Boo!

Happy Halloween, Boys and Ghouls! Sorry if I frightened you with that "Boo!" in the title. Jeez, what scaredy cats. I don't have much in the way of spooky images for you, but I threw something together. Major Pepperidge saves Halloween!

First up is this super scary photo of a wax Bela Lugosi as that most famous of all vampires. Yes, even more famous than Count Chocula! This might be from Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, though the slide looks pretty old, and is obviously unlabeled. Anyway, not a bad likeness, as wax museums go.


I know that this is from Movieland Wax Museum, because I remember the scene! My brother had a polaroid photo taken of himself, just like this guy (a Century 21 realtor?) is doing. Hey buddy, you seem to be getting pretty fresh with the monster. But I shouldn't judge! This likeness is franky awful. Frankly! Get it? The great Boris Karloff looked incredible in Jack Pierce's makeup; just thinking about that first scene in which the monster turns around and you see him for the first time gives me a thrill. So cool! Instead of wax, he was sculpted from lumpy caramel. But at least he has delicate little hands, much too delicate to strangle the sculptor. He was missing a finger or two by the time we met him.


I thought I'd throw in these Haunted Mansion pix (from July 1964) at no extra charge. As most of you know, the Haunted Mansion's exterior stood for years before the attraction was ready for guests. I believe that it was built in 1963, so it had already been there for a year or so. The Imagineers did such a beautiful job with the house, the manicured grounds, and even the wrought iron fencing... if it looked this good on the outside, just imagine how it must be on the inside?


By the time the Mansion opened its doors in August 1969, the public was went crazy, and record crowds showed up. And while it has undergone a number of changes over the years, it is still one of the most popular attractions.