Today's slides are pretty dull, don't think for a moment that I don't know it. Don't do it! I am well aware! But sometimes a blogger has to post the bad stuff. How can we have light without darkness? Without bad, how do we know what's good?
Here's a greenish view of the Friendly Indian Village, a tableau that I always enjoy in spite of the many photos I have. Life looks pretty nice, they've got food and shelter and everyone's pitching in except for the shiny kid on the canoe, but the rest of them don't mind. He's a daydreamer.
I know some of you are sick to death of the façade of "It's a Small World", but perhaps you can find something to like. There's at least 10 strollers, you guys like those, right? It appears that Rolly Crump's trees are still on top of the building, and that blue-gray slurry is a work of minimalist art.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThere’s something good in every bad thing. There’s something beautiful in every ugly thing. It’s all a matter of opening your eyes and truly seeing. I'm trying, Major - I really am...
Well, at least it's Father's Day. Cheers to all the Dads out there.
Major: are you sure both these images are 1977? The image of the Small World Clock appears earlier judging by the fashions of the surrounding guests. Also 1975 the Small World exterior got its blue and cream highlights - not showing in that shot.
ReplyDeleteMy Gandparents in San Diego moved into their home built new in 1961. One of their neighbor’s home my uncle’s called the “Small World” house - it was all white with a modern gated grill in gold ( paint) surrounding a inner entry court. The double entry doors were a light blue with giant gold torch style door handles . Along the garage side were green cypress trees : this WAS the Small World house!!!! It predated the attraction by 5 years, but this was a popular architectural color combination for houses, banks , restaurants during this time.
The original Indian village looked authentic in its arrangement along the river .... Today it is very clunky in the art direction and has not a THEME PARK look but a AMUSEMENT PARK look. Like the art directors were some 7 year old kids that were playing with plastic Indian figures in the yard : “this indian is going on the top of this pile of rocks “ “and these indians live 5 inches from a rock slab and 7 inches from the water !” And they built a horse corral way over here “ the current art direction was SHOVE THEM IN!!
I’m sure Li’l Shiny’s doing his bit; they also serve who only stand on canoes. He’s the villages goodwill ambassador and social media director.
ReplyDeleteI love the massive white purses the two Small World ladies are toting. I bet they have everything you could ever need in there, like Mary Poppins. The trick is to make them so heavy no mugger can run away with them. I used to laugh about my Grandma’s big purse, until I became an old lady myself and my purse automatically grew to roughly the size of Croatia.
It's all good.
ReplyDeleteMAJOR: correction : the Small World exterior received its blue and cream high lights sometime between 1977 and 1978. The artwork guide is dated 1977, and the first photos I can see with the blue in mid 1978.
ReplyDeleteEither way for 1977 those ladies walking to Its a small world are not dressed very 1977.
Specifically June 10, 1978 was the oldest slide I could find with the “new” blue accented Small World exterior. I suspect by that time the all white and gold may have become fairly dated looking.
ReplyDeleteLet's play the "How Many World Landmarks Can You Identify on It's a Small World Game!!!"
ReplyDeleteI can identify....two.
I stink at this game, let's play something else.
Funny joke, Stu!
ReplyDeleteThe Indian in the back right-center is wearing pants that are perfect for giving smart dinner parties. You can't escape it, Major - mwahahahaha! (Disclaimer: I have never seen I Love Lucy.)
I like both of these. No lines, no crowds, no waiting at IASW. Also, I remember wanting to camp out at the village and poke around after dark when I was a kid, oh heck, I'd do it today if I could! PS, I always wanted to spend the night in the woods scene at Timber Mountain at Knott's as well. Thanks Major.
ReplyDeleteHo hum, what to say... even so I always made sure to see the Friendly Indian Village when we rode he Mark Twain. Was even more fun seeing it from the canoes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent view of "it's a small world"! I always thought it interesting they had such a huge marquee for it. Perhaps in this new incarnation guests might not have known what it was - as if an expansive festive facade would not attract people. I remember days when that plaza would be packed with people. I also recall 1960's sofas with the same floral pattern as that woman's dress.
@ Melissa-
ReplyDeleteI've always thought of Li’l Shiny as the concierge of the Friendly Indian Village...
Nanook, I don’t know what your quote is from. But it is classy as heck! Oh yeah, Father’s Day… much love to my dad.
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, it is very possible that I either mis-typed the date after scanning these, or when I made the post. Trouble is, I composed this article months ago, so I’m not entirely sure where these slides are, otherwise I’d dig them out and double check. Your grandparents’ house sounds like it was unusually colorful. Weren’t all houses white or beige? ;-) I agree, the current Indian Village looks very shoehorned into an area, not like it’s a place where people would actually live. I guess I’m glad they didn’t eliminate them entirely, but still. And the Storyteller up on that cliff by himself looks ridiculous.
