Frontierland Pix
Here's another selection of Frontierland slide scans, courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor! We have a lot of cast members this time, perhaps somebody will recognize an old friend.
First, this smiling woman who (apparently) worked at the Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island. I'm sorry this isn't a wider shot, it would be fun to see the whip that she used to help control those unruly guests. The whip had Davy Crockett's likeness on it, which made it OK. The CM is wearing dark glasses that are historically accurate, only in the 1880s they would have been carved out of horn.
"Howdy, young man, we could use somebody like you in the Cavalry! Would you like to join?". "I have to go potty!".
I believe that this officer and the young man are standing on the Suspension Bridge. They are pointing and laughing because another guest on the nearby Pontoon Bridge just fell into the river. "If I had some pinecones, you and I could throw them at that guy".
Speaking of the Suspension Bridge, this boy is somehow all by himself as he crossed the span. It turned out that he is a direct descendant of Huck Finn, which is why he never bathes, avoids school, and likes to sleep with the hogs.
A Cast Member aboard a Raft has exchanged hats with a young settler, knowing that he will need protection from the burning sun as he crosses the plains. "Don't let your oxen eat loco weed!", he said, helpfully. Those two kids could almost be my younger sister and brother.
I'm willing to bet 1,000 golden pazoozas that this fellow worked the Rafts, since he is wearing a raggedy straw hat, the international symbol for "Raft Guy". I wish we could see his name tag.
MANY THANKS to the Mysterious Benefactor!
12 comments:
Major-
Another great series of images from the Mysterious Benefactor. I love the young chap in the 2nd image, with his hair comb substituting for sideburns. (He looks so 'grownup'-!) I can't wait until next year when his hair will be long enough to drag completely around his chin to form a full beard-!
I beg to differ with you regarding the "boy" in the 3rd image... wearing pig tails - with red ribbons-? Today, maybe... but back then - I think not.
Thanks to the M B and The Major.
Both the Cavalry cast members have appeared in numerous print ads for Disneyland 25th and the Family Reunion promotion as well as images in Disney News and Vacationland and a few souvenir pictorials and gate guides of the same period. The boy on the bridge image is much older and is part of a series of pictures of that boy experiencing Tom Sawyer Island from about 1974 - 75 or so . They appeared in Disney News and Vacationland as well as a Japanese book called Disneyland 25th Digest “we love Mickey series” the book was sold at Disneyland in 1980 but is a fantastic documentation of Disneyland in 1980 with hundreds of photos - unfortunately its all printed in Japanese. The back features a section about Disneyland coming to Japan and shows some WED concept art never punished in American produced articles about Tokyo Disneyland .
Well gee. I'm at a loss for humorous things to say. BECAUSE MAJOR ALREADY SAID 'EM ALL!!! ;-)
Clearly, Major's commentary is the best part of today's post!
That said, these are excellent Cast Member photos. The Mysterious Benefactor gave us some nicer-than-usual photos today.
Are the Cavalry guys the Security on the Island? Or do they just walk around looking all Old-Westy like, interacting with the guests?
It's Cast Member day here on the Mickey Mouse Club! Thanks, Major, and M.B.
In the second pic, what is that hanging off of the backside of the Cavalry officer? I'm pretty sure they didn't carry guns, but it kind of looks like it could be one. Maybe it's a can of mace, just in case the Yippies come back.
I do recognize that kid on the suspension bridge from publicity photos. There is a photo of him in front of the mill on the TSI, but most of his body is blocked by the reeds along the shore, and he is waving to the photographer. The photo is in the "Disneyland - The First Quarter Century" book.
Thanks, Major and MB!
Here's the pic of that kid that I was talking about. It's in the very back of the book.
Disneyland - The First Quarter Century
I forgot to say that
after clicking on the link above, scroll to the second photo!
Hooray for the MB! Phun photos phor shore.
TM!, I thought the same thing about the holster in the first security host picture. I wouldn’t be surprised if early on they carried prop pistols for ambience (much like Sheriff Lucky and Black Bart), but I can see that going away after a time, if for no other reason than it doesn’t make sense for a security person to carry a nonfunctional firearm on duty. In the second security guy photo, you can see he is carrying an aluminum flashlight on his left hip and a radio on his right hip (the antenna is visible over the right shoulder of the boy with the pigtails) with an industrial-grade cable connecting it to his earpiece. Operationally logical and effective but not quite 1870s U.S. Cavalry-authentic, which is probably OK since the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn books take place in the 1840s.
Nanook, I always forget, which are boys, and which are girls??
