Hunchback at Disneyland
I have three scans from photos generously donated to me by our friend Irene (photos taken by her brother Bruce and his friend James). We lost Irene last September, but it's very nice to remember her and take a look at more of those pictures.
Back in 1996, Disney released its 34th animated feature, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Despite its unusual subject matter (it's a pretty dark story), the movie was a hit. And it's no surprise that guests could meet some of their favorite characters over in Fantasyland. At least until "Hercules" came out in 1997. Here's the titular Hunchback, Quasimodo, meetin' and greetin', and apparently signing autographs. "To Heather, keep ringing those bells! Love, Q". Notice the souvenir pin to the left, shaped like Mickey's head.
If there's one thing that six year-old boys love, it's novels by Victor Hugo! "Read 'Hunchback' to us again!" they would plead each evening at bedtime. "Are you sure you don't want L'Assommoir by Emil Zola tonight?". "No way, he's totally bogus!". And you know what? They were right. Here's Captain Phoebus (not Captain Cletus), protector of Esmeralda. I'll bet he uses Wella Balsam shampoo and conditioner.
Speaking of Esmeralda, there she is, looking lovely and exotic. Look at her hair, so much volume! It's not a wig either, despite what you might think. Esmeralda prefers Jhirmack brand shampoo (she loved the commercials with Victoria Principal) and hey, it's working for her.
THANK YOU, Irene, Bruce, and James!
14 comments:
This is one Disney film we never watched, not sure why?
I’m off to get some Wella Balsam, Major, like the cool kids have.
I’ll take obscure French authors for $100.
JG
After looking at Quasimodo for a couple of seconds I realized that the CM's head is Q's hunched back. Or at least that's how it looks. Which makes it kind of creepy that the Quasimodo head is just dangling there, empty, in front of the CM's face. How does he see out? It's a good real-life likeness of the cartoon Quasimodo, though.
Captain Phoebus's hair looks real, not a wig. If so, this must be one of the few times that a Disney CM had hair this long. Standards had probably relaxed somewhat by 1996, but still.
With all that flouncy hair and exaggerated facial makeup, Esmeralda looks a bit like a 'loose woman'. Well, she was a Gypsy after all. She must have been a Gypsy Princess though, in order to be allowed into the Disney Princess Club.
It's nice to keep Irene in our GDB family like this. Thank you, Irene, and Bruce and James. And thank you, Major.
JB, I think you are right about the cast member in the Hunchback costume having their head being back as far as the hump. But I bet it isn't as high up as the hump. My guess is that there is a helmet type of apparatus below the hump, and resting on the head of the cast member, so their head is at least in line with the eye and mouth holes of Quasimodo's head. That's just a guess. Either that, or their wasn't a person in there at all. It was a robot.
I think that mullet on the Kevin Kline character is a wig. That Esmeralda wig looks like a Loretta Lynn hairdo.
Remember, at this point in time, the Villains Shop (formerly Merlin's Magic Shop, and Mickey's Christmas Chalet) had become a shop called The Sanctuary of Quasimodo. The shop's top sellers were model kits of Notre Dame, and strap-on humps.
Thank you Major, and Irene's Dream Team!
I meant to point out that The Sanctuary of Quasimodo shop was just out of frame, and to the left of Phoebe and Ezzie.
Here's a picture of the shop's window display:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h2ASLpKWMGY/Vi8h5F98gUI/AAAAAAAAMFY/VY5RaXZu2Kk/s1600/Quasimodo%2B-%2BApril%2B1997.jpg
Thanks to Irene, Bruce and James for the thought provoking photos! Hey! Let's make an animated movie about Quasimoto? huh? From an artistic perspective: YES! The story is a wee grim, no matter how much you "doll it up" with colors and costumes...I suppose MOST fairy tales ARE grim...or "Grimm". That being said, I'm sure it was hard to have character meet and greets in this part of the Magic Kingdom...what a bottleneck that would be. Looks like everyone is behaving. Quasi IS kind of endearing...what a very sad story indeed. Mickey pen/pin...not sure I need everything shaped like that mouse, but I'm sure they sell by the thousands. The Captain looks like a sturdy lad, but those shoes look like they would hurt...a lot. Hair might be by Wella Balsam, but possible by Faberge...they make other things besides eggs: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1414216 who knew the Smithsonian would have such marvels in their collection!!? Speaking of hair: Esmeralda. That could be a hair-doo, but think it's more a hair-DON'T. Welcome to the Grand Olde Opry! I'm not sure the Farrah Shampoo would begin to make sense of it. I'm sure the little girls at Disneyland loved it. And from the picture, it looks like the little girl IS, and the little boy is thinking "I have NO idea who this woman iS!" I never saw this Disney picture, only clips and things...so perhaps these costumes make more sense to the younger set. Being set in Paris, it reminded me of a conversation with Robin Williams (RIP), as I was going over the high level details of the Park in France: nearing it's start of construction at that time, my thoughts about how I thought it would have been better in Spain (was a big contender)...but that didn't work out...et.al. His thoughts, said tongue in cheek: "Paris!?" "WHO is going to wait in line in FRANCE?!" "What type of employees are they going to need to hire...and where POSSIBLY are you going to get people to work there AND be nice to people" (in a surly French accent:) "Get in line! Get back in that line! You need to wait!" and then "What kind of rides will there be? the Robespiere ride? Public execution rides?" (again in French:) "Get in liiinnnee...get in line and wait in linnnneee, for ze execution." My stomach hurt after that day laughing for most of it. Truly a man who was always "on". Very sweet family and he was a doting father, and all around nice person. In terms of France, I find everyone delightful and sweet, when you are also delightful and sweet. Even in Paris. Maybe in the Metro they were not so sweet...but, they are working in the Metro...so cut them a break....Thanks again for the memory booster!
