The early Fraunfelder
performances were often accompanied by motion
pictures (with sound) such as the 1932 full length
comedy Swiss ski film, "Slalom," or a Sonja Henie
ice skating short, "Swiss on White," or another
short called, "Swiss Ski School." There were also
films promoting the American Red Cross. The poster
below is for an an appearance at Benson Polytechnic
High School Auditorium in Portland, Ore. Slalom,
which was produced in black and white on seven reels
and not released in the U.S. until 1936, was billed
as the first feature-length ski film. It was 87
minutes long. The year of the handbill below is not identified but believed to be
around 1938, when the Fraunfelders had a similar
Slalom movie billing at historic Trinity Auditorium in Los
Angeles, California (below.) The Trinity venue seated 1,600
to 2,500 people with three balconies and a
stained-glass ceiling. No information on whether
popcorn was available.
(Handbills courtesy of Erika
Williams from family binder)
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