Two Beauties From May, 1966

I have a pair of slides from May, 1966 - they were a bit faded (hence the slightly "off" colors) but they are still pretty nice.

Holy Bunions! (Yes, Burt Ward - aka "Robin" - actually said that on the 1966 "Batman" TV show). Take a look at the crowds waiting to buy their tickets! I'm not sure when those painted lanes leading to the booths were added, but I don't have a lot of pictures with them. Check out Green Polka Dot Lady, she actually decided to wear that outfit on purpose! While you can't see it in this jpeg, the price for an adult deluxe ticket book was $5.50. That's about $52 (ish) in today's Pepperidge-bucks, so a visit with a large family could be pricey.

Next is this photo from outside "Sunkist, I Presume", where guests could get all kinds of delicious citrus-based juices and popsicles. I believe that the Adventureland Bazaar is to the right of Sunkist, I Presume. Buy a rubber snake first, then go get your juice. That's how the greats do it. 

Glass Slides, 1960-ish

We've seen a few slides from today's batch before, these are in glass mounts, unusual by 1960-ish (my guesstimate). 

In spite of the obvious flaws, I do love this first photo, showing Main Street all decked out for Christmas. Wreaths and garlands aplenty, and appropriate as we slide into December! To the right, a chipmunk waves to us, he seems friendly enough, though he does look a little disreputable with that hat cocked to one side. 

Well. Just look at all those red articles of clothing! Perhaps my guesstimate was off? These might be from 1957, the Year of the Tomato. Well, not really, but it sounded good. Don't give me a hard time! This is a swell view of the little mining town of Rainbow Ridge, where you'll catch the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train (if this truly is '57). I sure would love to see that early mine train ride! 

Disney Gallery Holiday Catalog, 1999 - PART 1

A while ago, our friend Sue B. was going through boxes of her dad's stuff (he's Lou Perry, as you know), and she found this 1999 Christmas catalog for the Disney Gallery - sort of a fancier version of the Disney Store, with generally higher-end merchandise for more-affluent fans. There were more "collectibles" and decorative items than what you might find in a Disney Store catalog. From what I can glean, there were two actual brick and mortar Disney Galleries (besides the one in New Orleans Square, of course), one in Santa Ana (debuting in 1994) and another in Orlando (1996). With its Christmas theme, Sue thought it would be fun for the Junior Gorillas to relive this little piece of history! So I will be sharing the entire catalog in four parts. 

The cover shows a Dickensian coach, only it's full of classic characters - and it's pulled by Mickey's horse, Tanglefoot! How many people knew his name?

I assume that fancy ornaments are still a big collectible, so why not cater to Disney nuts? Don't hang your new goodies on a dumb actual tree, hang them on a special "Mickey tree"!

Looking at the descriptions, I recognize the name Christopher Radio, he was a familiar name in ornaments. I'm sure my mom (who loves almost anything made of glass) owned a few Radko pieces.

More ornaments! This time they feature various castles, from the parks and from animated classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid.

Dolls from Marie Osmond, somehow those make sense. And there are lots of doll collectors out there (including Sue I believe?). As a Disney collector myself, I would be frustrated by the fact that my mom would sometimes give me old Mickey dolls as gifts. "Mom, I don't want any dolls!". "But I thought you liked Disney!". I only cried a little.

Heirloom Ornaments, made from genuine heirloom tomatoes. "Kids, I spent all your inheritance on heirloom  ornaments. No need to thank me!". The likenesses of the Dwarts and Snow White are spot-on, something that these fancy Disney items excelled at (generally). It's nice to see the Roger Rabbit and Jessica ornaments too, 

There's something for everyone in the family at the Disney Gallery! 

Porcelain trinket boxes from Limoges were popular with some collectors (and probably still are), I'm sure that Disney collectors were more than happy to part with their dollars. Get 'em all! And they aren't just for girls, Dad might want to keep his cufflinks in a Pluto trinket box.

Whoa, that Mary Poppins carpet bag was a cool $1,000. As Shakespeare once said, "Zoiks!".

And lastly (for today), we have a few more ornaments... the "broom" example baffled me for a moment. I actually own that Mickey Mouse book by Pierre Lambert (though I did not buy it from the Disney Gallery), all of his Lambert's Disney volumes are impressively large and full of beautifully-printed artwork, from concept sketches to background paintings to full cel setups.

