I have two randos for you today, starting with this swell view (from January, 1973) of the red Mark III Monorail as it sat at the station. Sometimes it really makes me think of some big-eyed deep sea creature.
Hey, look! It's George Harrison and John Lennon! ;-) Even though the Beatles had broken up by then, that didn't mean that the lads didn't enjoy an occasional trip to Disneyland.
Next is this nice shot from October, 1969, taken from the dock that led to the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship - or maybe by now it was just "Captain Hook's Galley", as Chicken of the Sea ended their sponsorship in '69. Then the park just used any old tuna that they found on the street or behind the local Sears. Anyway, this is a nice look at the little beach where pirates have left some treasure chests (they should have buried them, I suppose, but digging is hard work).
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat Monorail is simply 'bubblicious'-!! It so-perfectly represents the "future" - almost any future.
Thanks, Major.
Along with the red Monorail, we also see a yellow PeopleMover being propelled along the track in the background.
ReplyDeleteIt really is uncanny how much those two look like George and John. Is that a movie camera in John's hand?
After Chicken of the Sea abandoned ship, Charlie the Tuna finally got his wish and became tuna burgers. It always seemed odd to me that Charlie was always miffed about being passed over, "Sorry, Charlie". He should get down on his fins and thank the tuna gods that he WAS passed over! He was one confused fish, if you ask me.
Oh yeah, about the picture... I guess that's Casey Jr. in the background? And that's a good view of the treasure-strewn beach that we see from time to time.
Nanook, well, it's almost perfect. It needs cartoon characters slapped on the entire exterior of the train. THEN it would be perfect! ;-)
Good randos, Major. Thanks. And we got George Harrison and John Lennon thrown in at no extra cost!
There is a funhouse mirror type of reflection of John, George and a third person, in the Monorail windshield.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the Skyway buckets? There is nobody in line for Casey Jr. There are no diners at the tables in the Skull Rock cove area. Was Fantasyland closed? Bu? ;-)
In the Monorail end car you can see the bucket seats the MARK III feature. Their interiors were “oyster white” and the foam padded seats were tan …. At the moment the specific name of the color escapes me…… in the mid 1990’s the merchandise department had the staff shop and sign shops create some product ideas in a kinda of design contest . There were sone beautiful things but one if the things that stands out in my memory was a fantastic display model in 1/100 scale of a red Disneyland Mark III Monorail!! Thus was about 1995 and the Mark V’s were running so I’m not sure why they chose the Mark III other than being such a great design ) I don’t think anything from this exercise was ever produced for sale..
ReplyDeleteThe Jolly Roger lagoon featured a wave machine located right under the entry gangplank. The imagineers didn’t want a stagnant pond but the feel of an ocean lagoon. I have no recollection of “waves” in this water feature but I’ve heard the wave maker frequently was broken. If you don’t believe me … “ask any mermaid you happen to see ……”
I was thinking "mutated ladybug" but "big-eyed deep sea creature" is probably closer.
ReplyDeleteThat’s actually Joe Pecorino and Les Fradkin, later of the original Broadway cast of Beatlemania, exiting the Monorail.
ReplyDeleteGood to see that they specified that this Monorail was in Disneyland U.S.A. It makes identifying where a particular picture was taken so much easier.
That photo of JG’s Rocks is a real treasure.
Beatlemania! "It was better than CATS!". I never saw Beatlemania as I was there and didn't need to time travel. I'm one of those people who can do without the Beatles...I liked the crazy movies, but it's painful to sit through albums for me. Sorry Beatlemaniacs. One of the tour guides I worked with still had a piece of grass from the Hollywood Bowl that one of the Beatles stepped on as they chased them. "The 70's": "when women were women, and men were Lions!" Is that a wig? Looks like Ringo or whoever has one of those groovy Super 8 cameras. I wouldn't mind making an entire full length movie on Super 8. I'm sure someone has. I did a memorable "featurette". Looks like Santa Fe is still on there with Disneyland USA. I liked the "DISNEYLAND USA" moniker. "DISNEYLAND ANAHEIM" doesn't seem to hold the same weight. "DISNEYLAND SANTA ANA ADJACENT"...nope, not that either. I never noticed the little beach outside the pirate ship. It seems like it would be fun to have some live alligators or something in this moat. Or maybe just some Koi fish like over at the Disneyland Hotel. The Koi keeper there let us hand feed them once. They are a mighty hungry and aggressive beast. I never went in that rear cone as that was for the Hotel "spin" for those not wanting to enter the park. That seems a bit mean to put kids in there and say "we are at the Disneyland Hotel but have no time for Disneyland so we are just going to take a spin on the Monorail to tease you and scar you for life" Doesn't really make sense, but I don't judge. Thanks for the groovy photos this AM Major!
