Monday, August 09, 2010

Baloo & Bre'r Fox, April 1974 (Plus Extra!)

Here are two more from April 1974, featuring some of the costumed characters that strike terror into my heart. Others love them, apparently.

Baloo, that fun-lovin' bear from "The Jungle Book", poses with fans next to the Baby Station. That's where you could buy real babies for only a dollar or two, just like animation cells. This photo was taken shortly after Baloo's life-saving tracheotomy; an allergic reaction to strawberries caused him to swell up like Ballpark Frank. Luckily, he made a complete recovery!


These kids had probably actually seen "Song of the South", and knew who Bre'r Fox was. He's standing just outside the First Aid station, which is full of dopes who stood up while riding the Matterhorn. The charming mural to our left shows Alice and Snow White tending to some children.

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EXTRA! EXTRA! I have a great photo, kindly sent to me by Larry Nikolai of Walt Disney Imagineering. It shows a window that was part of the Tobacco Shop (see the window in 1960 here), with a wonderful ode to the evil weed. Can you imagine anything like this in Disneyland today?


Larry said that he took this photo in July of 1977 (on GAF film!), and that it is now a window honoring the Sherman Brothers.

THANK YOU very much, Larry!

5 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

Babies for sale, tracheotomies, and Ball Park franks? Thanks for the making me laugh out loud, Major!

The Viewliner Limited said...

LOL !!! Ur Nuts! LOL !!!

Connie Moreno said...

I've learned NOT to have any liquids in my mouth while reading your blog! Love the photos, especially the "extra"!

JG said...

Major, you owe me a new keyboard since i sprayed coffee into this one.

I remember that tobacco sign, oh dear. How extraordinarily old I feel, I remember when tobacco was innocuous. I also have a Disney tobacco shop matchbook.

I wonder if disneyland will bring back this space as a head shop when california legalizes pot?

Mickey-themed bongs anyone? Bet the old Yippies will buy them.

JG

Anonymous said...

I'd pay good money for a Mickey Mouse bong (even more for a Dopey bong), and would thoroughly enjoy using it while chuckling over this hilarious and historically significant blog! I might die laughing laughing (like Mr. Dawes at the bank in "Mary Poppins")! What a way to go!