Monday, November 17, 2014

Moody and Murky, 1965

Continuing a series of oddly dark and moody slides, I have to admit that I wish I had posted this first one closer to Halloween. We're aboard the Mark Twain, on the starboard side; note the stage on the shore of Tom Sawyer Island, presumably for "Dixieland at Disneyland" performances. Maybe Louis Armstrong would be playing later that evening! In the distance, we see the Haunted Mansion (still years from opening), looking like a ghostly apparition. It's just schmutz on the lens - OR IS IT??


This one looks much like an old, age-darkened landscape by George Innes - except that he never painted any burning settler's cabins. The spirit of the dead settler only had to cross the river to find a grand home for all eternity.


5 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Maybe 'Moody and Murky' Redux, but that hardly affects the images - especially the Settler's Cabin a-Fire.

Thanks, Major.

Melissa said...

There's a sort of Raymond Chandler-based film noir feeling to these pictures.

"My name is Disney, Walt Disney. Occupation: media mogul and private detective. You know, somebody says, 'Voice that mouse', so I voice him. Somebody says, 'Burn that cabin, but not really', so I burn it (but not really). And what do I get out of it? $10 a day and expenses. And if you think that buys a lot of fancy animation cels these days, you're crazy.

I was tired of being pushed around for nickels and dimes so I decided I'd buld a theme park about... murder. It's safer and besides, they tell me the profits are good. You know, some cases of murder start when that door there behind you opens up and a steamboat skipper rushes in all full of sweat and confusion and fills you full of bad dope about the setup. But some cases, like this one, kind of creep up on you on their hands and knees and the first thing you know, you're in it up to your neck.
And that's when she walked in. She had skin like snow and a voice as high as the Chrysler Building. She was behind the sight ball with some screwy apple-picking dame, and nothing going for her but these seven chumps and a one-way ticket to a glass Chicago overcoat in the woods."

DKoren said...

Melissa -- that is awesome!

I like these two pics, very atmospheric.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, these particular examples might actually benefit from whatever weirdness was going on!

Melissa, I was waiting for the word "dame", and finally got it! I suppose we couldn't have "gams", since we can't see Snow White's legs ever. Thanks for the fun mini-story!

DKoren, I'm glad you liked these.

Chuck said...

I love the perspective on the first one. And Melissa's story is, in a word, really cool.