Here's a swell shot of the Mighty Matterhorn, as seen in 1959, the very year that the mountain hatched from its egg (which was pink with blue spots).
The security officer has a gun with a single bullet, but don't worry... it's one of the early Nerf bullets, developed by Laszlo Zandor Nerf himself. He's just itchin' to Nerf somebody! The Art Corner is to our left, as is the Flight Circle, while the Astro Jets are to our right. There's also the roof of the Yacht Bar, set at a jaunty angle.
Zooming in, we can see the base of a crane, and wooden scaffolding, and the low construction wall (wide open, in case you wanted to go inside), which seems to be a sign that the Matterhorn was not quite finished yet. Soon though! The final step - thousands of pine tree-shaped air fresheners will be installed (out of sight) for that genuine Alpine experience.
Meanwhile, over in Fantasyland, nefarious deeds are afoot! None of them show up in this photo, but you know it's true. Even Dumbo looks guilty about something. Let's ride the Carrousel, and then (just to be safe) buy an extra ticket book at the little booth, and then we can take a little break to watch some classic animated shorts in the Mickey Mouse Club Theater. Then you can choose what to do next!
Major-
ReplyDeleteOh boy... the anticipation is definitely in the air-! As far as Fantasyland is concerned, I'd like to know if that's some sort of small suitcase strapped to the handle of that stroller. And if so, just what's in it...
Thanks, Major.
There appears to also be a crane doohickey on the top of the Matterhorn.
ReplyDeleteSue, there he is! Fudgie The Whale, in all his splendor, and when he was just a young pup! Watch out, Fudgie! There isn't any water down below, yet!
I addressed Sue with the Fudgie comment, because I forgot to respond to her question on Wednesday's post. Sue had asked if we were seeing a part of Fudgie behind the waterfall, in her dad's pics. But that was the waterfall facing the loading area, which we don't see in pics as often as the other two waterfalls. So far, Fudgie appears to favor the waterfall facing the Sub lagoon!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm still enjoying these pics.
ReplyDeleteNanook, that lady's husband (Raymond Burr) is in the suitcase. She's going to bury him in a Disneyland Hotel flower bed late at night, after everyone has gone to sleep.
I want to know what that starburst thingy is, that the kid in the bottom right corner of the first pic is holding. Ninja sticks???
Nanook, you see, she's flirting with the gentleman next to her....trying to find herself a "new" husband and someone who will help her do the "digging" later that night. She really doesn't want to get her pumps dirty. But the man directly across from them is a detective, and he is on to her. He's taking photos for evidence.
ReplyDeleteThe second pic is my favorite, but my favorite detail is the "Thimble Drome" flag on the far left of the Matterhorn image. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteThe spikey things are obviously fuel rods for the Astro Jets! You don't want those things running out of fuel mid spin. Talk about a pileup!
ReplyDeleteThe Matterhorn pic reminds me that they didn't take my suggestion of having fire shoot out of the nostrils. Of course, roasted Sky Ride riders isn't optimal. Also, they would probably have now changed it to a puff of purple smoke and glitter. Also, I wouldn't be born for another three years, so I guess I can cut them some slack.
Indeed, the last picture has a, "L.B. Jefferies" stamp on the back. That guy just couldn't catch a break.
Major, this is probably one of the best, and earliest, pictures of Fudgie - I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, TokyoMagic, for helping me with the waterfall/Fudgie location (for this picture and my dad's) - I appreciate it!
TokyoMagic! If we can find Alfred Hitchcock in one of these pictures, it would confirm your story.
Boy, you just want to step in to that pic of Fantasyland.
ReplyDeleteMajor, are you saying that's Barney Fife there in the first pic? Hope so.
TM, That's either a transcript of the missing 18 minutes or it really is Raymond Burr. Or part of him. He was a pretty big guy. And where is Paul Drake? I think that's him with the camera directly across from our Boris and Natasha. He's obviously taking a photo of them.