Well, that does it for PART ONE! Many thanks to Sue B. for taking the time to scan this catalog, I hope you all enjoyed this blast from the past. You'll see PART TWO in a week.

Matterhorn From Skyway, November 1974

I believe that both of today's scans could have been taken from the top floor of the Carousel of Progress building - or should I say, the "America Sings" building, as that attraction had debuted on June 29th, 1974. What I don't personally remember is if guests could walk out onto the outer walkway when America Sings was there, or if the view was only available from guests riding the Peoplemover. I know YOU guys will know.

Regardless, it's a very nice view of the Matterhorn, taken in the afternoon, with plenty of Tomorrowland goodness. The Autopia, the Monorail, the Skyway, and the Peoplemover, all for your viewing pleasure. A climber can be seen at the summit, they usually climb in pairs so I guess the other guy fell off. Hard facts! 

Let's zoom in and take a look at how busy the park was! It must have been a bit chilly (being November), and possibly on a weekend, or during the holiday break. 

Here's a second, slightly less-interesting shot, though it is always trippy to see the Skyway below us. What witchcraft is this?

Snoozles™

It feels like a Snoozly Sunday to me. This first slide is not bad, I am ordinarily a fan of photos of the old Astro Jets, but this one is too close, and there's too much motion blur. Admit it, it's true! I guess one could argue that the motion blur really gives a sense of... er... motion. But it's still not great.

Next is this "too dark" photo (from March 1963) of the Zambezi Miss as it sat at the dock awaiting a new load of passengers for the Jungle Cruise. "I'd better take a photo in case anybody asks me which boat I was on!", Marge thought to herself as she raised her camera.

 

Knott's Berry Farm Views

I have some undated Knott's Berry Farm slide scans for you today, starting with this view of some underpants. Sure, there is a burro, and a dilapidated old shack, and that structure which I suppose some might describe as a "mine head". Ouch, I bumped mine head (nutty German accent)! I see on some sites they call these a mine head frame. Anyway, back to the underpants! There they are, along with other articles of clothing that nobody cares about.

I always enjoy a look at the streets of Ghost Town when it was bustling with guests. Was this a primo summer day? We'll never know, but it looks darn pleasant anyhow. Some Indian fellows are at the ready to pose with you for a priceless family heirloom.

Another nice street view, and this time we can see the Timber Mountain Log Ride, which debuted on July 11, 1969, so at least we can date these photos after that. We love you, Knott's Berry Farm!

Two Views From April, 1974

Here are two very pretty photographs taken from the Plaza, I think you'll like these! As the title of the post says, both are from April, 1974. Let's start with this POSTCARD WORTHY view looking toward the entrance to Tomorrowland, with two Peoplemover trains trundling past (I love the reflections). At first I thought that the water was part of the Castle moat, but in fact it was part of...

... the old Alpine Gardens area, formerly the home of the Monsanto House of the Future. The concrete walkways below were there back in 1958 when the House of the Future was originally built. I love that somebody had the bright idea of saving the pools and plants rather than tearing everything out and filling it with Moon dirt. 

I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend!

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! It's always a good idea to think about the good things in our lives (sometimes we have to make an effort to do so). I am thankful for all of YOU, the best Junior Gorillas a fellow could ask for! 

I have some fun vintage Thanksgiving photos for you, starting with this first cute snapshot, shared with us by our friend Sue B. (though this is not a "Lou and Sue" image). An impressively-large turkey hasn't been carved yet, but it will be. Any minute now! A cute little girl with curls might already be digging in to some mashed potatoes, which frankly is one of my favorite treats. Looking at the home decor, I am wondering about the date of this photo. I'd guess "sometime in the early 1970s" if I had to, what do you think? Thank you for sharing, Sue!

The next three scans are from me; starting with this photo from 1958. The platters are full and the plates are clean, so dinner has not been served just yet. You can tell it's a holiday because they put ice in their glasses of water! Pretty crazy. The stack of white bread reminds me of my grandma and grandpa in Minnesota, they always had white bread and a tub of margarine to accompany dinner. I assume that the walls are not actually tufted, but instead it has trompe l'oeil wallpaper to make it appear that way. 
 