My first post was too early, forgot to say Thanks to Irene, Bruce and James for sharing these photos. I miss Irene for sure.
Bu, Disney Paris should have had an Impressionist attraction where guests paint out-of-focus paintings and abandon their families to live in the South Seas.
Thanks again, Major.
JG
Wow, I had never seen any Hunchback characters other than Esmerelda in the parks before! That movie had an absolutely gorgeous color palette. I always assumed Esme used Pert shampoo, for bouncin' and behavin' hair!
I see it's Girls in Overalls Day at Disneyland again.
Thanks to the Dream Team, and to the Maj as always!
The weather might be great in Spain but its government and economy has been TERRIBLE since England destroyed the Armsda … Spain went bankrupt in 1992 after holding EXPO ‘92 after European economist advised Spain to wait …. In fact the expo caused so much financial ruin to the already poor country that about 15% of Spanish companies also went bankrupt….. including my beloved EXIN BROTHERS of Barcelona… the makers of EXINWEST and EXIN CASTILLOS…… Spain is a Constitutional Monarchy and that doesn’t make a very good “host” county for a Disney Themepark. In reality - weather aside - the ONLY European country that could have supported a “resort” size Disney park in regards to economy and available work force and a potential guest base …
Was France and Germany. Spain was briefly looked at by Disney only because of its weather … Italy never was … just the uneducated press ever talked about Italy … also a poor country with such no labor base for a project as big at ( DISNEY WORLD EUROPE ) as the project started out.
Yeah almost ALL the fairy tales and nursery rhymes of Western Europe were “grim” or had pretty sad endings. Americans were the first to start to retell these story’s with happier variations. And most of us remember the Disney versions of them. Fair tales - eventually became for children because an unmarried “spinster” wrote them down to retell … but fairy tales were original a way for
Illiterate adults to spread NEWS of events of the day … like Disneys wonderful world of color episode : THE TRUTH ABOUT MOTHER GOOSE …. Mary Quite Contrary ( the execution of Mary Queen of Scott’s ) London Bridge is Falling Down ( the poor repair of london bridge after the great fire - killing hundreds of people after the king had elegant apartments build over it and the bridge stones - weakened by the fire - made it unable to support the weight of the expensive bridge mansions ) or Little Jack Horner ( the execution of a kings royal messenger who became property thief) …. Ring Around the Rosie ( rosary) the mass death of black plaque victims and that the bodies would be burned to try and stop the spread )
Many of the Grim Brothers took Black Forest folk tales and used them as the crux of their stories …. There’s evidence like the mother goose nursery rhymes , the grim folk tale stories originated as retellings of actual events …. A large Black Forest peasant family starving and unable to feed their families would take their youngest or sickly children and let them get lost in the forest ( HANSEL & GRETEL) ….. or sending a child the family can no longer feed into the forest on a mission to deliver something to a none existing grand other ( LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD)
The “good old days “ — they were TERRIBLE!! Lol.
Tokyo!, "or their wasn't a person in there at all. It was a robot." He was an AEQ! (Animatronic Exploding Quasimodo). Or maybe an AECM. (The Disney equivalent of an ICBM.)
JG, I’ll take obscure French impressionists for $100. ;-p
An eon or so ago saw the Hunchback stage show at the MGM Studios park. Recall the photo in the park guide showed Quasimodo wearing a mask over the top half of his face to look like the animated character; in the show itself the actor seemed to be wearing minimal makeup with the wig and costume. Guess it proved impractical.
I remember being a bit conflicted about the movie. Most of the way it was a good and surprisingly serious epic, with impressive musical numbers and actual drama. And right in the middle there was "A Guy Like You". Yes, a catchy tune and fun to watch, but it felt out of place -- better suited to a full-on, purposely anachronistic comedy like "Aladdin" or "Hercules". "Topsy Turvy" remains a favorite production number, the slapstick plausibly in period.
I read once that The Pied Piper of Hamelin was based on a real event during a post-plague period, where there was a labor shortage because so many workers had died. The young people of one village weren't content to work under the pre-plague conditions and for the pre-plague wages that the town fathers wanted them to, so they were easily recruited to go work in another village where people were willing to pay what labor was worth in the new economy. Over time, the plague and the young workers became the rats and children of the story we know today.
Hits really close to home right about now.
The girls are swarming Mr. Q. It's gotta be the BRUT! (More Fabergé, Bu.)
Thanks, Major, and...
Thank you, Dream Team, you'll always be in our hearts!
He was an AEQ! (Animatronic Exploding Quasimodo).
JB, I bet you are right. That is why the character disappeared a few short (no pun intended) years later.
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