Knott's Berry Farm, November 1974
Who's ready to visit Knott's Berry Farm, circa 1974? Put on your velvet, boysenberry-colored suit and come with me!
Disneyland is so squeaky-clean, but neither of these folks look very reputable. The man probably hasn't bathed in months, and that woman is way too happy. It's not natural.
A group of majorettes (?) from a local high school are marching past the Calico Saloon. Let's see your school spirit! "WHS"... Whittier High School perhaps? The Whittier Whitefish! Whittier is only about 10 miles from the Berry Farm. Did local schools perform at the park regularly, or was this a holiday-related event?
There's just something about crumbling brick structures that is picturesque. "This thing must be 200 years old, or my name's not Herman Snerfengruber!". Bright pink bougainvillea blossoms add to the charm of this decrepit feature.
I hope that the next two photos are from a stunt show, and not just two guests fighting over which cereal was better (Quisp? Or Quake?). "I'll be dang-blasted if I'm gonna eat any cereal that is made by an alien with a propeller on his head! (*OOF*)". "Quake is just Cap'n Crunch without those delightful crunch berries, you boneheaded salamander! (*SQUISH*)".
"Aw, I'm sorry, podner, let's hug it out!". "You know I can't stay mad at you!". Aaaaand... scene.
15 comments:
In #1, the kid dressed in the velvet, boysenberry-colored suit must be a magician; he's pulling a handkerchief out of his mouth. Maybe for his next trick he can change his velvet boysenberry-colored suit into something a little less... velvety... and boysenberry-colored. Is he an employee?
#2, Seems so out-of-place to see that line of majorettes/rally squad marching through the old west Ghost Town. It's like a fissure opened up in Space-Time and folded two different eras together.
The girl, 2nd in line, looks pretty skinny. I bet she was the one who got tossed in the air during pep rally routines.
The Ghost Town buildings look refreshingly grungy, compared to "squeaky-clean" Disneyland. I can appreciate both 'looks'. They both have their pros and cons.
In the last two pics, I don't need to come up with anything hilariously clever and witty, like I usually do, 8-\ because Major already did that.
Thanks for the visit to Knott's, Major.
Major, these are great! I hope your supply of Knott's pics from 1974 never ends!
Those kids would not be from Whittier High (but that was a good guess!), because their school's colors have always been red and white. Just ask Richard Nixon. Oh, wait....you can't.
In case anyone is wondering what that white structure is in the background of the last two pics, it's the Fiesta Village entrance arch:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SORNbs3s22E/XqMPRQ1KbeI/AAAAAAAASvc/Tt2u5nDkIiw4YVpctw4t5WUQriPcvtJcQCPcBGAsYHg/s1600/KBF-L%2526S-10-75-FiestaVillage.jpg
Major, I'd be willing to bet that drill team was from Western High School, of Anaheim......hence, the western style boots they are wearing And that schools colors are blue and white. Just ask Tiger Woods.
Never really thought about it before, but why are Ghost Town’s wooden structures still standing while a clay brick building of the same age or even slightly newer vintage (frontier towns tended to rebuild the initial, hastily-constructed wooden buildings in brick as they gained in prosperity and became more permanent) is a crumbling ruin? Are we showing that the abandoned brick structure was “mined” for its bricks to be used in other buildings, much like most English abbeys were when Henry VIII dissolved the monestaries?
Great start to a weekend, Major. Thanks!
Thanks for the love shown to Knott's with these photos - especially today - why? Because yesterday the Boysenberry Festival started and will run until April 24. I went yesterday and everything looks gorgeous. The horticulture team really outdid themselves this year!!! That "crumbling" structure is still there and that bougainvillea is full and lush and in full bloom and is stunning. Also over near the entrance where you rent strollers, wheelchairs and electric mobile chairs they have an arch covered in Wisteria which is also in full bloom. The wooden arch is drenched in them right now. Unfortunately they don't last long but when they do, wow. By the way, that area is the old entrance to Knott's. They only open it in cases of emergency. Irene
Loving 70s Knott's pics!!
I'm with TokyoMagic in thinking the drill team is from Western High School. It's less than two miles from Knott's. The girls could have marched there.
Major, my boysenberry tuxedo is at the cleaners, you’ll have to settle for my salmon-pink suit. I got it at a Lawrence Welk yard sale. It belonged to Tom Netherton.
Any frontier town that sells ice cream and has Rockettes is my kind of town. The couple in photo 1 are certainly a different vibe than any Disney CMs. They look like they’re having fun, or had fun, or maybe going to have fun, nudge nudge. Maybe all three.
I’m a sucker for crumbling masonry, undoubtedly assembled by crumbling Masons. The go-cart and fez must be just out of frame.
Irene, good to hear from you! Enjoy Spring at Knotts!
JG
JB, I’m just glad that boy decided to pull a hankie out of his mouth this time. Sometimes he does something else. The very fact that those majorettes are so out of place is what makes that photo so fun! I really would like to know what the occasion was. Probably Arbor Day, everyone’s favorite holiday. Please feel free to add your own clever and witty comments!
TokyoMagic!, do you think I actually thought about what the school colors for Whittier High would be? I’m WAY too lazy and probably too dumb too. Don’t tell me you actually believe that Richard Nixon is dead. I saw him just the other day. Thanks for the link to the Fiesta Village pic!
TokyoMagic!, I called Tiger Woods about 800 times, but he would not answer. Good detective work on Western High School!
