The spirit of Christmas past

JERRY PERSON

Just one more month to go before the year is ended and a new one

begins.

But what a month it used to be, especially for the children of our

town. For in December, Main Street was transformed into a Christmas

wonderland with all the spirit of the coming holidays.

In 1955 the holidays unofficially began with a presentation by the

students from Huntington Beach High School of “Gloria” on Dec. 6.

The play is the story of a shepherd who stays behind to tend a

wounded lamb. In the play, James McGrew played a wise man with Joyce

Augar playing Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, Karen Herreld as

Mary and E.J. Watson as Mary’s husband Joseph.

Those who participated in the play included Kenneth Bozarth, Jack

Baxter, Layne Neugart, Ralph Burrison, Ron Allen, Jim McMasters,

Richard Slater, Keith Allred, Dick Hensley, Roger Williams, Dick

Burrud and Jim Farquhar.

The entire play was under the direction of Ruth Harlow.

Two days later, the play was repeated for the student body at an

assembly.

The next night, Main Street came alive with excitement with the

annual “All Southland Salute to Santa Claus Band Review.” This event

was under the direction of members of the Huntington Beach Chamber of

Commerce, and featured 37 bands and drum corps from all over the

Southland.

Who better to attend to all the little details than William

Gallienne, the master of parades and events that promote our city?

The Santa Claus parade began at 6th Street and Main Street, and

would wind along Silver Tinsel Lane, as Main Street was renamed for

the event. The parade would end at the Pavalon ballroom by the

entrance to our pier.

Huntington Beach High School student Pat Bilyk would be named Miss

Merri Christmas and ride in the parade with her princesses. Her

princesses included Carol Hodges, Kay Tinsley, Shirley Hudgeons,

Deane Levasseur, Pat Talbert and Donna Toulouse.

Police Chief Ben Dulaney and his officers cleared Main Street of

all vehicle traffic from Pacific Coast Highway to 11th Street, where

a bomb salute along the way would signal the start of the parade.

Garlands of lights overhead decorated the marchers’ way and would

light the parade’s route. The 15th Rifle Company from the U.S. Marine

Corps Reserve of Seal Beach carried the colors under the direction of

Capt. J.R. Terry. Members of the Huntington Beach American Legion and

the Huntington Beach Fire Department followed, riding in a fire

truck.

Marching in the parade were bands from Arcadia, St. Catherine

Military, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Garden Grove, Orange, Downey,

Perris, San Diego, Corona, Artesia, Lawndale and Montebello. Joining

them were members from both Huntington Beach High and Central

Elementary School.

George Jack from Jack’s Jewelers chaired the Main Street merchants

committee, which put on an open house and served hot coffee,

doughnuts and cookies to visitors and handed out candy and balloons

to the children.

The bands marched past the reviewing stand at the corner of Main

Street and Walnut Avenue, which was manned by judges from the

American Band Judges Assn.

Just behind the Montebello High School band, and riding atop his

snow-covered float, was the big man himself, Santa Claus, waving to

the crowd of some 10,000 of his cheering fans.

Coming up right behind the big man and ending the parade was an

even bigger man, especially to our city, and that was “El

Generalissimo” or as we know him, William Gallienne.

When the first part of the parade reached the Pavalon ballroom,

they found a display in front depicting Santa Claus and his reindeers

sailing across the forest.

Ozzie’s Band of San Diego won the sweepstakes award for the second

year in a row as they marched in their red and green jackets.

Decked out in brilliant blue and gold uniforms, the 100-piece

Montebello High School band came marching to a second place award,

just three points behind Ozzie’s Band. The Apache Band from Arcadia

High School took third that year.

The best commercial float award went to Excelsior Creamery of

Santa Ana and the best float depicting a religious theme went to a

group of churches from Huntington Beach.

The 1950s were a magical time and people enjoyed putting together

a huge event to celebrate the coming of Christmas in events as this

parade and not by some group in court because the city used the “C”

word.

Maybe some day we will again have someone as talented as William

Gallienne to bring back that spirit of the holidays in a parade along

Pacific Coast Highway or Main Street because the children deserve it.

Next week, we’ll continue to look at how we went about celebrating

the holiday season of 1955.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.