Today I am continuing a group of photos that were taken by GDB reader and friend Huck Caton; all of these feature Bell "Circle-Vision" cast members (mostly young women) posing at Disneyland just before the end of their year-long stint at the park (circa 1979).
In this first one, the whole gang is posing in front of the Circle-Vision building, along with the "Fab Five".
Here's a nice photo of Huck's girlfriend at the time, Diane. Minnie is such a flirt (we can see her bloomers!), and Mickey is obviously enjoying himself an awful lot!
And finally (for today), here's more "Bells" horsing around inside the attraction building. Notice the sign heralding "hands free phoning". If only that was possible today! I love seeing the Mary Blair mural in the background.
THANKS to Huck for sharing his personal photos - there is more to come!
Major-
ReplyDeleteThose "Bells" aren't just 'horsing around inside the attraction building', they're horsing around inside a Chatter Box-! I placed many a phone call to friends from those phone "booths" with their 'speaker phones', for hands-free calling.
Thanks Huck & Major.
Nanook, me too! There was just something very novel about sitting there and not having to hold the phone. And there were multiple stools in there so you could take a group of people in with you. I liked the fact that they had the windows that allowed you to look out into Tomorrowland and watch the PeopleMover cars go by. At some point they removed those booths in order to open up the entryway into the exhibit and placed just a few booths along the inside wall of the exhibit, eliminating the exterior views.
ReplyDeleteI remember those phone booths too! I probably only utilized them a couple of times. I think I actually spent more time on the "phone" with Snow White and Goofy instead. What I do remember is three of my cousins and I were sitting on those stools trying to figure out who we were going to call with our limited coin.
ReplyDeleteNever understood why the "Fab Five" weren't the "Fab Six". Daisy Duck always seemed to get the short end when it came to representation in the park. I guess it was because two 'F' words sounded better together than an 'F' and an 'S'
Thanks, Huck. And thanks to you too, Major.
Thanks again, Huck!
ReplyDelete#1 I love how the CM's costumes color-coordinate with the characters' clothes! (The clothes of the characters wearing any, that is!) There's no mistaking the design of their costumes for anything but late 1970's; they look like they could be extras from the original Battlestar Galactica, or maybe Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
#2 HANDS ABOVE THE BELT, MOUSE! SHE'S TAKEN!
#3 "Hands-free phoning! Leaves your hands free to paw vainly at the sealed portal of your death chamber as your cold corporate overlords pack up the cash, flee the imminent Armageddon, and flood the laborers' workspaces with cyanide gas and napalm to cover their trails. Of course, there won't be anyone on the other end of the line TO phone, but it will keep the proletariat distracted while the Alphas make good their escape. There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow for some of you, brought to you by Bell Laboratories!"
#4 Man, I can't get enough of that Saul Bass Bell logo. There's a manhole cover on my morning walk that still has it, and it brings a little smile to my face every day. Had to have been the inspiration for the original EPCOT Center logos.
@K. Martinez - Yeah, Daisy is much more elusive on the West Coast than on the East. And at WDW, we didn't see that much of her until Safari Donald and Daisy took up residence in Animal Kingdom around the tun of the Century. Now, Circus Performer Donald and Daisy have a home in New Fantasyland. I haven't been able to find a source for what year she started appearing in the parks at all, but apparently when she accompanies the "Fab Five" they become the "Sensational Six."
ReplyDeleteAll's I can think is that Donald is a bit of a player and doesn't like to have his bird around all the time. A girl in every port and all that jazz.
Upon taking a second look at these, I just noticed the metal plate/tap at the toe of Goofy's shoe. I can vividly recall the sound that the characters would make as they shuffled their way through the park. Do they even have those on the bottoms of their feet anymore? We really don't get to see them walking through the park very often these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that they didn't use the Family Phone booths from the NY World's Fair. They would have fit right in at Tomorrowland
ReplyDeletehttp://www.worldsfairphotos.com/nywf64/phones.htm
Melissa, have you seen the film used to introduce the Saul Bass logo to AT&T? http://techchannel.att.com/play-video.cfm/2012/5/24/AT&T-Archives-Design-Saul-Bass-Bonus-Edition
Nanook, I honestly don’t ever recall reading about the term “Chatter Box” in regards to America the Beautiful, so that is all news to me. Which is cool. Meanwhile, I have a prehensile tail, so I’ve been phoning hands-free my whole life.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, they ruined it! ;-) Oh well, at least you experienced it, unlike me.
K. Martinez, I probably would have wanted to call my grandparents, but they were often with us back in those days. As for the Fab Six, if Minnie makes the cut, I suppose Daisy should as well; however, she only appeared in 11 short films from the classic era, and probably was only in those at the very beginning and the very end. Did you know that Minnie’s full name is “Minerva”?!?! I didn’t until just now.
Melissa, I am getting the feeling you like matching, color-coordinating clothes! Just like when you and your sis matched. Those uniforms definitely remind me of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Yes, that mouse is all hands. Speaking of hands, hands-free phoning is a boon because I can now hold a cigarette in each hand. BTW, I got to see Saul Bass when he came to my school to give a lecture. What a privilege!
Melissa again, the dearth of female characters is a problem, which (I suppose) is why the princesses have caught on in such a big way. I have never heard of the Sensational Six - but I like it!
TokyoMagic!, I would have never noticed those “taps”. Are you sure Goofy doesn’t have a blade that retracts into his shoe? When he clicks his heels, the knife pops out, and he can eviscerate a whole gang of ninjas.
Dean Finder, I wonder if they didn’t do it because it was already being done at the Bell System Pavilion? I think I have seen that film about the Saul Bass logo on archive.org, it is a great snapshot of the era.
Major-
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard once Goofy tried to channel Lotte Lenya, but his feet were too big.
Thanks Major and Huck. Great pics of people having fun in my favorite place. I wish I could have worked there too.
ReplyDeleteJG
Have enjoyed all the pictures...I knew it would be so much fun to work there. I always wish I had had the sense to do so when I was young. :-)
ReplyDeleteOMG, thanks for that link, Dean Finder! And major, I'm agog that you got to share a room with Saul Bass!
ReplyDelete