Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Random Christmas!

It's DREAM TEAM TIME! Four vintage(ish) photos, courtesy of Irene, Bruce, and James! At first glance, these might not look related (other than the fact that they are all Disneyland images of course). But they have a little bit of Christmas spirit.

This one is obvious - Clarabelle Cow and Daisy Duck are cooking up some sugary treats, including a gingerbread house that's large enough to live in. A house that size in Los Angeles will go for around $800,000. It's nice to see Clarabelle, one of the earliest characters from Disney short subjects; she retreated from the public eye in the 1940s, but made a comeback in “Mickey's Christmas Carol” in 1983 and has been seen periodically ever since. Wikipedia says that a woman named Elvia Allman voiced Clarabelle from 1933 to 1990! She was also on a certain TV show, twice. I won't say its name.


You have to look closely at this slightly murky photo, but there are garlands and wreaths on the buildings in Town Square. It's always such a surprise to see Space Mountain in any photos on this blog.


Does anybody know where this sign could be found? "Somewhere in Fantasyland" would be my guess. Or maybe the Emporium? Or maybe even a Disney Store?? "Brave Little Tailor" (no definitive article) is in the running for my favorite Disney short feature, it's beautiful to look at (feature-quality background paintings), and both funny and exciting - which is not something that you can say about many Disney short cartoons. Notice the Christmas decor next to the "Exit" sign.


And finally, it's the "Partners" statue, surrounded by poinsettias - as if Walt and Mickey are in danger of being swept away by a river of molten lava. "Well, Mickey old pal, I guess this is it. I never thought I would go this way. Lava! Life sure is funny". My guess is that this is from not long after the sculpture was introduced.


MANY thanks to the Dream Team!
 

30 comments:

MIKE COZART said...

MAJOR: that Brave Little Tailor billboard is from a DISNEY STORE .... not Disneyland. In the early 90’s Disney Store interiors would feature a Disney film billboard celebrating a anniversary the year that store opened .... this was at a time Disney Stores were opening EVERYWHERE . For example many stores that opened in 1990 had a FANTASIA themed billboard when was celebrating its 50th anniversary that year .

Nanook said...

Major-

Is that a 'decoy bird' sitting atop "The Brave Little Taylor" sign-?

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Oh, I'm glad that Mike answered the question of where that sign was located, because I was really stumped!

Major, your dialogue for Walt, talking about "the end," is too funny! Thanks for that laugh!

And Elvia Allman....she was wonderful! She got to deliver classic lines in television history such as, "There's no room for levity, however weak!" (as the chocolate factory foreman/woman), and "HEY MINNIE! YA GOT COMPANY!" (as Minnie Finch's neighbor).

TokyoMagic! said...

I forgot to thank the Dream Team! Thanks, Dream Team! And Major, too!

And Major, while I'm leaving a second comment, I should say that Elvia Allman was on a certain TV show three times. She also played a journalist, who asks the question, "Tell me....what is it like being married to HIM???

Melissa said...

And now Clarabelle is voices by the daughter of the man who originally voiced Tigger.

I have a very similar picture of the Florida Partners statue surrounded by lavaflowers.

Lovely you-are-there pictures today. Thanks to the Dream Team and the Maj!

Chuck said...

Ahh, Disney Christmas decorations in the days when enough decorations were enough.

Note that the guy wire holding up the Town Square Christmas Tree in the second photo is covered in garlanding. I think it makes it stand out more that way, but it's still pretty tastefully done.

I have a photo of the Partners statue & castle taken on Christmas Eve, 1993, that looks nearly identical to this one, so I think your date guess is probably pretty accurate

And I find it odd, Major, that you won't mentionThe Beverly Hillbillies, particularly since you talk like one in a deep, comforting basso profundo voice.

Thanks again, Dream Team!

Anonymous said...

Ah, she was the chocolate boss? Now I realise those voices are the same, the world makes perfect sense! Now I can be swept up by poinsettia lava in peace.
Of course, I'm sure we are all reading "poinsettia" in its proper four syllable pronunciation.
I have a couple of videos of myself walking into the Magic Kingdom at Christmas and commenting on them using that pronunciation. I annoy even myself at those moments...
Thanks, Dream Team!

DrGoat said...

Nice random pics. I really like pic number two, with Space Mountain in the backround. The Partners photo does kind of look like Frodo and Sam there at the end of all things, only with poinsettias.
Glad you included Clarabelle. Haven't thought of her in ages.
Thanks to you Dream Team and thank you Major.

"Lou and Sue" said...

I especially love everything about the first picture with Clarabelle Cow and Daisy Duck. Friends baking Christmas cookies together is so much fun! If anyone's trying to figure out what to get me for Christmas, I would like a giant M&M and Hershey's Kiss, for my collection, please. (I spy a lime green "Pluto" shirt. I want one of those, too, please.)

That Space Mountain peeking over the buildings looks sooo big - it's creepy...I've never noticed it from that angle.

And, TokyoMagic! - it's your turn to stand in the corner, after class!

Thank you Dream Team and Major - I'm really enjoying all these fun Christmas pictures, and everyone's comments!

