Today I am thrilled to present a trio of beautiful Kodachrome photos, courtesy of Lou Perry, and his daughter Sue B! These are from 1958.
See what I mean? Beautiful! It's the Moonliner and the Flight Circle as seen in the late afternoon sunshine that imbued the whole scene with a warm, rosy glow. Most of the people visible (and there aren't many of those) are checking out the wonders for sale at the Hobbyland souvenir booths to the extreme right. They all want one of those models of Perri the squirrel, and can you blame them? The Flight Circle is completely deserted - I wonder if they didn't bother with the exhibitions of small planes, cars, and boats during the slow season? At the top of the fingerboard sign to our left is a piece of kinetic sculpture that resembles an anemometer.
And that's not all, folks! How about this amazing look at the Yacht Bar, the most mid-century building that ever was? I love its bold angles and simple lines, made more appealing with oranges, reds and soft yellows (with the occasional spot of blue), along with patterns that resemble nautical flags.
And finally, a photo that Sue thought might be fit for a "Snoozer Sunday", but I think it's still more than worthy of inclusion today. I believe that Lou was waiting at Tomorrowland Station when he turned and took this shot looking toward the Skyway terminal, with plenty of (empty) Autopia vehicles too.
MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!
Major-
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the last one. Definitely and unusual view - with five attraction posters 'hiding' in plain sight: Grand Canyon Diorama; Peter Pan's Flight-?; Rocket to the Moon; Frontierland; Grand Canyon Diorama - again.
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
One of the posters to left a The Grand Canyon poster is the 1956 Mark Twain poster.
ReplyDeleteThat was in regards to the last slide. It features :
ReplyDelete1)GRAND CANYON DIORAMA
2)DUMBO
3)ROCKET TO THE MOON
4)MARK TWAIN
5)GRAND CANYON DIORAMA
The Yacht Bar shot is great!!
Once again, Lou shows us how it's done. Stunning photos of Tomorrowland. You can almost smell the paint drying on these original photos. My kingdom for a time machine. The photo of the Moonliner and the Yacht Bar catapult us into the future. Thanks Lou and Sue and Major.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what different areas would sound like on quiet days like this. I can hear the mechanical clicking of the Skyway "spacing" mechanism in my head, having ridden other Von Roll sky rides. It would surely be cool to experience an off-season day at DL before background music was installed. Imagine being on the Rivers of America and all you can hear is the Mark Twain whistle...
ReplyDeleteI did a quick search on the origins of Disneyland BGM, and I found that the first Main St. loop "was oddly not themed to the specific time period of Main Street... it was mostly contemporary, easy listening music," until Jack Wagner noticed the anachronism and changed it. I'm sure Mike will correct this if it's wrong!
I believe the vertical nautical flags on the right side of the yacht bar spell out “yatch”. I can’t be sure, but the horizontal flags on the left side spell out “Drink your Ovaltine”.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I’m with you on the last pic, definitely the train station, and of all the things in today’s photos, it might be the only one still in place.
ReplyDeleteLou had a way with a camera and an eye for composition, for sure. These posts are going be a guidebook to early Tomorrowland.
Only one trash can in photos one and three, but five for sure and a possible sixth in the Yacht Bar pic.
So much good stuff, thanks Major, Lou and Sue!
JG
Andrew : Jack Wagoner used to tell that story often in his presentations and interviews .... and it’s partially true. It’s known that Disneyland prior to Jacks arrival did have a Main Street music loop dated 1968 and its comprised of selections from 3 records YOUR FATHER’S MUSTACHE VOL. 1 and 2 and 23 SKIDOO - all three were produced by Barbary Coast Records in the 50’s using 1890’s and early teens arrangements by Professor white and the Gaslight Orchestra. Jack used many of these tracks in his Main Street BGM arrangements in his Disneyland 1972 Main Street , his 1973 WDW Main Street and also in his famous AM & PM Main Street tracks that played from about 1975 til 1992. Some of those same tracks were used at Tokyo Disneyland's World Bazaar. Prior to Jack Disneyland was also using the Colombia records album for Main St. Cinema “ Rides , Rapes & Rescues “ and that is still used today.
