Around Main Street, March 1981
March, 1981; people were listening to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5", Blondie's "The Tide is High", and Cool and the Gang's "Celebration". "The Howling" and "Thief" were tops at the box office, and "M*A*S*H", "One Day at a Time", "The Jeffersons", "Three's Company", and "The Dukes of Hazzard" were among the top TV shows. Just so you know!
Today's photos are from March of 1981, which seems "not that long ago" and yet...! There's East Center Street, not really a street anymore (and where are the plastic flowers??), but more of an outdoor dining area surrounded by shops such as the Carnation Company (where you could buy food made from carnations), and the Elgin watch shop.
Well well well, there's the mouse himself, ol' Mickey. He's always happy to stoop and say hello. Behind these folks (and Mickey) is the Egg House, sponsored by Oscar Mayer.
Meanwhile, over at the Plaza Inn, crowds of people wait to get in. It's the hottest ticket in town! It doesn't hurt that cheerful Pluto happens to be hanging around right next to the entrance. Guests are always thrilled to see a celebrity.
19 comments:
Major-
I think all those folks at the Plaza Inn are all queued-up to climb that ladder propped up against the roof, on the left. It's a great way to burn-off a few extra calories following a heavy meal.
Thanks, Major.
Last picture:
I spy two kids doing the potty dance.
What(?!) is that kid doing to Pluto's neck??
"Um, excuse me, miss, but your shirt is stuck in the back of your pants."
Reminds me of a boss I had back in the 70s (who's no longer with us so I can share this story) - who showed up to work with TP trailing about 3 feet behind him, on the ground, from under the back of his suit coat. Hee hee! On that happy note, do a double-check in your mirror before heading out the door, today!
Love seeing Mickey and Pluto - thanks, Major!
Sue, I think that kid is holding Pluto's name tag, which sometimes hangs from his collar.
Is that man in the blue baseball cap (same pic) using a Polaroid Instant Movie Camera?
I thought the American Egg House was sponsored by the American Egg Board......and the "Incredible Edible Egg."
Thanks, TM! I saw Pluto’s tongue hanging out and got concerned.
Your commentary reminds me of a gag in an episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, which was also sponsored by Carnation. Gracie is given a bouquet of flowers, to which she reacts “Oh, carnations! I’ll milk ‘em later.”
TM!, I think the Major is funning us about the Egg House. Everyone knows it was sponsored by Pendleton Woolen Mill.
In spite of his world-wide fame (and riches, no doubt), Pluto remains humble and approachable, truly the People’s Dog.
I don’t ever recall the Egg House? Where was that?
Mmm, Carnation milk. If everyone in America drove a pink car, we would be a pink carnation.
JG
@ JG-
It occupied the former home of the Maxwell House/Hills Brothers Coffee House Restaurant.
SEE HERE.
Major...you have a way of putting things into perspective. That list of TV shows of 40 years ago stuns me to think that much time has passed when looking at these pics. KS
Pluto is probably my favorite Disney dog because he IS a dog. Goofy is alright, but what the heck is he? Pluto is a dog lovers dog!
That being said, I think that kid next to him is trying to sell him encyclopedias. Pluto just doesn't get it.
Chuck, I always thought Gracie was by far the funniest part of Burns and Allen. Of course George usually played the straight man, so that makes sense. Still, her timing and ditzy delivery was absolutely brilliant.
Good pics today!
I thought the only food you could make from carnations was flour. Nowadays the Egg House is just a shell of its former self. I got a million of them! Would you believe 500,000? Would you believe six puns and a naughty palindrome?
Yes siree, five out of ten giant dogs recommend the menu at the Plaza Inn! You got kibbles and bits, kibbles and no bits, bits and bits, kibbles and bits and SPAM, kibbles and a bit of SPAM, kibbles and bits and Alpo-lenta, mashed potatoes and Gravy Train and bits, and SPAM.
I'm sure a lot of women my age have either had, or have been afraid of having, that thing where the back of your skirt gets caught in the waistband of your pantyhose. Happened to me once in high school and made me paranoid about it for years. I don't love all of today's fashions, but I don't miss wearing pantyhose every day ONE BIT.
@Nanook, thanks.
These photos and that iteration of the restaurant fall square in the middle of my Disneyland Interregum, so it appears that version came and went unnoticed by me.
@Melissa, LOL, "5 of 10 Giant Dogs...", you managed to mix "Get Smart" and Monty Python into one set of jokes. I am in awe.
JG
I just noticed that Space Mountain is photo-bombing...really sneaky how he blends in with the sky.
Fun comments!
