Five From Frontierland
It's time for more scans from the Mysterious Benefactor, and what do you know, the Mark Twain does not make an appearance! Incredible.
First up is this view of the Keelboat landing (and dock), with an out-of-commission Gullywhumper at rest. And because Keelboats are social creatures, it likes to rest near the Columbia.
At first I thought that this one was taken moments before or after the previous photo, but I see no sign of the Bertha Mae in the first pic. Maybe it was just in the right position to be hidden. Or maybe it scooted next to the Gullywhumper sneakily. Notice that there are construction walls, presumably for Splash Mountain, which opened in 1989. Or am I wrong?
I would love to be able to claim impartiality when it comes to the two Keelboats, but I have a fondness for the folk art details found on the Bertha Mae; the gingerbread moldings, the turned wood railings, and even the louvered shutters. And that blue-green paint. The wooden structure that the mast is mounted to looks like it should hold an old quilt.
The Gullywhumper is a little less fancy, but don't get me wrong, I really do like it! Hey, it has a bow-mounted gun, which is rad. It is strictly for scaring away bears.
And finally, here's a view of Chief Wavy as seen from the speeding Disneyland Railroad. The foliage is lush and green!
THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!
6 comments:
Major-
The first image is a treasure. It exudes the feeling of standing along the shores of The Rivers of America just taking it all in.
As for the Gullywhumper, it's true it was often considered the Motel 6 of keelboats. But, what can you do-? (At least it had Magic Fingers-!)
Thanks to the MB and The Major, too.
The Gullywhumper has three windows in the first photo, but only two in the second to last photo. I think I remember hearing that the original Keelboats were eventually replaced with fiberglass versions......so, they must have redesigned the Gullywhumper at that time?
I didn't know that cast members were allowed to wear shorts back then!
Thank you, Major and M.B.!
"the Mark Twain does not make an appearance!" I didn't think this was possible! Something that only exists in myth! Next up: Proof that Bigfoot and Nessie are alive and well!
1) Kind of a busy picture, but pleasant and colorful. Near the tiller of the Gullywhumper we can see the microphone used by the CM. And we can see the loudspeaker on the mast.
2) The Bertha Mae looks all gussied up compared to the au-naturel Gullywhumper... I think they're mating. After all, you said they're social creatures.
3) A fine portrait of the Bertha Mae. I see there are numerous poles along the Keelboat dock; do those decorations on the poles have some significance?
4) This is a really nice photo of the Keelboat. And it's loaded to the gills! It looks like there is something funny going on with the CM and the tiller. I'll leave it there.
5) How do we know this is Chief Wavy? We can't see his face. It could be his brother, Smiley. Whoever it is, he's contemplating having elk steak (moose?) for dinner. I love the bright splash of color surrounded by all that lush greenery.
Thank you, Myst. B. and Major.
See "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". If memory serves, Davy Crockett presents Mike Fink with that gun as a gift after their race to New Orleans, and it comes into play when they team up against the River Pirates. Wondering if that was the actual television prop mounted on the boat.
Also if memory serves, the show had them finding an abandoned boat, a victim of the pirates. While it wasn't named Bertha Mae -- that was the name of the no-frills vessel Davy hired -- it did have colorful trim and shuttered windows, suggesting it was primarily for passengers rather than cargo.
Whatever that cast member is doing on the side-by-side docked Keelboats , he’s wearing the SUMMER Tom Sawyer Island Rafts costume. The Keelboats were one of those small attractions that you really notice how important they are to the Disney theme park experience when they are no longer around.
I'm a bit confused about the construction wall...and which way it's supposed to be seen: as it looks like the backside of construction wall...and it appears a fence is being built...it also appears and "feels like" this is prior to Park opening. I like the "Daisy Dukes" on that guy, and forgot that the TSI team wore shorts during winter...I think with blue Keds if memory serves me right. The jeans seem to have a Wrangler tag: I doubt if they are "Tough Skins".....and it doesn't seem right to have a branded label on them in the time of this photo. They could have very well be branded "Disneyland"....in any case: what is he doing, and why is the blue jacket there? That was a generic blue jacket: and I would like one today as I liked the length of it. I forgot which costume I wore that had the blue jacket for a "mild cold" day: but I remember wearing it. While wearing "Yellows" we had the red version of this jacket: and we also had a long puffy yellow coat for colder days, or working in the freezer....girls had the generic white Disneyland cardigan..only guys got the jackets...the older Keel Boat costume I remember: but the photo is older than my time: or it seems: and the costume looks very "Big Thunder" in coloring and style. I've seen these Keel Boats with one window, two windows and three windows. Perhaps when they went to a fiberglass hull THAT is when the "rolling" started....and the Keel Boats ended. Kind of a sad day really: it did give the river more life despite the limited capacity: and I thought a better experience that the Mark Twain or Columbia. If you saw the Keel Boats out there: you knew it was going to be a busy day. If you saw the Mark Twain, AND the Columbia AND the Keel Boats: that generally was 4th of July worthy. Chief Wavy always looked very authentic to me: and why in my memory do I have a real horse trooping about that same area?! Not for an "all the time" thing: but someone on a horse near the train tracks...hmmm....was it a test or something? Like the guy in armor in the Haunted Mansion which I DID NOT LIKE....even though I knew it was coming it would scare the beejeebees out of me. Glad that didn't last too long: but even now I'm always looking around the hallway around the doom buggy: that PTSD runs deep and it was so embarrassing to be startled in front of your guests despite the giggling afterwards. Now I need to go have a lie down. Thanks Major and MB!
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