ReplyDeleteIt’s also know there were Christmas reels and general music reels disneyland could use for private party’s so I think that’s were Jack got part of his story from. I doubt Disneyland was playing any BGM of MUZAK or Seeburg Commercial. The big fact is Disneyland didn’t really use any BGM until Jack was brought on. Any area music prior to that was really coming from attractions themeselves - Small World has exterior load music.... tiki Room had music in the enchanted tiki garden , and the first King Arthur Carousel music was actually a recording of the Disneyland Band playing like a calliope and that was piped around the castle courtyard . Also until the Eisner era there was SO Much live music ..... and that combined with attraction SFX or music created the BGM in the early days.
But Jack wagoner really created what we know of park BGM today ... and his creations begin to debut around 1972. And jack created background music for EVERYTING! Shops , restaurants , plazas, bridges, attraction Loading areas , docks, Lobby’s etc. often his arrangements would have multi use like the original 1974 Plaza Inn BGM was also used for WDW’s Crystal Palace . But most of the time he did variations of arrangements or unique ones for each park because he would be paid for TWO jobs rather than ONE. Sometimes he was very sneaky like taking the music for WDW’s 1973 Ticket & Transportation Center BGM and then using the identical track with one song variation and billing Disneyland separately for their use at the Ticket Entry Plaza!
@ MIKE-
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Dumbo correction. That seems better. I always refer to the 'Mark Twain' AP as Frontierland, as it also includes the River Pirate Keel Boats and Indian War Canoes.
@ MIKE-
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on Jack Wagoner and the Main Street, etc., music. I don't know what year it would've been, but do remember walking down Main Street and hearing for the first time a song from "The Music Man" - I'm pretty certain it was Goodnight My Someone.
The first pic has a lovely tone to it. Really draws me in. Maybe if I add my kingdom to JC's, we could put a down payment on it. Once we have it we could write our own ticket.
ReplyDeleteLou did (does) have a great eye for a pleasing composition, as JG stated. A sentimental magnet to pull you right in.
Sue, (from last post), the longest my hair ever got was just below shoulder length, probably in '72 or '73. The John Lennon sideburns really rounded it out.
JG, the sentimental story from the wishing well post was indeed pretty intense. Since they had both passed away within months of each other, and going to the Wishing Well so soon afterwards, it was an overwhelming experience. I still get that feeling to this day if I think about it.
Nanook, those posters really are hiding! Interesting that they used the Grand Canyon Diorama poster twice - it was brand new at this time, so they really were hyping it up.
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, yes, the Mark Twain poster is there, though it is also for other river craft, which is probably why Nanook called it “Frontierland”.
Mike Cozart, I am still kicking myself on passing the opportunity to buy a Rocket to the Moon. At the time it was pricey, but not long afterwards, several sold for three and four times what was being asked. Arg.
Jonathan, Sue said that this was Lou’s favorite version of Tomorrowland, he never quite got over the removal of the Viewliner!
Andrew, yes, I have wondered that about the sounds of each “land” as well. Did Main Street have “area music loops”? My guess is that they did not. Strange to think about now. Even at Universal Studios they play continuous loops of music nowadays. I love the idea of hearing the Mark Twain’s whistle echoing through Frontierland! “Contemporary, easy-listening music”?? That is very odd!
Tommy Tsunami, ha ha, that was a subtle tribute to Zoltan Yatch, the man who invented the nautical flag (joking).
JG, good point, as there is not much of the early Tomorrowland left. Just that funky little station. I still haven’t gotten into the swing of counting trash cans, much to my shame.
Mike Cozart, I love that Jack Wagner’s stories were “partially true”. I’m sure that he couldn’t resist the lure of a good story, even if it wasn’t entirely truthful, just like so many other examples of apocryphal stories. I think it’s odd that there was actually a record of music played by the Disneyland Band, but it wasn’t used on Main Street. Perhaps there was a good reason? I’ve always wondered how Wagner got that job, he certainly made a mark on people’s overall impression of the park. And his voice was heard everywhere! Strange to think that there wasn’t any real BGM that was played over the PA system until 1972. Thanks for all the fun info!
Nanook, yes, I admit that I call it the “Mark Twain” poster, even though you are right, it is really for multiple attractions. And it has that Keelboat prow right up in our faces!