Nice Matterhorn photos too. With cranes as a bonus. I'm a bit in the dark about this Fudgie the whale. As I get older, the list of things I don't know grows longer. Could you explain please?
Thanks Major, great Friday photos.
@ TM!-
ReplyDeleteClearly, that's Raymond Burr's 'sample case'. I merely misspoke before...
DrGoat, read GDB comments for Jan 3. That’s when TokyoMagic made the fun discovery of Fudgie the Whale. You’ll love
ReplyDeleteit!
Love the pic of the Matterhorn in near completion. Imagine guests anticipation seeing Disneyland '59 under construction and nearing opening date. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cheerful photo of Fantasyland!
ReplyDeleteI thought the suitcase was probably full of Avon samples.
Interesting that Disney had such obvious security uniforms. This must have changed over the years, I don't recall anything so conspicuously un-themed.
Today, the security uniforms must be turquoise lame' with gold trim to match the Main Street color theme.
The T'land ticket booth is also prosaic, it looks like something lifted from a military post. All the money went to buy those air fresheners, I guess.
Thanks Major!
JG
Nanook, that woman carries the nuclear codes for the U.S., and has to have them on her person at all times. Normally it is handcuffed to her wrist, but they won’t let her ride on some attractions with a suitcase.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, yah, I don’t know what purpose that doohickey was serving by that point, since all the work on the mountain seems to be near the bottom. Maybe it was used by the guys painting on the snow? And YES, there’s a young Fudgie, full of hopes and dreams. It brings a tear to my eye.
TokyoMagic!, oh admit it it, you were talking to Sue because she’s your favorite! Fudgie may migrate, but so far he has only been spotted on the lagoon side of the Matterhorn.
TokyoMagic!, that lady must have ground Raymond Burr into hamburger, because he was a big guy. Burrgers. And I did notice that bundle of what appears to be metal rods that the kid (?) is holding - I have NO idea what those are. Is that Jimmy Stewart spying on the woman? He must have just had his leg cast removed.
Andrew, I do always like seeing the Thumble Drome flag, though I do wish we could also see the giant thimble that was there for a while.
Stu29573, I’m just glad that the skies are clear, because if there was lightning, that kid was going to get it. I would expect fuel rods to glow green, but then again, I probably watch too many cartoons. I like the idea of fire and smoke erupting out of the Matterhorn - at least for special occasions, such as Arbor Day and Saint Patrick’s Day. You know, the biggies! As many times as I’ve seen “Rear Window”, I couldn’t have told you that Jimmy Stewart’s character’s full name was “L.B. Jeffries”!
Lou and Sue, Fudgie was still just a tadpole. Whales start as tadpoles, right? I got a “C” in biology, but I’m willing to bet one million dollars. I wonder if Hitchcock and Walt Disney ever communicated? Ub Iwerks, animator of “Steamboat Willie” and later one of Walt’s technical geniuses, worked on “The Birds”, so it’s possible.
DrGoat, I really would want to step into that first photo. Even if the Matterhorn wasn’t quite up and running yet. I think that security officer might be Barney’s cousin Farfel. I had to look up “Paul Drake”, as my Perry Mason knowledge is minimal. For some reason I didn’t watch that show much, though I know Nanook is an expert! Almost everybody knows this, but in case you didn’t, Raymond Burr played a character named “Steve Martin” in the 1956 U.S. version of “Godzilla, King of Monsters!”. He wasn’t wild and crazy though. I see that Lou and Sue will point you in the right direction regarding Fudgie.
Nanook, I would be extra worried if the woman was also carrying a saw.
Lou and Sue, I had today’s post done long before TokyoMagic! discovered Fudgie, I wonder how many other times we’ll see him?
K. Martinez, we’re so used to the Matterhorn after more than 60 years, but it really must have been a stunning sight when it was new. What an audacious thing to build!
