Wednesday, July 05, 2017

Boag-Alloons!

Today I am featuring some nice souvenir items from the Golden Horseshoe Saloon - or their empty envelopes, at any rate.

Disney Legend Wally Boag performed at the Golden Horseshoe for some 25+ years and over 10,000 shows; besides singing, dancing, and telling corny jokes, he also made balloon animals for kids in the audience. "Boag-alloons"! Excited kids could take home a kit so that they could practice their own skills in the art of making air-filled rubber animals. 

This first envelope was something of a surprise to me when I found it - I'd never seen one before. Also, nobody else bid on it! I love the interesting color combination and very "early 60's" design of this envelope, which would have presumably held a few dozen varieties of balloons. A young Wally grins at us, holding his carpet bag.


Now that I have shared this scan of the instructions, you can go forth into the world and make your own fortune. When you become a millionaire, just remember who helped you.


Back in 2008, I published this dark photo taken inside the Golden Horseshoe in 1963. Beneath the Pepsi signs and the not-quite-nude portrait....


... you can see some of these very same envelopes behind the bar!


This next "Boag-alloons" container is a card stock box (seen here in its flattened state) rather than an envelope, and is more familiar to me, though still not exactly common. I bought mine from Matterhorn1959. Wally looks plum loco! 


Here's the reverse; written on Wally's hat is, "Actually it was 7 years ago they operated on my father...". Does anybody know the rest of this gag? I'm sure it is groan-inducing!


I hope you have enjoyed today's Boag-alloon containers.

7 comments:

Graffer said...

In his routine, Wally asked the pianist if he knew the song “When They Operated on Father, They Opened Mother’s Male.”

K. Martinez said...

I have that last Boag-alloons" container as it came with my book "Wally Boag: Clown Prince of Disneyland". Nice Wally Boag collection today and the 1963 photo adds nicely to today's post. Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

I think I've just found my next job.

Major Pepperidge said...

Graffer, that must be the joke! And yes, it is a groaner.

K. Martinez, didn't Wally sign those Boag-alloon boxes too? I remember when the book was being sold, and wish I'd bought one. Long ago, "The E-Ticket" magazine offered the same boxes for sale, direct from Wally, and once again, I cheaped out. WHY?!

Chuck, I'm sure your wife will understand when you inform her that you have quit your other job.

Anonymous said...

Boag was an awesome performer. The tooth-spitting routine alone was worth the price of admission.

These are fun souvenir items, I've never seen either before.

I wonder if they ever thought of doing a version of the "Boagalusa Strut"...

https://www.shazam.com/track/2943578/bogalusa-strut


JG

K. Martinez said...

Major, yes Wally did sign the Boag-alloon boxes that came with the book. As for cheaping out, I've passed on my share of stuff that I later regretted not picking up. It happens.

TokyoMagic! said...

I wonder what the "many other funny animals" were? I want a Boag-Alloon hippopotamus! And make it life-size, please!