Friday, July 12, 2019

Tomorrowland Times Two

Here are some "leftuggies"™ from Tomorrowland - it seems like a good way to start your Friday.

Two pals (brothers?) are ready for a thrilling flight aboard the Astro Jets (from an undated photo). They've undergone months of arduous training in preparation for crushing g-forces, low oxygen levels, and a diet of nothing but peanut butter-flavored Space Food Sticks. "Let's light this candle", the pilot (Mr. Raybans) exclaimed!

I love the look of these off-the-shelf rockets with their automobile headlamps, and the alternating red or blue colors. Regulus is the brightest object in the constellation of Leo, and one of the brightest objects in the night sky. I can't call it a "star" however - it is in fact a quadruple star system. Now you know.


This next one is from July, 1966. Meet my four best friends: Monica, Chandler, Rachel, and Bill. Bill reminds me a little of Scut Farkus, but he appears to be a churchgoing lad, so he I will assume he is a good boy and not the terror of his neighborhood. Why Monica isn't wearing a souvenir hat, I'll never know. Rachel and Bill know where it's at, with their ostrich feather chapeaus!

Meanwhile, I do like this unusual angle from beneath the Unirail track (just go with it); there's "Old Red", some Skyway gondolas, and that great Monorail sign.


17 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
The shirt Mr. Raybans is wearing - with its contrasting placket - clearly places it in the 1950's - possibly close to 1955 or 1956. With those shades and perfect flattop - he's far too cool-looking for his age. I'm immediately jealous.

Bill, on the other hand, is still suffering-through the indignity of wearing braces-! His shades can only go so far in making him 'cool'.

And Major - please - it's beamway - the monorail beamway. (Secretly - I love the moniker of 'Unirail'; but if asked, I'd deny ever saying so, however).

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

I take Metamucil, so I'm Regulus everyday.

I had to look up "Scut Furkus!" I saw that movie in the theater when it was originally released, but I don't think I have seen it in it's entirety, since then.

I think that's a sago palm to the right of Bill, but I'm wondering if Disney deliberately pruned it to look like that?

Andrew said...

The rocket headlights are certainly a neat detail. Did they actually work? What about the ones on the back and that little red light just to the left of the "running board?" Any ride with working headlights on the cars is a plus by me!

Bud Blade said...

Well, Scut Furkus! to you, too.

I can just imagine the conversation going on in the right side background of the second pic. “Oh, honey let’s stay here a minute and we can get in the background of these other people’s picture. Do you think we can? Yes. I bet we will show up 65 years years from now on some newfangled message board for the future. We’ll start a new trend. They’ll call it photo-rocketing or something like that.”

Maybe I just haven’t had my Regulus today. I might have to go lie down.

stu29573 said...

Fun Fact #2531.3: The headlights made locating the rockets easier when guests figured out which button released them from the spin mechanism and launched them into "Who Knows Where." The guests usually parachuted out, leaving the empty rockets littered everywhere around the park (and beyond). Cast members would simply wait for night and look for the gleaming headlights! (There were 200 "backup rockets" so the ride could continue all day). Now where did I put my medication?

DrGoat said...

That really is a splendid Sago Palm and it looks like they did trim the older 'leaves' around the bottom. They tend to yellow and look unsightly. Pics really do speak for themselves. Thanks Major.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I think that, based on the slide’s cardboard mount, my theory is that the first image was from around 1960. But it’s hard to say, since it was undated. Tell Bill that braces suck, but straight teeth are a nice thing to have - I speak from experience. What is the beamway? It’s a track! It’s like an Oreo, you can still call it a cookie.

TokyoMagic!, you must walk with a real bounce in your step every day. People who are nearby wonder what your secret is! HOW could you have avoided “A Christmas Story”? Nowadays it runs on TV 5000 times around the holidays. The sago palm was probably pruned to keep it from poking nearby guests.

Penna. Andrew, yes, the headlamps lit up at night. I’m less certain about the “tail light”, but would assume that it also lit up, to prevent astro-collisions.

Bud Blade, I would love it if one of those background people saw themselves on GDB. Unlikely, but… it’s a goal. If you take Regulus, be sure to take “New Regulus: with iron!”.

stu29573, I’ll bet more than a few kids wished that they could somehow release their rocket and fly it (magically) to anywhere imaginable. “Say, what’s this lever?”. I like the idea of the ground being littered with rockets.

DrGoat, who knew I would learn something about Sago palms today??

JG said...

I don't remember if the Astrojet headlights worked, but the ones on the successor Rocket Jets certainly did. A great sight at night.

I've been taking Regulus for some time now, and can happily report it keeps one "Regulur", even after launching your ride vehicle onto the roof of the Carousel of Progress.

For some reason, back in the late '70's sago palms were very popular and were the target of thieves. I recall seeing them chained to stakes in the ground. The college I attended was in the news for having some very large mature sagos that were stolen brazenly by thieves with a pickup truck who backed right up to them in the planter and dug them up. The trend passed.

I love these photos of people having fun, especially waiting in line for my favorite ride, the MONORA.

Thank you, Major.

JG

JC Shannon said...

The Astrojets were so retro (pun intended) cool. I didn't see any kids in the second shot, just adults having fun at the park. Love it. I think those must be the landing lights on the Astrojet. Ya gotta see to land. Thanks Major for the uggies.

Melissa said...

The day is muggy,
The air is buggy,
It's time for some leftuggies,
So away we'll hope.
Our rocket is the Regulus,
We're flying like a Pegasus,
To end this song they're begging us,
So now we'll stop.

I didn't know they sold Monoras in Disneyland. And it isn't even Hanukkah!

K. Martinez said...

"A Christmas Story" has to be one of my favorite holiday films. I love the scene where Ralphie gets pushed to the limit and beats the crap out of Farkus. Epic scene.

Love the Astrojet photo. Thanks, Major.

Nanook said...

Major-
I’m an ‘old pro’ when it comes to braces. I had a severe overbite, and was “blessed” with two ‘sessions’ of braces, (complete with rubber bands). Thankfully, I was done at around age 13 or 14.

And just look at me now - if you dare...

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Modestly dressed teens on a double date at Disneyland!! Wow these pictures are old. Today's teens would be live streaming the fistfights in Toon Town and guzzling energy drinks while they look for a good place to hide and vape.

Scut Farkas is a tortured soul. Tons of unchecked rage due to the constant rejection as he could never find the little vanity license plate to go under his bike seat that said "Scut". Life can be brutal.

Chuck said...

"Yellow eyes. I swear - he had YELLOW EYES!"

Is there still a segment of that fence in photo 2 left at Disneyland? I occasionally run across photos of the "three Fences," but I don't know how old they are.

Nanook, I had a similar problem and was blessed with my own double round of orthodontic work. I had full headgear for my first go-around (3rd & 4th grade) but blessedly only had rubber bands the second time (6th-8th grade).

Coincidentally, a few months ago I found a mostly-full bag of rubber bands from those days in a box of model trains. I remember putting them with the train stuff in case I ever needed to replace a traction tire on a locomotive in those pre-Internet, pre-drivers' license days when it was next to impossible for me to get anything hobby-related without turning it into a major production.

Nanook said...

@ Chuck-
The headband - I completely forgot about the headband-! Ugh.

Chuck said...

Nanook, does this bring back any memories?

Melissa said...

My braces messed up my teeth more than they helped. I ended up having to get veneers as an adult becausea bunch of my enamel came off with the braces. I didn't really need them, anyway, but my sister did and my parents couldn't pass up the family rate.