Jim and the Columbia, 1978
Here is a series of photos taken aboard the Columbia sailing ship, as shared with us by the Mysterious Benefactor.
The ship's pilot (apparently) is this salty dog named "Jim". He doesn't look it, but he's been at sea since he was a small child, and he's crossed the equator dozens of times.
I think this is still Jim, but he's climbed into the shrouds to see if any whales are spouting nearby. He's wearing period-accurate Keds.
The Columbia is such a creampuff, she steers herself! No need to man the wheel. The guests are watching pods of dolphins playing in the bow wave, except for the guy with the red and white-striped shirt, who is feeling queasy on the high seas.
"Sail off the larboard bow! All hands to battle stations! Man your guns!". Jim does this every trip when he sees the sails of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, and frankly it's getting old.
Of course this last one was not taken aboard the Columbia, but from the Mark Twain, as the Columbia rested in Fowler's Harbor. Twice a year they needed to scrape the seaweed and animatronic barnacles from the hull.
Thank you, Mysterious Benefactor!
21 comments:
Major-
What a beautiful set of images. I see Jim has done a fine job of avoiding a collision at sea, by steering clear of the Bertha Mae-! Whew... that was a close call.
Thanks to the M B for sharing.
"Twice a year they needed to scrape the seaweed and animatronic barnacles from the hull."
That was the very same reason that the French people put Marie Antoinette under the sharp blade of the guillotine.
Thank you Major and MB!
- Tokyo Macabre!
P.S. I wonder if Jim ever fell? I heard Norman fell, once.
- Tokyo Macabre!
I love the deep blue sky in the 2nd image. Jim seems to be posing in various nautical stances for the camera in these pics. I'm guessing this was a pre-arranged photo shoot with the MB.
In the 4th pic, Jim is pointing with just one finger (I think). I guess that was OK if the CM was 'in character'; sort of a character within a character.
Thanks Major and Mysterious Benefactor for such clear photos.
Tokyo Macabre!, I see you're adding the exclamation point to your nom de Halloween now. (It wasn't there yesterday). "Norman fell"... [groan]
- Just Buried
JB....yes, I did forget the exclamation point, yesterday. I decided to take your suggestion, and join the October/Halloween fun! And as the Major pointed out, it's reminiscent of the end credits for The Simpsons "Treehouse of Terror" episodes.
Tokyo Magic: you should be a contestant on The Freddie Fillmore Game Show!!
Great In-house photos from Mysterious Benefactor.... none from this group do I recognize from previous publications. I have a costume concept sketch similar to but not exactly as Cast-member JIM’s costume. It’s from about 1975 and may have been a development sketch for the costume in these pictures.
The Sailing Ship Columbia wasn’t officially named until it discovered the Columbia River during part of its maiden voyage. The navy wanted to name her NAUTILUS but the shipyard chandelier insisted on SEA ARROW. The argument over the ship’s name continued until FINALLY the naval commodore settled the debate!! The ship would be named by taking the first three letters from both names , NAUtilus and SEA arrow !! Christening her the Sailing Ship Nausea.
OSHA…we have a problem here…think we need to get Julie from HR on the speakerphone and “talk through it.” …. Me thinks none of this would be remotely allowable today, especially since the Columbia was involved in a sad incident years later. I don’t remember Jim, so perhaps he was before my time. Casting has done their job- there were a lot of Jim twins on the Columbia. There also seems to be quite a bit of form fitting white poly blends in pic three. Love the blue Keds too! You need those deck shoes if the ship starts to list. What a peaceful ride it was, and as I said before, I was obsessed with the below decks areas. I hope that hasn’t become a plush shop. I wondered then, and wonder now why there was a rope to keep Columbia in her dry dock (?). Stray canoes? Random keel boats? If this was for show…I don’t understand the show (?) I have a Halloween name all year long, but I suppose I could use “DeRuin Vreething” as my October nom de plume. La plume is also sur la tablah (for the Freddie Fillmore fans.) thanks MB and Major!
The lady in blue pants in pics 3 and 4 is upset that her youngest son just fell overboard. Her eldest (to her right) wonders if anyone saw that little push. Ah, siblings!
You know, it really doesn't make much sense that a three mast sailing ship would be sailing around the same river as both Indian war canoes and a Mississippi Sternwheeler (the sandbars alone would take her out before she got too far), or really any river at all. Still, I guess Walt didn't have the funds (nor land) to build an entire ocean, so his efforts are laudable. Of course it doesn't have to make sense to look good (I'm looking at YOU Cascade Peak!)
Great pics today from MB (Malevolent Banshee)
--Replicant 29573
Best way to start the day -
with great pictures and even-better comments!
"Nausea" - LOL! The version I heard was that it was between "Sea Shanty" and "Sicily" - but, you know how stories always get messed up; your version is probably correct.
Bu, please explain "DeRuin Vreething" - forgive my ignorance. I'm curious.
Thanks, Major, MB & all!
--Lou and Sue and Boo! (not to be confused with 'Bu')
I can hear the Norman Luboff soundtrack now, with Thurl Ravenscroft in the lead of the Boston Come All Ye.
Jim is a fine specimen, the sort who go down to the sea in ships.
Bu, my last Columbia trip, five years back, below decks was as I remember it from childhood. In fact, the whole Columbia experience right down to the bow gun to repel pirates (except the spiel) seems unchanged. It was forty years between rides so that may not be entirely accurate, but it felt like it.
On another Columbia thread years back, Steve DeGaetano ( I think) or someone else pointed out the traffic signal lights at the edge of the harbor, clearly visible in the final pic. I cannot now recall what they signal, but there they are…
Jay Ghoul
Bu, one more question: WHAT sad incident? (I guess I’m especially ignorant today.)