Nanook, my dad LOVED the soundtrack to “The Music Man”, I can still hear it as if it was blasting out of our old hi-fi. Now I am imagining Shirley Jones’ voice singing “Goodnight My Someone”!
DrGoat, Lou waited for that “golden hour” for that first photo! Like all good photographers do. I think I came along just a little late for the truly long “hippie hair”, my mom lost her mind if my hair got over the ears or over the collar. Thank you for sharing the story of your visits to the Wishing Well, I can only imagine how moving it must have been when you went after your parents had passed.
Being a former CM, I really find the last shot to be the most interesting as it evokes so much history...I mean look at those 'modern' gas pumps...the Autopia cars of the time...all set in a hazy nostalgic look..it probably was a smoggy day too. At least the Train Station remains as it was tucked away in a corner in which it is mostly overlooked today.
ReplyDeleteDr Goat, I think many of us harbor wonderful memories of the days we shared with our parents at the park. Lost both of mine within weeks just last year. Thanks for sharing a personal moment with us. KS
Ah, my beautiful Moonliner! These are fantastic! Thanks to Lou, I feel like I know this early park like the back of my hand. Sue, please thank him for that gift!
ReplyDeleteI would have hung out with the models far longer than most people. I loved them as a kid and I still love them! They are as magic in their own way as Disneyland is.
Thanks, Major!
KS,
ReplyDeleteMay your memories be all good ones. I'm sure they are. It must be still pretty tough, not being that long ago.
Dr.Goat...thank you. I was going to add my memory but didn't want to overstep the beauty of yours. I still have moments when I think I need to call them. :( KS
ReplyDeleteAll super duper cool! Very historic photos never before seen! It's interesting the the directional signage only lists the sponsors, and not the attractions...what is the Yacht Club? Is that the Yacht Bar's VIP zone? American Dairy with (in tiny letters..."something" bar) and DUTCH BOY PAINTS, RICHFIELD OIL...I just want to know where the subs are! oops...not yet. Everything is so very "Stovall's Inn of the Future" fantastic! When the new '67 Tomorrowland came around, Stovall could supply a 1950's Tomorrowland in several different Motor Hotels. The Yacht Bar is especially epic architecture. Truly. The awnings outside, desk chairs, graphics. The roof line is something special. I've never seen such great detail in a photo, and seeing it without guests and trash, and sweepers ...all the better. Very impressive. I wonder if anything structurally was saved for Coke Terrace? Perhaps a footing or two? The gears of the Skyway are awesome when exposed, and it's neat to see a roof tip from Main Street from this perspective of the Tomorrowland RR Station. I listened to a lot of Jack W. this morning on the train. He really was the voice of Disneyland. Glad that he used it to his advantage!
ReplyDeleteMajor-
ReplyDeleteSorry... no Shirley Jones (or Barbara Cook); the music was purely instrumental.
@ Bu-
That would be Dairy Bar.
KS,
ReplyDeleteWould love to hear your memories. I've got a head full of wonderful memories myself. I don't feel bad about occasionally adding one to a comment. I think all of us here are open hearted when it comes to others memories of their parents, whether with us or passed on. Especially Disneyland memories.
PS Mom always told us when we were at the Wishing Well that we had to turn our back to the well, make that all important wish, and flip the coin over our shoulder into the well. With tears in our eyes, we followed her instructions to the letter.
Major: the music first used for King Arthur Carousel wasn't from a Disneyland Band record , it was specially recorded for ( onto tape) for use on / at the attraction and used most of the Disneyland Band members as well as a few studio musicians.... it was arranged not to sound like a marching band but a band - organ and calliope . The tunes were all Disney and even included “nowhere in particular “ from Mr. Toad. In the late late 60’s a recording of traditional Carousel music replaced Disney produced music and when a new recording of Disney Carousel Muduc was created for WDW’s Cinderella’s Golden Carousel that was used at Disneyland until the New Fantasyland of 1983.
ReplyDeleteAlso the recorder Disneyland was using before jack arrived were SOURCED from record albums but disney had them on tapes for park playback .
I think the reason for audio changes at Disneyland in 1968 ...... was that a recording “studio” ... or tape room as it was ultimately called was build above the Circle Vision theatre in 1967 next to a film splicing and storage facility. All this new equipment probably lent itself to easy part audio upgrades .