Mike Cozart, remember, all of the Mysterious Benefactor’s scans are from photos that were taken for possible publicity purposes (positively!), so it is no surprise that some of these CMs have been seen in souvenir guides and such. Also, while these 1000(ish) images are sort of in order, every once in a while there will be one that’s from years before. Not sure why! Interesting that there was a Japanese book about Disneyland’s 25th, I wish I had a copy.
JB, I made a vow to myself (and to America) - to say ALL of the funny things. It’s the least I could do. Cavalry guy is not even a CM, he’s just a guest who was bonked on the head. Some hoped that a second “bonk” would bring him back to reality, but all it did was make him talk with a Swedish accent.
TokyoMagic!, that thing is definitely gun-like. Could it actually be some sort of radio? “Breaker, breaker, good buddy, there’s a pregnant roller skate blocking traffic, come on!”. I know all the CB lingo, girls love it. See Mike Cozart’s comment about the Boy on the Bridge, who was probably a ghost. I’ll have to dig out my copy of “Disneyland; The First Quarter Century” to see him!
TokyoMagic!, oh, awesome, now I don’t have to dig out my copy!
TokyoMagic!, how am I supposed to deal with so many rules?
Chuck, you make a good point, why carry a fake firearm? He should have carried nunchucks, that would have been cool. Or a Klingon bat’leth! YEAH!!! Aluminum flashlights are handy because you can take out the batteries and fill them with bourbon. Don’t ask me how I know. I have to imagine that security on Tom Sawyer Island was generally “hours of nothing”, and then moments of terror when a Yippie showed up. A Yippie will think twice about any funny business when he sees a Cavalry officer with a bat’leth.
It's hard to pin point sometimes what era employees are from...usually the girls will tell you more than the boys as hairstyles changed in the modern world. Pre-long hair/beard days, we kind of all looked the same. I recognize Calvary Guy #2....he's been "published" outside of this blog...and I have to look at an old wardrobe card to see if there is a space for "gun holster". If it was issued by wardrobe...which it should have been as any "personal ammendments" would be strictly forbidden...it would have been on that card. The girl looks like every female who worked outside in ops: she actually is giving me "Parking Lot" vibes. They all kind of had those same style glasses. Sideburn guy is testing the limit of "acceptable sideburns" as they could only go as far and the bottom of your earlobe. I suppose that for this Calvary position it makes sense, but RULES ARE RULES! I'm trying to think of something witty/snarky that that little girl is laughing hysterically at...but I'm tapped out of witty sayings at the moment. I didn't have time to talk about Malts yesterday, but I DO enjoy a malt over a shake. I love the flavor of malt powder, and drank "Horlicks" when I was a kid....I also love malted milk balls "Maltesers", and can gobble them up like a hamster. I'm not sure if normal people would understand a malt or a shake...and they probably think they are the same thing. Add some malt powder: "poof" ....you have a malt. Shakes are so filling, and I think the only time I have one is when I go to "In and Out" when in California: and after the burger and fries, the shake kind of sends me over the edge of "full". Thanks to DW for the pano: two "Hair-Don'ts" are always better than one. I saved it, it's flammable ..... (spell check" : FRAMEABLE (not a real word.) Thanks Major and MB!
Oh yes - I’m totally aware of what the FRONTIERLAND slide sets from Mysterious Benefactor were from /for - it’s just fun to recognize specific images from the slides from where they were previously used or published. These types of binders were issued by the Disneyland Photography/slide department to different divisions for the quick use in the making of manuals or brochures and would include pre-approved images a department could keep handy without having to always request something from the photography department. I’ve seen similar reference bider sets with slide from wardrobe - with images used in “the Disneyland look” brochures , and Disneyland Hotel Event planning and even Disneyland Facilities & engineering. Tons of these department quick reference slide sets were destroyed or abandoned in the early 2000’s as marketing switched to digital.
These are so much fun, and everyone in the photos looks like they are having fun.
All the witty comments are made already, but I will add in that on the suspected suspension bridge photo, we can see the roof of Lillian’s Apartment in the background. When she was not in residence, the little cabin holds the pump equipment for the creek that runs the mill.
Thanks Major and MB, and everyone who commented on the behind the photos info.
JG
Well folks...I am back, albeit briefly, as we are building out our recently acquired mini-ranch here in Oregon. All these pics look wonderful and of a time when the Park had the magic. Major...that last picture is of George H. And I am going to share this with him now as he is a FB friend. Like all of from that era (well...not me just yet)...he's retired and just enjoyed his own 'raft trip' on an Alaska cruise! KS
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