Black and White Snapshots
I found a few more vintage snapshots mixed in with my stack of original Degas sketches, so I've scanned them and here they are!
From June, 1958 comes this charming photo of Captain Guy, whose reign of terror on the Seven Seas is legendary, even today. He once keel-hauled a man for snoring, once he figured out what the heck "keel hauling" was. "Ohhhh! I thought it be a form of tickling!". The Cap'n holds a pretty lass in one hand, and a pretty bird in the other. Presumably "Paco the Parrot"? Notice the cage in the upper left. Mmm, a nice cold cup of grog would go down nicely right now. (And yes, I tore the edge of this photo in a drunken rage).
Next is this photo of K7 the Tomorrowland Spaceman. He was just checking his atomic wristwatch to see if the time matched that on the Clock of the World (it did, to the nanosecond). "Man, this thing is neat-o", K7 says to himself. He got the watch with S&H Green Stamps.
16 comments:
Major-
Darn - I don't think I've ever seen an image of that drink vending machine [okay - "Pirates Grog"] where the selections are legible.
The 'corsage' the lass is sporting is awfully large - almost big enough to disguise an old-fashioned microphone... Maybe she walked-off a Disneyland production of The Dueling Cavalier, starring the Mouseketeers - being filmed in the Mickey Mouse Club Theater-! (Can't you just hear Annette saying: "Oh, Pierre! You shouldn't have come").
Thanks, Major.
It's hard to tell from a B&W photo, but I think Paco the Parrot is a "Norwegian Blue", no doubt pinin' for the fjords. "Paco the talking parrot. On board at all times". But, what if has grocery shopping to do? What if he has to 'walk the dog'? Poor, poor, Paco. I notice that Captain Guy has a flintlock pistol tucked into his cummerbund (or whatever it's called). I doubt that would be allowed today, and yet it's a visually necessary part of his costume.
The guy just to the right of K7 is wearing an awfully strange hat. ;-) And there's our favorite garden-center wire fencing again. I would guess that this photo was taken not long after the Park debuted.
Thanks for the monochrome mementos, Major.
That ruthless scalawag, Captain Guy! Keel-hauling a man just for snoring - that’s even worse than John Wesley Hardin!
Nanook, I would love to see a clearer photo of the Pirates’ Grog vending machine, too. I’ve convinced myself the upper right selection is “Root Beer,” and I’m pretty sure the bottom one is “Pepsi Cola,” but I can’t quite make out the middle one - maybe “[something] Punch.”
JB, you’re right - there is no way Captain Guy could get away with that today. Visually necessary part of his costume or not, it’s just not socially acceptable to openly wear a cummerbund like that.
Captain Guy was before my time, but I remember the Grog Dispenser, and root beer was a selection. I never bought any but wanted to, which is how I remembered it. I think there was orange soda too. Still wish I could read the labels.
Paco wouldn’t VROOM if you put 4000 volts through him. He’s joined the Choir Invisible.
JB noticed the wire fence, at the time it was the latest thing on Mars.
The original Space Suits also had cummerbunds and flintlock pistols, but these were quickly set aside in favor of the atomic wristwatches. Popularized by Tom Swift and his Atomic Wristwatch.
Thanks Major, don’t spill any grog on the Degas’.
JG
I wonder if some former Disneyland employee has that Pirate Grog vending machine hidden in their personal collection. Maybe the person who took it is deceased and the heirs dumped it thinking it was worthless. Or maybe Disneyland took it to one of their maintenance shops and had beverages available to purchase in their shop. Who knows? Who cares? Blah, blah, blah.
Thanks, Major.
@ Chuck-
I never got suckered into the Time Life "Old West" book series. I did, however, buy the ENTIRE 40-Volume Your Hit Parade CD collection from Time Life-! (Yes - a great accomplishment). The folks at Time Life even offered me a Free CD in honor of my stick-to-itiveness; although they chose another word to honor the occasion). And oddly still well worth it, lo these many years later.
Nanook, I had a faded photo years ago that gives a better look at the vending machine, see it HERE. Coke, Root Beer, Orange, and I think it had Pepsi Cola as well, although it is hard to read in this low-res jpeg. I could have sworn I redid this one, but can’t find it on the blog now. And yes, that corsage is big enough to hide one of those old radio mics like they used in the 1930s (or as you said, like in The Deuling Cavalier!
JB, a “Norwegian Blue”? Norway has parrots?? Paco is like Santa, when one takes a break, another comes aboard. I guess you’re right about the flintlock being a no-no today, and was trying to remember if Jack Sparrow ever waved a pistol around. Probably not. The “strange hat” is totally my style, I’d wear it every day.
