Two Interesting Pix From June, 1962

I normally like to share better-than-average images on Fridays, and was a little perturbed to find that my current folder of 100+ scans doesn't have much in the way of "wow" pictures. I'm trying to figure out who to sue - I'll let you know. 

The two scans I'm sharing today are from June of 1962, and at least they have some less-usual details. Like this first one, taken outside the Golden Horseshoe Revue, and a mysterious man in black is clambering on the railing around the balcony (is "balcony" the correct term?), he's probably trying to sneak into the show. Hey, Paladin, you can just walk through the front door, you doink. 

Meanwhile I thought that the new fancy wooden sign for the Golden Horseshoe might not be completed in this pic, but it's just a bit washed out.

The Man in Black appears to be confronting somebody else; Sheriff Lucky? An irate dancer? We'll never know. I sure hope they work out their issues with calm reason, even though that pistol is gleaming in the sunlight. Chekhov's pistol.

Across the way, the cheerful Gonzalez Trio performed in the little bandstand that was near Casa de Fritos. Apparently somebody shot at the photographer, there are bullet holes in the film! Those Boy Scouts to the right exude squirreliness. 

 

More From the Big Bag o' Pins

Hey! Remember the Big Bag o' Pins? The last time we delved into the bag was AUGUST, 2023. There were technical issues (all of the original photos disappeared, basically), and I dragged my feet about redoing the pix. But now they're finished! And it's time to "enjoy" a random selection. As a reminder, this bag generally contains oversized pins (anywhere from 2.5" to 4" in diameter, with a few exceptions), I'd pick them up one at a time, and they accumulated until I had two bags full. I know it's an odd grouping, but maybe that will make them more fun?

First up is this pin that was a real mystery to me. "Walt Disney's DANNY: Special Award Winner" - huh? In spite of never seeing the 1948 film "So Dear To My Heart", I was aware of the character of Danny, the little black lamb. This pin was in a case at the Glendale All-American Toy & Advertising Show, and I bought it just for the heck of it.

Doing a bit of research, it  turns out that the pin was originally part of a plush doll of Danny, with his blue ribbon for being, I dunno, cool or something. I don't have the doll, but I have his Special Award! Sorry, Danny, it's mine now.

Next is a pinback button that was given to me by a friend when Disneyland's Submarine Voyage reopened in 2007 with its "Finding Nemo" theme. My friend knew that I was very happy to have subs back, and I still am glad that we have them, though I do wish the attraction could be spiffed up a bit. Hard to believe that it has been 17 years since it reopened!

This next one is one of my favorites! "Welcome to Refreshment Land"!  I love being refreshed. I know basically nothing about this pin other than what is obvious; is it from a specific amusement park? Was it used at many fairs, carnivals, and other events? 

Since childhood, I've been a "Peanuts" fan; I had many softcover books containing old Peanuts comic strips; I had some sort of toy that helped lame-os draw Charlie Brown, Linus, and others (I wish I could remember what it was called); and one year, for my birthday, my mom got me a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake with royal icing versions of Charlie Brown and Snoopy on it. So I'm legit, see? Which is why I have this giant 6" diameter pin (well, it can't be worn, it has a cardboard easel-style backing) featuring Snoopy atop his doghouse, while a flock of pre-Woodstock birds talk about important social issues and the latest best-selling books.

And finally, here are two different lenticular pinback buttons from Universal Studios (Hollywood). Like most lenticular pins, this one flashes between two scenes; one shows the terrifying COLLAPSING BRIDGE, which debuted in 1974. The other scene shows a Glamour Tram passing through a "hot" set, all of the lights are pointed at us. Ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille!

For some reason, this next Universal Studios lenticular pin was harder to photograph, especially with the tears of frustration in my eyes. I have no proof, but I believe that this one is a bit older than the previous example, the graphics on the left image remind me of some brochures from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

I hope you have enjoyed today's pins!

Town Square, May 1984 - Plus a Mystery

GDB friend Sue B. shared more photos taken by her dad, Lou Perry - these are from 1984, Lou seems to have taken a lot of Disneyland photos that year. All of these feature Town Square - except for one! Wow, what a tease, I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat.

A few folks are waiting for their turn to board the Horse Drawn Streetcar - a good ride when you have two little tykes. The "clip clop" of hooves will send the kids to dreamland. The horse is sticking its tongue out at us!

Some of these look a bit gloomy, I wonder if Lou was at the park for more than one day? Crowds were very light, how awesome would it be to see Town Square so lightly-populated? Maybe I'll pop into the Emporium and see if there are any good souvenirs.

Signs for Donald Duck's 50th birthday can be seen on all of the lamp posts. I'd love it if they acknowledged some of the Disney characters that are not as well-remembered today. Horace Horsecollar? Elmer the Elephant? I guess the kids these days don't care, which is why they should get haircuts.