JG, In the early 1970s I do remember Avon Ladies coming to our door; my mom bought some stuff for my sister, little lotions and makeup that came in cute bottles that my sister saved for decades. Yes, I do believe that at some point they phased out the uniformed security people - they’re still around, but in plain clothes. Maybe they still always have black, polished shoes though? The classic giveaway! I kind of like the little ticket booth - in a way it is minimal like what you might see on an Army base, but it also has some mid-century charm. Or am I just seeing that because it’s in Disneyland?
@ Andrew-
ReplyDeleteThat Thimble Drome "flag" appears to be a 'windsock', don't-cha think-? [Which makes it even more special].
The suitcase containing Raymond Burr is made out of the same stuff as the TARDIS.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Major... I've been holding back but, with all this talk about the very utilitarian ticket booth, let's not forget the rather prominent 'paging horn' [speaker] facing the new Submarine Lagoon. (It's probably an Electro-Voice CDP-848AT, or the like).
ReplyDeleteGeorge McFly looks a little bored at the helm of the Dumbo attraction. It might be time for a refreshing Coke and maybe some peanut brittle too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the swell shots Major.
I like the smattering of hats in the second photo. And the color scheme -- it was red, yellow, blue, and white or nothing!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Disneyland had lots of plain-clothes security guards walking around, but recently when I'd see the recognizable white Panama-ish hat, white shirt, blue pants with red stripe- wearing guards going somewhere, I wondered if there was some kind of issue where they need the presence of uniforms! Thanks, Major.
Yeah, Nanook, windsocks rule! I think they should put this kind on the abandoned Peoplemover track to jazz it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteLou & Sue,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. Followed it up and got a laugh. All is explained. I checked out Carvel's Fudgie the whale cake and I get it.
Major, Paul Drake was and still is a role model for me. He does the "shave and a haircut" knock every time he enters Perry's office. And then of course there's Della. I grew up on that show. They always drove great cars. Here's a list, of course.
https://www.perrymasontvseries.com/wiki/index.php/Main/TheCars
Nanook, well yes, it is a windsock, but there are no windshoes to be seen.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, that is an entirely logical explanation.
Nanook, I didn’t notice the “paging horn”, I wonder what it was used for? “Please exit your vehicles, ladies and gentlemen, and follow the arrow on the ground toward the exit, thank you and have a nice day”. Or, “Sir, if you don’t sit down, I’m going to have to send you to Disney jail”.
Alonzo, George is daydreaming about what his life would have been like if he’d just written that sci-fi novel. I like peanut brittle, and I like Coke, but the two together sound like a sugar overload!
Kathy!, chances are good that many of the hats were purchased at the park. I’ll bet you anything that the one that the lady in the foreground is wearing (sort of flat with a red cloth “kerchief”) was bought at a hat stand. I have a theory (and it’s only a theory) that people were used to (and expected) security guards in uniform, plus if you lost your child or parent, it was clear who to go to for help. I got lost when I was a little kid (I stopped to watch the Matterhorn climbers, and the next thing I knew, my family was gone!), and I told a uniformed security guard that I couldn’t find my mom and dad. He was very nice and found them quickly!
Andrew, those dancing wind thingies annoy me! But they definitely get attention, so… mission accomplished.
DrGoat, I only regret that I have never visited a Carvel store or had any of their products. The Beastie Boys made Cookie Puss (another Carvel creation) world famous. As for Perry Mason, maybe it was too “grown up” for me, though I liked “The Fugitive” and the British show “The Avengers” at the same time. I can’t explain it!
One of my early early memories is the Perry Mason theme music. Mom and Dad had a whole shelf of the novels. I was too young to remember any plots, but I am working my way through the series on CBS streaming.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the cars are amazing. Also the beautiful women, with furs, jewels and tailored clothes. Dr Goat, I very much admire Paul Drake, definitely a role model type, also great wardrobe and cars. The world we were promised, much like original Tomorrowland.
Raymond Burr had a vineyard up near here for years. I think he had his own wine label too. It was said there was no getting around Raymond Burr, and if there was, it was a long walk.
JG
Yeah, there’s a young girl in the clump of folks just left of center wearing a similar red scarf hat.
