The Journal
Tower Adorable Mary Graham
Minor Danced Towards a Legitimate Job The Autumn 2001 JOURNAL of the Jackson County Historical
Society features Tower Adorable
Mary Graham Minor Danced Towards a Legitimate Job. In a day long before television and before motion picture
theaters emerged into mainstream American culture, there was live theater and
vaudeville. But in the 1930s it was a difficult time for theaters,
and many shut their doors permanently.
Not only was the country suffering from the Great Depression, but also
vaudeville entertainment had been experiencing a steady decline in popularity
over the last decade. Small,
silent motion picture houses in neighborhoods began to replace the once
thriving downtown live performance theaters.
Mary Graham Minor danced at the Tower Theater in
downtown Kansas City, and will forever be remembered as a Tower Adorable. After the Tower closed its doors,
she married newspaper columnist Landon Laird. Here is the story of one woman’s dance towards what
her mother called “a legitimate job.” Tower Adorable Mary Graham Minor-Laird recently donated
the Papers of Landon and Mary Graham Minor-Laird to the Jackson County
Historical Society. Their
collection includes items relating to their careers in the Kansas City
entertainment business during the 1930s and 1940s. Of particular
interest are original photographs of the Tower
Adorables; Landon Laird posing with various entertainers and Hollywood
motion picture stars; a special collection of memorabilia relating to one of
Mary's long-time friend, Sally Rand; and, letters and cards from notable
entertainers. Here are some World Wide Web links that help to
complement and expand what is offered in the print version of the JOURNAL. Exhibit
at Miller Nichols Library Kansas City
Star’s Millennium Series History History of
the Pantages (predecessor of the Tower Theater) Joseph
K. Redmond Tower Theater Photograph Collection To order this JOURNAL edition, subscribe or join JCHS click here. |