ReplyDeleteJohn Lennon did make a post-breakup visit to Disneyland. In one of the biographies of him, I forget which, there is a photo of him standing next to the cigar store Indian on Main Street. He does look happy! Not happy were the park employees who had to deal with another famous singer's visit, as related in MORE MOUSE TALES. She was a royal pain in the ---, and is identified only as B.S.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major, any picture of Hook's Treasure Cove always leaves me with a pirate head and a pirate heart, hurrah!
The old Tuna Grotto was such a gem, of course I love that second picture far too much. You never really know how much you love a place until it’s gone. Thanks Major and Chuck, brings a tear to my old eyes that now is hanging from the end of my nose because I can’t wipe it off in this space helmet.
ReplyDeleteI’m going to have a tuna sandwich for lunch and reminisce.
I’m with Bu, no Beatles for me. I want my helmet radio set to Lawrence Welk. Those guys certainly have “70’s” all over.
I never rode in any of the monorail cones, front or back, but I’ll take plain red over the gift-wrapped models any time.
JG
Does anyone know what that yellow sign says, in the second image? Picture spot??
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Beatles, all I’ll say is that Arrowsmith did a better version of Come Together. Much better, IMO.
Great pictures today, thank you, Major.
Sue
Sue, you are right, that is a Kodak Picture Spot sign, the black frame of the photographer silhouette is hard to make out against the background. The view from that location would be marvelous.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't blame the pirates for not digging any further, that sand was hard as concrete.
JG
Nanook, I always did like the Bob Gurr Monorails the best. Not sure if he had anything to do with the “Lear Jet” designs, but I feel like they were a step down, even if the ones at WDW were real transportation vehicles.
ReplyDeleteJB, the Peoplemover photobombed this picture! I am pretty sure that’s a movie camera, if only we had the footage. I agree with you re: Charlie the Tuna, and yet… who can knows the ways of a tuna fish? Especially one wearing sunglasses and a beret. That is a Casey Jr. train in the background, but there’s nobody in line, so I guess that ride was down that day. Tears of anger and frustration.
TokyoMagic!, there’s another reflection along with John and George, it must be a GHOST! If that photo really was taken in January of 1973 it’s possible that a lot of rides were down for maintenance, although it would be a bummer for some guest who’d never been to the park before (and might never go again).
Mike Cozart, yes, definitely a Mark III, for one thing they had those bigger windows. “Oyster white”, and made from actual oyster pelts too. They did not skimp! Gosh, that Mark III model you describe sounds great, I want it. Please get it for me. I will pay up to $75, CASH. I know they used to have some sort of underwater jets that made a bow wave on the Pirate Ship, but I did not know about the wave machine. Interesting!
Melissa, I would think that a giant ladybug would be pretty cute, even as it was about to eat me.
Chuck, whoa, what kind of nerd knows the names of “Beatlemania” cast members? I mean besides Marshall Crenshaw? Oops, hey, I guess I’m a nerd. Oh well. You forget that for a time there was a real chance that there would be a Disneyland built in Lapland.
Bu, my friend Mr. X has a friend who is in a Beatles tribute band, and he has made a lot of money. I wish I could remember which tribute band it is. It always surprises me when I hear people say “I hate the Beatles”, but to each his own. In my mind they vary so much, from the early “Yeah yeah” days to the more mature “Revolver” days to “Helter Skelter” and everything in between. But again, if you don’t like ‘em, you don’t like ‘em. It amused me to hear an interview with Henry Rollins, they’d ask him about a band like “Abba”, and he’d says something like, “Oh, they’re great!’. And then he’d mention Andrew Gold (of “Thank You For Being a Friend” fame) and he’d say, “Oh, that guy is really talented!”. Not what one might expect from Henry. Koi fish are cool, but I know people who live nearby that have to replace them regularly due to coyotes, raccoons, and even pelicans looking for an easy meal. I agree about riding the Monorail without going to Disneyland, it seems cruel.
Stefano, I think I may have seen at least one photo of John at Disneyland, is he with May Pang? It amazes me that he could walk around without being mobbed. A famous singer identified as “B.S.”?? You don’t mean Brianna Schwartz??