ReplyDeleteMy cat Tommy used to come sit next to me and watch Perry Mason every night on MeTV.
JG, Don't forget Hamilton Burger, another favorite character. Must have won an award for losing the most cases. Loved steak dinners as long as Perry picked up the check.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, Our kitties love old black and white movies on TCM. I guess the noise level in those old movies is conducive to napping.
Major, the Avengers and The Fugitive were, are great shows. No wonder you turned out so good.
Sue, you are welcome!
ReplyDeleteDrGoat, I know by now you have gone back and read the comments from that first Fudgie the Whale discovery/post. The thing I remember about the commercials on TV is that they were always very low budget type of commercials. They were also always on the "local" TV stations, and not on the big networks. The man doing the voice over when they showed the ice cream cakes, didn't sound very professional and even sounded a bit like an old-time gangster....and also a little creepy. "Hey kids, it's Fudgie Da Whale!" I've tried looking for the commercial that I saw on my local TV stations, and while there are vintage Caravel Ice Cream commercials on YouTube, I couldn't find the exact one that I remember from childhood.
Nanook, what kind of "samples" were in that case? Like the Major said, maybe hamburger samples? And not Hamilton Burger samples!
Melissa, DrGoat, I watch Perry Mason on MeTV from time to time. I enjoy it most of the time, but for some reason it hasn't hooked me to the point of having to watch every episode, like "Mannix" and "Cannon" have done. I do enjoy seeing the mid-century modern furnishings and clothes styles. And I never knew until just recently that Paul Drake was played by Hedda Hooper's....uh make that Hedda Hopper's son, William Hopper.
I would ask Nanook and Sue why they never told me that Paul Drake's mother was Hedda Hopper, but I know they would probably say it's because I never asked them! ;-)
And of course Paul is related to Ludwig von Drake.
ReplyDeleteOh, TokyoMagic, I missed my cue - I guess I’m all washed up, But you came to my rescue! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteJG, I definitely remember the Perry Mason theme song, though I don’t understand WHY, since it was not a show that I watched much. Still, great theme! My dad also loved Perry Mason novels, as well as Nero Wolfe - both played by Raymond Burr. Raymond sounds like he lived life his own way and enjoyed himself. Good for him!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, ah yes, I see the other girl with the same hat. What other shows did Tommy like?
DrGoat, I can’t add much to discussions about ol’ Perry, sadly. I no longer get TCM, which is a bummer, sometimes I just liked having a classic movie running in the background. I don’t know if I “turned out so good”, but… it could be worse!
TokyoMagic!, I think it was the man who started the Carvel ice cream company who voice the commercials. Kind of gravelly and a little hoarse. All I know if that I heard about an ice cream cake and instantly wanted one, no matter how silly it looked. We used to get those at Baskin Robbins, but the last time I bought one for a party, it was awful. The frosting was some sort of oily concoction - no butter, clearly. We actually threw away the leftovers! I like watching old TV shows for glimpses of Los Angeles as it was 60 or 50 years ago.
Melissa, did he make Drake’s Cakes?
Lou and Sue, er, um, I don’t even know what you guys are talking about.
I'm sure the intent of uniformed security people is to show an obvious security presence as well as provide a focal point for guests in distress or with questions. That's why people kept coming to me for help the day I was in Dinseyland in my Air Force uniform. Think about it - would you feel more comfortable (and confident in the answer) if you lost a kid and asked for help from a person in a police uniform or somebody dressed like this?
ReplyDeleteThe time we lost the then-4-year-old at the MK, a uniformed security host escorted us through the roped-off fireworks impact area behind the castle and then was able to quickly weave us through the parade crowd on the way to Lost Children Storage. People moved out of the way for her, not because she was mean or even intimidating-looking but largely due to the inherent authority vested in her uniform.
Chuck, you are right. People asked me for direction etc. all the time when in BSA gear.
ReplyDeleteI remember once wearing class B, a lady asked me if we were LEOs. I said “Crowd Control”.
JG