Chuck, yes, I am quite sure that “Pepsi Cola” was one of the offerings - Pepsi and Coke in the same machine! I thought maybe the punch was Hi-C? I am going to wear a cummerbund with my shirt with the frilly arms, I don’t care what anybody says.
JG, I’m not a big fan of root beer, with the exception of when I went to the A&W in Austin, Minnesota with my grandparents. Hey, remember the 80’s band called “Choir Invisible” (seriously)? You need those little fences on Mars to keep out the Martian Mice. I decided to throw out the Degas sketches and buy Thomas Kinkade paintings instead. I know great art when I see it.
K. Martinez, I’d love to believe that the Pirate’s Grog machine is still out there, but my guess is that if it exists at all, it has been repainted. In those days Disneyland artifacts were not appreciated the way they are today. I’ve always wanted a vintage soda bottle vending machine, ever since I went to a party and they had one filled with different kinds of beer, and a bowl of nickels next to it so that you could pull out an ice-cold bottle when you wanted. Brilliant!
Nanook, my mom had the Time Life science series, and while they are very dated, they are fascinating to look at. I love them. They are from before we landed on the moon (supposedly!), and photos of Mars are a blur. One of the theories was that Venus was covered in swamps. So great.
Mmm, groggy. Poor Paco indeed, that's a rather small cage. Hopefully he was out on his perch most of the time. Why does the Spaceman appear to have his drumsticks in his boot? The man's "hat" in the second picture reminds me of Marie Antoinette with a ship in her hair. Hey, I should wear a spaceship on top of my head! Thanks, Major.
Major, swapping Degas for Kinkade is a no-brainer. Those Kinkade pictures light up with little LEDs. I've never seen a Degas do that.
Chuck, I guess I set myself up for that Chuckism.
Major, I'm surprised you're not familiar with the many parrot varieties found in Norway! The "Norwegian Blue" is from a classic Monty Python sketch (The Dead Parrot sketch, or, The Pet Shop sketch.)
JG, "wouldn’t VROOM if you put 4000 volts through him. He’s joined the Choir Invisible." Is that from the Dead Parrot sketch? Sounds familiar.
Kathy!, I saw those 'drumsticks', too. ;-)
Dean Finder, I seem to recall that da Vinci experimented with placing lit candles behind some of his paintings... none of those paintings survive today, of course.
Kathy!, knowing how smart parrots are, it seems so cruel to put one in such a tiny cage. Like you, I hope Paco was able to be somewhat free most of the time, though I think Daveland has at least one photo of Paco in his cage. All the best astronauts carry drum sticks because you just never know when you’ll have to do a drum solo.
Dean Finder, I even have a Kinkade that he personally painted on a little bit! Talk about valuable!
JB, ah, Monty Python… a show I love, but watched decades ago. Much has been forgotten. Are you serious about the DaVinci paintings with candles behind them?? Man, I’m just ready to be fooled by everyone today.
Recall seeing another photo in which Captain Guy has a real wooden leg. Suspecting that was a factor in casting, since he seems far more amiable than piratical. A friend remembered a much later Captain Guy, who played it like Captain Bligh and comically blustered about keelhauling and such.
Major, I was joking about da Vinci's lit candle paintings (you're so gullible! ;-D). But I do recall a TV documentary where he tried drying the paint on a fresco using braziers of fire, hoisted up on ropes... the paint ran and dripped horribly.
DBenson, I believe Captain Guy was discussed here on GDB some years ago. Pretty sure it was said that he was a war hero(?).
Hello JB (and Major), yes, that was a bit of dialog from the "Parrot Sketch", arguing about whether or not Norwegian Blues stun easily.
DBenson and JB, yes, Captain Guy lost his leg in the Korean War according to the Daveland feature on him, with more photos.
https://davelandweb.com/chickenofthesea/
https://davelandweb.com/chickenofthesea/images/60s/12_23_60_COTS5.jpg
Also a picture of Paco in a terribly cramped cage. No wonder he was described as "a terror". He was bad tempered from being crammed into that cage.
https://davelandweb.com/chickenofthesea/images/50s/KTPBTStars_50s_N03R.jpg
Major, I'm sure these links will cost you big time with Daveland, but maybe you won't have to sell any of your Kinkade collection (especially the ones with actual paint).
JG
The Parrot Sketch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psitOvKq6X8
JG
Thanks for the MP link, JG. I didn't know that the Dead Parrot sketch segued into the Lumberjack Song.
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