Oh no, Emporium, I'm not spending another $700 on plush dolls! I've learned my lesson!

That guy looks suspiciously official, with his clip board (or whatever that thing is). He's keeping his head down and making no eye contact, because he doesn't want the paparazzi to pester him. But Lou is just an ordinary guy (even though he sold this photo to the National Enquirer for $10,000).

City Hall: I love to go in and complain. And then I get in line again and get a birthday button even though it's not my birthday. Then I get in line again and try to get a refund. Will I get in line a fourth time? I'll never tell.

And finally, the MYSTERY IMAGE. I have NO idea where this is, though it could be somewhere on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. Notice the folks in their bathing suits in the distance to the left (along with a surfboard and at least one tiki). I know at least one of you out there will recognize this scene!

MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!

 

"Your First Visit to Disneyland" - 1954 (?)

Today I want to share a fun vintage Disneyland item - "Your First Visit to Disneyland", a trifold (four panel) brochure that helped give an idea of what this kooky Disneyland place was going to be. There are several variants of this brochure, I have two others that I will probably share here someday; I think that this blue version is the second one printed - sadly I have never found a copy of the first one. I blame society.

I decided to start with the most impressive scan, showing the famous Peter Ellenshaw map. Notice that the text in the upper right says, "WATCH FOR OPENING DATE - MID-SUMMER, 1955". Since construction on the park began in 1954, it is very possible that this brochure is from pre-1955.

I've provided a large jpeg of the other side of the brochure so that you can read it if you want to. Those discolored areas drive me bananas, but I just have to live with them I guess. I saw one of these brochures on eBay a year or so ago, and the seller wanted $800.00 for it. ZOIKS.

Since this item was printed in the early stages of the park's planning, it's fun to look for tidbits that never came to pass - or they did come to pass, but in a different manner. For JG, I thought I'd highlight the mention of the "giant pylon-like space rocket", since he is such a fan of pylons. The description of the "super-automated restaurant" is interesting, I'm not sure what they had in mind there. They did have an "automat"-style area where guests could get food, but automats had been around since at least 1902. 

There is a blurb for Holidayland, including a mention of being able to ride a horse-drawn buggy (or surrey) through"an early-American covered bridge and along a winding country road". Hmmmm!

The Fantasyland panel mentions an Alice in Wonderland attraction, which did not actually open until 1958. I'm fascinated by the fact that the Mr. Toad ride was going to end "at the 'Pearly Gates' to the sounds of Heavenly music". We all know where guests really went! I'd love to know the details of how they settled on going to Hell instead. The "breath-taking aerial ride" (aka the Skyway) didn't open until 1956, and there is a mention of the "Old Dutch Mill" (which I believe was a sort of Ferris Wheel) and the "Donald Duck Bumps" (bumper boats), two early concepts that didn't make the cut. Oh, and I didn't highlight it, but Monstro the Whale "provides a novel water slide", another idea that was not realized.

In Frontierland, guests were to be able to ride a buckboard, among other vehicles - those appear on opening day, and in at least one early postcard, but the buckboards did not last long. Disneyland eventually got its replica of New Orleans, but there were plans to have scenes of Natchez, Mobile, Cincinnati (!), "and such historical buildings as West Point and Mount Vernon". Fascinating!

I hope you have enjoyed this vintage brochure.

More Instamatics, January 1977

Kodak Instamatic photos; they're square! I like less image in my photos, frankly. So I'm grateful that I don't have to manually crop these photos. These are the last three from a batch dated "January, 1977". 

A performance is going on next to "It's a Small World" - I assume this is the Kids of the Kingdom, they'd been evicted from their other stage because Space Mountain was being built there. But that won't get them down! They still have messages about positivity and good nutrition (probably). Gramps was so excited that he couldn't stay in his seat! Some say he even tapped his feet. 

Well, our photographer did it - he got a shot of the Matterhorn. I can hardly believe it.

The massive plaza in front of its a small world is chockablock with hu-mans, each one walking in tiny circles. You'd think they would go on the ride at least, but they all have the whim-whams, so we just have to let them get it out of their systems.

Snoozles™

You know it's time for Snoozles - because you have precognition. This first one is from June, 1962; the photographer wanted a nice shot of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, but that turned out blurry. The lady in the foreground though? Clear as can be! I hope she was his wife, so it wasn't a total loss. I'm generally happy to see photos of the ship with the sails unfurled, since those seem to be less common.

Next, a scan from a slide dated "November 28, 1973". I initially labeled this file "Art Market", and I guess that's not incorrect, but it isn't the Art Market that was on East Center Street. Instead, it looks very New Orleans Square-ish, don't you think? An artist works on a double portrait (how long would that take?), while the smiling face of Anita Bryant keeps him safe from harm. Everyone loves Anita!

