Delicious Leftuggies™
Today I'm sharing some Leftuggies™ (or are they Randos?), but they are good ones.
From a slide dated "April 1961" comes this fun image of two kids posing on the little bandstand that used to be in Frontierland - if you were lucky, you would find the Gonzalez Trio performing there. Big brother is looking cool in his leather jacket, and little sis is probably an actual princess. I like the pretty red flowers (geraniums?) that surround the bandstand. It's nice to see the old Casa de Fritos in the background, as well as the Frontierland Shooting Gallery.
From June 1974 comes this nice shot of a yellow Mine Train as it passes through part of "Nature's Wonderland" - the Rainbow Desert to be exact. In the lower left we can just see a tiny bit of a watering hole, I believe it was surrounded by some antelopes with switchblades. We can see some yuccas, ocotillos, and various cacti. Notice a Pack Mule train in the background to the left.
23 comments:
Major-
That "princess" appears to be holding some sort of tomahawk with feathers-? Sticking-up to the left appears to be a section of (green) ½" EMT, terminating in a type LB Conduit Body. I've seen it in other images, but haven't the vaguest idea what its use, in this context.
Also looks to be a 'quad' babushka sighting in the background-!
How sad there are no guests riding in the 'engine compartment' of the Mine Train.
Thanks, Major.
Yep, those are definitely geraniums. I like the way they look but not the way they smell. The smell always reminds me of an old electric train transformer we had back in the old days. After an hour or so of running trains, the transformer gave off a pungent odor of overheated wiring... which for some reason smelled like geraniums; although it was many years before I noticed the strong similarity of those two smells.
We also see the Castle and the Matterhorn... I just noticed that the string lights look like Skyway buckets.
This is actually a nice photo of the kids. Another one of those "why did they get rid of it" photos.
The antelopes didn't always have switchblades. They were there before Walt built the Park around them. Within a few months of Opening Day they became more and more 'citified'. Soon they formed gangs, and the switchblades followed. Disney animal wranglers tried to take the knives away from them but were unsuccessful. Have you ever tried to take a switchblade away from an antelope?... I thought not.
It's kind of amazing how many varieties of cacti and other desert plants they included in this area; some real, some not.
I think these are Leftuggies, Major. I tend to associate Randos with non-Disney locations and events. You could call them Leftos... or Randuggies.
That first kid in the jacket is the coolest kid in the history of cool kids. In a mere seven years he would be selling Pontiac GTO's in Fresno. Little sis left the pricess life and became a blackjack dealer in Oklahoma. The tomahawk came in handy.
I can't believe you got a shot of the short-lived "Giant Armadillo Ride" in ghe background of the second shot! The Armadillos' shells protected them against the switchblades. Unfortunately they kept wandering into the parking lot where they'd get hit by cars.
Fun pics today, Major!
I had the same momentary disorientation as JB with the light strings: “Aaack! Skyway buckets everywhere!”
Sincerely love the colorful chairs to the left of the Kodak Photo Spot sign, next to the door to Casa de Fritos. Note the kid in light blue on the bench in the background, screaming into an imaginary microphone. Behind him, plaid pants and a babushka of epic proportions.
“Antelopes” - what a dumb name for a street gang. And JB, you’re not wrong, although I did once take a switchblade from a Bear Cub. [whispered] Ruuuuummmmmbllllllle…..
Nanook, I think that section of (green) ½" EMT, terminating in a type LB Conduit Body, was for a Cat 5 cable run terminating in an RJ-45 connector. Much faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi, particularly since it hadn’t been invented yet in 1961.
Well, I’m off to print 45 copies of a document I don’t need per the instructions on the trash can. Thanks again, Major!
"How sad there are no guests riding in the 'engine compartment' of the Mine Train." Nanook, I think you may have automobiles on the brain!
That part of a locomotive is called the "cab." Not to be confused with a Checker yellow taxi. :)
But yeah, some lucky kid should be in there!
These are seriously cute kids. Note Fonzie's shoes, no sneakers for this guy.
Stu, you’re right, after a stint in Fresno, he ended up working for Arnold Wiebe Used Cars on Mooney Blvd in Visalia.
I see one of the upended log drinking fountains to the right of bench kid. Where’s a bag of sugar when you need one?
Nanook, would that rough-in support a termination for a sound system plug-in? Seems a bit high, but it might have been a post-construction addition.
Great picture of Natures Wonderland. Nearly all of this vegetation appears real, even the scrawny Joshua Tree.
The Antelopes are defending their turf from the rival melon gang, the Cantalopes.
Thanks Major!
JG
@ Steve DeGaetano-
I knew that would get you to chime-in-!
I'm with JB; geraniums sell terrible!
I love Little Sis's Marilyn Monroe impression as she fights to keep her skirt down in the wind. Everyone who's ever worn a dress outdoors can sympathize!
Simpler days at Disneyland, but very happy ones.
