1932 TIMES SQUARE-NEW YORK CITY POSTER

1932 photograph of Times Square, New York City.  There are a couple of clues that helped to date this rare and unusual photo.  First, the marquee in front of the R-K-O (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) Palace Theatre features Bob Hope and Jeanne Aubi? (please e-mail us if you know the full name of this individual).  Bob Hope began performing Vaudeville at the Palace Theatre on February 28, 1931 and continued into 1932.  At the time, Vaudeville was on the decline in favour of “Talking Pictures”.  On November 16, 1932, the Palace moved to a full bill of movies, thus ending the Vaudeville era.  Another clue to the date of the photo is the movie, “Night World” starring Lew Ayres, advertised on the front of the R-K-O Mayfair Theatre.  The picture was released on May 5, 1932.  The main character, “Happy” MacDonald and his unfaithful wife own a Prohibition era night club.  On this eventful night, he is threatened by bootleggers, and the club’s star dancer falls in love with a young socialite who drinks to forget a personal tragedy, among other incidents.  Other visible advertising includes:  Meadow Gold Ice Cream “Smooth-freeze”-Richer, Creamier Texture; I. Miller-Beautiful Shoes; Bond’s Clothes; Pepsodent Antiseptic-Safe Powerful-Goes three times as far; Camel-I’d walk a mile for a Camel; Chevrolet; Columbia Pictures-Entertain the World.