them, try to sing and dance. You try to keep their spirits up. It's heartbreaking. In 1947,
3950-489: The film For the Boys , which told the story of two USO performers, and starred Bette Midler and James Caan . It covered a 50-year timespan, from the USO's inception in 1941 through Operation Desert Storm , in 1991. Another movie was planned in 1950 but never made. Just 10 days after Al Jolson returned from entertaining troops in Korea, he agreed with RKO producers to star in a new movie, Stars and Stripes for Ever , about
4029-647: The finest talents Hollywood had to offer. Within five months 36 overseas units had been sent within the Americas, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and during 1942 1,000 performed as part of 70 units. Average performers were paid $ 100 a week; top stars were paid $ 10 a day because their wealth let them contribute more of their talents. These overseas shows were produced by the American Theatre Wing, which also provided food and entertainment for
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#17327935699464108-602: The first USO club opened in Saigon in April 1963. The 23 centers in Vietnam and Thailand served as many as a million service members a month, and the USO presented more than 5,000 performances during the Vietnam War featuring stars such as John Wayne , Ann-Margret , Sammy Davis Jr. , Raymond Burr , Phyllis Diller , Martha Raye , Joey Heatherton , Wayne Newton , Jayne Mansfield , Redd Foxx , Rosey Grier , Anita Bryant , Nancy Sinatra , Jimmy Hawkins , Jimmy Boyd , Lola Falana , George Peppard and Bob Hope . Philip Ahn ,
4187-453: The first actor of Korean descent to become a Hollywood star, became the first Asian American USO performer to entertain troops in Vietnam. In addition, the USO operated centers at major U.S. airports to provide a lounge and place to sleep for American servicemen between their flights. Vietnam historian James Westheider noted that the USO "tried to bring a little America to Vietnam." Volunteer American civilians, who did 18-month tours, staffed
4266-531: The first year. The second chairman was future senator Prescott Bush . The USO was incorporated in New York on February 4, with the first facility erected in DeRidder, Louisiana, 1941. More USO centers and clubs opened around the world as a "Home Away from Home" for GIs . The USO club was a place to go for dances and social events, for movies and music, for a quiet place to talk or write a letter home, or for
4345-472: The guys who do the fighting until you've been up there with the men yourself. ... You can quote me as saying that we should use entertainment as an essential industry so long as it's for the boys in service. Anybody who has been there would insist on it. ... Hell, you should have seen how happy the G.I.s were when they heard the ballplayers were coming over. And John Steinbeck , just back from a chore as war correspondent, ... also applauded show business as part of
4424-520: The late 1950s. By the mid-1960s, however, overexpansion led to a period of decline. Brunswick had begun assembling bowling equipment in Dublin in 1959, but it closed its Italian factory in 1966 and the Dublin facility in 1972. Then, in 1973, it entered into a manufacturing joint venture with Fuji Kikai-Hiroshima. In 2005 Brunswick moved its bowling ball production to Reynosa , Mexico , and in 2006 it closed
4503-614: The mechanical manufacturing was relocated to Hungary . Brunswick completed its exit from the bowling business in May 2015 with the sale of the bowling equipment and products division to BlueArc Capital Management, a private investment firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. BlueArc completed the acquisition with investments from Gladstone Investment Corporation, a publicly traded business development company in McLean, Virginia, and Capitala Finance Corp.,
4582-530: The men could forget they were soldiers at war. After the show, they returned to the fighting in the hills. Some in that audience never made it back." By the end of the war, over 113,000 American USO volunteers were working at 294 centers at home and abroad. And 126 units had given 5,422 performances to servicemen in Korea and the wounded in Japan. The USO was in Vietnam before the first combat troops arrived, with
4661-455: The men. In 1983, a bloody civil war was raging in Lebanon. In an effort to stop the violence in the region a Multinational Force of peacekeepers composed largely of U.S., Italian and French armed service members was created and sent to the region to attempt a restoration of order. As part of the multinational force the United States mobilized an expeditionary force composed of members of
4740-402: The other titillating personalities who would have made us feel so at home hung around us for a while until we saw three Chinook helicopters take off from the field and presumed that our dreams had gone with them." But for GIs who saw the show, it was worth it: "We turned to watch Ann perform, and for about two minutes of American beauty, the war was forgotten. Everyone fully understood just what
4819-399: The property in 1966. It offered live big-band music and home-style buffets. Students from Occidental College and other Eastside campuses frequented the establishment. By the late 1980s, the bowling alley had become a retiree bar. In the 1990s, a party-seeking younger generation brought up on punk rock, hip-hop started to attend. Teresa died in 2003 and his son ran the bar until 2014. He sold
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#17327935699464898-428: The show by going to the microphone, looking at his large audience, and shouting, "Who's holding back the enemy?" The GIs roared with laughter. We were thrilled to have Kaye and his entertainers in our area. We especially liked the young women in the show. Danny was okay, with his stories and jokes, but after all, we knew what American men looked like. Author Linda Granfield in describing the show, writes, "For two hours,
4977-441: The songs, the dances, and the laughs they had back home." USO promotional literature stated its goals: The story of USO camp shows belongs to the American people, for it was their contribution that made it possible. It is an important part in the life of your sons, your brothers, your husbands, and your sweethearts. In 2011, the USO was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama "for contributions to lifting
5056-423: The spirits of America's troops and their families through the arts". After being formed in 1941, in response to World War II, "centers were established quickly ... in churches, barns, railroad cars, museums, castles, beach clubs, and log cabins." Most centers offered recreational activities, such as holding dances and showing movies. And there were the well-known free coffee and doughnuts. Some USO centers provided
