I've been churnin' and burnin' on the old blog, scanning and Photoshopping and writing. It's nice to have some "new" stuff scanned and written!
One of the new scans is this orphan slide - it has no brothers or sisters, or at least they aren't with me. They might have gone to the home of somebody who is cruel and miserly. The slide is date-stamped "June 1966", and Jaques (one of the helpful mice from "Cinderella") submits to a full body search. I hope he remembered to leave his switchblade at home this time.
This one looks like it is from the same batch, but it's not. It's from May, 1965, and the photographer was presumably charmed by the little Surrey, pulled by two snow-white horses (though one looks more like milk). Right in front of us is the Mad Hatter shop. You didn't have to be crazy to work there, but it helped. It's hard to miss the construction wall blocking many of the other storefronts, I wonder if it had something to do with the upcoming opening of "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln"? That would debut on July 18, 1965.
It's so strange to see Mickey Mouse loitering by that lamp post, and nobody is even remotely interested in him!
Major-
ReplyDeleteI think the gal in the first picture is preparing for her future career in the 'rag trade'... "Now, here's a nice piece of goods-! Just feel the hand of that fabric".
It does seem pretty likely that construction wall is there for the upcoming opening of GMwML. (Perhaps that's a 'fake' Mickey Mouse, merely propped-up against that pillar, adding a bit of 'streetmosphere').
Thanks, Major.
Mickey looks like he's one step away from pulling out a switchblade comb and telling a passer-by to "sit on it"
ReplyDeleteIn the first pic, we can see a Merlin figure through one of the windows of Merlin's Magic Shop. I don't remember ever seeing a figure of him in the shop window, but it makes sense...it is HIS shop, after all. In the window on the right, we have a partial view of what looks like a Danny O'Day ventriloquist dummy. My brother received one of those for Christmas, one year. It used to try and pull me underneath the bed in the middle of the night. Or maybe that was just a bad dream I had.
ReplyDeleteNanook, that girl might also be preparing for a future career in the medical field. "Now just relax Jaques, while I palpate your glands to make sure you don't have the mumps."
I think Mickey is wishing he had a cigarette.....or maybe a Tiparillo.
Oh, no! I just realized that Danny O'Day has his left hand raised in the air, and he is beckoning us. Fortunately, nobody in the courtyard sees him. Not yet, anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's musical day at the park. The mouse in the first pic has just finished his rendition of Last Train to Clarksville, to the delight of all the Mickey fans. Dolenz, not Mouse. The Mickster is waiting for a downpour, so he can do his best Gene Kelly routine. The ventriloquist dummy is about to entertain us with Rag Doll. A big thanks to Major for today's musical scans.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thinks of West side story from today’s pics?
ReplyDeleteJaques Is a shark, and Mickey is a jet.
They preparing for the big rumble that will decide the fate of this land.
No? I guess I need to go take my medication.
That's not Mickey - that's Mouse-Ear Mike.
ReplyDelete[whispering] Ruuuuumble. [snaps menacingly]
That's not Jaques in the first picture, it's Billy. Billy tried a little shoplifting in the Merlin shop and...let's just say that Merlin doesn't call 911.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird that in the second shot, they weren't even taking a picture of Mickey. He just happened to be in the shot. He is obviously put out by the situation, and is thinking about going straight to Walt and complaining. Mickey complains a lot, unfortunately.
That's not Jaques in the first picture, it's Billy. Billy tried a little shoplifting in the Merlin shop and...let's just say that Merlin doesn't call 911.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird that in the second shot, they weren't even taking a picture of Mickey. He just happened to be in the shot. He is obviously put out by the situation, and is thinking about going straight to Walt and complaining. Mickey complains a lot, unfortunately.
On top of all this, somebody left a calling card on Jacques foot. That must have smarted. Personally I think he might be guarding the front door as Gus robs the place of pearls and Wizard paraphernalia . All the other scenarios everyone has put forth sound plausible too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major.
Oops, apparently it posted my comments twice. I can't seem to erase one, so just squint your eyes and you can read it in 3D!
ReplyDeleteI don’t know what looks worse—the dwarfs with their floppy arms hanging by their sides—or Jaques with stiff outstretched arms?? Or maybe his new underwear is too stiff?
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that Mickey Mouse picture! Did you notice that the potted tree near him—resembles him?
Stu, the Major always corrects our mistakes...he’ll probably delete your duplicate comment. And then your last comment won’t make sense. ;o). By the way, I bet you were commenting via your cell...that happens to me, often.
Thanks, Major!
It looks like Jaques remembers the routine from his last arrest. 'Hands on the car, rat, and feet apart!'
