Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 95

AH American Red Heads

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City Music Hall Rockettes pose. In top hat, holding a cane with toe
pointed, she looks as if she is about to dance across the stage. The
photo seems to scream out "show girl." But in case there is any doubt,
the final publicity line on the page reads, "So make a date to see
America's greatest Show Girl in Basketball...." It doesn't say, "Come
out to see Pat Overman, the top scoring women's basketball player."
A men's team using similar publicity would have been the laughing
stock of the sports world.

Patriotism
The third image portrayed is that of patriotism. This is
symbolized by the red, white and blue uniforms and by the team's
name, the All American Red Heads. The term All American was
added to the Red Heads name in 1937 when Ole Olson, the originator
of the Red Heads, hired his first Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All
American basketball player. Over the years the term All American
became identified with Americanism and was used in reference to
images of the All American Girl and the AH American Team.
Statements such as "The ALL AMERICAN RED HEADS team...is as
American as apple pie" and reference to the women as the "All
Americans" reinforce this patriotic/nationalistic image.
Dollar Signs
Alone, these three images (beauty, excitement, and
patriotism) would not have been enough to assure bookings. The final
image was that of "dollar signs." The question that dominated most
organizers' minds was: "Will the Red Heads attract crowds and make
money?" Statements such as the following assured organizers of th e .
Red Heads' drawing power. "The famous girls...will be performing
before thousands of clamoring fans and all in a good cause as the local
sponsors will be swelling their cash balances...."^ Even the money
angle lacked crassness, since the games were usually staged as
charity events to raise money for deserving causes. What could be
more humanitarian than wholesome All American girls playing
basketball for charity? As the owner, Orville Moore, liked to say,
"Do you have any idea how much good the Red Heads have done for
America? Bringin' good clean family fun to every state in the union,
except Hawaii, and helpin' in any number of good causes, charities
for blind people and poor Indian children and the like."^