5135-409: The time, Brunswick manufactured “spotting tables” which were manually operated to place bowling pins in their proper places on a lane before a bowling ball was thrown at them. The company had toyed with the idea of an automatic pinsetter since 1911, when inventor Ernest Hedenskoog joined the company. Many of his patents provided the basis for the automatic pinsetter later introduced. It was not until
5214-461: The time, stated, "For the little time the show lasts, the men are taken straight to the familiar Main Street that is the goal of every fighting American far away from home." Maxene Andrews wrote, "The entertainment brought home to the boys. Their home." Actor George Raft stated at the beginning of the war, "Now it's going to be up to us to send to the men here and abroad real, living entertainment,
5293-405: The tours made a "deep impression" on the stars as well. Singer and actress Connie Stevens remembered her 1969 tour with Bob Hope, when she decided to go despite the fact she had two children both under the age of two. Today, she claims that "veterans were still stopping her and thanking her for visiting Vietnam over 30 years later." Similarly, Ann-Margret during a book signing was approached by
5372-455: The troops. She later married the co-pilot who saved her life in that crash, and her story was made into the 1952 film With a Song in My Heart , with Froman providing the actual singing voice. Others, such as Al Jolson , the first entertainer to go overseas in World War II, contracted malaria , resulting in the loss of his lung, cutting short his tour. One author wrote that by the end of
5451-420: The troops. USO historian Julia Carson writes that this "nostalgic hour," designed to cheer and comfort soldiers, involved "listening to music – American style" and "looking at pretty girls, like no other pretty girls in the world – American girls." African-American women scrambled to rally the community around the soldiers and create programs for them. By 1946, hostesses had served more than two thousand soldiers
5530-712: The war "the USO amounted to the biggest enterprise American show business has ever tackled. The audience was millions of American fighting men, the theatre's location: the world, the producer: USO camp shows" Performances continued after the end of the war in 1945. 60 new units went to Europe after V-E Day , and 91 new units went to the Pacific after V-J Day . The USO dissolved in December 1947, after having spent $ 240 million in contributions on Camp Shows, canteens, and other services. Special Services productions grew in number as replacement. In 1991, 20th Century Fox produced
5609-493: The war effort and its importance as a morale builder." According to historian Paul Holsinger, between 1941 and 1945, the USO did 293,738 performances in 208,178 separate visits. Estimates were that more than 161 million servicemen and women, in the U.S. and abroad, were entertained. The USO also did shows in military hospitals, eventually entertaining more than 3 million wounded soldiers and sailors in 192 different hospitals. There were 702 different USO troupes that toured
5688-462: The weather was brutally hot and many of the camps were not equipped to host theatrical performances. Chico, whose "shoot the keys" piano solos were the heart of his act, often had to do without a piano at all. Thankfully, Laurel and Hardy's Driver's License sketch needed only a few simple props. In any event, even the most ramshackle shows brought loud cheers from the troops, overjoyed that anybody had come to perform for them, let alone some of
5767-583: The world, some spending up to six months per tour. In 1943, a United States Liberty ship named the SS U.S.O. was launched. She was scrapped in 1967. Twenty-eight performers died in the course of their tours, from plane crashes, illness, or diseases contracted while on tour. In one such instance in 1943, a plane carrying a USO troupe crashed outside Lisbon , killing singer and actress Tamara Drasin , and severely injuring Broadway singer Jane Froman . Froman returned to Europe on crutches in 1945 to again entertain
5846-470: Was completed in June 2019. In 2022, Life Fitness agreed to sell its Brunswick Billiards business unit to Escalade Sports for $ 32 million. Brunswick began production of wooden lanes, bowling balls , and bowling pins in the 1880s as taverns began to install bowling lanes . John Brunswick's son-in-law Moses Bensinger , who was then directing Brunswick's day-to-day operations, actively promoted bowling as
5925-604: Was established in 1845 and was Brunswick Corporation's original business. Brunswick Billiards designs and/or markets billiards table, table tennis tables, air hockey tables, and other gaming tables, as well as billiard balls, cues, game room furniture, and related accessories, under the Brunswick and Contender brands. Consumer billiards equipment is predominantly sold in the United States and distributed primarily through dealers. John Brunswick built his first billiards table in 1845 at his woodworking shop in Cincinnati, Ohio, for
6004-533: Was like a girl from back home." Jay Fultz, author of a biography of Reed, states that soldiers "often wrote to her as if to a sister or the girl next door, confiding moments of homesickness, loneliness, privation and anxiety." Like much of American society and its World War II military, USOs were segregated. In Riverside, California a Negro USO was established to serve the March Field service population. Celebrities visiting this USO included Clarence Muse and
6083-507: Was really worth fighting for. ... The show was fantastic, but the escape the Bob Hope tour provided us in expectation for days before, and after, helped us keep in touch with what we were there for – God, Country, apple pie ... and Ann-Margret!" The visits by the stars meant a lot to the men and women in Vietnam. "It was not just the entertainment; it meant that they were not forgotten that far away from home," writes Westheider. He adds that
6162-425: Was the business segment of Brunswick Corporation that historically encompassed three divisions. Billiards , which was the company's original product line, expanded to include other table games such as table tennis , air hockey , and foosball . Brunswick began manufacturing Bowling equipment and products in the 1880s. The bowling equipment line was sold to BlueArc Capital Management in 2015, which continues to use
6241-470: Was the first to volunteer, but due to lack of USO funds traveled to Korea at his own expense (he was also the first to entertain troops during World War II). Veterans have recalled many of the USOs events, sometimes in vivid detail: On that cold, overcast day, there were more than five thousand troops in the audience. They sat on the ground or up on the hillside. When everyone was settled, Danny Kaye opened
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