New York World's Fair

I'm always happy to have any excuse to visit the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair! Unless they wanted to pull a tooth there, that's where I draw the line. Luckily, I have false teeth (that I ordered from an old Sears catalog), so there will be no extractions to worry about. The slides are date-stamped "October, 1965" - the Fair closed on October 17th. So this was a "last chance" visit.

"Meet me under the Tower of the Four Winds!". Hey, it's as good a place to meet as any, and you have to admit that the Tower is pretty cool. Plus the "It's a Small World" ride was part of the Pepsi Cola/UNICEF pavilion, and that's a "must see".  

Lucky visitors might meet a beloved Disney character over at the Pepsi Pavilion. I've seen photos of Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbit, Snow White and the Dwarfs, Mickey Mouse, and here is Goofy himself. Gawrsh! 

The little girl from the previous photo has worked up a thirst, so the Schaeffer Center was just the place to go. She prefers a hoppy IPA. Under one of two air-filled plastic roofs is the circular restaurant. Under the other, an exhibit area displays a model of the original Schaefer brewery showing how beer was made over a century ago. Outside is a 100-foot curved bar and beer garden seating 300.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the New York World's Fair!

Two Very Nice Randos

I have two nice Randos for you today! Let's start with this cute photo of a little Tour Guide (she has the correct plaid, after all), posing with Mickey Mouse (from a slide date-stamped "March 1961") near the entrance to the Opera House. Mickey's going through his awkward stages, as if he's experienced a growth spurt. But he's cheerful and pleasant looking!

To the left is a window from the Wonderland Music Store, with some familiar 45 rpm records on display (along with a... tiny harp??).

Here are the records, in their splendid cardboard sleeves with wonderful full-color photos. These can fetch very respectable prices on the collector's market today.

Next is a photo from March, 1960, showing Rainbow Ridge under construction. The buildings are mostly primer-white. The Mine Train attraction was being revamped into the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland, and the little mining town got more than a facelift. I'd sort of hoped that we might get a better view of the cemetery that was next to the church (to the right), because it is hard to see in later photos as the trees got too big. But the little gravestones haven't been installed just yet. At the bottom of the image, a shaded queue area is barely framed in.

In the extreme lower right, we can just see a part of a display touting "Disneyland '60", along with a little billboard hinting at the magnificence of Nature's Wonderland.

I'm assuming that the artwork was the same as seen in this 1960 guidebook insert.

A Note to My Readers

Hello Junior Gorillas, today’s post is an odd one, and I won’t blame you if you decide to skip it entirely. But I am probably going to be making a drastic change to GDB soon, and I wanted to explain the situation. 

Way back in 2006, when I decided to try my hand at blogging, a friend of mine recommended Photobucket as a photo host. She’d used it, it was free, and there seemed to be no downside. And for years, it was a great service.

Then, in late 2016, new management decided that this whole “free hosting” thing was for chumps. Yes, I realize that this was probably Photobucket’s plan all along (“If a product is free, YOU are the product”), but I was naive. I wanted to keep the previous ten years of photos and the accompanying links so that GDB continued to work normally, so I had to start paying a monthly fee. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but decided that I would just bite the bullet and do it. Meanwhile, I started using Google to upload my photos.

Here we are in mid-2024, and Photobucket has announced that there will be more changes in store. Including giving them the right to the extent permitted by the laws of your region, to license or sell your Public User Uploaded Content to third parties for the scanning and processing of your Public User Uploaded Content. There’s a lot more, and it’s all awful, but you get the idea.

If I want to opt out? Photobucket will close my account, and all of the photos from articles before 2017 (roughly) will be gone. Forever. Yes, I can download the jpegs, but it would be a full-time job to re-upload them to a new server - something I am not willing to do. I can’t see any reason to save the text portion of each blog, since it will be meaningless without the accompanying photos, so my plan is to just delete everything. It will be like removing the memory modules from HAL’s mainframe!

For you guys, it will be a bummer, but for me, it means the loss of over TEN YEARS of effort. Once in a while I’ll go back and look at older posts and feel some sense of pride at this body of work that I’d amassed, little by little. But it’s time to “kill my darlings”, sadly. After the great purge, it will look like I started my blog in late 2016 (ish).

Anyway, that’s the gist of things, I welcome your thoughts, though I see no way around this drastic measure. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Here's a good picture (from July, 1959), since you were nice enough to get this far:

Grandpa & Granddaughter, 1950s

Happy Birthday, Disneyland! It's hard to believe that you've been with us for 69 years. Today's photos aren't from 1955, but they are nice and vintage, which is good enough for me. 

