Monday, June 28, 2021

Grumpy and Fans, August 1965

Here's a fun pair of photos featuring everbody's favorite misanthrope, Grumpy. What chance did he have, with a name like that? I blame society. Still, the Grumpster is making the best of things, and has trudged over to the Plaza right in front of the Castle to greet his fans. Lots of people are facing him, but most seem too overwhelmed by his celebrity to approach any closer. The little boy in the Madras shirt and black socks (he dresses just like the Old Man!) looks mighty amused.

I'm digging the 1965 fashions! 


The shadows are different in this photo, they seem much longer, but also point more southeast, so maybe it was actually earlier than the first photo? Anyway, Grumpy is still there. I have to hand it to him, he's a trouper. Is that a trace of a smile that I see?


15 comments:

K. Martinez said...

The Grumpster is the best. Always has been my favorite dwarf. I love the older versions of the Disney characters at Disneyland. They had a certain charm to them. Thanks, Major.

Anonymous said...

Grumpy has some of the best lines in Snow White! One of my favs:

Grumpy: Angel, ha! She's a female! And all females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!

Bashful: What are wicked wiles?

Grumpy: I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em.

I adopted "I don't know, but I'm agin' "em." into my normal day to day speech.
"How are you today?"
"I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em."
See? It works!
Of course the Grumpster never talks at the park. It's a contract issue.
Have a great Grumpy day!

Bu said...

Grumpy rocks. Always. “All wehmun is pie-zun” Were the dwarves relocated from the Bronx to the forest? People call these old costumes scary, but they have a certain charm to them, like vintage Christmas ornaments. Everyone looks very smart and pressed in pretty dresses and slacks. Must be before Labor Day- a lot of white shoes there!

Nanook said...

Major-
I'm curious what the gentleman in the white shirt is pointing at... The flagpole at Frontierland-? A low-flying condor-? A wayward Tinkerbelle-? The [other] six Dwarfs-?

And then there's the woman on the right in the pale pink outfit who seems to be thrilling that nearby couple with her misdirected camera, as she documents for posterity each small stone surrounding the new castle forecourt compass points.

Thanks, Major.

DrGoat said...

The older stuff is the best stuff. It's got that certain warm charm as K. said. Plus it's what most of us grew up with and seem to cotton to here at GDB.
Sometimes I feel I went through the dwarf, or dwarve, as Tolkien put it, stages. First Dopey, then Happy, Bashful, Doc, Sneezy, Sleepy and ended up Grumpy. At least the Grumpy seems to come in cycles.
Love that first shot. Grumpy just standing there with them darn humans all around. I've seen the red Aloha shirt somewhere before. You're right Bu, that crowd looks as smart as paint.
Thanks Major.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Wow, kids riding around in strollers with no lumbar supports, 6 point harness or USB chargers. How primitive.

Lots of colorful clothing in pic #1 ;-)

zach said...

At least with Grumpy you know what you're going to get. I'm not agin' women by any means but I would still hang with Grumpy.

The Castle is looking good this Grumpy Monday.

Thanks, Maj.

Zach

Major Pepperidge said...

K. Martinez, ha ha, “The Grumpster”! Love it. Grumpy is definitely the audience surrogate among the seven dwarfs, I think that’s why we all identify with him.

Stu29573, yes, as a kid I had no idea what “wicked wiles” were, but I had the general idea. I think it’s always best to be agin’ something before you are ‘fer it! You need all the data to make an informed decision, even Grumpy knows that.

Bu, I think Grumpy was the originator of the “He-man Woman Hater’s Club” from the “Our Gang” comedies. And it’s true, those mid-60s people all look very neat and tidy by today’s standards.

Nanook, it does look like that man is pointing in the general direction of Frontierland, or possibly Adventureland (since the entrances are so close together). The woman in pink has a movie camera, maybe she just finished shooting a few seconds of her friends waving awkwardly at her? Look at thee boy with the red shirt just to the right of her, he’s wearing a hillbilly hat that resembles the ones that Ed “Big Daddy” Roth sold.

DrGoat, I think “Grumpy” would encompass most of my stages, and “Dopey” would do for all the others. I only just noticed the souvenir map in the hands of the smiling woman to the right of Grumpy. Don’t wrinkle that thing! I wonder if that man with the Aloha shirt has shown up in other photos from this batch and I just didn’t notice him?

Alonzo, life for kids in that era must have been a nightmare! Once you walked away from the TV, you were on your own. I prefer being glued to my phone.

zach, Grumpy tells it like it is. Sure, he can be blunt, but sometimes people appreciate his directness. None of that trying to figure out what he means!

JG said...

The clean-cut people with their nice casual clothing sure makes these stand out. I like the cheerful Aloha shirts, the natty straw hats, and only the kids wearing sneakers. The ladies in "pedal pusher" pants and summery dresses.

A castle in believable shades of pastel colors, with the lovely ivy, just as it should be.

Clearly a different world, and it is not evident how we got from there to where we are today. Some form of collective madness intervened.

Grumpy had seen the future, and he didn't approve. Also, he may be experiencing chronic joint pain, and that can definitely affect your attitude.

Good shots to start the week, Major. Thank you.

JG

"Lou and Sue" said...

Grumpy sure makes everyone happy! Look at all those smiles!

Someone needs to pull Grumpy aside and tell him he needs to trim his brow(s). That unibrow is not a good look on him (or anyone).

Fun pics - thanks, Major!

Nanook said...

@ JG-
Sigh... "A castle in believable shades of pastel colors, with the lovely ivy, just as it should be". YES-!

Melissa said...

Grumpy: I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em.

Groucho: Whatever it is, I’m against it.

COINCIDENCE?

JG said...

@Melissa, what came first, the grump or the grouch?

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, these are definitely the kind of photos where the guests are half the fun (if not more). Interesting observation about how only kids are wearing sneakers! The castle looks so nice - as you say, “believable” - it just makes me wince to see it now. I figured Grumpy just had bad gas. All those turnips!

Lou and Sue, as Snow White learned quickly, hygiene and cleanliness were not of first importance to those dwarfs. Grumpy probably never looks in a mirror!

Nanook, I’d like to think that all Junior Gorillas agree!

Grumpy, come to think of it, we’ve never seen Groucho and Grumpy together. Maybe they’re the same person?

JG, that is a question that philosophers have been asking for centuries.

Sunday Night said...

Funny, when I think about it, I don't remember Groucho being "grouchy". He could be quick-witted, caustic, and rude but grouchy? He could also be sympathetic, caring and brave. So there you go.

Hello.
I must be going.