The Uplifters

The Lofty and Exalted Order of Uplifters or simply The Uplifters was a men's social club at the Los Angeles Athletic Club founded by Harry Marston Haldeman in 1913.

Marco H. Hellman

Originally from Chicago and a member of such a club there called The Bugs, Haldeman, a plumbing magnate and grandfather of H.R. Haldeman, sought to create something similar. Its membership included Marco H. Hellman, Sim W. Crabill, Ralph Hamlin, Ernest R. Ball, Byron Gay, Will Rogers, Walt Disney, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Busby Berkeley, Leo Carrillo, Harold Lloyd, Darryl F. Zanuck, Ferde Grofé, Eugene Biscailuz, Hays Rice, Clarence R. Rundel, Louis F. Gottschalk, and L. Frank Baum. Baum created the group's name, wrote its anthem, "Haldeman," and scripted most of their amateur theatricals until his death, several of which were revived posthumously.

Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, formerly the Uplifters Clubhouse, in Rustic Canyon, Los Angeles.

Eventually the group moved out of the Los Angeles Athletic Club to avoid the scrutiny of prohibition, ultimately purchasing a ranch in 1920.

High Jinks (Amateur Theatricals) of L. Frank Baum

These shows continued to be performed well into the 1920s. Their earliest date for performance, if known, is stated below. Lyrics from many of the songs were published in Alla T. Ford's The High-Jinks of L. Frank Baum (which was available either as a two page pamphlet (100 copies) or a miniature book (500 copies)). The songs included were from the 1938 Silver Anniversary edition of The Uplifters' Hymnal. Also included are the tongue-in-cheek by-laws (board executives are the Grand Muscle, the Elevator, the Royal Hoister, the Lord High Raiser, and the Board of Excelsiors), also written by Baum, and a list of every man who attended the first meeting.

The Uplift of Lucifer was published privately in 1963 by Manuel Weltman's Wagon and Star Press, with The Corrugated Giant and historical information. He sold the books at-cost over concerns of copyright, and they have since become prized collectibles. The other plays remain, aside from the aforementioned lyrics, unpublished. More recently, Dr Dennis Laurence Cuddy cited the existence of the play as confirmation that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has masonic, theosophical, occult, existential and gnostic "aspects" to it.[1]

The songs that made it into the Hymnal are "Never Strike Your Father, Boy" from The Orpheus Road Show; "We're Having a Hell of a Time" from The Uplift of Lucifer, "Susan Doozan," from The Uplifters' Minstrels, and "Apple Pie" (a song parody).[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.balaams-ass.com/journal/homemake/wizardoz.htm
  2. ↑ Ford does not state the melody upon which Baum set the song.

References