Scenes From Frontierland, 1978
Let's all wish our good friend Irene a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! In honor of this occasion, Sue B. sent this cute image (from October, 1963) featuring li'l Sue and her mother (Donna), enjoying the beauty of the Flower Market. Such a wonderful photo! Thanks, Sue!
For the rest of today's post, here are three great photos from the Mysterious Benefactor. First up is this shot of a bustling Frontierland, from a photo dated "December, 1978". The holiday crowds were out in force, and it must have been peak lunchtime. Everyone's dressed for cold weather, it's always a little odd to see folks in SoCal clad in coats and sweaters (though one intrepid guy is in short sleeves). The photographer was interested in the Stage Door Cafe, which had replaced the Oaks Tavern sometime in '78, so this was all relatively new. The Golden Horseshoe to our left will help to orient you.
30 comments:
A very merry birthday, Irene! May your health continue to improve.
Little Sue has stopped to smell the flowers. They smell like... plastic!
Besides the one guy in short sleeves, there's also a Sweep (or busboy?) in short sleeves under that umbrella.
Thanks to the M.B. and to M.P.
- Julienned Beans (think green bean casserole)
Major-
There's noting like a splash of artificial light to enhance the 'drama' of the Wheelhouse image - and bring to everyone's attention a bit of peeling paint. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Many happy returns of the day, Irene.
Thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor.
Happy Birthday, Irene! I’m stopping to pick out some flowers to send to you for your birthday....what are your favorites??
—Sue
Thanks MB and MP!
Happy birthday, Irene!
I wonder if the tree in the tree in the second pic, is the same one that is there today? I would think the trunk should be a little bigger around, but maybe not necessarily:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.811885,-117.9205069,3a,41.5y,82.95h,96.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sy2ukE1PDZv-q9gg2nM_80g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Thanks for the extra pic today, Sue. What a nice photo of you and your mother!
Thank you, Major and Mysterious B.
- Tom (Turkey) Magic!
When I first saw the Wheelhouse picture, my thought was "what is that sign doing in front of the Haunted Mansion?" Yep, I'm that dumb.
Happy birthday, Irene!! We're still thinking of and praying for you. Thanks, Major and Sue.
Happy birthday, Irene! Ditto what Andrew said.
Ahhh…nothing in the world has quite the same fragrance as a plastic petunia. Except maybe a plastic begonia. Cute photo for sure. “Li’l Sue” should be the name of a comic strip. Or perhaps a railway gun.
You can still eat at the Stage Door Cafe today, but you can’t order a Pepsi. Well, I guess you can, but you’ll be politely informed that they only carry Coca-Cola products. And possibly punched in the face. And charged $50 for the magical experience. That’s Disneyland in 2021.
The umbrella in the third photo makes me think of Winnie the Pooh. Obsessively.
TM!, I think that’s a different tree. The bark is different, and it looks to me like it’s in a different position (although different lenses and camera position can make that difficult to be sure about).
Andrew, after you comment, I can’t help but notice how the wheelhouse sign uncannily reminds me of the Haunted Mansion’s graveyard caretaker. If he were carrying two lanterns. And had a ship’s wheel for a head. It’s a (ahem) dead ringer.
Whoa! I didn’t realize GDB had bouncers. No, it’s cool. I can find the virtual door by myself.
Happy birthday, Irene!
Happy birthday, Irene!
All the Junior Gorillas
Think that you're pretty keen!
(And many mooooooore...)
Donna is standing with her feet in a sort of modified third position; I wonder if she ever had ballet lessons.* Anyway, her pink cotton sundress is lovely. I can see why Lou couldn't resist snapping her next to the riot of pink blossoms. "Mommy, these flowers smell just like a Tupperware party!"
So cool to see the same area of Frontierland in contrasting weather. What a difference a little sunshine makes! (Am I bitter about Daylight Savings? Oooooh, nooooo. Not me.) I wonder if the plants on the Wheelhouse balcony are in a mortal, corruptible form, or if they "grew" in the same "garden" as the Flower Market flowers?
A big ol' thanks to Lue and Sue,
The Mysterious Benefactor, too,
And also Major P. Yahoo!
