The Haunted Mansion, November 1974
Halloween is so close I can smell it! It's the aroma of cheap chocolate, plastic wrappers, fruit-flavored candies, and pumpkins. In other words, the best smell ever. Today's a good day to share two photos of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, which was a mere five years old in November of '74. Hard to believe!
This first photo feels appropriately gloomy, apparently taken just as the sun had set, though the sky was still pretty light (not for long, though). I can imagine smoky greenish shapes floating behind the wrought iron at night! Probably making scary "Whoooooooo" noises too. THE SCARIEST NOISE OF ALL.
Gee, there sure isn't much of a line for this classic attraction. November really was the off season back in those days. Everybody was probably wishing there was a really cool Gummi Bears attraction instead. Just wait 17 years, folks, all your dreams will come true!
SO... why is there a U.S. Marine standing at the entrance to the Mansion? I honestly can't think of a single reason. He looks very young, not like a seasoned veteran. If you have any ideas, please chime in.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
GDB friend Ken S. emailed the following photo to me. Hilarious! Thank you, Ken!
17 comments:
Major-
I'm sorry, Ken's image has totally upstaged the more staid images of the Mansion. It's only missing the 'gentelmen's sock garter belts'-!
Thanks to Ken.
Yeah, I saw the U.S. Marine standing guard at the entrance too, Major... or maybe he's just waiting for the rest of his group. Other than that, I can't think of why he would be standing there either.
In the 2nd photo, what is that light-colored wrought iron panel up on the second floor to the right? We saw it in yesterday's photos as well, but I forgot to mention it then... so I am now.
Haha! How did the guys manage to pull off (Get it? Pull off) this photo without getting caught? The long tails of their formal attire make it even funnier. Also, they're all wearing boxers, no tighty whities. Which makes me think that they carefully planned this photo several days in advance.
I agree with Nanook, today's 'normal' photos have become invisible next to Ken's photo. IT CAN'T BE UNSEEN! (Or ignored.)
Thanks to KS for the laugh, and to Major for... the other stuff... whatever it was. :-D
The Haunted Mansion “pantless” photo is mimicking the stretching room portrait inside … it was taken for a cast newsletter published by Disneyland Special Services called INSIDE DISNEYLAND . It’s a well known photograph … but I’ve never seen it in color!
Major: regarding yesterdays mention of the E ticket Magazine… its last issue will be coming up on almost 15 years ago!
The length of the guys' boxer shorts, and the possible stripe, made me think of the stretching portrait of the guy standing on the powder keg. I'm glad Mike confirmed that is what was trying to be achieved here.
JB, I think that panel on the second floor is a rattan or wicker screen. But why it is up there, I don't know. Maybe it's purpose is to shade the spirits, when they nude-sunbathe out on the balcony.
Major, since it was November, maybe these were taken on Veteran's Day. Maybe Disney posted a U.S. serviceman or servicewoman at the entrance to every attraction throughout the park, just for that special day. Maybe they even talked them into being the attraction ticket-takers for the day..... without pay, of course. But for their lunch breaks, they gave them all a Zinger®.
I have a couple of theories about the Marine in dress blues. Note he is has no rank insignia on his sleeves, which puts him at the lowest enlisted rank of private (E-1). He may have just graduated from Boot Camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and is wearing his dress blues in a show of pride while visiting Disneyland with family or friends.
A second theory is that this may have been taken on November 10th, the birthday of the US Marine Corps. Marines celebrate all over the world with a variety of traditions, one of which involves a ceremonial cutting of a birthday cake with a Marine sword held by the youngest Marine and the oldest Marine in the local command. With the heavy Marine Corps presence in the area (Marine Corps Air Stations Tustin and El Toro were still active installations in 1974) and the relatively high number of Marines who had off-duty jobs at Disneyland, there is a possibility that a ceremony of this type could have been done at Disneyland (although it’s exceptionally unlikely that a ceremony of that type would have been done at the Haunted Mansion itself). If that’s the case, a belated happy birthday, Devil Dog!
A third theory is that his family left him outside under the care of a cast member who suggested that the ride may be too scary for a kid his age. That’s my first memory of the Haunted Mansion; maybe it’s his, too.
I did something similar to the last photo at work once. I had forgotten to bring uniform pants on a business trip to DC and had to scramble to buy some on the day of arrival before the conference started. The guys I was with on the trip teased me mercilessly about it.
So one day I went up to their cube farm area and stood behind a waist-high partition talking with them for a few minutes. I drove the conversation around to some point where I needed to walk into the cube to look at something, at which point they all saw that I was wearing my camouflage uniform top, my combat boots, and long boxers with no pants.
