History: Locals embrace movies filmed at the lake

Publisher’s note: This is from the February 1973 Lake Tahoe Historical Society newsletter.

By Marie Walsh, Lake Tahoe Historical Society

The local community, and our own membership, was overwhelmingly responsive to our January 30 and 31 showing of the 1936 classic, “Rose Marie.”

The Tuesday evening showing was a delight to our members-only crowd who nostalgically appreciated the opportunity to see the production that was filmed, almost in its entirety, at the South Shore’s own Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay.

A standing-room-only crowd was on hand for the Wednesday evening showing, including several persons from the communities of Pollock Pines, Carson City and Alpine County!

Our final tally shows $303.50 taken in for general admissions, and $112.50 in new memberships and renewals. Deducting $100 for the film’s rental cost, we arrive at a net profit of $216.00! Profit figures are indeed exciting, but perhaps even more important to us at this time is our much-appreciated membership increase – 37 new members and 7 renewals!

With the film having been so enthusiastically received, it is our feeling that other such productions filmed at Lake Tahoe might be enjoyed by our members and the local community. A very good possibility exists of obtaining “Lightnin,” the movie made at Cascade Lake in the early 1930’s and starring Will Rogers.

And with “Rose Marie” having been such a marvelous money-maker, it might behoove us to consider showing it again this summer for the tourist crowd, as well as for those who missed our January showings.