*Storytime: I was a bridesmaid at a wedding where the photographer was having a little trouble getting us arranged for the formal portraits. "Now, bridesmaids, I want you to take your left foot and put it kind of this way, and turn it a bit to the right... no, my right, your left... OK, then put your right foot a little forward... you take your heel..." The bride, being an accomplished dancer and knowing that each of us had at least a little dancing experience, cut him off and called out, "Ladies! Third position, 45 degrees turnout!" And we all snapped into place like wind-up dolls. The look on the photographer's face was priceless.
Happy Birthday Irene. Followed by many more. And for all those other days, a very merry Unbirthday to you!
Perfect pic of the Flower Market with a Sue carefully inspecting those placebos and pondering the exotic smell.
Neat shots MB, thanks. I don't think that's the same tree TM.
Thanks Major and Sue and M.B. for these very Monday pics.
Happy Birthday Irene! Let me join in wishing you Many Happy Returns of the Day and prayers for continued good health.
Sue, what a great picture, very appropriate. I’m a sucker for Flower Mart pics anyway and this one is very special.
Major, thanks to you and the MB for more detail shots of Frontierland. For some reason, these spots have existed in a sort-of blind spot for me. I can recall walking past, knowing they were there, but never once stopping or having a meal. That part of Frontierland was something to walk through on the way to NOS. Seems odd, but there you go.
Melissa, I remember that story, how fun!
JG
JB, it does kind of look like Sue is checking the flower to see how they smell, but hey, she’s a tiny kid! And I don’t care how cold it gets in SoCal, there will always be one or two guys walking around in short sleeves.
Nanook, I noticed that too, and you’d think that in 1978 they would have been on that peeling paint, unlike later when Paul Pressler made maintenance a dirty word.
Lou and Sue, I’ll bet Irene likes marigolds!
TokyoMagic!, I’ll bet that IS the same tree. Incredible that it’s still there. Good detective work!
Andrew, ha ha, well at least you can say that the architecture in New Orleans Square is consistent! And I think we can also say that you are NOT dumb, clearly.
Chuck, plastic begonias are especially hard to grow, but Walt Disney did not care about the price. And I’m going to order a Pepsi at the Stage Door Cafe just to be annoying (my greatest skill). Punched in the face for $50? That’s a bargain by today’s standards. I see what you mean about Winnie the Pooh, ha ha. Oh man, I was all excited that it was the same tree, but admit that it is hard to be sure. Maybe those two lanterns remind you of the large earrings that the Mansion’s caretaker is wearing? Sure, you can find the door by yourself, but you can’t throw yourself out of it.
Melissa, a “modified third position”, that’s a new one on me. Funny that you mention Tupperware, I always think of plastic tumblers that we had when I was a kid when I think of the smell of plastic. And man do I dislike Daylight Savings. I now have to take my mom for her evening walk at… 4:30! So dumb. I love your storytime, if only that photographer had known the magic words!
DrGoat, that photo of Sue and her mom is pretty adorable! I like the little bow in Sue’s hair. Maybe you’re right about the tree, now I’m going to go weep in the corner.
JG, I’m glad you like Flower Market photos, it seems like I have a lot of them to come. But at least those can be from many different angles, unlike Jungle Cruise photos or the like. Believe me, I’m the same way about the “blind spots”, I feel like I was the most unobservant person in the world (or at least the park).
Thank you Major and all Jr. Gorilla's for your Birthday wishes! Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated. I don't have much of an update either way - things are just kind of static and I'm waiting for results. Meds may need to be changed but again, just waiting on that decision. I do feel fine basically and well enough to take the occasional trip to Knott's and renting one of their scooters. I'm looking forward to Merry Farm and all things Christmas at Knott's. Glad to hear they are bringing back a lot of the shows I love.
My mother loved the Flower Market. Not sure what it was with all the women going gah gah over fake flowers but it certainly was a thing. I think one of my favorites is roses - but I like so many. Thanks Sue for submitting that photo for today :)
Melissa, your bridesmaid story made me laugh. The episode of I Love Lucy trying to do ballet came to mind!