A grandfather poses with his granddaughter in front of the Chickenoftheseapirateship (it's fun to say it like that, really fast. Try it!), They are standing at the port side - the side that does not face out  toward the rest of Fantasyland. The warm sunshine, rich color, and gleaming paint give me a kind of synesthesia. I may go into a trance, and if I do, just give me a piece of candy. In fact, give me a piece of candy anyway.

"Gramps and the Bobbysoxer", starring William Demarest and Luana Patten (probably). See it twice for the first time! They are at the Jungle Cruise dock, have they just returned from their journey? Also, what is gramps holding in his right hand? I like the girl's pinky-orange dress, an unusual hue for sure.

More CBJ on GDB, December 1973

Hopefully you saw the first five photos from Disneyland's "Country Bear Jamboree" in an earlier post - today I am sharing the final five. I chose to post them in the order in which they were taken, because it felt right. 

This first one shows Henry (the show's MC) singin' and strummin'; I had to do a little research about the CBJ, because I only saw it once, and don't remember much about it except for the audience of college-age young people who laughed way too loud at the corny jokes! It's possible that Henry is performing the song  "Mama, Don't Whip Little Buford", which (according to Wikipedia) he sang with Wendell. 

I didn't recognize this bear, but, because it comes after the photo of Henry, but before the photo of the Sun Bonnet Trio, the picture probably shows Terrence as he sang "How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" (a Buck Owens tune). Please correct me if I am mistaken!

Speaking of the Sun Bonnet Trio, here they are. They sang a song called "All The Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down". I feel as if I didn't need to know what turned them on, and will now watch all of the "Fast and Furious" movies to try to erase the concept from my brain (those movies will conveniently erase everything else from my brain also). Hey! They're wearing sun bonnets! Now I get it!

Next we have Teddi Barra; Teddi Berra is a unique bear because she never appears on stage. Instead she descends from a hole in the ceiling on her swing, which is decorated with pink roses. She is a brown bear and wears a blue hat with a pink feather as well as a long pink boa around her neck. Her song - "Heart, We Did All That We Could".

I'm rather surprised that our photographer did not take a picture of Big Al. Maybe he found the talk of blood to be distasteful. "Why couldn't he sing about bubblegum??". Instead we get a photo of the whole cast (minus Teddi Barra and Big Al, that is) as they performed, "Ole Slew Foot".

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Country Bear Jamboree! The same photographer also took 10 pictures inside "It's a Small World", so you'll see those coming up soon.

Too Too Twain

Hey! Did you know that the Mysterious Benefactor has photos of the Mark Twain to share with us? Maybe you've seen a few on GDB! I'm not clairvoyant, so I don't know. Well, today I have five more Twainy pix for your viewing enjoyment. 

Ahoy up there! The pilot always has time to greet the little people, even though he secretly despises them. He has issues. This guy is holding a strange device in his hand, probably for communicating with the dead.

If a guest manages to climb up to the pilot house, he or she will be rewarded with a delicious snow-cone. Cherry, the best flavor! Try it the next time you go to the park, you'll be glad you did.

At first glance, one might think that the Skipper from "Gilligan's Island" is at the wheel. But it's not Alan Hale Jr., instead it is Captain Mike! The man, the legend. He appears to have a microphone just above his head, perfect for telling "dad jokes".

Here's one of his jokes: 

"Where did Captain Hook buy his hook?"

"The second hand store".

That young fella has finished his snow-cone and is now learning the ways of the river - she is a fickle mistress (only you can't say "mistress" around him because he's only eight). There's snags and sand bars and sometimes the river can change course overnight. You also have to look out for barges, rafts, and exploding ducks.

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

Blurzles™

It's time for more BLURZLES™ - a very specific sort of Snoozle, though not rare (unfortunately). Today's examples are particularly heartbreaking because the photos could have been so good otherwise. 

From *sometime in the 1960s* comes this photo, taken from the Monorail as it zoomed to the Disneyland Hotel; while I am disappointed that it is a little bit blurry, at least it is understandable - the Monorail was traveling at near light speed. The sky diffuses the sunlight so that we get no harsh shadows, and we should be able to observe some good details from up here. BUT... no such luck.

This next one (from the 1950s) is even more frustrating - an action-packed scene from Frontierland, with Black Bart (that cowardly scoundrel!) firing his pistol. Who is he shooting at? Perhaps Sheriff Lucky is out of frame to our left, but it almost looks like he's going to take out that young fella with the camera. The guests are fun to observe - at first I thought the two boys in red (with Keppy Kaps) were cast members. The person to the right with the striped shirt and shorts looks like "Young Mr. Smee" (hey, Disney+, there's a series idea for you). Behind the people is a cloth shade above a souvenir stand that I've never seen before - one of the items on display is the souvenir fan that I shared not too long ago. Casa de Fritos is to our right.