KS, I like shot number three, but the first two are so beautiful! Still, I would never tell you that you are wrong for liking what you like. I was thinking about the smog as well… so much worse back then, or at least it seemed so.
ReplyDeleteStu29573, glad you liked these! When Sue sent them, I knew they were very special. I can’t wait to see what else Lou has for us.
DrGoat, I still have my mom, but know that she won’t be around forever; I’m dreading the day when I won’t have her to drive me crazy (!).
KS, I think it’s OK to share any memories you have, nobody will find fault with you.
Bu, good point about the signs pointing out the sponsors! I didn’t even notice. The use of the word “bar” for several sponsored exhibits is a bit odd. The American Dairy “Dairy Bar”, is what that sign says. I am especially fascinated by all of those old exhibits, and wish I could go back in time to see them with my own eyes. Some photos exist, but the overall impression is lost. I love the little Yacht Bar, and need a duplicate of it for… something. Not sure what! A place to store my Bugattis? I think Dick Wesson was the “voice of Disneyland” early on, but perhaps I am mistaken. He was definitely the voice of “The Wonderful World of Disney”, at any rate!
Nanook, oh well!
DrGoat, yes, that’s pretty much the same sentiment I said to KS… we all understand that each person has their own fond memories, and that doesn’t take anything away from somebody else’s experience. i feel like the tradition of throwing a coin into the well goes back to Trevi Fountain in Rome, but I can’t say for sure.
Mike Cozart, at least the Carrousel music used members of the Disneyland Band! That makes it “all in the family”, so to speak. They did a good job of making the music sound like it was from a calliope, or maybe something fancier like an orchestrion. I seem to remember reading about the recording studio in the Circlevision Theatre - and I also think I read that there was some sort of storage “basement” below it as well.
I never dated Ane Mometer but I wanted to!
ReplyDeleteGosh, Lou, these are great! Nobody does it better. I'm glad to hear you are feeling better.
Thanks, Major, Lou and Sue
You can almost smell the paint drying on these original photos.
ReplyDeleteJC Shannon: I don't know about 'paint drying' but my dad said you could smell oranges all over Disneyland, during this time. He loved the way it smelled.
Also until the Eisner era there was SO Much live music ..... and that combined with attraction SFX or music created the BGM in the early days.
Mike, I remember those days well. That was early Disneyland at its best! You'd walk down Main Street and hear Ragtime piano music playing; the marching band passing by, playing a lively tune; a barbershop quartet entertaining with a fun melody...and that was all before you even entered one of the lands - where more live music awaited.
JGCC JG: You win!
Nanook: Did you start any new hobbies, this week?
....but the horizontal flags on the left side spell out “Drink your Ovaltine”.
ReplyDeleteTommy: Are you sure the last word isn't "Tang"??
....my mom lost her mind if my hair got over the ears or over the collar.
Major: That's when she'd throw loaves at you, right?!
DrGoat and KS: The treasured memories you (and other Jr. Gorillas) share here are so beautiful. I can't imagine losing both parents in one year; my heart breaks just thinking about it. My hugs to both of you.
Stu, my husband still has the very first Estes model rocket he ever built as a kid - the "Big Bertha" - which is now the "Short Bertha" because, one time, the parachute didn't open and it landed in a parking lot.
Your Moonliner is the best!
Thank you, Zach and everyone - I'll read today's post and comments to my dad, tomorrow morning.
KS (and other knowledgeable horse-owners): I just looked closely at yesterday's Main Street picture and noticed the horse's back hooves. Are those stripes "natural"??
ReplyDeleteSue...They could very well be natural marks. What stuck me was how high the hooves were trimmed. Disney always took good care of the animals...and the horse looks to be very 'upright'. And that's food. Plus working on asphalt can be hard so more solid hoof the better. Shoes should have been padded even back then.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks everyone for your comments. Lot of memories. In particular, watching them skipping hand in hand down Main Street on our way out of the Park one evening during Christmas season 1995. KS
Thanks, KS! Your memory of your parents skipping hand in hand down Main Street - is PRICELESS! Thank you for sharing that memory!
ReplyDelete