ReplyDeleteWow, and 'Loitering Mickey' is one of the rarest Mickey plush, to date. Great find, Major!
zach
Nanook, it’s 100% polyester - the finest in the world! Smoother than silk, and so easy to wash. I like the idea of a fake Mickey, sort of a decoy for guests!
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I can just hear him with his high-pitched voice: “Get outta here, ya bother me!”.
TokyoMagic!, I noticed the Merlin. As for the ventriloquist dummy, I remember a time when I thought that it would be so cool to learn to “throw your voice”! Imagine your friends thinking that you were trapped in a nearby steamer trunk. Trouble is, when you actually do get caught in a steamer trunk, they’ll assume it’s a joke and won’t help you. Meanwhile, I don’t need to think about palpitating Jaques’ glands.
TokyoMagic!, is there really a ventriloquist dummy named Danny O’Day??
Jonathan, I saw on facebook that Micky Dolenz’s birthday was just a day or two ago. COINCIDENCE?? It would be hard to do a Gene Kelly routine with size 24 shoes, but I guess if anybody can do it, it would be Mickey.
Budblade, if the two of them start snapping their fingers in rhythm, head for the hills!
Chuck, you must be right!!
Stu29573, that Merlins is a real harda**. The rest of Billy’s life, spent as a cartoon mouse? That seems harsh. And yes, it definitely feels like Mickey wound up in photo #2 completely by chance.
DrGoat, I’ll bet those characters have their feet stepped on hundreds of times a day! Imagine how quickly the shoes must wear out. I assume the shoes have a strong fiberglass shell underneath, or hope so anyway.
Stu29573, I just figured you really wanted to get your point across! ;-)
Lou and Sue, the floppy arms are just sad. Standing in place waiting for touchy hands is creepy! I did not notice that the tree looks kind of like him, maybe that’s why he chose that spot to stand? Now that Stu left that comment and you left your comment, I can’t delete the duplicate comment!
zach, he probably knows all of the judges by name. “Good morning Jacques, I’m sorry to see you in this courtroom again so soon”. “Hiya judge Reynolds, how’s the wife?”.
The little girl in photo 1 is touching Jacques' hard, unfeeling fingers and wondering "Is he real or not? What manner of mouse is this?"
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, Jacques and Mickey are both mice, yet do not resemble one another much. How can this be?
I love Mickey lounging against the wall like a delinquent, all he needs is a cigarette and to be cleaning his nails with a Texas Toothpick.
Photo 2 gets bonus points for the glimpse of the Hills Brothers sign at far left.
Thanks Major!
JG
JG, hey, at least that girl is brave enough to approach that weird thing! It is funny to consider the many different kinds of stylized mice in the Disney pantheon. Also consider that Pluto and Goofy are both dogs, yet they couldn't be more different. Good eye on the Hills Bros. sign!
ReplyDeleteHey Major, you just made a great "I Love Lucy" reference....the bit about being locked in a steamer trunk, that is!
ReplyDeleteYes, there really is a ventriloquist dummy called, "Danny O'Day." He belonged to Jimmy Nelson, who also had the puppet, "Farfel," who was a dog. They all used to do the commercials for Nestle's Quick.
There are several pics of Danny O'Day, Jimmy Nelson, and Farfel in the link below. Scroll down just past the Roosevelt Franklin pics to see a pic of Danny O'Day listed in the 1972 Sears Catalog. And then scroll past the Pinocchio marionette pics to see a photo of my brother holding his Danny O'Day on Christmas morning. Danny is even wearing the same plaid jacket as the one in the window at DL. Just below the pic of my brother, there are pics of a children's "how to learn ventriloquism" record with more pics of Danny, and also of Farfel and Jimmy Nelson:
https://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2019/12/sears-christmas-catalog-wish-book-1972.html
JG, I figured you'd comment on the sign. You did not disappoint. :-)
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, I've been lying all along, I'm the biggest "I Love Lucy" fan in the world! I remember Farfel, but not Danny O'Day. Some people are afraid of clowns, I'm afraid of ventriloquist dummies. I remember your awesome post with the Sears Catalog, that brought back so many memories of Wish Books that I used to pore over. And over. I'm not bitter about all the cool toys that my parents didn't buy me though. Could your brother recite the ABCs while drinking a glass of water?
ReplyDeleteChuck, how did you know??
Chuck, I live to serve.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I'm nostalgic over Hills Brothers because my parents would stop there for coffee on first entering the Park, and they let 9 year old me run on to the Bobsleds. I would come back after and find them holding hands over their coffee. Reminds me how much I loved them when they were like that.
Chuck has this amazing memory for others' quirks, it's a gift of some kind.
Cheers!
JG