Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Two Twains, 1956

Ay-yi-yi, sometimes I am not sure I can bear writing about another Mark Twain slide. What's left to say? At least these are nice, early views, so they've got that going for them. I was wondering what that thing was in the foreground (the wooden thing with the white trim), it looks like some sort of ramp, although boarding the Twain normally doesn't require a ramp, so I have no idea. 


Oh, who am I kidding, I still love the old riverboat!


12 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

The Mark Twain looks so new, uncrowded and just begging for passengers. Why can't we all go-??

Thanks, Major.

D Ticket said...

I suspect that the wooden ramp, which is behind all the crates and barrels, is for unloading cargo, but actually, together with the crates and barrels, forms a barrier at the end of the dock.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Great pictures today.

The headline made me think of the 1970's mystery spoof "Murder by Death" where Peter Sellers delivered the great line "The address is "22 Twain".

These Twains are on water (not rails) but are none the less spactacular.

Chuck said...

I concur with D Ticket - creative use of thematic elements for crowd control. It also would make a passable stumbling block against zombies.

K. Martinez said...

I like the split rail fencing along the edge of the river where the stagecoaches and Conestoga wagons would travel in the pre-Cascade Peak days. The lamppost in the foreground is a nice touch too. Thanks, Major.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, the uncrowded park and raw Frontierland are a lot of the appeal of these for me!

D Ticket, I suppose it could just be a barrier, but it’s so nicely made, with the curved wood - it almost looks like a boat.

Alonzo, I remember seeing that movie when I was a kid. Alec Guiness with his eyes rolled up!

Chuck, it seems like it would have been easier to just add a few more barrels and crates, rather than go to the trouble of building that lovely ramp. It must have had a real use…

K. Martinez, I like the split rail fence too… it looks like it might be unpainted rather than white; I think later photos show it painted white and looking very traditionally “southern”.

Melissa said...

Two Twains, both alike in dignity, in fair Anaheim, where we lay our scene, and never the Twains shall meet.

Wow, how often do you get to see a Disney steamboat that empty? Or any Disney watercraft at all, for that matter? These are really special pictures for that fact alone. My theory is that they got foundered

The wooden thingamajig on the dock looks like a really skinny rowboat with skinnier, uncomfortable seats. Or one of those nautical-themed bookcases lying on its back.

Melissa said...

And now, wadies, gentwemen, mice, and ducks, couwtesy of me and CTRW+F, may I pwesent to you the Steamboat Mawk Twain Medwey!

If you miss the Twain I'm on, you wiww know that I am gone
You can heaw the whistwe bwow a hundwed miwes,
Away fwom home, away fwom home, away fwom home, away fwom home
I'm five hundwed miwes fwom my home.

Thewe is a wonewy Twain,
Cawed the thwee-ten to Yuma.
The pounding of the wheew,
Is mowe wike a mouwnfuw sigh.
Thewe's a wegend and thewe's a wumah,.
When you take the thwee-ten to Yuma,
You can see the ghosts,
Of outwaws go widing by,
In the sky.

I heaw the Twain a comin'
It's comin' wound the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when,
I'm stuck in Fowsom pwison, and time keeps dwaggin' on
But that Twain keeps a woin' on down to San Antone.
When I was just a baby my mama towd me. Son,
Awways be a good boy, don't evah pway wiv guns.
But I shot a man in Weno just to watch him die
When I heah that whistwe bwowing, I hang my head and cwy.

Mawk Twain, Mawk Twain goin' so fast
Mawk Twain, Mawk Twain goin' so fast
Pwease don't teww what Twain I'm on
So they won't know wheah I've gone.
Mawk Twain, Mawk Twain comin' wound the bend
Mawk Twain, Mawk Twain, gone again
One of these days tuwn that Twain awound
Go back to ol’ Toontown.


No, no mattah what the wace, cweed o’ cowah,
I just got to teww you what the wowd needs now,
Is wove and understanding; get on boawd the Fwiendship Twain!
Evewybody shake a hand, shake a hand,
Peopow, I'm tawking about the Fwiendship Twain!
Evewybody, shake a hand, make a fwiend now,
Wisten to us now, we'we doing owah thing
On the Fwiendship Twain!

He's weaving,
On that midnight Twain to Geowgia,
Said he's going back
To a simpwah pwace and time.
I'w be with him
On that midnight Twain to Geowgia.
I'd wathah wive in Disney Wowd,
Than wive without him in mine.

Take the wast Twain to Mawksviw,
And I'w meet you at the station.
You can be be thewe by fouw thiwty,
'Cause I made youw wesevation.
Don't be swow, oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!
'Cause I'm weavin' in the mowning
And I must see you again;
We'w have one mow night togethah
'Tiw the mowning bwings my Twain.
And I must go, oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!
And I don't know if I'm evah coming home.

Take the wast Twain to Mawksviwwe.
I'w be waiting at the station.
We'w have time fow coffee fwavowed kisses
And a bit of convesation.
Oh... Oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!

Take the wast Twain to Mawksviwwe,
Now I must hang up the phone.
I can't heah you in this Main Stweet
Waiwwoad station aw awone.
I'm feewin' woah. Oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!
And I don't know if I'm evew coming home.

Peopwe aw ovah the wowd,
Join hands, stawt a wove Twain.
Peopwe aw ovah the wowd,
Join hands, stawt a wove Twain, wove Twain!
The next stop that we make wiw be soon,
Tew aw the foaks in Wussia, and China, too.
Don't you know that it's time to get on bowd
And wet this Twain keep on widing, widing on thwough!
Peopwe aw ovah the wowd,
Join hands, stawt a wove Twain.
Peopwe aw ovah the wowd,
Join hands, stawt a wove Twain, wove Twain!

This Twain is bound fo gwowy, this Twain.
This Twain is bound fo gwowy, this Twain.
This Twain is bound fo gwowy,
Don't cawwy nothing but the wighteous and the howy.
This Twain is bound fo gwowy, this Twain.
This Twain don't cawwy no gambwahs, this Twain;
This Twain don't cawwy no gambwahs, this Twain;
This Twain don't cawwy no gambwahs,
Wiahs, thieves, no big shot wambwahs,
This Twain is bound fo gwowy, this Twain!

Connie Moreno said...

I love these!!! The foliage is so under grown, LOL!

Melissa said...

These pictures were taken by Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.

Major Pepperidge said...

Melissa, the ramp (or whatever it is) looks like HALF of a boat!

Melissa again, I can’t decide if your songs should be sung in the voice of Elmer Fudd or Lili Von Shtupp! You have shamed me by putting way more work into this post than I did.

Connie, you always did love some undergrown foliage! ;-)

Melissa #3, are there two sheds in the photos? What am I missing??

Melissa said...

No, you're not missing anything. Just to Twains, two sheds, and me feeling punchy.

For anyone not familiar with the reference:

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson script
Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson video