Friday, November 25, 2022

Beauteous Frontierland

Frontierland has always been great, but there is just something about the way it was in the 1950s that is especially wonderful. Maybe it's because it's from the days when westerns were possibly the most popular genre in movies and television - people were fascinated with a world where good and bad seemed easier to  discern, and when large swaths of the country were still wild and unexplored. 

Today's slide scans are from at least 1956, you can tell because Tom Sawyer Island has guests roaming about (TSI debuted on June 16th of '56). I absolutely love this first view of the Gullywhumper, I believe that it is just pulling out into the river from its loading dock, on its way for an exciting trip past Indian settlements, burning cabins, and wildlife. You can see that the pilot is talking on a mic, my guess is that the ride was not jokey in the way it ultimately was decades later. The color and composition are quite nice.


Meanwhile, over in the Indian Village, two cute kids pose with a chief, wearing his magnificent feathered headdress and bone breastplate. I wish I could read the sign behind them, telling us about the "Chief's Council Tepee". 


Yo homies, I am still out of town, and away from a real computer, but I may be back with you tomorrow!

15 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

There is a rocket ship growing out of the top deck of the Mark Twain...sort of like those "Magic Rocks" crystals.

Nanook said...

Major-
I want to know more about little 'Suzie's' outfit, and those three, rounded, red accoutrements - one of which seems to be fastened up around her collar. (I wonder if Suzie's Mom made her outfit-?)

Thanks, Major.

"Lou and Sue" said...

^ Hey, TM! There's also a moose growing out of the top of the Old Mill.

Bu, thank you for yesterday's info regarding the ILL picture. Interesting!

Thanks, Major. Safe travels back home! We're looking forward to your return.

JB said...

The Mark Twain is getting ready to launch one of its ICBMs. Either that, or it could be the Moonliner off in the distance. [Edit- Dang. TM! beat me to it. I need to type faster!... Or read the comments first.]
On the left, something is going on with the prim-and-proper lady in white (with matching purse) over on the Island, and her son/grandson/pet monkey. Is he petting one of the elk? The folks on the Gullywhumper seem to be watching the spectacle as well.

I wonder if that bone breastplate served as protective armor, or if it was purely decorative.
Bro and Sis are looking very fifties in their attire. Sis in particular is projecting a Minnie Mouse vibe.

Tokyo!, I was always fascinated by those Magic Rocks. I had several sets when I was growing up.

Nanook, I thought the red accoutrement around her waist was meant to be a bow; although I have to admit, it doesn't look much like a bow. And the one around her neck, a scarf, also tied with a bow.

Sue, I think the moose just got his antlers stuck on the roof's wooden shakes when he flew too low over the Mill. Happens all the time.

Thanks, Major. Hurry back; the place is falling apart without you. ;-)

Stu29573 said...

These are nice shots!
Actually, the Mark Twain just put up their white and red Christmas tree. They have one of those 4 color rotating light disks that shines on it at night. Very classy!
Speaking of classy, the lady in the pink dress in the front window of the Gullywumper is really classing up the joint! Also, the metallic blue cowboy hat adds a touch of dignity to the procedings. Very nice! I'm going to need my tux befire I jump into the ol' time machine today!

Chuck said...

I know it’s the name of Mike Fink’s boat, but I never realized before that I have absolutely no idea what a gullywhumper is. I wonder if the Library is open today so I can do some research?

Interesting contrast in women’s wear over at the Old Mill. There’s a poofy-skirted young woman in bobby socks and sneakers along the riverbank while another woman in short shorts and a bare-midriff outfit is entering the mill proper.

If you track left from the upper part of the mill you can see the entire length of the millrace. That is much longer than I remember. And totally awesome.

Looks like Blue-Hat Brother missed a belt loop. I may have worn my belt buckle off-center like that a time or twenty-seven at that age, too.

Safe travels, Major (and anyone else who is on the move today)!

Melissa said...

I, too, am fascinated by Suzie’s dress. Mom used to love color blocking our homemade dresses with coordinating prints like that. However, I don’t think she ever managed to use three prints on a single outfit. Two was usually her limit. At first glance I thought that the red thing on Suzie’s waist was an external pocket, but it probably is just a decorative flourish. The color is indeed beautiful in both these shots.