Nanook, it looks like Princess is holding either a spear or a tomahawk, probably purchased at the nearby Zocalo marketplace. She looks like a real killer, so I hope nobody makes her mad! I assumed that the conduit and box were there so that the Gonzalez Trio could plug in their microphones and speakers? I do believe that they had some sort of amplification here. Maybe there was no guest up with the pilot because he/she was eaten by a bobcat?
JB, I agree, geraniums are pretty, but they don’t smell so great. Just like me! I definitely have no idea why either the boy or the girl would get rid of this photo, they’d be just a little older than me in 2023. Unless they… don’t care about Disneyland?? What am I saying, that’s so crazy it can’t be true. I wonder how often the Rainbow Desert was revamped, with new plants added? Or did it pretty much stay the same once it was perfected? glad you liked these Leftuggies™!
Stu29573, I’ll bet that kid with the leather jacket snapped his fingers a lot (like Frank Sinatra) and called women “Babe”. But he was always a protector of others like the Fonz! Yes, I need a life. A Giant Armadillo Ride? Yes please! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a live armadillo with my own two eyes, but they are cool animals.
Chuck, I often dive to the ground because Skyway gondolas are nearby. “Oh, whew, it’s just a mailbox”. You can’t be too careful! There should be many more colorful chairs (and tables) next to Casa de Fritos, but I presume that it was still too chilly to eat outside in April (or March or whenever these were actually taken), even though it looks like a beautiful day. I think “Antelopes” is a good name for a street gang! Every bit as good as the Sharks or the Jets. Antelopes can run away real fast! Thank you for obeying that trashcan.
Steve DeGaetano, well we know for sure that Nanook has automobiles on the brain, he can identify them from 200 paces. We can forgive him for temporarily forgetting the train lingo!
JG, “Arnold Wiebe Used Cars”… sure sounds like a place you personally knew! Did they advertise on local TV? Did they have a catchy jingle? I really had to look for that drinking fountain, and it is definitely the same sort that normally only worked when a bag of sugar was on it. I agree, a sound system makes sense for that conduit and box. I was never sure if there were fake plants mixed in with real ones in the Rainbow Desert, some of the saguaros looked potentially fake (always blooming with flowers), while other plants were definitely legit. “The Cantalopes”, OUCH.
Nanook, you rascal you!
Melissa, I admit that I did not think of Marilyn Monroe when looking at that little girl!!
Yes, I was having the same moment with the lights being skyway buckets. Guess no hitchhiking cacti got picked up on this round through the Living Desert.
The desert tableau was named the "Rainbow Desert" when it was the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train and changed to "The Living Desert" (in this photo) when it became Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland" in which they expanded the desert scene and added many animatronic creatures.
Nice pics! Thanks, Major.
@ JG-
Perhaps, but. Just to the left of "big brother's' right elbow we can see the 'attaching end' of an upside down microphone stand, descending from the underside of the bandstand roof. Other images show a selection of microphones, including an Altec 670A (or 670B) multi-directional ribbon microphone - nice-! And an Astatic 77 dynamic cardioid microphone - which was Astatic's answer to the [very popular] Shure 55S "Small Unidyne" Microphone.
Major, Arnold Wiebe was a big car dealer in Visalia, near my childhood home. His advertising was all over the local media in the 60's and 70's. Cars with the license frames were everywhere.
I was sad to see this morning that he came to a sad end after some tragic events.
His daughter kidnapped, and released...
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54586884/tulare-advance-register/
He committed suicide in 1986
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-28-me-25660-story.html
Didn't know any of this.
JG
It was surprising how few asked to ride in the cab. Of course it would only fit 4..and that could be a tight squeeze. Many times it was a solo trip for us. Otherwise, I'd explain the controls and just shoot the breeze with guests. Wish I could get a closeup of the cab but even then I doubt I could identify the operator. Looks like a cool morning. That was a comfortable jacket to wear. Sand the track! Stay on time! KS
K. Martinez, you are right re: “The Living Desert”, I guess I was having a brain fart. Or I’m just not that bright! :-)
Nanook, I think that conduit was for the ICEE machine.
JG, sounds like Arnold Weibe was sort of the area’s Cal Worthington (who passed not so long ago)! Boy it really does sound like he went through some tough times. Suicide is always tragic.
KS, while it would have been fun to chat with the operator, it seems like guests would not have had such a great view in the little cab. If I could go back in time (oh please), I’d have to ride it twice in a row, once in the cab, and again in one of the regular train cars. Oh, and a third time at night!
Poor Mr. Wiebe! I still remember the ads from a Toronto car dealership when I was a kid: "5959 Yonge St. - just a pinch above Finch!" (I just looked up the address and now it's a luxury condo development. The Toronto real estate market is wild.)
Major and Melissa, Mr. Wiebe had catchy jingle advertising but I can't remember the tune just now.