"How about SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, Kibble, SPAM and SPAM? There's not much SPAM in that..."
Nanook, it was the short-lived “Jump Off a Ladder” attraction! I feel guilty that I talked Walt into it.
Lou and Sue, sure, it’s funny to watch kids do the potty dance, until the time comes when WE have to do it! The kid is concerned about Pluto’s thyroid. “You might need more iodine in your diet, Pluto”, the kid helpfully suggests. No goiters in Disneyland. I had TP stuck to the bottom of my shoe upon exiting a public restroom, that’s always fun. Especially when one is on a date.
TokyoMagic!, I think Van Eaton Galleries actually sold one of Pluto’s name tags, either that or some other auction house did. I can’t tell if you’re kidding, did Polaroid ever actually make movie cameras?!? The American Egg House was sponsored by NASCAR, surprisingly.
Lou and Sue, no need to be concerned, dogs shed their tongues every two weeks or so. A new one grows in its place.
Chuck, I’ve listened to a lot of old radio shows, but never any George and Gracie Burns. Maybe I need to rectify that. And don’t forget, Pendleton Woolen Mill sponsored the Bathroom of Tomorrow. I merely report the facts.
JG, Pluto knows how to treat his fans. Lucky kids got a Milkbone dog biscuit with his personal imprint (in gold), they are no worth thousands. I wish I lived in an egg house. Or maybe a waffle house.
Nanook, thank you for doing the research, I’m away from home for the next few days (in case it wasn’t obvious by my poor comment response)!
KS, I KNOW!!!
Stu29573, Pluto is a pretty good dog. I’d have to sit down and decide if he is my favorite Disney dog, but so far no other is outranking him. That being said, Warner Bros. cartoons had some great dogs, like Mark Anthony, or Charlie Dog. OK, now I guess I really do have to listen to some old Burns and Allen shows.
Melissa, carnations are the food of the future. Like soybeans, they can be made into almost anything. Sadly, all of those things will taste awful. But that’s not the point! And I do believe that you have a million of ‘em, or enough to get by at any rate. Love the Monty Python reference! Poor women, they have to deal with so much fashion nonsense that men don’t… we can just walk around in a t-shirt and jeans, and everyone just throws money at us. IT’S TRUE.
JG, I am sure that MANY people don’t remember the American Egg House, or even the Soviet Egg House, which served eggs with beets. Don’t knock it until you try it, that’s what my dad always said.
Lou and Sue, er, um… granted I am looking at the blog on a bad monitor, but I don’t see Space Mountain at all!
Stu29573, what if I don’t want SPAM?
Major, Space Mountain is directly above Pluto—peaking over, I swear!
In Soviet Egg House, egg scrambles you!
Chuck, if Pendleton Woolen Mills had sponsored the American Egg House, it would have given a whole new meaning to the menu item, "piggies in a blanket."
Major, yes, there was a Polaroid Instant Movie Camera. They called it Polavision and I think you could "borrow" one from the Main St. Camera Shop, when Polaroid was the sponsor. Tony Roberts was in the 1978 commercial for the camera, and it was filmed at Knott's Berry Farm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYdxBx10_YY
Several months ago, I was scanning some old Disney News Magazines for some future blog posts. This article about the American Egg House was in the Spring 1979 issue (scroll to the very bottom of the post!):
https://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2009/12/snowflakes-in-emporium-1995.html
Lou and Sue, ah there it is! I swear, on this Lenovo laptop it is practically invisible.
Melissa, what a country!
TokyoMagic!, haven’t you ever heard of “flannel cakes”? Where do you think that came from? The American Egg House! They are made with real flannel. I wonder if the Polaroid film cameras were as crummy as their consumer-grade cameras were? And was there an “instant” element to them? Tony Roberts, there’s a name I haven’t heard for a while. Maybe since “Annie Hall”. I can’t wait to read about how Pendleton Woolen Mill had the bright idea to open an egg restaurant. Should be fascinating.
I think the crowd in front of the Plaza Inn is surrounding the "Gibson Girl"...I think that is what they called her. Always a pretty girl from the Plaza Inn, in a pretty yellow dress, and pretty yellow parasol and lovely white gloves. I don't see them doing this today unless she was standing behind a churro cart selling churros. She posed for a lot of photos as I remember. I wanted one of those Polaroid instant movie cameras. It had a special projector that was kind of like a TV screen that you played the film cassettes on. My english teacher in High School was convicted that the whole Polaroid business was centered around other nefarious businesses and would drone on about it constantly. #1 to teacher: "when do we learn English?", and #2: I still want the camera to take movies at DISNEYLAND , not "NASTYLAND".
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