Major Pepperidge said...

Mike Cozart, well, “A Disney Store” was one of my guesses, anyway! I remember how excited I was about the Disney Stores, for a time, and I even drove all the way to Glendale’s Galleria to see one of the only ones at the time. I thought it was a neat store, and bought stuff, though I don’t remember what exactly; maybe a few pin sets. It has always mystified me as to why they turned into stores that primarily sold stuff for young children, making them of zero interest to me.

Nanook, I don’t know if it’s a decoy bird, but it’s definitely a bird!

TokyoMagic!, as you can see by my description, I was having my doubts about the Brave LIttle Tailor thing being in the park. I was tempted to add a few curse words to Walt’s dialogue, but finally decided not to. It’s almost Christmas after all.

TokyoMagic!, I think it’s funny that you not only know who Elvia Allman was(forgotten by most people, it’s safe to say), but you know every line she ever spoke on *that show*! Wikipedia was the place that said she was on it twice, I believe; so much for relying on that site.

Melissa, there can’t be much work voicing Clarabelle these days, unfortunately. I love those early cartoon characters - in fact, the early Disney cartoons are full of fun and charm. As they improved in looks, they generally became so bland that it’s hard to sit through very many of them. I’m glad Walt and Mickey are surrounded by lava in Florida too!

Chuck, the guy wire is also covered in garlic (and butter), which is definitely tasteful. Yay, I love it when my guesses are accurate. Does anyone else do this?: When I open my eyes in the morning, I look at the window (covered by curtains) and try to guess what time it is. Sometimes I guess within minutes, other times I’m WAY off. Yep, my life is pretty exciting! I would have mentioned “The Beverly Hillbillies”, but I didn’t want to seem like I was trying to impress people.

Stu29573, when you said “chocolate boss”, I was thinking, “Was she in a cereal commercial or something?”. All the best cereals are chocolate covered and sugar coated. Except for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I can’t tell if you’re kidding, am I mispronouncing “poinsettia” if I do all four syllables? Because that’s how I say it!

DrGoat, it’s so jarring to see Space Mountain on this blog - for me anyway. “What’s that thing?”. I think I see some giant eagles in the distance coming to rescue Walt and Mickey. As you know, they could have just flown them all the way to Mordor from the beginning, but that wouldn’t have made a very good book.

Lou and Sue, I think (but am not positive) that I’ve seen giant Hershey’s kisses for sale, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a giant M&M. Maybe because no human would be able to pierce that candy shell when it’s scaled up that much? Maybe I mentioned this before, but when I went to M&M World (or whatever it was called) in Times Square, they had Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that were 1 pound each. Yum! I didn’t buy any though. Lime green is the greatest color ever invented by NASA. We can’t blame TokyoMagic! this time, since technically I sort of was the one to mention *that show*, even obliquely.

Anonymous said...

Dr Goat beat me to the LOTR joke, except I'm seeing Mickey as Gollum, trying to bite Walt's finger. And Eisner ended up with the Ring, with Pressler as Wormtongue.

My issue with the statue is the 3D Mickey, which is weird to me.

Major, Space Mountain is old enough now to be part of Vintage Disneyland, so it is acceptable to show. Don't photoshop it out, please!

Thanks to the DT and Major.

JG

JC Shannon said...

I had forgotten all about Clarabelle. I gotta say, these photos are great. They also had a rash of Warner Brothers stores in malls across America. That gingerbread house would go for a mill five in Carmel, but I would live in it in a heartbeat. There are two kinds of people in the world, mayo or Miracle Whip, Poinsetta or poinsettia. I am the former, cause I'm lazy. Thanks to the Dream Team and everyone's favorite Major for today's scans.

Irene said...

So I looked up Elvia Allman and had not realized how much work she had done and how many TV programs she appeared in from the 50's on up most of which I probably saw. Well, I just can't help myself "speed her up!".

Always fun to see James and Bruce's photos of Disneyland (or even a Disney Store). I remember when Disney Stores started to open and how excited I was. I too am disappointed they got away from selling merchandise that would appeal to adults! Good news continues on my end in that my cancer marker numbers continue to drop. Last drop was huge - from 169 to 106!

Anonymous said...

Major, it's only annoying if you over pronunciate it with a flourish, which I always do. "Poin...sett...i.a!"

DrGoat said...

JG, you almost made me spit out my plant based corndog. Great comment.
Major, I happen to know that 4 of the eagles were previously engaged flying 7 dwarves from up north to some place in Aman.
The others were nesting for a while I guess.

"Lou and Sue" said...

Irene, that's GREAT news about your numbers dropping! What a wonderful Christmas present!!

I miss the original Disney Stores, in the malls, too. They carried some good collectibles, behind glass cabinets. Our store, for a short time, also had food for sale - including Mickey Mouse shaped (pressed) french fries. Seriously. There may have been other french fry characters, but I don't recall.

JC Shannon, I remember a Warner Brothers store in a mall by me, years ago. I loved that store because they also sold books about the old, classic movies and stars. I purchased a silly little rubber duck there - it was all black (instead of yellow) and had Daffy's head on it. I still have it.