JG, that little beach was unknown to me until years after it had been added… I am famously not very observant. But it’s such a great touch, telling a little story with just a sandy beach and some treasure chests. Kind of brilliant. My friend Mr. X doesn’t like any rock or pop music, even though he grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, not sure how that happened. It’s jazz and big bands for him! The “wrapped” Monorails are so tacky, but “ordinary people” love them, so what can you do.
Sue, that is definitely a “Picture Spot” sign! Whoa, Aerosmith over the Beatles! Sue, sometimes I feel like I don’t even know you. ;-)
JG, well look what happens when somebody (me) takes an hour to respond to comments! There were distractions. I wish the sand was purple, but not everyone has great ideas like I do.
ReplyDelete@ JG-
ReplyDelete"I’m with Bu, no Beatles for me. I want my helmet radio set to Lawrence Welk". Yes, but what happens when Lawrence Welk covers Beatles songs-?? Aha... quite the conundrum, isn't it-??!!
@Nanook, I have confronted that issue before with Welk and others covering the Beatles catalog, and I have concluded that it is the Beatles music that I don't like, whoever happens to be playing it. YMMV.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, the Beatles and those who followed them damaged music irreparably, but as Bu would say, "that's for another time."
JG
For the record: I LOVE some of the Paul McCartney and Wings songs.
ReplyDeleteSue
Where ARE my Mouse Tales books? Another thing to look for...probably with all my WW2 books...I had a lot of them, and can't find any anywhere. "B.S." Completely makes sense in many ways....and for another time and Fantasyland is closed.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, always ride in the bubble seats, as I’m presuming George and John have done; just wait the extra minute and get the sweeping views, often alone (actually we can tell they did not ride there, as the door is closed, hence the ‘often alone’ comment, guess I always asked…er, insisted, ah…politely). Rearview is just fine. I can nearly feel the magnificent airhorn rumble now.
ReplyDeleteBut am here for loving the little lagoon! Naturally Skull Rock waterfalls, coves, and grottos got all the well-deserved attention. Yet this view reminds us Exactly where this tiny beach and tuna boat used to be…from the Casey Jr. steps; And it shows how Storybookland was originally screened from the rest of Fantasyland, with palms, rock forms and a body of water -before the beautiful stepped hedges of 1983, and how much better than Dumbo’s dumb plywood walls completely bastardized this view.
MS
Of course, it's the Florida park that has the honor of being the Official Home of the Beatles' Breakup.
ReplyDeleteHow can you people NOT recognize the Beatles’ genius???!!! “You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)” has to be one of the three best rock and/or roll songs ever recorded. I even have the single!
ReplyDeleteSue, forgive me, but I’m not sure there is a good version of “Come Together.” I have never liked that song. Listening to the Blue Album in junior high, I always hated the fact that there wasn’t a “skip” function on my record player. Kids today just don’t know how hard we had it in the early ‘80s. It was the Dark Ages. For crying out loud, we had to get out of our seats to change the TV channel!!!
Oh, and I saw Beatlemania in concert in Clinton, Oklahoma, in 1990.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Beatles songs are "Hey, Hey, We're The Beatles" and "Last Train To Clarksville."
ReplyDelete"For crying out loud, we had to get out of our seats to change the TV channel!!!"
ReplyDelete...And to rearrange the aluminum foil on the rabbit ears. (The young folks have no idea what I'm talking about.)
To be fair to the Beatles, I do love the Beatles "Birthday" song; but I could live without ever hearing "Let It Be" again. It's in the same category as "Let It Go." Just my opinion. And don't even get me started on "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."
Ha! I see what you did there, TM!
Chuck, Beatlemania came to the Goodtime Theater at Knott's for the summer of '83. It was very popular with guests. I have an a newspaper ad for the show, showing a caricature of Ringo, face to face with Snoopy and comparing noses (Camp Snoopy also opened that same summer). I'm probably going to do a Camp Snoopy post this June or July (for it's 40th anniversary), and I'll include the ad in it.
ReplyDeleteSue, but I bet you also love "Revolution 9".....it's so melodic and catchy!
ReplyDeleteNumber nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine.......
ReplyDeleteSue, you remind me of all those Saturday nights my sister and I would construct elaborate systems of wire cost hangers and aluminum foil to get a signal from a UHF station halfway across the state on our little B&W portable TV.
ReplyDeleteMom tells stories of running a roll of wire around and around her parents' farmhouse attic in central New York to get a radio station from Wheeling, West Virginia.