Happy birthday, Irene! We still have warm weather here in So Cal so I hope you get to soak up some sun. What a nice photo, Sue! I bet you would have liked one of those teeny white baskets of flowers as a child. The winter Stage Door photo looks like an establishing shot in a tv show. I though of Pooh Bear with that umbrella too, Chuck, or ketchup and mustard. Thanks Major and Lou and Sue.
Happy birthday Irene! As for the Stage Door, what's in a name? It will always remain Oaks Tavern to me. Got many a hamburger/fries and coke and went backstage up to the break area to enjoy it. KS
Kathy!, I think I will now forever associate Pooh Bear with condiments. It’s the best of all possible worlds!
Good idea, Chuck! He’s Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh. Chubby little cubby all stuffed with ‘chup... willy nilly mustardy old bear!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRENE!!! And increasing improved health!!!
I think the only thing I ever ordered from THE WHEELHOUSE ( around 1983) was a chocolate malt ...... but it was really more like frozen chocolate ice cream in a tall foam cup!! They served it with a straw and a long wooden spoon. Technically it really wasn’t a malt.
When I was young I thought STAGE DOOR Cafe name was referring to the door of a passenger stagecoach. I don’t think I ever ate there till much later and after seeing all the 19th theater and opera house broadsides and other theatrical themed decor I realized it was referring to a THEATER STAGE DOOR ..... specifically The Golden Horseshoe!!!!
Poor Pepsi ..... being ousted by that THUG company Coca Cola!! When I first heard of what Coca Cola did to Pepsi over EPCOT CENTER I tried to veer away from Coca Cola products .... but it’s difficult to do these days since the Coke Empire has a monopoly on almost any and all liquids on the planet earth!!
I even tried to switch to MOXIE .... until I a Moxie cola at LA’s Farmers Market : I was so excited .. “wow this was the most popular cola in the 1920’s!!! ..... this is what the Roaring 20’s must have tasted like!!” I imagined..... it tasted like bubbly motor oil mixed with kerosene!!!!!
Irene, I’m so glad you checked in today! You are often in my thoughts even when we haven’t talked for a while. Glad you are feeling fine, that’s half the battle. And I’m glad you’re enjoying trips to your beloved Knott’s. Based on what little I have observed, women just love the colors and varieties of flowers, my grandma sure did, as does my mother. Maybe it’s part of that nurturing instinct?
Kathy!, man, we have had some beautiful weather in SoCal, after a particularly mild summer. Now I’m back to hiking, and it has been so nice. I probably would have liked to look at the flowers, but there’s no way I would want any! I was more of a coin and seashell collector back then, along with rocks that I could put in my rock polisher. So much agate and tigereye!
KS, it’s not even 4:00 and I am already dreaming about dinner (did I mention that I am on a diet?), the thought of a hamburger and fries is making my stomach growl. Cool that you remember the Stage Door as the Oaks Tavern!
Chuck, ha ha, that is what Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was talking about when he referred to the “best of all possible worlds”!
Kathy!, we know Pooh loved hunny, but you can’t tell me he didn’t like to dip his fries in a cup full of ketchup.
Chuck, I think Kathy had the original Sherman Brothers lyrics.
Mike Cozart, that “frozen chocolate ice cream in a tall foam cup” sounds AWESOME. Hey, your young mind made an assumption, but it wasn’t a crazy one. The old west had stage coaches, after all. As for Pepsi versus Coke, I can drink either, but I admit that I do prefer Coke if I have a choice. My brother prefers Pepsi. It’s the Civil War writ small. Moxie, ha ha, I have never had the pleasure, but I knew an older gentleman who said it tasted like “old socks”!