I'm a "point-set-a" person.

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, I would have never thought of LOTR, even though the comparison is apt. I agree, the sculpt of Mickey is problematic; there have been plenty of sculptors who have done a good job (Kent Melton for instance, that guy is incredible). You are right, Space Mountain qualifies as “vintage”, I just don’t have many slides with that ride looming over everything.

Jonathan, I can watch the early ‘30s Mickey shorts all day long, but at a certain point, they moved away from mad doctors, cannibal islands, and escaped gorillas, and Mickey turned into a milquetoast suburbanite. Such a shame! I used to love the Warner Bros. stores too, and always wish I’d bought a large vinyl figure of Gossamer, the hairy red monster! Also, Miracle Whip… yuck!

Irene, it’s amazing to look at the careers of some of those old character actors; it seemed like they would show up on EVERY show at least once, and often multiple times. Kind of a great way to have an acting career! CONGRATULATIONS on your cancer markers going down, such great news! Thank you, Irene!

Stu29573, well, I don’t think I use a flourish, but I definitely pronounce all four syllables.

DrGoat, oh no, you eat veggie corn dogs? I guess I shouldn’t talk, since I haven’t tried one. And I should probably reduce my meat consumption anyway. I hope those eagles have seats that recline, and in-flight movies.

Lou and Sue, I honestly used to go into the Disney Stores, excited to see what amazing things they’d added since I last checked them out. Now I walk right past the one at our local mall with no desire to go in. Boo! Jeez, I didn’t know any of them ever sold food. I’m glad you still have your Daffy rubber ducky!

Melissa said...

"Of course, I'm sure we are all reading "poinsettia" in its proper four syllable pronunciation."

My sister and I usually say "poin-set-tet-ti-a" just to be wiseacres.

Clarabelle (both with and without Horace Horsecollar) has enjoyed something of a renaissance in the new crop of Mickey & friends shorts, and in video games.

Melissa said...

@Sue, I have a rubber ducky with Donald's face, wearing a pirate hat and holding a cutlass. I got it at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop at the Magic Kingdom.

DrGoat said...

Major, I bought those veggie corndogs on a lark, and they turned out to be not awful at all. A little good mustard and there you go. Hadn't had a corndog in a decade at least. Bad for you, but so yummy.
Melissa, I envy you your Donald Duck pirate rubber ducky!

TokyoMagic! said...

Irene, that is such good news! Congratulations!

Major, I don't know every line Elvia Allman spoke on that "certain show." She did have more lines than what I typed.

Sue, I don't have to stand in the corner, because I didn't mention the name of the show, so there! ;-)

For Christmas of 1996, they added shades of pink and white, to the "holiday lava!"

https://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-years-eve-at-disneyland-1996.html

Chuck said...

Irene, your news is fantastic! Amen!

Major, I love how we can use little details to help place photos at Disneyland (and other places) in their proper time. Twenty-seven years from now, a person looking at a photo of people wearing face masks in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle decorated for Christmas would instantly be able to date that photo to December 2020. It's just a shame that there won't be any photos like that twenty-seven years from now.

Melissa said...

Irene, I totally read past your amazing news! That's amazing!

Nanook said...

@ Irene-
So wonderful to hear the great news-!

Major-
I always love seeing when Eleanor Audley pops-up (almost exclusively) in TV shows: Green Acres; The Man form U.N.C.L.E.; Mr. Ed; The Beverly Hillbillies; Perry Mason, and yes, even I Love Lucy, etc. Her voice is instantly-recognizable as Maleficent, Lady Tremaine, and of course, Madame Leota.

Major Pepperidge said...

Melissa, it’s time that we added an extra syllable to every word. Who’s with me? I think there was a character named Peter Pig in the early Disney shorts, they need to bring him back too.

Melissa, I have a very old Donald Duck bisque figuring, probably from the 1940s, he’s dressed as a Napoleonic-era admiral for some darn reason.

DrGoat, as I have mentioned before, I have only had one single corndog in my life, and that was at the insistence of an old girlfriend. It was fine, but if I’m gonna have a hotdog, I’d rather have a Chicago dog or something like that.

TokyoMagic!, did Elvia Allman ever appear on “The Twilight Zone”? THEN I’d be impressed. Ha ha, love the hat on the Walt statue’s head.

Chuck, somehow I am OK without there being any photos with masked guests in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle! I want to forget most of 2020 if possible.

Nanook, yes, talk about a voice! Eleanor Audley had a great one. i wonder if she did radio back in the day? Hopefully she has great-grandchildren who can go to the Haunted Mansion and enjoy hearing their “great-grammy”.

Nanook said...

Major-

She never married.

JG said...

@Irene, that is terrific news! So happy for you. Thanks for sharing with us.

All the best for the Holidays!

JG

JC Shannon said...

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIrene! Bravo, I am so happy for you!

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, maybe grand-nieces and grand-nephews then!

JG and Jonathan, yes, for sure, the best news of all.

Dean Finder said...

Irene, great to hear that news!

Happy holidays to all of the Junior Gorillas