1941 : Pageant of the Masters dedicated its permanent new home on nearly 6 acres in the Irvine Bowl . The land was partly owned by the Irvine family with the rest serving as a dairy farm before the Pageant took over . The stage constructed there was later torn down in 1956 and a new cement block stage ( still used today ) was built in its place at a cost of $ 110,000 .
Later , in 1955 , nudity proved controversial when the Pageant ’ s 1954 rendition of the ancient Greek sculpture Venus de Milo appeared on the cover of a California visitors guide . The photo was deemed “ lewd and lascivious ” by a Pan American Airways representative , who condemned the guide from being handed out to passengers on their flights . However , the Pageant has continued a longstanding tradition of presenting re-created paintings , sculptures and the like with nude subjects . Previously the only paid position , those portraying a nude subject now are volunteers who wear a skintight bodysuit that ’ s painted to show the brush strokes .
1941 : Famous painter Norman Rockwell was among those in the crowd to see a portrayal of his painting “ Hollywood Dreams .” In meeting the cast afterward , Rockwell reportedly said it was the “ best I have ever seen — better than the photo engravings .” Over the years , several artists have attended the Pageant to see their artworks recreated on stage . This year , Wayne Alaniz Healy of Los Angeles is expected to attend as his 2001 oil painting “ Pre-Game Warm Up ” is slated for the show ’ s second half .
1939 : Pageant of the Masters was featured in the Tournament of Roses Parade that winds through Pasadena . That particular parade — the 50th annual edition , in fact — took place Jan . 2 , as is the practice when New Year ’ s Day falls on a Sunday . The Pageant float was a depiction of “ The Last Supper ” created out of flowers and other plant material .
1957 : Actress Bette Davis , who owned a home in Laguna and often attended the Pageant , helped out from time to time . In 1957 , at the request of then-Director Howard “ Hap ” Graham and armed with a cup of white paint and a brush , Davis repainted the numbers on the venue ’ s seats . She was also supposed to appear on stage in “ The Tragic Muse ” by Sir Joshua Reynolds , but ended up taking a bad fall and broke a vertebra so she never actually took to the stage to play the role — although many likely thought she did as Davis graced that year ’ s souvenir program in a photo of the piece ’ s dress rehearsal .
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