Disneyland gave admission discounts to service members and members of the clergy in uniform or faith garb…… a possible reason to be in uniform .
At first I thought...."computer is screwing up AGAIN! It's going to yesterday's post! UGH!"....as I looked closer...I then figured...ohhh...different photos..."excellent"....then I scrolled down..."REALLY EXCELLENT." I will take all shenanigans...in all forms...even staged shenanigans. Everything is very regulation: the regulations were...in general...(and said out loud during orientation on day one): Black Socks only with regulation black oxfords in good repair with a defined heel. If you need clarification, please refer to the showcase of regulation shoes (I forgot where this was...but it was a little glass showcase of shoes for boys and girls...perhaps it was over there by the barber shop, and the vending machine that sold hairnets, combs, and black socks...) moving on...costumes must be clean and if soiled during your shift, must be exchanged for clean articles. Costumes must be worn as intended, as costume designers went to great lengths to design them for you. All articles of a costume must be worn in their entirety. Name tags must be worn at all times. Underwear must be worn at all times. So...they pretty much did it all...Chippendales dancer #4 has his name tag on his lapel...what a rebel. Bachelor #1 and 5 look familiar...actually they all look slightly familiar, but it may be that I've seen this photo before and don't remember it. Often times, these shenanigans were TOTALLY supported by management who turned a blind eye. Only a few years prior, managers were doing alllll the same things. On-stage shenanigans with guests present were quite another thing...mustn't mess with the "magic". Now lets go to the Marine...the dark recesses of my mind remember something like this....and I think Chuck may be on to something about the Nov 10th date. He wasn't there waiting for "the rest of his group"....and I can see in my memory bank somewhere...something about these dress Marines doing something....hmmmmm....awareness for "Toys for Tots?" perhaps too early. What is he holding? Who is crouching down behind him? Back to underpants: made my day. Thanks Major and Ken.
Bu, the Toys for Tots idea makes total sense. Disney has been supporting the program since 1947, when studio artists designed the logo still in use today. The annual drive normally kicks off around the first of November.
Interesting factoid I didn't know - the program was founded by Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. Hendricks worked for Warner Brothers and was responsible for their revived animation studio from 1967-69 as well as The Bugs Bunny Show until 1977.
Today's post brings me back to memories of that night in 1973 that I talked about last week. After riding Pirates I remember walking by an errily abandonded Mansion (very few people around) and deciding NOT to enter! It would be 8 years before I went into a Mansion- and that one was at Walt Didney World. On that trip, I rode it five times in a row! It's been my favorite ever since!
By the way, my daughter (now 33) finally got out to Disneyland this year. She said she actually likes the DL Mansion better than the WDW one! She said the atmosphere and theming sets the mood better. One day I hope to correct my 1973 decision!
After that last photo, there really isn't anything more to say...
I did think momentarily that those might have been the summer uniform since some British services have official uniform shorts for hot weather or hot postings. I have no idea if US Services do the same or not.
The first photo seems to show off the slightly darker white of the undersides of the eaves and brackets as described in some article I read somewhere that these surfaces were painted differently that the vertical walls and frieze to emphasise the lingering shadows...
Major, thanks for two Mansion posts back-to-back, really enjoying this run-up.
JG
As I mentioned to Major, the picture has made the rounds. Inside Disneyland was a sanctioned publication which employees helped put together....for their information and entertainment. I wonder what is being done today in that regard. And is it as funny as then? KS
Nanook, I thank goodness every day that I never had to experience those sock garter belts!
JB, I really can’t fathom why that Marine is standing there, he looks so out of place on the porch of a New Orleans mansion. Hmmm, no idea why that one wrought iron panel is lighter. Somebody else might know! I had the feeling that Ken’s photo was going to eclipse the vintage HM pix! Oh well, it’s all good.
Mike Coxzart, the funny thing is that the photo looked vaguely familiar to me, but I can’t honestly say that I have actually seen it before. And WOW, 15 years since the last E- Ticket magazine! It makes me a bit sad, but I’m sure glad I have all of my issues.
TokyoMagic!, oh interesting, I didn’t even think of the guy in the stretching portrait. Good thinking. Hm, a rattan screen is not a bad guess, but as you pointed out, why would it be up there? I thought about Veteran’s Day for the Marine, but it seems like he’s not taking tickets, he’s just standing there. Maybe he’s a ghost?
