Sunday Snoozles™
It's SNOOZLE TIME! You know what that means. Both of today's Snoozles come from April, 1974.
You can barely see most of Fantasyland in this way-too-dark photo. What the f-stop happened?? Why did this picture turn out so terrible? Who can I blame? How can I turn this into some sweet, sweet cash? Through the murk we can see that there is quite a wait for the Mad Tea Party, this must have been from that time when they put hundred-dollar bills in each teacup (I forget why they did it, but it's all true and not made up at all).
This one, from the same batch, turned out OK; it's just kind of "meh" as photos go. The old Jungle Cruise problem, where all of the photos look very much like others that we've seen. Just left of center we can see the mommy lion and the daddy lion protecting that sleeping zebra; all of the other animals just love to watch such warm parental behavior.
11 comments:
Major-
The Mad Tea Party image was taken during a partial solar eclipse - hence the odd 'shadowing' - perfect for a Snoozles™ day-!
Thanks, Major.
Someone please refresh my memory...
What’s the real reason why ‘they’ decided to put ALL these animals in this ONE scene? It is rather comical.
Thanks, Major, for your in-depth commentary. :oD
Sue
@ Sue-
"What’s the real reason why ‘they’ decided to put ALL these animals in this ONE scene?"
It's the Noah's Ark scene-?? (It's just missing the actual ark).
Major, don't you realize what you have here in the first pic? This is a photo of Disneyland taken during a total solar eclipse! (Not a partial eclipse, as Nanook would have you believe. From yesterday's post, we don't even know who this "Nanook" person is!) How many of those have you seen? There's your "sweet, sweet cash" right there!
No, we can't people watch; it's too dark for that. We can't even count trashcans. But the darkness does give the photo an odd sort of beauty; all those deep saturated colors, and the sparkly highlights on the trellises. It may be a Snoozle, but it's a good Snoozle.
Awwww. My heart is brimming with warmth seeing those lions being so protective of the zebra. Nature, working in perfect harmony. All is right with the world! You should write Hallmark cards, Major.
I bet the sleeping zebra is a Norwegian Blue, pinin' for the fjords.
Nanook, funny how we both came up with the eclipse idea.
Sue, I've always wondered that, too. Why are all these animals just standing around watching the lions rend the skin of the zebra and rip the living flesh from its bones? See? I can write Hallmark cards too!
Thanks for the Funzles (fun Snoozles), Major.
The teacup pic could actually be a TRUE Snoozle (tm). I tried to doctor it up, and it's somewhat undoctorable...although, these types of Snoozles (tm) could be printed, hand colored, and then become "art". I will try that and get back to you. The second photo I also thought was a strange tableaux for the last 50 years of my life....as the animals are very still, in the true sense, it does not make sense. None of those animals would be waiting around if a lion was there nibbling. The only ones around would be hyenas and vultures to get the scraps when "finished". It reminds me of The Swiss Family Robinson...where such an odd selection of animals were trapped in on a tropical island...Zebras and lions and elephants...hmmm...in Tobago or another island that supports giant trees and jungles? About as likely as this scene, so I am now super curious about how this scene came to be, and what story was around it...as nothing during that time was by accident...there are many accidents now, but that is for another time. The purple flowers tend to be out of character as well...even though the may be "true" to the storyline, they would have all been nibbled as tasty treats. They seem like set decoration here...and maybe this horrifying scene needed a bit of levity and that's why those plants were chosen. Perhaps. Lions will eat a whole animal in a day...then sleep for days as they digest. A circle of life...wheel of fortune...etc...I may be the only person on earth that did not like that particular lion movie. Happy Sunday Snoozles(tm) to all.
In the Jungle Cruise's defense: from day one the imagineers wanted the jungle cruise to be what every “armchair travel” might EXPECT to see. And if you are all going to nit-pick the attraction’s African Velt scene …. You are going to probably NOT enjoy the rest of Disneyland. Like everything that made Disneyland stand out and successful was its blend of reality and fantasy …. STAGED by Hollywood filmmakers and animators … so right there you can expect some unlikely and un-natural situations… upfront : you will want to stay away from the Mine Train Thru Natures Wonderland over in Frontierland : lots more staged animals in scenes taking in human emotion and reactions not accurate to actual animal behavior and instincts … Abs you are all gonna going hate AMERICA SINGS : we’ve got some other scenes that won’t make “sense” ….
“ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AT DISNEYLAND”
-Walt Disney , 1965
Yeah I can’t explain some of those animals in Swiss Family Robinson. I know in the original story there was livestock also bound for the New Zealand colonies …. Ostriches too to for the feather farms also common in the United States southwest and Australia to supply plumes and feathers for women’s hats and writing quills… like Disneyland attractions , most Disney movies were Hollywood fantasys….. Walt always said his purpose was to entertain … if people learned something watching one of his films that was a plus … or if it made them think or do further research into something that was a good thing.
It’s too bad about the teacup pic, that’s an unusual angle. I’m sorry I missed $100 bill day, must have been Ben Franklins birthday.
Well, I’m plebeian enough to like the veldt scene, it meets my expectations exactly. And now I won’t go to Africa since you are telling me it’s not like this there. Pooh. (Not Winnie).
I always assumed those animals were watching the lions eat because there was nothing else to do… before Disney +.
As for the menagerie in SFR, please repeat after me “it’s a movie, people!”
