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.
10 comments:
Major-
I think Mickey's "cheeky" look just proves what an early adopter he was when it came to facial 'procedures' in order to further his youthful appearance thru the use of cheek implants resulting in nice, tight skin-!
I had to do a quick check in the music room just to make certain my copies of the Disneyland - A Musical Tour records were still happily filed-away, as I can't remember the last time I took them out 'for a spin'. (They're still there). And seeing that little harp makes me think of one part of the [many choruses] from the Rodgers and Hart song To Keep My Love Alive...
Sir Philip played the harp, I cussed the thing
I crowned him with his harp to bust the thing
And now he plays where harps are just the thing
To keep my love alive...
I can't recall ever seeing even a corner of that wonderful 'little billboard' plugging the upcoming wonders of the new Nature's Wonderland-!
Thanks, Major.
Ha! "Awkward" is one word for it. I don't 'hate' this look for Mickey but... geez! I guess the thing that bugs me most is, it looks too much like a person inside the Mickey costume. I get that this is Mickey in his "rubber hose" days but there are too many creases and wrinkles in the tight-fitting suit. Also, waaaay too much rouge. The little TG is a cutie.
In the close-up, maybe the harp is from "Mickey and the Beanstalk"?
Have we seen construction photos of Rainbow Ridge before? I don't recall seeing any. Looks so strange to see bare dry dirt on the hillside. The denizens of Rainbow Ridge are a peculiar folk; the ones living in the bottom-most structures are only slightly smaller than us regular-sized people. But as you go further up the hill, the inhabitants get smaller and smaller! The folks at the top are the size of gnomes!
One peculiar rando (Mickey), and one interesting rando (Rainbow Ridge construction). Thanks, Major.
I’m not 100% sure that is rouge. It might be blood from his last victim and he only paused long enough to wipe his snout.
Were those records of the individual lands compiled into this album? I was thinking the same thing about the harp, JB.
That photo of a monochromatic Rainbow Ridge is a fascinating record of a time when Disney could build an E ticket attraction in less than five years.
Thanks, Major! Happy Friday, all!
Mickey looks like Walt pinched his cheeks. “Such a cute little Mouse!”
Guessing the Harp is from Mickey and the Beanstalk?
I have recordings of all those albums, but not the physical media.
I’m pleased that there was once a church in Rainbow Ridge.
Fun stuff, Major! Thank you!
JG
Nanook, Mickey has had what the biz calls a “nip, rip, and blip”. No tuck! I’ve never listened to my 45 rpm Disneyland records; I could have long ago, but my old stereo is at my mom’s house, and my brother disconnected it for some reason. Rogers and Hart? Too fancy for this blog! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that billboard before either, I wish the photo showed it better.
JB, I don’t hate that Mickey look either, it’s just not what we are used to. So tall and skinny. He is wearing the same amount of rouge as me, so I don’t get what the problem is. You could be right about the harp? I’ve had a few “in progress” photos of Rainbow Ridge with construction going on, but not a lot.
Chuck, I have never heard those actual 45s, but I assume that they are the same recordings as on that album. Which I love! Jeez, the Imagineers could build an E-ticket ride in mere months, it’s incredible.
JG, after Walt said that Mickey was cute (and pinched his cheeks) he offered Mickey some ribbon candy in a bowl. I have an old copy of that album, and a new(ish) repress, but it’s so much easier to just play the digital version. And to my ears, sounds every bit as good. I really wish the church cemetery had been put in when this photo was taken!
Amazing album covers! (and I wonder how much that harp would fetch on eBay)
I had never heard of promotion for "Disneyland '60", so of course I googled Disneyland '61.
Maybe it's famous already... but here is an amazing episode of the Sunday TV show with Walt touring the model shop, and discussing attractions and design, then onto film of DL from 1954 to present, with some really cool shots -- and that great custom music accompaniment. Includes the hit song "Disneyland '61" ('Growing bigger every day, Growing better in every way')
Disneyland '61
Thanks for pics, Major, and the Nature's Wonderland signage.
A little “Bu-ette”! Cute!
Mickey needs to eat more pancakes, or something.
Mike, I bet you would’ve LOVED building those model buildings! (BTW, how many of them do YOU own now?)
Fun pictures, thanks, Major!
Major, I think everyone got so stressed out yesterday — that they’re all sleeping it off, today. You gotta stop scaring us like that! ;o)
LTL, yes, I have always particularly loved those record covers. Perhaps after the massive publicity push for “Disneyland ’59”, they took a break? It seems like the easiest thing in the world to do a show about their newest attractions, so it’s weird that they didn’t do a show about “Disneyland ’60”. Thank you for the link to “Disneyland ’61”, I might have seen it before, but it’s still fun to watch.
Lou and Sue, that would sure be something to own a Rainbow Ridge building dating back to 1960!
Lou and Sue, yes, I think you are right - I’m still stressed!
Major...those last shots of Rainbow Ridge are rare...and so I copied and pasted them on the ORH website for our old Miners to enjoy. KS
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