Next, it's 1954, and the whole family is raising a toast to the occasion. There's another stack of bread! Each person has a glass filled with some mystery substance and decorated with a lit candle, I wonder what that could be? It's too early for dessert. The glass nearest to us has a red chunk, perhaps it is fruit cocktail. The flocked pinecones hanging from the light fixture make me think that this could be a Christmas image, but the two holidays often blur into each other. 

And finally, from Thanksgiving 1965 comes this photo. Mom appears to be serving up the chow. All three kids are wearing white, with what looks like brown... suspenders? Overalls? Kind of weird. The table is set up in the kitchen, for some reason. It's interesting to observe how different this scene looks from the others that were less than 10 years earlier.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day! I'm still out of town, but will talk to you all soon!

Two Nice Views From 1960

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which sort of makes Wednesday an unofficial Friday. So I thought I'd look for a pair of nicer scans to start your holiday vacation off on a good note. Both of these are date-stamped "April, 1960". 

This first one is a great view of the Monsanto House of the Future. Almost "Postcard Worthy", though perhaps it falls a little short of that impossible benchmark. I like the mother and daughter in the foreground, gazing at the all-plastic home and wondering what their lives will be like in the future, with flying cars and silver lamé jumpsuits and such.

On the opposite side of the Plaza, the same mother and daughter pose for a portrait while seated on the curb at the entrance to Adventureland, with the stockade entrance to Frontierland behind them. That gnarled tree to the right looks like it is about 1,000 years old.

I'm going to be out of town for a few days, but will check in when I can. I'm terrible about responding to comments on my phone, but look forward to reading what everyone has to say!

A Mark Twain Quintet

The good old Mark Twain - it has been a popular subject for amateur shutterbugs since 1955, and the pros can't seem to resist it either. All five of today's pictures are courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor, and were taken by a nameless photographer for possible publicity purposes (alliteration!). I'm not sure I'll have a lot to say about most of them, since we've seen many similar images over the years.

There's the MT, waiting at the dock, with Big Thunder Mountain looming in the background.

Another day, and some puffy white clouds add a bit of visual interest.

It's always nice to see Cascade Peak, or in this case just a part of Big Thunder Falls. The Disneyland Band performs at the bow of the boat.

Back at the dock, with a pair of Canoes racing past.

And finally, a beautiful night shot, with the lights on the Mark Twain reflecting in the smooth water of the Rivers of America.

 THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

A Pair From January 1964

I started to put today's post together quite a while ago, but I see that I have clearly made a boo-boo somewhere along the way (I know, I know, it's hard to believe!). This first photo has to be from around 1959 or 1960, because the genuine, bona fide, electrified, three-car Mark I Monorail ("Li'l Stubby") was upgraded to the four-car Mark II (with the track extending to the Disneyland Hotel) in 1961. Don't worry, I'm docking my pay, and I've put a frowny-face next to my picture.

How about a closer look? What a beautiful day, bright sunshine, blue skies, and everything looks as neat and clean as can be. Hey, there's the red Monorail, calmly chewing its cud as its waits its turn at the station.

Next we have Pat Casey's Last Chance Saloon. Last chance for what? Well it turns out that this was the last place you could get a nice grilled cheese sandwich, just the thing before heading out into the vastness of Nature's Wonderland. Please don't share your sandwich with any varmints.

 

Snoozles™

As is often the case on a Snoozle Sunday, I have a pair of way-too-dark scans for you - they don't measure up to a regular Monday thru Saturday post, but they are perfectly fine for today!

Our photographer was aboard a Skyway gondola, heading from Tomorrowland towards Fantasyland (circa 1974). There's not a lot to say about the image, since 50% is so dark that it might as well be black. 

I'm happy to have this photo of a sign pointing guests in the direction to the Skyway to Fantasyland, styled appropriately for Tomorrowland. But, like the previous image... it's too dang dark!

 

Universal Studios, June 1987

After an annoying computer glitch, I have been doing my best to recover, eating weak tea with plain toast and taking long naps on the divan. Meanwhile, today's 1987 scans from Universal Studios have been sitting in a folder for a long, long time, and it seemed like it was finally time to use them (while I try to make up for lost time rescanning other stuff). 

