Actor Johnny Downs Honored At Coronado Village Theatre

Lee Mather Co., Realtors Celebrates 

Memory of Johnny Downs

   One of Coronado’s most famous and beloved celebrities was the late Johnny Downs. The song and dance legend was honored Thursday night at the Village Theatre with an unprecedented screening of two of his films.

   The event was the Third Annual Lee Mather Co. Realtors Client Appreciation Night. The main screening room of the Village Theatre was nearly filled to capacity with clients, friends and family. During both films, every time Johnny Downs completed a song or dance act, the crowd burst into applause and whistles.

   This was the first time anyone in attendance had seen these films on the big screen, and most had never seen them at all. The opener was a Technicolor featurette by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor called, “Pirate Party on Catalina Isle.” The main feature was a black and white musical comedy by Paramount Studios called, “Coronado.” Both films starred Johnny Downs and Betty Burgess and both were filmed here in 1935.

   Extremely rare footage of Coronado’s Rainbow Fleet (Snowbirds with brightly colored sails) was featured in both films as they sailed in Glorietta Bay before the Golf Course and surrounding area had been developed. The Rainbow Fleet was popular in the 1930s, and little has been written or seen about them.

   “Pirate Party on Catalina Isle,” was filled with Hollywood A-listers such as Cary Grant, Errol Flynn and Mickey Rooney. Johnny Downs and actress Betty Burgess sang “Smooth Sailing,” and the Buddy Rogers Orchestra performed, featuring Big Band trumpet player, the late Jack Ditler, also of Coronado.

   The films featured many images of early Coronado that included our beaches, the Hotel Del, the Boathouse, Tent City, Glorietta Bay, four-stacker destroyers, and even one of the ferryboats.

   Johnny Downs was a famous child actor from the original Our Gang Comedies who went on to make 100 films, including “Rhapsody in Blue,” which was the film that made him famous. He starred opposite such movie legends as Charles Boyer, Betty Grable, Judy Garland, Ingrid Bergman and Susan Hayward. In real life, Downs, known as “The All-American Boy,” was Judy Garland’s first date.

   Downs moved to Coronado in 1953, where he raised his family. Baby Boomers will remember him as host of the Johnny Downs Show, a kiddies TV show in San Diego that ran from 1953-1968. His signature trademark was a resounding, “Howdy, howdy, howdy!” That chant followed him throughout his life, wherever he went. As the movies began, Lee Mather Company’s Debbie Riddle and Mike Herlihy led the audience in a resounding “Howdy, howdy, howdy!”

   Mollie Downs, daughter of Johnny Downs, was present with a small entourage of family members. “[This] was a night I will never forget,” said Mollie. “My dad on the Village Theatre’s silver screen, 79 years after “Coronado” was filmed, is a once in a lifetime gift. It just doesn’t get any better than seeing him in a theatre for the first time and sitting in an audience full of people who knew him and loved him. It was was overwhelming.”

   This is the third year for Lee Mather Company’s Client Appreciation Nights. The first year they showed “Some Like it Hot.” Last year the film was “Chocolate.”

   “We have so much fun at these events,” said Debbie Riddle. “It’s a wonderful way for us to say ‘thank you’ and to bring all our friends together for one night. We couldn’t have done it without the support of Lance Alspaugh and the Village Theatre, and our hats are off to them.”

   Her business partners Mike Herlihy and Tom Riddle were in attendance, as well as company founder Lee Mather. “These are very special evenings,” said Herlihy. “They capture the essence of our little town of Coronado in a very special way.”

   For information on Lee Mather Co., Realtors, visit them at www.leemather.com.

   This story produced by Joe Ditler and Part-Time PR, helping Coronado businesses build a greater community presence. For more information call (619) 435-0767 or write josephditler@san.rr.com.