…my third try today…I must be going over the limits! I will write in themes…and then post. Happy Birthday Irene! I’m glad you are able to see shows at Knotts…you have inspired me to perhaps make a trip- I am going to Orange County tomorrow for a week of work…it might be worth some hooky! Flower Market! Always postcard worthy, no matter what time of day. The boys go ga ga too. So very sweet. Watch out for the VOC’s on those flowers. I love the smell of plastic. My mom was a Tupperware lady, so we had lots of plastic. It explains a lot…in a high School the newspaper staff got free DL tickets. 3000 LA Unified kids + their parents, siblings…alllll those baby boomers. Looking back it was a great marketing ploy. I wrote the story about Big Thunder, but the story mainly focused on the experience of the day…with some Big Thunder reference thrown in. I wish I saved those articles I wrote! I went to the park more than a few times on Disneyland’s dime. That time they gave us meal tickets too…which I usually used at the Stage Door…next subject:
I preferred a West Side burger to the hopped up malaise at Coke Terrace…so very loud with the bands. I only could take so much Sunshine Balloon. That short sleeve guy is a busser- wearing Whites and the Frontierland bow tie. I remember that guy. Costumes on the Westside were very well designed. Even selling popcorn we had a very dapper brocade vest with the same bow tie. Everything was VERY fitted. I think they wanted guys to have a Robert Conrad in Wild Wild West vibe. Even the winter coat was designed so well- it looked like Pendleton..but fitted and short…not like the droopy coats others were wearing- or the standard Disneyland trench (it was London Fog). To the right of Stage door was the backstage entrance. Had a nice upstairs terrace, a very small indoor (and air conditioned) break room with sofas, and then there were the Betty Taylor and Company bunker of dressing rooms…and then offices. Backstage Disneyland has a smell…and that area had it more than others- it’s a trash+ Coke syrup + barf dust (a smell within the smell) + wet cardboard + fermenting milk shake and spaghetti smell. It’s a candle in the making! “Backstage Disneyland”! For the other employees on here…you know that smell. Even when hosed down the smell persisted. Changing subjects: The Wheelhouse:
I had to Googles the Wheelhouse- I could not remember it. Makes sense since it was very very very rarely opened. That place was like a July 4th thing…that I very vaguely remember. 4th of July, Christmas Day, those days were something quite unlike anything else on planet earth…the good thing was that since the Park expected that 60K day, EVERYTHING was full capacity, with everything that ever said “seasonal” open. The vibe was on the border of disturbing and exciting all at the same time. Mere mortals could not handle it. We all learned crowd control. At least Christmas Day it was cool weather-wise. July 4th…wow…it was a lot…many crying employees to save on that day…if anything the day went by very quickly and it was over in a flash. I remember that they wouldn’t let employees in on their ID’s that day…it was more “stay away…far far away…and where was it that we parked? I will tell you it was so far, they had a parking lot tram just for employees. Thanks for all the memories today Major and Tiny Sue!
Today’s resolution: work “hopped up malaise” into more conversations.
Well, having a “Wild Wild West Robert Conrad” look would make sense ....the head costume designer for the show THE WILD WILD WEST was Jack Muhs ..... who became one of the top two Disney costume designers for Disneyland & Walt Disney World. After getting Walt Disney World costuming off the ground , Jack Muhs and Tom Peirce between 1968 and 1996 designed ALL costumes from parades , attractions , Entertainment , foods , audio animatronics .. EVERYTHING for all Disney parks up until Disneyland Paris . Imagineer Eddie Sotto hired his aunt to be in charge of costuming for Disneyland Paris .... which is why EDL’s costumes were far more flamboyant and overdone .... and many almost clown like ...just the cost of the EDL costumes was enough to break EDL’s bank!! Muhs and Peirce did do the AA costumes for Its A Small World and Phantom Manor however. But they both retired within a week of each other after the EDL project was wrapped up.
Jack Muhs mentioned that he was directed by the studio to make Robert Conrad’s clothing tighter fitting to intentionally show off Conrad’s Physique in the Wild Wild West episodes after the first season . If you watch THE WILD WILD WEST shows toy will see many similarities to the show’s costumes and that of some of early WDW , DL and Tokyo DL costumes ..... especial in Frontierland , 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea ride ( WWW episode NIGHT OF THE CRACKEN) , and WDW seven seas lagoon / bay lake water craft costumes.
Incidentally Jack Muhs created the “people of America Dolls” characters and costumes for AMERICA ON PARADE.
Now I want a "Backstage Disneyland" candle, hopefully in WTP red and yellow.
Awesome story about WWW, Robert Conrad and costumes. thanks Mike and Bu.