Chuck, I’m not sure why the old wooden structures would be standing while more seemingly-solid masonry buildings would be crumbling, but I suspect ghosts have something to do with it. I’ve visited a few actual ghost towns in my time, and at least the ones in the arid deserts seem to have wooden buildings that have been surprisingly well-preserved.
Irene, I’m so glad you are going to the Boysenberry Festival! I have friends who have gone to the last few, I think they mostly like all of the food that is offered. Not sure if they’ll go this year, but I’ll remind them just in case. There is a bougainvillea plant right near where I live, and you’re right, the flowers don’t last that long. The street is covered in dried pink petals.
Grant, I hope they DID make the girls from Western High School march there! They will learn a valuable lesson about… well… something, I’ll bet.
JG, I would be totally on board for a salmon-pink suit. Good for all occasions. Why did Lawrence Welk have Tom Netherton’s suit? None of the other ghost towns I’ve been to have ice cream (well, maybe Calico does) or Rockettes, so you make a good point.
Chuck, the answer to your question is: because it looks artsy... or, it's blowin' in the wind; take yer pick.
Nice to hear from you Irene! The fact that you went to Knott's yesterday must mean that you're feeling (relatively) OK these days? Glad you got to visit your favorite place with all the flowers and shrubs in bloom.
Major, Yay, Arbor Day! Time to go out and cut down a tree! Or is it, plant a tree? I can never get that straight. Or maybe build an arbor. Or go to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ah ferget about it... Yay, Doughnut Day!
JB, you are actually supposed too go down to the wharf to celebrate. The “H” is silent (and unwritten). i found the answer, my friend, right where you suggested. Plenty of breeze here today.
Major, Tom Netherton was a male soloist on Lawrence Welk, so the pastel costumes undoubtedly came from the show wardrobe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnaMneu7Rls
Mom loved Tom singing.
No one got my Jungle Cruise riff, I'm bummed.
JG
Major, as you know I am a firm Quisp fan. Smart aleck aliens, rock! Just look at ALF! Quake has rocks for brains. Yeah, I said it.
Anybody that points out that Quisp and Quake were the same cerial and that they were actually Capn Crunch is obviously a Communist. In reality, the good Capn's cerial makes the top of my mouth hurt more, so I guess the Communist is lying.
What am I talking about again?
Oh yeah, I like Knotts. ..and 1974...
Chuck, a! (That's "Ha!"... the 'H' is silent/unwritten.) Anyway, yer too late; I'm already celebrating Doughnut Day. I planted a doughnut so that it will grow into a magnificent, doughnut-bearing tree someday. Crossing my fingers that they will be chocolate-iced doughnuts with cream filling... But I'll take whatever it decides to produce. (CAN'T WAIT!)
Glad you found the answer to the crumbling masonry question.
Stu, I love Cap'n Crunch, too. I like to eat 'em dry, outa the box. But, like you said, it makes the roof of my mouth raw. Sometimes I let them soak in milk a while to minimize the damage. I wonder if anyone has sued Quaker for pain and suffering from mouth damage?
MAJOR: the funny thing is at work right now I pass the sculpture room and see the 3 unpainted masters for those three Pirate Maquettes. Dave Smith said when he first saw them he requested one if each for the archives (painted directly from Disneyland ) I fact they were on display as part of the Disney Archives D23 Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit. They actually made a bronze casting of the auctioneer ( not to be confused with the Kevin and Jody Pirate bronze) this was part of the WDI BLAINE GIBSON BRONZE COLLECTION . I think the edition size was 50 and was like 2,500.00. Supposedly it was casted from the Blaine Gibson original …. But someone is fibbing. The recent bronze CLEARLY is lying … as the new bronze version is larger …. The hand stance and facial expression is NOT exact , and details that had to be painted on the original maquettes ( like the skull and crossbones on the pirate’s hat ) are sculpted in …. This could NOT possibly have been made from a casting of the original …. It totally is made from a NEW sculpture … and by someone who did not capture the nuisances of the originals.
Also I wouldn’t really use the word “manufactured” for the 1970’s and 80’s versions : they were more hand crafted and it’s been discovered there were only ever 25 of each figure made for each park … they are not number but only 50 painted versions exist. And I say painted because now it has been discovered that for the 1973 opening of WDW’s Pirates of the Caribbean,unpainted “clay colored” versions were on the black wooden bases were given to the press as gifts. So some time around the late 70’s a few painted batches were made for sale at the parks …
Major: I started building clay and paper models as a kid … later did model kits then plastic model road model structure kits then craftsmen model structure kits then scratch building etc. this TOTALY helped me in my degree in architectural design. Also as a kid I loved things like Kenner Girder & Panel building sets …. Legos … paper building model kits …. EXINWEST and Exin Castillos …. The only Aurora monster model kits I had were the Rodan ,Gihdra , Godzilla … I LOVED the MPC - Fundimensions kits of THE GIGANTICS ! You got everything to create a diorama of a giant monster insect attacking a down town city , an amusement park , a power station and a railroad terminal . They came with crushed details , smashed automobiles and little people fleeing the destruction. The box art to the original 1975 release were AMAZING!!they were done to look like newspaper front pages . My two favorites were GIANT RAMPAGING SCORPION ATTACKS CITY CENTER!! And COLOSSAL MANTIS DESTROYS RAILWAY TERMINAL!!! The artwork was BEAUTIFUL!! It turns out both those kits had box art painted by the famous futurist artist Syd Mead!!!!!! That’s like getting Herbert ryman to paint your Christmas card!!
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