On Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024, I hopped in my 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 and traveled back to April 1977 along with hundreds of St. Louis Jewish Light readers. Like Marty McFly, we had a mission, a purpose if you will; to find the names of all 16 people seen in this photo, which was found in our photo archive.
We received more than 30 emails and comments from readers and with a bit of research and thanks to one phone call with Suzanne Broddon, we now have 15 of the 16 names and the story behind the photograph.
Who is who
We received names from multiple sources, some with last names that have changed since 1977. We’re publishing based on what we learned but are willing to make any additional changes if we have a name wrong, or that has been changed.
Let’s get to the big reveal, shall we:
Top row from left: Joyce Blumberg Hochberg, Paula Finklestein, Unidentified man, Judy Siegfried, Sheila Flom, Tom Shaw, Irene Fox, Les Glickman, Doris Fagin, Mimi Kaskowitz, and Renee Michelson.
Bottom row from left: Barbara Barbarash, Norma Sue Scher, Suzanne Broddon, Betty Cohen, and Gail Cohen.
The women in the photo represent the AMC Players, a local performance troupe made up of the Jewish women in the photo, to help benefit the work being done at the American Cancer Research Center in Denver, Colorado.
Who were the AMC Players?
According to a story written by Linda Matz Mantle, the executive editor of the St. Louis Jewish Light in April of 1991, the AMC Players in St. Louis was one of seven chapters working for the AMC Cancer Research Center, which was the only cancer center dedicated exclusively to the scientific investigation of cancer prevention and detection.
In her story, Mantle interviewed Carole Goldfarb about the troupe’s upcoming show. Goldfarb was one of the charter members of the AMC Players when the group began in 1954.
“I was working in radio when Alma Kessler called and mentioned a theatrical group, so I joined. Kessler was the founder,” Goldfarb told Mantle.
The 1977 AMC Players
In 1977, the AMC Players were hired by the Real Estate Board of St. Louis to create the “The Realtor Follies.”
Suzanne Broddon and Irene Fox wrote, produced and directed the show, which was all about the board’s honoree Tom Shaw, who is in the photo.
“Groups like the Real Estate Board would hire us to perform shows and all the money raised would go directly to the research hospital,” said Broddon.
Broddon says she believes the “Realtor Follies” took place at the Starlight Room at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.
The last mention of the AMC Players in the Jewish Light came in 2008.
