Minnie and Main Street Station, July 1960
Wowee! Here we've been at Disneyland just a few minutes, and we've already met Minnie Mouse. We've got the pictures to prove it, too. It's like going to Hollywood and bumping into Audrey Hepburn, don't you think? It's hard to tell who's happier, the kids, or Minnie.
Meanwhile, pants that only go halfway down your lower leg must have been a thing in 1960.
Panning upward, there's the Disneyland Railroad (with 4th of July bunting) at the train station. I love those old yellow cars, even if they weren't that great for sight-seeing. Minnie's ears are facing in the direction of some older fans. Everyone loves her!
It's not even 10:00 A.M. yet, they have plenty of time to do everything in the park. So jealous.
13 comments:
I think it’s more like going to Hollywood and bumping into Kaye Ballard.
Major-
Matching outfits on the boys (except the socks). Standing with that group of youngsters, Minnie appears to be suffering from gigantism - or at least her head. No matter. Just think of the good times ahead for this motley group...
Thanks, Major.
That floral Mickey has been there too long at the front of the Main Street Station. They need to change it, perhaps replace it with a floral Thanos.
I love the old yellow cars too. It's too bad they didn't keep them and bring them out for operation on the Disneyland Railroad during special occasions and events, but that isn't going to happen. Thanks, Major.
It's Scary Minnie! Ha, ha, Mike Cozart...your Kaye Ballard comment made me laugh out loud. And I LOVE Kaye Ballard!
I wonder if those pants would qualify as "pedal pushers"? Melissa?
The yellow cars look very "real", are they scale replicas like everything else about the trains? It doesn't matter, I love them anyway. Of course, they were disposed of. Seems like it would be possible to build a whole other theme park with stuff that Disney got rid of...
The character costumes were originally terrifying. Can't imagine who thought those early ones were a good idea. Watching the evolution over the years is entertaining. This one is fairly proportional to the film version of the character as long as Minnie is seen alone, it's the comparison to normal folks where it goes awry.
I saw Jane Fonda once in the supermarket in Brentwood, but her head was pretty much normal human size. She was buying celery as I recall. I felt so validated, for about five seconds.
JG
Those pants are surfers. I had two pair, one white and one blue. I wore mine to the beach, and to Balboa Island, we used to rent a house there, in the early 60s. Hadn't thought of those in years! You aren't supposed to wear them with shoes and socks, only flip flops, or clogs as we called 'em. I agree with Major, I love those yellow cars the best.
Is this a female impersonation Minnie? The shoulders, calves and general posture suggest a slim young man.
JG, it didn't look like the character costumes were made quite right until the mid 60s, as in that postcard of Disney and his "children" in front of the castle. At least Mickey; Dopey is still a bit misshapen.
A Kaye Ballard reference! Someone I haven't thought of in literally decades. That's part of why I love you guys so much.
JG, the cars were scaled down approximations, inspired by the Oahu Railway cars on display at Travel Town, and based on a six-foot doorway.
At least the yellow cars are all still in existence, unlike so many things they've disposed of. The combine is in Griffith Park next to Walt's Barn, the four coaches are at the Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita, and the observation car is still making the Grand Circle Tour around Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom as the Lily Belle.
That's a brilliant observation about being able to build an entire theme park out of what they've thrown away. I just wish someone had had that idea 50 years ago...
Mike Cozart, no way, Minnie is much more demure!
Nanook, Minnie just needed to “fill out” a bit. But she’s always watching her figure.
K. Martinez, now that you say that, I’m kind of astonished that they have never “temporarily” changed the flower portrait to advertise the latest big movie or whatever. Can it be that at least the portrait is too sacred to mess with? I doubt it! I get that they didn’t want to store all those big passenger cars, but I do love their history (being built at the studio).
TokyoMagic!, oh, she’s not that scary. I think she’s kind of cute. The only thing I remember Kaye Ballard from is “The Mothers-In-Law”, which was a show I didn’t care for when I was a kid. Of course I was not exactly their demographic, I’m sure! I was surprised to see that she is still with us at the age of 93.
JG, yes, I think the original yellow passenger cars are much more like the kind that would typically move people from place to place. The type with the sideways seating feels more touristy, like you’d find at a scenic destination. I admit that they are much better for seeing the park. I think if they’d given Minnie a poofier dress, her head wouldn’t have looked quite so oversized. Jane Fonda in Brentwood? That’s the fun thing about L.A., you never know who you’re going to see around town. I used to see celebs all the time when I spent more time around Sunset Blvd., and on Melrose Avenue.
Jonathan, those pants do look kind of “surfey”… I wonder if they were made by the mom? I get that vibe, though I could be mistaken. I would wear them with one of those t-shirts that looks like a tuxedo jacket and bow tie. For job interviews, of course.
Stefano, I thought the same thing! I’ll bet that is just a skinny guy. I am charmed by the character costumes that are off-model, but I guess a lot of people don’t like them.
Chuck, as soon as you mentioned the Oahu Railway I thought of the ones at Griffith Park. I went to see the combine last year, it was really neat to see it, especially since it is completely restored. They had a video screen with photos of the combine over the years, and I saw a couple from GDB! I’d love to go up to Santa Margarita to ride the old passenger cars (my brother in-law has seen them).
@Chuck and Major, the yellow cars remind me of those on the Yreka Western Railroad, and also some on the McCloud River Railroad. I had a day excursion in that car on the YWRR long ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yreka_Western_Railroad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCloud_Railway
For a short time I lived near the MCRR siding where Engine #25 was parked. Saw it every day on the way to my work. I wish I had paid more attention, since both railroads appear now out of business.
@Stefano, sometimes it takes a while to get things dialed in. It's impressive how many iterations Disney was willing to make to get it right.
JG
JG, I have several N-scale McCloud River RR boxcars in a box in the garage, along with cars from the Sierra RR; the Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe; and the Stockton Terminal & Eastern. The Long's Drugs in Moreno Valley had a HUGE model railroad section, and they usually had a nice selection of California shortline equipment.
Reading over those Wikipedia entries has me kicking myself for living in SoCal for a couple of years in the '90s and never making it up that direction. Of course, part of my thought process was that my unit was going to move from March AFB in Moreno Valley to Travis AFB in Fairfield, and I knew I'd have at least three years to explore central and northern CA before my next assignment. Unfortunately, they decided to inactivate the unit instead and I went to Charleston, SC instead.
It wasn't all bad; my wife and I got to bicycle "a lovely setting outside Charleston, South Carolina, where the city actually had its beginning long ago," featured in the 1967 version of America the Beautiful.
Major, Did you know that "The Mothers-In-Law" was a Desilu production? The episodes were produced and directed by Desi Aranz, and the writers were two of the writers from "I Love Lucy." That might have played a part in why you didn't care for the show!
Kaye Ballard was in the original "Freaky Friday" film. She and Ruth Buzzi played rival school hockey team coaches. She was also one of the wicked stepsisters in the 1957 live television broadcast of Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (starring Julie Andrews).
I grew up at the beach in Santa Monica a loooong time ago and we called those pants "clam diggers".
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