Two Nice Ones
Here are two nice Randos for you on this warm Friday. We'll start with this great view from April, 1973, as guests exit the park. There's still plenty of daylight left, so I can only assume that they all remembered that they left the stove on. It's the only excuse I'll accept! It looks like April (of 1973) would have been a great time to go to the park, it's a perfect day. You can just see a sign for the GAF Photo Trail to the left (the blue sign). "GAF - Our Film Is Terrible!". That should have been their slogan, anyway.
It's quite amazing to see a rare photo of Waldo himself, minus his knit cap and glasses (at some point he'd had lasik surgery).
Next is this nice portrait of Screechy the Iggle as she soars (?) above the Fantasyland Autopia queue, circa June, 1967. I like that a guest appreciated the noble magnificence of Screechy and wanted to capture this awesomeness in a photo.
6 comments:
I wonder what kind of goodies are inside all of those psychedelic souvenir bags?
Waldo is wearing saddle shoes!
GAF = God Awful Film
What happened to Screechy I and Screechy II. Are they in heaven, hanging out with Fan I and Fan II, the Chicken of the Sea Mermaid, and the Frito Kid?
Thanks, Major!
Major-
Sandwiched between the GAF sign and those sailors in the distance is the only attraction poster at that end of the cast iron fence in those days - for Storybook Land. In the last image, I notice the spot light on Screechy's right is 'aimed' at the heavens. The locking screw/nut has obviously loosened and allowed the spotlight to light the skies...
Thanks, Major.
As Tokyo! noted, there are quite a few of those psychedelic Disneyland shopping bags. There's also a big bright beautiful... Mickey ear balloon, and a pink one. The guy closest to us (Waldo) looks pretty tall; 6 and a half feet maybe? The older guy on the right looks... interesting. Is he adjusting his sweater, or does he always walk around like that? The lady on the extreme right is the only one entering the Park, and she's really hurrying to do so. Maybe this is one of those days when the park closed early to the general public, with the evening reserved for some group?
Really nice photo of Sceechy. I didn't realize she had metal (or plastic or fiberglass) feathers instead of feather feathers. My preconceptions are shattered! ;-p And the photographer caught the "Iggle" with her wings up, in mid flap! Most people don't time it right and catch Screechy with her wings down. 8-D
Nice Randos, Major. Thanks.
Leaving the oven on is the only possible excuse for leaving the park early on a fine day. This must have been a slightly cool day, we see several folks in coats and the man at the right is putting his on and adjusting the collar. There’s a fancy trash can and a white, fluted drinking fountain too.
Lots of fun souvenir loot in those bags too. We see some sailors to the left of the “E” in exit. Hope everyone had a good day!
Hooray for the Eagle and for the unknown photographer who took this picture. It’s the details that count.
Thanks Major!
JG
TokyoMagic!, until I read your comment, I didn’t notice that there were so many of those psychedelic bags! There really are a lot of them. Like you, I wonder what could be in them. Probably some souvenir shirts, but what else? I’d love to think that the Screechys are still around, but I could also imagine that they were just crushed for the landfill.
Nanook, yes, just a single poster, so sad. At least it’s a good one. I almost think there might be another to the left of the lady with the yellow shirt and white sweater (to the left of the stripey guy), but it might just be something else. Funny about that light, unless it could be pointing at something off-camera?
JB, yeah, Waldo definitely looks very tall, unless his partner is 5/8 scale. I can’t explain the older guy. He might have been putting his sweater on and straightening it out? Those days when the park closed at 8:00 are really something, I once went when they closed at 10:00 and felt let down. I’m guessing Screechy was fiberglass, since that was common for big advertising figures, but the tail might have been metal.
JG, I can imagine April getting cool as the sun set, but I still can’t imagine leaving the park when there was still so much fun to be had. Good eye on the sailors, I didn’t notice them. I always think of Melissa’s “Hello sailor!”. I do love that picture of Screechy!
I love those shopping bags...they were so much better than the ones that came after: which didn't have the color saturation. I saved one for the longest time, then finally sold it, and wish I would have photographed it in high resolution...but I can probably find something on line too. Everything about these where's Waldo photos are great: the ticket booths the flags...flowers...etc etc etc...Looks like it's quarter to 5..so the Park was probably closing at 6...and in those days it may have been plenty of time. It's exhausting being a guest, and way more exhausting than being an employee! Such a lovely pruned tree there: that takes work...not just a mere chopping. And Skreechy is doing his thing....and yes: I too wonder where he is...or is it a she? Thanks Major for the trip to the Main Gate.
Post a Comment