Melissa, Li’l Shiny is all thumbs, so his tribesmen don’t mind if he leaves them be! I am comforted by those ladies with the large handbags, I’m sure they have those little travel packs of Kleenex if I need one.
K. Martinez, that is your mantra!
Mike Cozart, I agree, looking at the fashions, 1967 seems more likely. Probably a typo on my part.
stu29573, yeah, the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are definite. The rest, like some of the onion domes, are vague. Maybe they’re from St. Basil’s Cathedral? And there is a pagoda, not sure if it is based on any actual pagoda.
Andrew, even yesterday I was listening to a podcast in which the hosts were talking about watching old shows like “I Love Lucy” as a comforting thing during the quarantine. If it was the only show on TV, I’d find something else to do!
Jonathan, you could sit in the Indian Village and do repetitive, robotic motions. Nobody would be any the wiser!
Omnispace, so much care seems to have been taken with many Disneyland attractions so that they don’t overwhelm, and even though I love the IASW façade, I can’t help thinking, “MAN, that thing is huge”. I wonder if there were ever plans to make it less big, or maybe hiding some of it behind trees? The plaza in front of it is enormous too, so much real estate for a park that didn’t have a lot of additional room to grow.
Nanook, I wonder if he can get me a table at Spago tonight at 8:00?
I stink at this game, let's play something else.
ReplyDeleteStu, I'll play "tag" on TSI - as that was what me and my cousins played there, as kids, when it wasn't crowded. Tons of fun!
Those purses probably also have boxes of Chiclets in them. My grandma's always did.
Andrew, it's quite clear that you've never watch I.L.L., because, if you had, you'd mention one of the episodes where she was an Indian. Amiright, TokyoMagic and Nanook?? ;)
Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there - and especially to my favorite: "Happy Father's Day, Dad (Lou)!"
Sue
Ok! You're on!
DeleteAnd you can bet the bags had Lemon Luden's cough drops! (Or maybe cherry!)
@ Andrew-
ReplyDeleteAs far as I Love Lucy is concerned, there's still plenty of time to become an expert. Perhaps you and The Major can plan a marathon viewing session (or two... or three) and just yuck it up-!
@ Lou and Sue-
Yes - that would be Season 2, Episode 24 - The Indian Show.
Nanook, I can now hear Lucy singing her response to Ricky's, "Coooooooome Heeeeeeeeeere." Hahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteNow I’ve got that song stuck in my head!
ReplyDeleteMAJOR: the SMALL WORLD house wasn’t my grandparents house but a neighbor’s house. Today the Small World house is still there but has long lost its original white and gold color scheme. The gold metal grill courtyard gate was replaced in the early 80’s with black wrought iron and more recently a contemporary wooden privacy fence. The cypress trees are still there and are probably three times their original height! My grandparents street was called LAKE COMO and when I was little a uncle told me it was named that because PERRY COMO lived their. I didn’t really know who he was , but for years every time his TV specials came on I’d tell people ( incorrectly) that Perry Como was my grandparents neighbor! BTW- this was the same uncle that told me Walt Disney dug up Abraham Lincoln from the grave and brought him to Disneyland !!!! ( just before the curtain went up during the show) i was probably the only kid who every yelled in terror and cried in Great Moments with Mr.Lincoln!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, are you an I.L.L. fan, too? I know we have other Jr. Gorilla I.L.L. fans out there, but I just couldn't recall who they all were. I would LOVE to watch an episode with you and the other fans!
ReplyDeleteMike, is your "creative" uncle still with us? If he is, now it's your turn to tease him.
Stu, "You're it!"
Nice comprehensive views today. Easy to see the full extent of the FIV and the IASW facades.
ReplyDeleteShiny boy is ready to take your bags, escort you to your teepee, and ask if you want turn-down service with a chocolate on your pillow, perhaps even a Davy Crockett hat to keep your wigwam.
I think I can possibly identify the Hōryū-ji pagoda (to the right of the Tour de Eifel), maybe St. Basil's Moscow to the right of that, and I think, the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) of Florence (characteristic parabolic dome), just to the right of the Leaning Tower. At the extreme left, maybe a stylized version of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem?
That was a fun idea, Stu, I haven't really done that before, and this panoramic photo was a great image to study. It's like a LEGO palace of architecture.
Major, thank you for these pics, they remind me of the kind of photos we probably took, that I can no longer find. I especially like the "no-crowd" aspect.
Mom's bag like that would have had that eucalyptus smell of Vick's Vapor-Rub, along with the kleenex pack.
JG