Chuck, I prefer the thought that this could be a drill sergeant, yelling at the people as they entered the attraction. “Look at you! You’re pathetic! You’d have to improve 200% to be unsatisfactory!”. HARD FACTS? It also seems a little odd that Disneyland would celebrate the birthday of the US Marine Corps by having a random Marine just sort of standing there at the entrance to the Mansion. No disrespect to the Marine intended. Somehow the thought that the young man was a CM, and also a new recruit, sounds possible. Any idea what that scroll could be that he is holding in his hands? I like the idea of his family leaving him there until they are done with their scary ride. “You’ll be OK here, Jeffy!”. I’ve never forgotten pants, but I once had some jeans rip right up the back, and they were the only pants I had. I went to the local Old Navy in my sweatpant (i.e. pajamas). Of course many people dress like that for real, so I don’t think I got many looks. What the heck is a “cube farm area”? Never pick cubes until they are ripe, that’s my advice.
Mike Cozart, true, but even so, he seems to be standing there in some sort of official capacity, though he isn’t really doing anything.
Bu, yes, these are DIFFERENT photos of the Mansion! Don’t be confused. I swear those dress code regulations sound almost as stringent as military versions. “Be sure your mouse ears are always on straight and that your stitched-on name is clearly visible!”. I would spill things on my costume for a little break - I could walk to costuming and say hello to the pretty girls. The thought that they would have to tell CMs that “underwear must be worn at all times” is something. Mike C says that the photo of the guys with no pants is well known, so you have probably seen it before. Huh, “Toys for Tots”, not a bad idea. But STILL, why put the Marine in front of the HM? Nobody is carrying toys to donate to unfortunate children.
Chuck, we’ve seen (somewhere) signs for “Toys for Tots” out in front of the park, so they definitely participated in that toy drive at Disneyland. Interesting trivia about Major Bill Hicks, I wonder if we served together? ;-)
Stu29573, wow, seeing an abandoned Haunted Mansion sounds like a wonderful dream! Back in January I got in line, the sign said the wait would be 50 minutes, and I figured it wouldn’t actually take that long. But we did not move. After 30 minutes I bailed. I did ride it later, and it stopped ALL THE TIME throughout the ride, not sure if they were having technical issues or if there were guest issues. I’ve read that many people rate the Florida HM over the Anaheim version, apparently it has received some upgrades, and of course it has at least one additional scene that we don’t have.
JG, it is always proper to remove one’s trousers when the weather is too hot. If it’s OK with Emily Post, it’s OK with me. thank you for pointing out the darker paint on the undersides of the eaves, I’m not sure I knew about that. Very interesting!
Major, a “cube farm” is a derogatory nickname for a large office area filled with cubicles. I agree that “cube farm area” is a stellar example of poor phrasemacology.
Here’s a thought - maybe the Marine isn’t really there!!!<
That “lighter colored railing “ isn’t railing but part of a wicker lanai screen. Most of the Mansion’s original wicker furniture was a line of historical reproduction no longer produced. The company went under during the 2007/2008 financial crash. One if it’s distributors to the public was Georgian Arts Decorator Studio ( Defuct ) and Charleston Gardens .
Ken : there isn’t any kinda publication at Disneyland or WDI like INSIDE DISNEYLAND , BACKSTAGE DISNEYLAND … or WD EYE … there is a “cast tv” on the company’s internal portal … but that is like a bad YouTube channel - or a Turkey like the crap quality content on modern Disney channel : and lacks the dignity and humor the old old physical publications contained.
Oh … I’m a grumpy old man!!
Chuck, ha ha, I thought maybe a “cube farm” was a derogatory term for a place full of new recruits. MAYBE IT SHOULD BE? If the Marine isn’t really there, this is a classic case of mass hysteria. Or something.
Mike Cozart, I think TokyoMagic! is right, the former living residents of the Mansion liked to nude-sunbathe on that upper veranda. But what about skeeters, am I right?? I was just going through some of my vintage Disney company “house organs”, such as the “Disneylander” magazines, “Backstage Disneyland”, “The Disney World”, “Disney News”, “Vacationland”, and probably others that I have forgotten. All wonderful to look at now.
Ken, I love the picture you shared today - thank you!
Cubicle Farms...a/k/a (affectionately known as) Cattle Cars.
I've done my time in many...all different sizes - height-wise and square-foot-wise. The more square footage, the more important you are. I've even worked in one that had some clear (see-through) sides...I guess the clear sides are to keep employees from spitting at each other, as they obviously aren't for privacy. Anyone who's been encapsulated in a cubicle will enjoy the Dilbert cartoons on cubicles. Just Google "Dilbert cubicle cartoons," and maybe even add "Medical Mel" to one of your searches.
Thanks, Major, for another fun day at the Haunted Mansion.
Mike...Thanks for that input. It never remains the same. However, I'm happy to say I worked with all the guys in the photo and remain in contact with one of them to this day. KS
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