Meeting Mickey
Here are two photos from different batches, each showing guests as they got to meet their favorite tuxedo-wearing mouse!
This first one is from sometime in the 1960s; a young boy is taking Mickey's pulse ("You might have hypertension and should go on a low-salt diet"), while Mickey wears a top hat as a tribute to Fred Astaire, who'd gone to the dentist that morning. So respectful! Meanwhile, the area in front of the floral portrait is undergoing some sort of mysterious construction, I think this is from the brief period when a stage with go-go dancers was out front. It was Joe Fowler's idea. Where are all the other guests??
Next, from "sometime in the 1970s" comes this photo with a group of people crowding around Mickey, just in front of the Hills Bros. Coffee Garden. Is the lady with the hat a teacher? Maybe the lady with the burnt-orange shirt too? There are a lot of kids, including the smallest girl who escaped from Ringling Bros. in an attempt to live a normal life. You'll often find Mickey or Minnie in more or less this same location today.
11 comments:
Major-
I love the way our young gentleman in the 1st image is projecting his look about 40 years hence, with the lower button of his sweater undone, revealing a small pot belly.
As for that 'go-go dancers stage', I had heard it was for plate spinners twirling to the strains of the Saber Dance performed by the Dapper Dans.
Thanks, Major.
"Where are all the other guests??" They're all on the train! Maybe that mysterious construction (is he related to the Mysterious Benefactor?) is to add some drainage holes in the retaining wall?
The 'teacher' in the hat looks a lot like Julia Child. And 'burnt orange teacher' looks like she could be Vicki Lawrence. I like Ringling Bros. girl's 'clown costume'. She's sort of Toby Tyler in reverse. (Running away from the circus.)
Hmm, I just realized that I didn't mention That Mouse even once in my comment, even though today's post was all about him. Oh well, stardom is fleeting. That's how the cheese crumbles. Thanks for the pics, Major.
On a suit jacket or waist coat (vest) or "cardy" (cardigan) the bottom button is historically and traditionally not buttoned, an old tradition from Edward VII and his somewhat robust figure. At Disneyland my vest was certainly buttoned, but not the bottom button which would be a faux pas. So: it might be this kids young but emerging physique that dictated the unbuttoning, however he might have grown up like me (also wearing cardigans) and not buttoning the bottom button. This kid could be me at that time: as I also liked wearing cardigans: even in the heat. That being said: let's talk about the Main Entrance: and it seems that construction has also dictated where these "new" attraction posters would be placed...could this be the first installation? I've also never seen that wall painted in that color (white) before: interesting. The "chewing up" of the pavement seemed to be an all the time thing....the sewers in that area are problematic for some reason and CONTINUE to be problematic to this day: given some intel by current employees. Mickey's little top hat is something I've only seen on an older version of Mickey...so also very interesting. JB Allen...noted on the "construction fence" was an original contractor to build Disneyland...and then Walt Disney World...until they couldn't meet deadlines and were fired. "Poof, gone." The teacher in the second photo looks a lot like my 3rd grade teacher...right up to the owl necklace. Owls in decor made a brief comeback about a decade ago...they are fanciful in design...but we have one in our neighborhood and he is big and scary when he shows himself. "Do not pet". Looks like the kids are on a field trip: a field trip to Disneyland...that must have been a lot of squealing in that bus ride! I know I would be. Thanks Major.
By an amazing stroke of luck, these pictures are related!
In the first picture we see Johnnie "Slick" sealing the deal to provide hundreds of children to perform in "It's a Small World" over the next ten years. The kids were swapped out when they became too big for the costumes.
In the next photo we see Johnnie's mother "Ma Slick" delivering the final batch! After these kids up, they switched to the clunky animatronics they use now. Much easier to house and feed. Although they do get the occasional explosion if they accidently include an Animitronic Exploding Duck...
Disney History! Now you know!
The Main Entrance forecourt construction/repair: definitely not the first attraction poster installation as you can see a FLYING SAUCER attraction poster to the right of Mickey’s ear - placing this photo somewhere between 1961 and 1966 . Probably towards the earlier date .
The visible attraction posters appear to be ( left to right)
SUBMARINE VOYAGE
FLYING SAUCERS
MARK TWAIN /INDIAN WAR CANOE
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL -CIRCARAMA ,
And from the horizontal color bands; “Stouffer’s 3 Adventures in Dinning “ . The others cannot be seen.