Dan Day Pontiac was the competition from Fresno, maybe that's where our boy ended up.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=dan+day+pontiac+fresno
His slogan was "What a Difference a Day Makes..."
I knew Cal Worthington from trips to Disneyland, he was always on the TV "GO SEE CAL!".
After reading the kidnapping story, I did remember some of it, I was in high school. It was a big deal. But the ending story was long after my moving away.
I would love to ride in the cab of the Mine Train, that sounds wonderful.
JG
Go see Cal, Go see Cal, Go see Cal! Haven't heard that name since I heard "Earl Scheib"...those guys must have been doing something smart if I can remember 50 years (or possibly more) later. Kind of like Tom Carvel...now THAT was a voice. Cal had lots of amazing giant animals on spindly leashes...like giant tigers, but on a leash you'd be walking Fluffy on. Thanks for that memory. I would have never have trusted that guy, ever...and who was the guy on "Hollywood Freeway, and Lank-Ver-shim...Universal Ciiii---iii---teeeee"? A Datsun dealer? Morey SAGE! He's #1. For sales and service always use DatSUN. Maybe Mr. Sage is still there next to the Hannah Barbera studio that is not. Animation is dead, but used cars live on! The kids are very sweet, and Fonzie Jr. still looks like a nice kid, before he turned into a long hair hippie. I actually like the smell of geraniums, but they are an annual here in the tundra of the NE unless you bring them in for the winter. Picture Spot, Adobe, Castle, and Matterhorn. "Perfect". I read down to up, not left to right. The mine train ride strangely reminds me of the tram at the LA Arboretum, which I'm not sure they even have anymore. It was a relaxing ride through gardens and specimen plants before they drop you at Mr. Roukes house on Fantasy Island. I think that place needs a home in my "visit before it vaporizes" list. They should do a horticulture tour of Disneyland for the meager few that would want to do such a thing like me. I'm wondering what sort of documentation The Evan's/Shelhorn did, and who/how is the keeper of that documentation to this day? Maybe it's in Mike's garage (?) Thanks for the LT TM Major.
Chuck, they used to call themselves the "Anteaters". So "Antelopes was a slight improvement.
Melissa, actually, geraniums "sell" rather briskly. But they still don't smell good. ;-)
Major, "Unless they… don’t care about Disneyland??" I think that deserves a 'time out'. Sit in the corner with a bar of Lifebuoy in your mouth, just like Ralphie. Just be glad it isn't Lava, with all that grit getting in your teeth. Or Irish Spring; you'd NEVER get that taste outa yer mouth!
Ken M., thanks for explaining how and when the Desert changed names; I was wondering.
Melissa, I guess the “power of advertising” is demonstrable! How many SoCal residents can sing along with “Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach Freeway, Firestone Exit, Southgate!”.
JG, When Cal Worthington died, they said he was worth something like 200 million dollars; they also quoted him as saying that he didn’t really like selling cars, it was just something that he was good at. If only we all had such a thing to “fall back on”! I agree, I would love to ride in the Mine Train cab, or anyplace else on the Mine Train. Over and over!
Bu, Earl Scheib… “I’ll STILL paint any car for just $29.99!”. What a salesman. Kids at school said that he could get away with painting your car cheaply because your tires would get painted too. I assume that wasn’t true! I don’t remember the Universal City dealer you referred to, at least off the top of my head. I probably heard his commercials, though. Morey Sage does not ring any bells. And I used to drive by the old Hannah Barbera Studios regularly (wishing that I could get a job there). I love the L.A. Arboretum, and it’s always fun to mention “Fantasy Island” to people, though now that show is an ancient memory. Kids have no idea. “Don’t you know that Charro and Bob Denver fell in love here???!”. I’d love to do a horticulture tour of Disneyland, sign me up.
JB, I have to say that I do love that incredibly brilliant, almost day-glo pinky red of geraniums. There’s a paint called “Geranium Lake”, if I recall correctly it not only had that color, but it smelled like cloves. Lava is pretty bad, but what about that gritty powdered soap that was dispensed by those gizmos? You know the kind I mean!
^ Boraxo!
Earl Scheib—ha! That’s a name I recall in the Chicagoland area too. My husband said, “Yes, they painted everything....YOU had to tape-up (cover) whatever you didn’t want painted—chrome bumpers, etc.”. I guess they did half-heartedly cover the windows and tires. Half-heartedly.
Sue
I don't know about Disneyland, but there are horticultural tours of Epcot offered by Disney.
JB, THAT’S IT!
Sue, I was not sure if Earl Scheib was a SoCal phenomenon, but it sure sounds like he was at least in the midwest too. I sort of liked his “friendly huckster” personality! And hey, as long as you knew what you were in for (as in masking off so much of your own car), you might have actually been getting a deal.
Dean Finder, somehow that makes sense for EPCOT. It actually wouldn’t surprise me that much if Disneyland did such tours at some time, but I’m not aware of them for certain.
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