Monday, December 29, 2014

Stage Coach and Sleeping Beauty Castle, 1956

Here are a few pix from early fifty six! 

This first one is neat for a number of reasons. It's a nice look at one of the Stage Coaches and the adorabobble pint-sized ponies that pulled it (they're so little that they only eat baby carrots and alfalfa sprouts). Also, the photo was taken when the load area for the coaches was relatively open, and quite close to the river. In the background you can see the peaked roof of the small building that was called the "ice house" (I only know this because Imagineer Chris Merritt said so long ago). I believe that this structure is still there, although it is mostly obscured by later additions to the river landing; Chris said that (as of a few year ago, anyway) it was still used as a break room and check-in area for Columbia and Mark Twain cast members.


And here is an obligatory photo of Sleeping Beauty Castle, taken (I suppose) just as the sun set. If you look through the castle's arch, you can see the lights of King Arthur's Carrousel blazing as if it was night time. 


7 comments:

K. Martinez said...

If the first image appeared on any other blog or website, I would've never figured it was at Disneyland.

I'll take Sleeping Beauty Castle minus the bling and Pepto-Bismol any day.

Major Pepperidge said...

K. Martinez, it's really true, that first photo barely looks like an amusement park at all, much less Disneyland. As for the castle, I would bet money that if you asked the average person, they would say that they prefer the castle with more color. Which is why the park wasn't designed by average people!

Nanook said...

@ Ken-

You are sooo right. I hadn't really thought about it that way. I mean - it could have even been a shot taken 'between takes' on a movie or TV location.

And, Major, as for "the use of color" by the average Joe, all you have to do is look at the way many folks "set up" their TV 'displays'. And I mean no offense here - but as a friend of mine is so fond of saying: "There's enough color in that picture for two televisions-!" Evidently the 'more is better' philosophy pleases many more than it displeases.

Oh well.

Chuck said...

It's as though the vintage castle was shot in Kodachrome and the modern castle was shot in Fuji Velvia.

Nice set today!

Unknown said...

That shot of the Stagecoach epitomizes something that is captured in the look of Frontierland before, say, 1960: it always has an authentic, open look to it. Of course the downside of that openness is that no view blocks exist and you can see way too far.

I also like the way the driver has his boot hard on the "emergency brake". After all the ponies are still idling their little horsey engines...

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I've always wondered if stores set the color on more expensive sets to "maximum" so that they look dazzling compared to less-expensive models that are just as good. It sounds like they probably do!

Chuck, Fuji Velveeta??

Patrick Devlin, somehow I was never bothered by being able to see into other "lands" from Frontierland. Thanks for pointing out the driver with his boot on the brake, that's a great detail!

Chuck said...

Best tasting cheese-flavored film product around.