Nanook, Jim once piloted the Columbia through the Bloody Reefs, and the boat didn’t get so much as a scratch!
TokyoMagic!, now that you mention it, I remember reading that information about Marie Antoinette. History is awesome - Major Poltergeist? (I’m working on it)
TokyoMagic!, now I am picturing Mr. Roper doing his “ringing a tiny bell” gesture.
JB, I wonder if all of these photos and poses were “spur of the moment”, or if the whole endeavor was planned out days in advance? “Pout at the camera! THERE you go!”. It’s remarkably how many people pointed with one finger, I think it was a subtle form of rebellion. I applaud Tokyo Macabre’s use of an exclamation mark - I’ve been accused of using them too often.
TokyoMagic!, I’ve heard that Tokyo Disneyland does Halloween in a surprisingly gory way compared to the American parks, I don’t suppose you’ve experienced that?
Mike Cozart, no idea who Freddie Fillmore is. Did the Columbia costumes change that much over the years? I seem to recall photos from its debut in 1958 with very similar outfits. It makes sense that the real Columbia sailing ship was not named “The Columbia” until that river was discovered long into the voyage! I think they should have named it the Fluffy Kitty. Or Nausea would work too.
Bu, I do remember one of the Columbia crew members climbing up into the rigging the one and only time I was aboard (I just love being on the Mark Twain so much, sorry Columbia), which surprised me. I would be very happy with a nice pair of blue Keds, they would still be right in fashion. “Below Decks” is now a place to do your income taxes, so your worries about it possibly selling plush critters is unfounded. Good point about that rope, maybe it was to keep marauding ducks away? “DeRuin Vreething” is pretty good!
Stu29573, I hope that woman is telling her floundering son that she will be sure to give all of his toys to the neighbor boy that he hates. It does seem a little odd that the Mark Twain and Columbia (and the Canoes and Keelboats) all shared the same waterway, but you just have to go with the flow when you’re at Disneyland.
Lou and Sue, Bu’s nickname is a play on the mantra “They Ruin Everything”. popularized by TokyoMagic!, and now taken up by legions of Junior Gorillas!
JG, If Norman Luboff fought Norman Fell, who would win? I am unaware of any real changes to the Columbia or its voyage, but as I mentioned before, I’ve only enjoyed a single ride on that venerable ship, so I am probably not the best expert. I’d forgotten about the traffic signal lights, I wonder if I could find that post? I need a refresher.
Lou and Sue, a synopsis of the terrible event goes like this: On December 24, 1998, a cleat used to secure the ship to the dock tore loose, striking park visitors Luan Phi Dawson, 33..., and his 43-year-old wife Lieu Thuy Vuong in the head, Dawson was declared brain-dead two days later.
Major, thank you for answering my questions! Love Bu’s name...but the Columbia mishap is horrible,
To answer YOUR question, Freddie Fillmore was from YOUR favorite show: I Loathe Lucy
Mike, it wasn't until I got to the end of your comment that I looked down and saw that my leg was being pulled on. I always wondered where the word 'nausea' came from... now I know.
Bu, I guess it was too obvious to just change the spelling of your name. Haha, I read "DeRuin Vreething" and mulled it around in my mouth for a few seconds (it tasted bitter) before it finally came to me. I'm sure Tokyo Macabre! has a big rictus grin hearing that.
Stu (Replicant 29573), now I want to see the Oceans of the World in some little corner of Frontierland. I see that you kept the numbers from your username (I think you told us what they meant, but I forgot). I'm guessing that "Replicant" is a nod to Blade Runner?
Lou and Sue and Boo!, hmm, I wonder what sort of mash-up can be made from "Sea Shanty" and "Sicily"? ;-)
Nice to see Jay Ghoul make an appearance. Welcome to the graveyard! Wipe yer feet before entering, or is it leaving? I can never remember.
Major, "Major Poltergeist? (I’m working on it)". I can think of a few variation on that theme but like you said, you need to pick it yourself. But don't pick it too hard or you'll make it bleed.
Ha! I can picture the crew, all those manly men, aboard the "Fluffy Kitty".
The overboard kid is actually Andy from Toy Story. And yes, all his toys will be given to that creepy kid (I forget his name) next door. Where they will be sliced and diced (still looking for that Chop-O-Matic from a few days ago) and reassembled in all sorts of horrific ways.
"If Norman Luboff fought Norman Fell, who would win?" ... Norman would, duh.
Stupid me, I forgot to sign off again:
- Just Buried.
I never thought about the oddness of Columbia's maintenance area being "on stage." Did that mean they only worked on it when the park was closed? Or did maintenance crew work on it in appropriate costume with period tools?
Dean Finder, is that you?! LOL!
Lou and Sue, I remember when that awful event happened, it was a sign that Disney’s maintenance had really gone down the toilet. And I guess I should have realized that Freddie Filmore was an ILL reference.
JG, I admit that I am not “working on it” very hard! Hey, I’ve got stuff to do. Like watch TV and then stare at the wall, and then twiddle my thumbs. Important.
JB, you are much too hard on yourself.
Dead Finger, I have at least one or two pictures in which the Columbia is actively being worked on during park hours, and MANY photos of it at rest in Fowler’s Harbor. I guess they needed that daylight so do the work thoroughly.
Lou and Sue, no, it’s Dead Finger. Dean Finder is somebody else.
And the “ to scrape the barnacles off her hull” was Rickey Ricardo’s incorrect answer when he was on the Freddie Fillmore Show. The question was “why did the French put Marie Antoinette under the blades of the guillotine”??
The rumors of Dean Finder's demise are greatly exaggerated. He'll be back after Halloween
Arr, Jim lad!
-Malissafent
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