Bu, you are not the only one to be topped up on the Lion King. My kids played that over and over again till I felt like hiding the tape.
Funny side story, one of the Scouts had mastered that Zulu yodel from the LK, he would jump up on a big rock and let go with that yell.
“ Naaaants een-vwen-yaaaaaaa ma-ba-gee-chi-ba-va
(See-tee-hoummmm gwen-ya-maaaaa)
en-yaah-ho vwen-ya-maaaaa
Naaaants een-vwen-yaaaaaaa ma-bwaga-geets-ee-ba-vooooo
(See-tee-hoummmm vwen-ya-maaaaa) gyem gyem ba-vaaaaaa
hi-lo-va
(gwen-ya-maaa)
see-yam(o-mouth click) bo-viwa
(gwen-ya-maaa)”
Really kind of funny how that film resonated with those youngsters, they all loved it.
Thank you Major!
JG
Nanook, I thought it might have been taken during a plague of locusts, but I stand corrected!
Sue, I can only assume that Walt wanted something big and spectacular? I’ve never heard a reason to be honest.
Nanook, Disneyland needs many more Bible scenes!!
JB, I sure wish I’d been there for the total eclipse, I want to see one! And I’m not going to wear those dorky dark glasses either, I have a reputation to maintain. I’m sure the Sun won’t affect me if I’m cool. And everyone knows that lions are gentle and loving, they mostly eat bugs with their long tongues. I agree that the African Veldt scene is weird, and have always thought so. I guess they couldn’t figure out any other way to have a scene with 20 or 30 animals.
Bu, yeah, these are SO dark that if you attempt to lighten them up at all, the shadows just go gray, and it looks just as bad (or worse?). Sadly I have a lot of dark slides from this batch, which would otherwise have been really great. It makes me wonder if something happened to the film (exposed to heat or airport x-rays?), though it is probably just “photographer error”. Yes, the Swiss Family Robinson (book and movie) have an island inhabited by animals from all over the world, I’m not sure if the author realized that, or if he knew, but he ultimately wanted to demonstrate “God’s bounty”, there for the taking as long as you were industrious and smart enough to harness it. I’m sure the purple flowers were just there to add a splash of color, no matter if it was accurate the Africa or not. They can just say that they are an invasive species! I’m not super wild about “The Lion King” either, it has many good things, and I’m glad it was a big hit for Disney, but it just wasn’t my thing.
Mike Cozart, I know that you are right about the “armchair travel” aspect of Disneyland, especially since the Rivers of America takes guests through parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. But Walt was also into “edutainment” (a word I dislike), so he did want to educate as well as entertain. The emphasis at the park was clearly the latter. And I’m sure most guests never think about the “why” of the African Veldt scene, they just like seeing all those critters.
JG, I’ve had better pix of the Mad Tea Party, so even though this particular one is a bummer, I can go back and look at the better examples. Those African Veldt animals are thinking, “Better him than me!”. And can you blame them? I’m OK with the “just a movie” explanation, as a kid I was thrilled by the idea of a tropical island with everything a Swiss family could need. Too bad the tiger didn’t eat Moochie, but you can’t have it all. I’ve never seen the Lion King “yodel” written out, I can’t help hearing the song as I phonetically sound it out!
I think because so many of animal species in the Jungle Cruise do not live in jungles … the velt scene was created … and velt had to include so many animals that had previously been represented by more archaic mechanical figures through the older jungle cruise . Lions … giraffe…rhinos …. The AA mechanics needed protection for the more movement lions … so rockwork needed to be created to protect them a bit …. Almost all of the rest of the Veldt scene animals have either no movement or very little … and there’s no need because the viewers eye are set up to be directed at the lion feeding. The other animals all look on as if they are thinking “wow!! That could have been us!! We escaped being eatin … this time…” but of course we know animals do not think like that … but at Disneyland animals think and behave like humans … even dinosaurs have glossy eyes as they exude human pride and parental love over their newly hatched babies …as you all know animals do not do that. Even cats and dogs are know to eat their dead human owners if locked up in a house or apartment for a few days … and wildabests , knu , giraffe do not contemplate their existence when they escape being killed off by lions. The jungle cruise is like Disneys try life adventures … scenic… panoramic drenched in inaccurate but very entertaining human emotion and thought to tell a story for human audiences …jungle cruise and America Sings are two ends of the DISNEY WED IMAGINEERING SPECTRUM of entertainment… not education.
Other levels of that spectrum include a dead 1860’s Abraham Lincoln speaking in a 1890-1910 period Main Street … why isn’t it Taft extolling the benefits of extra wide bathtubs … ???
Incidentally do any of you remember the plans to bring the American Adventure to Disneyland? It was to be part of one of the 1980’s and 1990’s Liberty Squares … but it was determined the theater was just too big for any of the spaces back there. Then it was decided to replaced lincoln with the MARK TWAIN figure developed for EPCOT….in sort of a “Mark Twain Tonite!!” Show at the opera house …. But because of Eisners arrival the budget was cut and Lincoln returned in 1984 with the AMERICAN ADVENTURE music and show elements with the sarcos-prototype Lincoln AA Figure …
For the life of me....that Jungle Veldt scene just jumps out with Technicolor clarity. I think i used a line akin to it being the Last Supper scene. That's 50 years ago...almost anyway. KS
Sorry, Mike. Walt-ish quotes are allowed only for incidents of TRE. E.g. "Disneyland was never meant to be a museum"
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