Bu said...

I looked up Gullywhumper...and it just goes to Disneyland fan sites, etc. I checked OED/Websters/Etc. It's cowboy slang for a flash flood when gully's get "whumped" by a wall of rain...makes sense. Now...we know. What a great photo of Frontierland, looking so authentic...no fences or guardrails on Tom Sawyer Island. The Gullywhumper looks great with it's two windows...I gather that the two window models were from the show, and then they built 3 window models to increase capacity and to eject guests into the Rivers of America. The Keel boats I suppose is an appropriate name for something that may keel over...somewhat like humans after a giant Thanksgiving feast. I liked the Keelboat ride when no one else did. It was far grander to ride the Mark Twain. The Keel Boats had a jungle-esque spiel which was "supplemented" by some ad libbing in a consequence free workplace. (to be clear, work was anything but consequence free...supervision did not mess around and there were hundreds of people wanting your job...who were smarter, prettier, etc. etc.) From yesterday: "Eglise de stains" by the same artist Maurice Utrillo is the one in the "fork in turkey" photo. I get rather obsessed with these details and found a company who will make the other Ricardo print for me. Chuck: the NYC Library(ies) are closed today, but I checked. They are doing a funny black friday ad campaign right now in "ambulance chaser" low production value style production values..."everything completely FREE!" "FREE RETUNS"...very clever. I have always felt the library, available to all at no cost, was the best shared secret in the US. Happy black Friday everyone...that used to be an internal retail term, now it's marketing. The day does indeed set the economic spending tone for the rest of the season. Good luck to all.

Chuck said...

Bu, thanks for looking up “gullywhumper.” I looked up that NYPL ad campaign. I love it!

DBenson said...

If memory serves, there was also a "girly" keel boat in both the TV show and the park. It was painted and had Victorian trim, and was presumably gussied up for passenger trade. On the TV show it was found abandoned, victim of the river pirates.

Old enough to remember when the presence of what some now sneer at as IP (intellectual property) was in fact part of the appeal. All the Davy Crockett references, Zorro and the villainous captain dueling in the street in early days, and Pecos Bill's girlfriend Slue Foot Sue owning the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. Plus, Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland name-checking various True Life Adventures. All as seen on TV!

The many Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer references are interesting, since they don't tie into a Disney production. Did Walt ever intend to put Tom and/or Huck onscreen? Or were they simply convenient symbols of the old days he wanted to evoke?

JB said...

Stu, ah, a Christmas tree. That makes more sense. I tend to think that Disney would keep their atomic missiles out of view, so as not to alarm the guests.

Bu, thanks for researching 'gullywhumper'. I had always assumed it was a torrential downpour, like a frogstrangler; and it looks like I was right.

JG said...

Hooray for the 2 window GW! I don’t know if this was the same craft from the movie (or tv show), but the later boats had three windows.

Major, I love these, thank you.

Hope you’re having a good visit!

JG

Melissa said...

"It's cowboy slang for a flash flood when gully's get "whumped" by a wall of rain...makes sense."

Like a goose-drownder!

Nanook said...

@ DBenson-
It’s all a matter of moderation. IP ‘worked’ in the early (and not-so-early) days of the Park as it supported the attractions, adventures, atmosphere, etc., and wasn’t simply the raison d’etre for being. Once IP drove EVERYTHING in the Park, it was (and is) all over.

"Lou and Sue" said...

DBenson, you do bring up an interesting point about the 'past' IP...and Nanook - I agree...
My two cents: I personally don't mind the past IP associated with people, but am now tired of seeing cartoon characters on most everything - and more-recently added to most every attraction, restaurant and hotel. Walt's Disneyland (1960s and early 1970s) had a very nice balance - without including cartoon characters on everything. Even the monorails are now plastered with LARGE cartoons. I may sound grouchy, but I am so tired of seeing certain characters that I will never spend another penny on an item with some of those characters on them - I'm sick of looking at them. Please don't get me wrong, I still love Disneyland, but this new idea of overkill-marketing has cheapened Disneyland, IMO.

Bu, again, thank you for today's extra-additional info on the ILL picture. Do I understand you correctly[?] - You just now ordered the print??