So it’s possible this entry photo is 1962/63.
Sometimes, Always, Never is the button rule for sweaters, vests and suit coats. (A good movie, too) Amazing the kid got that at his age. Apparently, Mickey didn't. I thought at first 'teacher' was a member of the 'Hoot Owls" but I could be mistaken.
Thanks, Major
Zach
In spite of his towering celebrity status, Mickey has remained, like Nostromo, a Man of the People.
It’s gratifying to see him out amongst his fans when he could be relaxing with whisky and cigars in his Fantasyland redoubt. Truly a gem among mice.
Thanks Major, I love these pictures.
JG
Nanook, that kid should have rock-hard abs, just like me! Stay away from carbs, boy. Somehow the Saber Dance always makes me think of old black and white footage of The Ed Sullivan Show.
JB, the guests are wise to be on the train, it’s the best. I’d be there now if I could. I think the retaining wall always had “weep holes”, but perhaps not? The blacktop in front of the wall is definitely cut into a channel for some reason - possibly the addition of pipes, or as you suggested, drains. I wonder if Julia Child ever went to Disneyland? I’ll bet Vicki Lawrence did, since she worked in LA for years, not too far away. If she wore a fake mustache, nobody would ever recognize her. Cheese crumbles? Must be feta, yum.
Bu, I did not expect a history of cardigans (and the manner in which they should be properly buttoned)! I am finally ready to go on “Jeopardy!”. “This article of clothing typically does not have the lower button fastened”. “What is a cardigan, Alex!”. (I know Alex is gone, but he’s the GOAT). Thanks to a photo from Sue, we know that the posters were installed in 1956, and I am quite sure that this is from at least a few years after that. I think I’ve seen the retaining wall painted green (“go-away green”?), white, and possibly terra cotta red/brown too. I did not know that Disneyland had sewer issues, and would prefer not to think about it. It’s true, this version of Mickey was not typically seen with a top hat. Usually he wore a backwards baseball hat while he shredded on an electric guitar. Thanks for pointing out JB Allen, I’m going to have to look them up. I probably read about them in one of the more well-researched “history of Disneyland” books, but the name does not ring a bell. A friend of mine has a few items from McNeil Construction Co., who helped build the park, I’m sure a few companies were required for that huge job. Maybe owls got popular again due to Hedwig the owl in Harry Potter? I often hear owls hooting (and different owls screeching) out where my mom lives, I love hearing them.
Stu29573, wow, I can’t believe I have a photo of Johnnie Slick! It’s like finding a photo of the early Beatles. The kids in IASW could have been kept small if they drank a pint of the ride’s water every day. Ma Slick spent her last years in Sing Sing, where the other inmates feared her.
Mike Cozart, wow, for once I did not even really look at the attraction posters. That’s definitely a Flying Saucers example though!
Mike Cozart, I’m not sure I would have IDd anything past the Mark Twain/Canoes poster, cool that one of the Stouffer’s Tiki Room examples is there.
zach, I guess I missed the lesson in correct button protocol (probably shown on a film strip with accompanying recording that beeped when it was time to advance the image). That’s what happens when you move a lot, you miss out on stuff! I don’t know the “Hoot Owls”, but assume that they are a motorcycle gang.
JG, I’ve never read any Joseph Conrad, much to my shame, so I know nothing about “Nostromo”, unless you are talking about the space ship from “Alien”.
Major-
"Somehow the Sabre Dance always makes me think of old black and white footage of The Ed Sullivan Show".
Exactly-! For the American Cinematheque screening of The King and I at the Hollywood Bowl, back sometime in the late 1980's/early1990's, the screening was preceded by a 'prologue' - including Cab Calloway 'hoofing' on-stage with the energy of a youngster, no less. However, not to be outdone, the segment also included a plate spinner and as you surmised... the same orchestra accompanying Mr. Calloway backed-up the plate spinner with... The Sabre Dance-! I immediately thought of The Ed Sullivan Show Of course.
Pic #1: Mickey's head is too fuzzy.
Pic #2: Where is KS? I bet he knows who that server is, and he probably dated that server.
Thanks, Major.
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