Ike stumps at the Hollywood Bowl

Oct. 19, 1956: Running for reelection, President Eisenhower paid a last-minute visit to Los Angeles, staying at the Beverly Hilton and giving a speech at the Hollywood Bowl.

“Hollywood marched out some of the most brilliant stars in its entertainment firmament ... to play an hourlong warmup engagement before the Hollywood Bowl address,” The Times said.

“Playing to a standing-room-only house of more than 22,000, George Murphy, MGM dancing star, opened the show at 7:30 p.m. and closed it with a finale of 36 stellar endorsers of the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket. Entertainment that ran right up to the time the president started speaking at 8:30 included Bob Hope, Jeannette MacDonald, who sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ singer Kathryn Grayson, comedian Jerry Lewis” and many others, the newspaper said.

Eisenhower arrived in L.A. with an injured eye, “caused by a scrap of confetti tossed at him during his Portland (Ore.) visit.”