The Ramona Pageant
To book an appointment and view the complete film reel, contact the Santa Fe Springs City Library.
Name/Title
The Ramona PageantEntry/Object ID
B-38Description
This film depicts the showing of "The Ramona Pageant," a play now known as the "Ramona Outdoor Play." The film depicts the actors as they participate in the play, and the crowd that has gathered to watch it. Different views of the Bowl are seen as well as props, the environment, and the actors.Context
Marie Clarke was well known for supporting theatre and outdoor venues in which citizens could experience plays in an immersive way. This film is a testament to Marie Clarke's deep devotion to local venues and going to significant plays that continue to be shown today. The Ramona Bowl is an iconic venue in Hemet, California that hosts iconic performances and has been operating since 1925. The play shown in the film is an annually shown play, shown since 1923. Also known as the Ramona Outdoor Play, the Ramona Pageant is loosely based on the 1884 novel Ramona, by Helen Hunt Jackson. This novel and play are deeply reflective of how the United States viewed the Western United States, and how the West is seen in the eyes of a Latin-American author. The prominence of the novel in the late 1890s and early 1920s is a prelude to the rise of Western Pop Culture and Western Movies in Hollywood. The general public's interest in local theatre and plays is largely reflective of the average American citizen's curiosity towards the West and Western American identity in the aftermath of the conquest of Western prairies.Collection
Marie Rankin Clarke Film ReelsCategory
Motion Picture [Marie Rankin Clarke Collection]