Roosevelt Tinkers With Thanksgiving

November 22, 2016
by Dan Soderberg

Cinema Treasures.org

Wednesday November 22, 1939 “To the Paramount – Garbo in Ninotchka – good. Bought 2,000 tissues – Nite library. Read till 11:30.

Thursday November 23, 1939 “Thanksgiving Day. Moved ahead a week early this year by the President. Jeanne and Duke to the Poly – Lowell game. Sam and I on the grandest ride down the coast to Half Moon Bay. Back through the Redwoods and Skyline Boulevard. Perfect warm day. At nite Jeanne and Duke to two shows. Sam and I read. I shampooed, etc.”

Anderson Design Group

President Franklin D. Roosevelt carves the turkey during the annual Thanksgiving dinner for polio patients at Warm Springs, Ga., with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt smiling beside him, Dec. 1, 1933. (AP Photo) — FDR’s intention was to give retailers an extra week for Christmas shoppers in the November of 1939 which had five Thursdays. The custom prior to that, and since Lincoln, was to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. So FDR decided five Thursdays was one too many before Christmas and decreed Thanksgiving be moved up a week. The move was not popular. After trying that for two years, Congress adopted a compromise – establishing Thanksgiving Day as a National holiday on the Fourth Thursday of every November regardless if there were four or five November Thursdays in a given year.

Friday November 24, 1939 “Jeanne and I to town – to Newsreel Theatre. Nite – Sam and I to town and window Shopped. Saw a big fire at Front and Pine Street. Took cable car home.

Saturday November 25, 1939 “Rained last night. but nice today. Picked up Sam at Jac’s. Rode with Tony in afternoon. Big Game today – University of Clarita 32 – Standford 14. Nite at home and read.”

From the San Francisco Municipal Record.
Jacopetti’s – Speciatiling in the Finest TURKEY SANDWICHES
Ham, Cheese, Sardine, etc. — Free Buffet Lunch
Beverages — Full Line — Rainier Beer
No. 1 Columbus Avenue, corner Washington
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.
E. JACOPETTI, GArfield 6498 J. CASSINELLI ,GArfield 9260Guessing that Number one Columbus Ave was on the right. This is looking from where the Transamerica building is today.

Sunday November 26, 1939 “It was a grand day. Tony, Duke, Jeanne, Sam and I to Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Mark West Springs – Perfect! Country gorgeous Autumn coloring. Saw a car over a cliff near a bridge. Nite – Hi Balls and Radio. Duke was here.