Scenes From Frontierland, 1950's
Today I have a few more slides that were rescued from oblivion - years ago they were skipped because I could not restore them from their magenta state. But things have changed! Thanks to the new scanner, I was able to make these look pretty good.
This first one is hand-dated "1956", and shows the burning settler's cabin. I hope it's insured! Just look at those flames.
Let's zoom in for a better look at the carnage. The settler had harvested his first crop of corn, but it was all for nought. There he is, doing pilates in the front yard.
Hey, what is that thing in the water in the lower left?
I noticed a mysterious shape to the right of the cabin, and as far as I can tell, it might be the rear-end of a cow (?). If so, that's a detail that I've never seen before. If you have another guess, please chime in!
This next one was not dated, but is probably from about the same time as the previous slide; there's Chief Wavy, glaring at us, and yet welcoming us. It's always mixed signals with him. You can see a white rock up and to the right of his head... I believe that that is where the Disneyland Railroad tracks ran. It even looks like we can see a foot or so of track to the extreme right.
Uh oh, these guys are giving me the heebie-jeebies.
12 comments:
I think that is Bigfoot up there....wearing white leggings. Or maybe white pajama bottoms.
Is the settler in front of the burning cabin lying backwards over a box or log or something? I thought he was always laying flat on the ground.
Looks like he's lying face up over a water trough or
something similar. Nice pics, lots of green.
TokyoMagic!, Bigfoot didn't wear leggings until the 1970's. I believe that the settler is draped over a crude wooden bench; at times you see him like that, and others he is just on the ground.
DrGoat, hmmm, maybe it IS a water trough. I know that I have seen a nice closeup of the settler, I wish I could find it.
I always liked the dead settler with arrow through his chest. It gave Frontierland that rawness that is sadly lacking today. I'm surprised no one has dressed up like him during Halloween Time at Disneyland and roam around wearing western settler's clothing with a trick arrow "through" his chest. That would be so cool!
Another nice early Disneyland set! Thanks, Major.
Great job on the restoration! One would never guess that they had gone magenta.
I particularly love shots that are "rejected" mostly because they reveal details of the park that aren't already covered to excess (castle, Mark Twain).
Looks like old Ed is wearing his new "Arrow" shirt...
JG
It’s odd how political correctness has so permeated every nook and cranny of Disneyland. So what is it now, something along the lines of “a careless smoker did this” or something?
Speaking of nooks and crannies, Nanook is curiously absent so far today. Perhaps I’m being a bit premature.
Well, oddly enough Nanook was feeling a bit bereft of thought today, although that is in no way a commentary on today's post.
And Monkey Cage Kurt, making a reference to smoking these times, had better be shrouded in "bad, bad, bad" - otherwise someone may get the wrong idea that one is 'encouraging' that old pastime of 'looking cool'.
I definitely miss the Burning Settlers Cabin. It was a truly memorable highlight of the river journey whether taken by steamboat, canoe or keel boat.
It's been years since the cabin was burning. I think it was shut off sometime around 1999-2000. Does anyone recall for sure?
Thanks for restoring these Major
K. Martinez, I love your costume idea! I wonder if the folks at the park would object at all? For those who don't remember the dead settler (which might be a lot of people), the sight of a guy with an arrow sticking out of his chest would be mighty baffling!
Tom, thanks. We do see plenty of photos of the burning cabin, and Chief Wavy gets his 15 minutes of fame too, but I think that these larger-sized transparencies look especially nice.
JG, whaa-whaaaaa
Monkey Cage Kurt, as you probably know, at one point the story was changed so that the fire was caused by a moonshiner's faulty still. Lately, the cabin did not burn at all, but looked like a neat and tidy (and boring?) little homestead. I believe that it has been removed entirely with the recent Frontierland redo.
Nanook, your fans demand comments! It's funny how smoking used to be considered cool; now when I watch old footage of actors smoking, I just think "Ugh!".
walterworld, it seems strange to me that the Imagineers couldn't think of some other storyline for the settler's cabin. They probably just didn't want to pay for the natural gas anymore. I believe that the cabin's fire went out permanently in 2003.
Ken, I also like that idea for a costume! If I ever go to a Mickey's Halloween Party, I might have to steal that idea! As for older DL references, I have a friend that went to the 24 hour party a couple years ago, dressed as the Frito Kid.
Kurt, Major is right, the cabin has been removed from the river. In fact, that end of the island has been removed from the river. Actually, that end of the river has been removed from the river. If the cabin does make a return, they could always place a Stormtrooper out in front with a light saber through his chest. :-(
Now about that mysterious shape on the right of the cabin. I believe it to be the hind side of a deer. Head is down to the left, appearing to eat grass. Might have been one of those pneumatic ones where the tail wagged (some were static).
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
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