As some of you know, Universal Studios (in Hollywood) has an "upper lot" and a "lower lot". The lower lot has most of the actual backlot sets, as you can see in this view. Toward the top of the image you can see the 101 Freeway, and some of the beautiful L.A. River (all concrete thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers) to the extreme top left, and just above the River is Warner Bros. Studios. There are what appear to be medieval structures, city streets, and more, but I don't have a clear idea of what's what, unfortunately. Modern maps are not much help since the lot seems to catch fire every ten or fifteen years.

In the lower right(ish) we can see the back of some of the buildings on Colonial Street (later "Wisteria Lane"), including what was once the Munster home. I don't know why, but I'm always intrigued by those apartments so close to the studio, though I am sure that living there is probably pretty ordinary. Mr. T hardly ever stops by.

Just beyond the backlot structures is part of Lakeside Golf Club, where you can hit golf balls into the hazards just like I do. "Bingo! Right in the middle of the sand trap!" (Polite clapping from nearby golfers). 

It's a bummer that this one is a little bit blurry - the Glamor Tram is about to head into the thrilling Battlestar Galactica "Battle of Galactica" attraction, which I experienced, but barely remember. According to thestudiotour.com, This high-technology attraction featured animatronics and live actors in a spectacular laser battle. The ride building replaced the short-lived Rockslide attraction, and was replaced in 1992 by the foundations of the Back to the Future (now The Simpsons) show building.

The Battle of Galactica was the first themed attraction to feature audio-animatronic characters outside a Disney park, and was the first dark ride to combine sophisticated animatronics and lasers with live actors. My main memory is of a Cylon splitting right down the middle as if chopped by a samurai sword.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about this next picture - but it has to be one of many variations on an  attraction that Universal Studios had over the years, in which an audience member (or two) could star in their very own movie scene. Presumably that blue screen became a star field (or a moonscape?) behind the astronaut. The lucky participant probably got a VHS tape of their scene to take home and show to the relatives.

It's a post-apocalyptic city scene! When the sun goes down, the vampires (who are sleeping inside the buildings) will come out to eat us. Or, they can just use those overhead tarps to make an artificial night!

Marty! It's the courthouse in Courthouse Square, only two years after "Back to the Future" made it one of the more famous landmarks on the Universal lot. Of course all buildings are constantly being redressed for new productions; the triangular pediment is missing here, probably stolen by darn teenagers who need haircuts.

This part of the backlot is dressed as a little Chinatown, I guess. Maybe Matlock had to go into the big city! Yeah, probably not. I had no idea that the tram tour would be X-rated, but now that I can see some underwear hanging on the lines, I am duly shocked.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Universal Studios.

More Motels 'n Stuff, September 1961

Here's another blog post featuring some rather amazing photos taken by our pal Lou Perry back in September of 1961; he explored the streets neighboring Disneyland (on foot?), armed with his trusty camera, taking photos of old motels and other landmarks that most guest would have ignored.

On Harbor Boulevard, right near the Disneyland sign, you would have found the Saga Motel (yes, Lou took another photo of the Saga, seen weeks ago). Based on the lack of cars, I assume that Lou woke up early to take these pictures. Or was it evening? The name "Saga" makes me think of Norse legends, but the sign appears to show a knight on horseback. Whatever! Those palm trees are not named after any member of the Dominguez family.

Vintage postcard time! I always love these cards that show architectural renderings of the entire site.

Another vintage postcard, showing the pool area. Ya gotta have a pool, right? Take a cool dip in the water to revive you, so that you will be ready to head back to the park!

Next is the Lamplighter Motel, "across from Disneyland" at 1759 So. West Street. Dial PRospect 4-2136! Again - where are all the cars? I'd think that even on a sleepy morning there would be one or two bopping along South West Street.

I know I shared this postcard in a previous post in which we saw the Lamplighter - but it's the only card I could find associated with that motel.

And finally (for today), I absolutely love this photo of Meri Go Round Liquors! It amazes me that Lou took this photo, but he clearly got a kick out of that playful sign. If you drink enough liquor, you'll feel like you are spinning and spinning. Just like a... well, you know. I'd hoped there might be a matchbook or postcard from Meri Go Round Liquors, but I couldn't find anything.

THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!