JG
I'm with JG, gonna go look for a "trash, Coke syrup, barf dust, wet cardboard, fermenting milk shake and spaghetti" candle. CAN'T WAIT! (Just in time for Christmas.)
Well, now that mystery of the past 40 years of my life has been solved! Thanks MC! I will say those trousers were very tight regardless of your size…but I doubt those trousers went past a 36. Size ranges did not allow for a more robust figure…as has been said on here before. I was a 28…then…and only then, and never since or ever again. Type casting alive and well and living in Anaheim. Frontierland costumes all had that same trouser fit- it was the cut, not the size. I do remember Tom but not Jack. I was on a costume committee where cross functional departments would discuss operational issues/thoughts around costuming. The creatives would fight for aesthetic, operationals would fight for being warm during winter no matter what it looked like. Costume designers did not want the work of the design to be covered by baggy coats or sweaters. I don’t blame them. I weighed in on fit and form, range of sizing, etc. it was basically a room of people arguing and slamming their hands on tables. Typical day at the office. Tom P. was in the room…lots of people were in that room…God knows what I was doing there- I guess I ranked in some way…who knows, my supervisor I think brought me as a human shield. There was a lot of screaming. Perhaps my memory has over dramatized. Later, I was cast as a fit model for a day- working for a buddy of mine at the time who did something for costuming. I honestly don’t know but there always seemed to be an audio animatronic figure in his car. I wore the “new” Contemporary Resort front desk costume. I was sewn into it…literally…the shirt has to lay very flat on my body to look right so it was sewn from reaching through the front fly and sewing it to my trousers from the inside. Of course wardrobe ladies don’t think twice about doing things like that. “Hold still!l I think 4 posts is enough for the day. Thanks all who read this far.
Bu, those wardrobe meetings sound like architecture meetings; designers fussing over colors, textures and forms, technical guys like me just wanting it watertight and code-compliant. A room full of people arguing.
Post all you want, I find your posts fascinating.
JB, they’re cheaper by the dozen, let’s buy a case for all our friends!
JG
Yeah Tom and Jack were very talented and met while working as staff artists at western costuming .... their wives were good friends too. Tom’s history with Disney started in 1968 .... but technically it started in 1955 as he was Rennie Connly’s assistant designing costumes for the opening of Disneyland. Jack came on board in 1969. Jack passed away Not long after retirement . I would go to lunch with Tom and talk Disney history with him into his mid 90’s ..... he was very mentally sharp and could remember everything as if it happened last week! His stories about EPCOT CENTER why costumes were they way they were were amazing and often hilarious to hear .... especial in the 70’s when George Carlin had his bit about polyester .... then cast-members suddenly began complaining of having “allergies” to polyester !! Costuming would show them labels using different trade names to clothing polyester and be told “ these costumes were specially created for people who have your same “polyester allergy” lol!!! ( ofcouse you cannot be allergic to polyester) Tom wound lament “ everyone loved polyester until comedians began making fun of it!.....”
Disneyland’s official FIRST LIGHTNING LANE attraction !!
WELCOME TO ITS A SMALL WORLD!!!
Join children of the world as they come together in peace and harmony and all the world’s boundaries are removed as a gesture of world unity!!
REGULAR GUESTS : wait time : 1 hour 44 minutes .
UPPER GLASS GUESTS WITH FLUID FINANCIAL STATURE ( GENIE) please proceed to this line as you are a better class of citizen than the REGULAR GUESTS
Wait time : 8 minutes
ELITE BETTER - THAN THE LOWER CLASSES OF DISNEYLAND GUESTS AND POSSESS A EXCESS ANOUBT OF FINANCIAL RELAXATION , please pay a nominal fee ( fee Varys depending total crowd movement ..... but you don’t care..... you are better than everyone else and you don’t have to wait !! You can afford not to!!!
....... please proceed directly to attraction boarding - please feel free to look down at guests you have pushed further back in the line !
Mike C., Funny, and yet... very depressing. Because it's too close to the truth.
BU...
I enjoy your comments. Consider it's now 50 years since I started work in the Park...your recollections bring back some of the color to my memory which has faded to black and white. especially the smells of backstage and the tight quarters of the upstairs break area with Wally and Betty coming and going. Yep...those were the days! KS
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