Hooray for Leftuggies, they really hit the spot. This first view is from March 1962, and man-oh-man, Town Square is virtually deserted except for the four folks in the foreground. At first I wondered if this was taken when the park first opened, but lights are on in the distance, so it must be late afternoon/early evening. Imagine being there when it is this empty! Notice the Moonliner sneaking in (though the "TWA" had been removed at this point).
Over at the Opera House, the "Babes in Toyland" sets were on display. I'm not sure if this drummed up much of an additional audience for the film (which I have not seen, but am told that it is a tough watch). Still, the idea of seeing actual movie sets must have been somewhat exciting, and it was a way to provide an inexpensive exhibit.
Next is this photo from April, 1964, looking North on Main Street. The Horse-Drawn Streetcar is heading back to Town Square, I'd love to know how many people take that vehicle Northward as opposed to Southward? To the right, the Eastman Kodak shop. I'd go in and order a hamburger just to make them mad. The lady with the stroller is wondering if she can outrun the Streetcar.
Major-
ReplyDelete"... I'm not sure if this drummed up much of an additional audience for the film (which I have not seen, but am told that it is a tough watch)." That's a 'hopeful' way of putting it.
I watched it about six seeks ago, and the first thought that came to mind was a quote from when Camelot ran on Broadway... "you go out humming the sets" - or words to that effect. (In other words, it was no My Fair Lady). And ... ... Toyland was only that much worse - a convoluted story [what little there was of it] plus that insipid music, with one song piled atop another one. But, it DID look quite good. I did see the sets when they were in the Opera House, but I'll be damned if I remember the experience. I do like the snappy decorations placed outside the Opera House beckoning park-goers to venture inside.
Thanks, Major.
Wow, it really IS deserted. Even most of the trashcans have left for the day! Leaving just one lonely can behind. At first I couldn't figure out why the Moonliner looked sorta square and boxy. Then I realized that the 'cockpit' is sticking out to the left, making the Ship look less streamlined.
ReplyDelete"Babes In Toyland": The song, "The Forest Of No Return", along with the scary trees, was a favorite scene of mine. That, and the automated toy-making machine... and the ray gun that shrunk people (and things). The rest, I don't really remember. (Probably for a reason, like Nanook said.)
"The lady with the stroller is wondering if she can outrun the Streetcar". And the elderly couple behind her are betting each other whether she makes it or not. Man, that's some get-up her stroller-riding son is wearing! Horse blanket chic! With an olive drab sweater... Ohhh myyy.
Major, when the Kodak employees tell you, "Sorry sir, we don't sell hamburgers here." Reply with, "Oh. Then I'll just have a chocolate shake instead." I'm sure they would appreciate that.
The eeriness of the first Leftuggie gave me a little indigestion. But seeing the second photo cleared it right up! Thanks, Major.
I liked everything about Babes In Toyland except for Ray Bolger hamming it up all over the place! Oh, and the two Laurel and Hardy knockoffs! But Ann Jillian is great in it! She plays a waitress who works in a restaurant at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel. Or maybe that was something else that she starred in.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to figure what was spelled out over the entrance to the Opera House. I think it says, "The Toy Maker's Shop," "Babes In Toyland Village," and "The Forest Of No Return."
Thanks, Major!
Babes in Toyland needed all the promotion they could get...I think "disturbingly painful" describes it perfectly....despite some Disney "royalty" involved in it. Perhaps too much royalty doesn't make the soup better, and quite honestly, although visually appealing (as more a dark ride at Disneyland than a movie) the story holds up more as a weird historical drama, or something like the equally unwatchable "The Blue Bird" (Both the Shirley Temple and Liz Taylor versions...) That being said, I would have enjoyed looking at the sets, and even photographs of it in the Opera House are quite impressive. One great thing the movie provided were the marching soldiers: and a Disneyland Christmas Parade is not a parade at all without them. Also: bring back "Googley-eyed Reindeer"....It's odd to see a Park so quiet...but I did experience these in my day too. It was wonderfully peaceful, but a wee creepy, and the suits did not appreciate them for some obvious $$ reasons. We all were grateful however and told each other "enjoy it while you can". Those days were short shifts however most of the time, and if it was raining: even shorter. Looks like the street car driver has a "someone" aboard...wonder who that is? The trees on the street look appropriately out of scale: I wish these had been saved and not chopped, but I've been down that road before. Perhaps one or two was saved and I just don't know it (?). Thanks Major for the Monday Musings.
ReplyDeleteLove the Babes in Toyland exhibit "soldier" boards. It would be cool if someone took interior shots of the exhibit.
ReplyDeleteAs for the film itself, it was no "Mary Poppins". Thanks, Major.
I’m enjoying the brief glimpse of the Hills Brothers Coffee Garden in photo 1, and the four trash cans in photo 2. Great photos of old Main Street, uncrowded enough to see the details.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I don’t know if anyone rides north on Main Street vehicles other than the Fresh Baked blogger. They should make the northbound leg free admission. Oh wait…
I never watched “Babes in Toyland”, but it sounds like a “Lost In Space” episode. I’ll pass thanks.
And Thanks for the photos today, Major!
JG
@ Bu & TM!-
ReplyDelete"I think "disturbingly painful" describes it perfectly...." And I would concur - and agree with TM! describing Ray Bolger as "... hamming it up all over the place." He was seemingly 'channeling Snidely Whiplash' - and not in a subtle way.
I like A. H. Weiler's thoughts on the film, as penned in the NYTimes... "Since this officially is the time to be merry, let us say that Walt Disney's packaging of Victor Herbert's indestructible operetta is a glittering color and song and dance-filled bauble artfully designed for the tastes of the sub-teen set. Adults would have to be awfully young in mind to accept these picture-book caperings of the Mother Goose coterie as stirring stuff". Those musings capture the real feeling of the film, as opposed to the 'official line': "It's Bright! It's Wonderful!" 'Bright', yes; 'Wonderful', NO.
Nanook, ha, I’ve never seen “Camelot” either, I guess I thought that that musical had a bit more “cred”. Julie Andrews! Robert Goulet! I’m not sure if “Babes in Toyland” is on Disney+, but I don’t feel much of a desire to seek it out and watch it. It’s amazing that a movie that seems to be so poorly put together was produced by Walt, who was legendary for his “story sense”. Maybe he was busy with Disneyland, the World’s Fair, and early plans for Florida.
ReplyDeleteJB, I always sort of liked the cockpit on the rocket, because it implied that the astronauts flew the rocket instead of being passive. I’ll bet I would have liked any scary scene from Babes in Toyland as well, that was definitely my thing back then. I can’t quite tell what the kid in ths stroller is actually wearing, but he looks like he is half turtle. Believe me, annoying poor retail employees is what I do best! I could do it all day.
TokyoMagic!, I wonder if Ray Bolger was actually directed to “go big”? “BIGGER, Ray, come on!”. Ann Jillian, really? I forget how I even know her. Pretty, blond… was she in “Designing Women”? I think you got the signs above the Opera House entrance right.
Bu, I know that Disney produced some real clunkers back in those days - again, weird, since Walt was so famous for knowing what made a story good. But I am sure that he had many irons in the fire and was probably only involved to a degree. I think I’ve seen publicity photos of him with some of the actors, including Ray Bolger. You are right about the marching soldiers, still seen in the Christmas parades, though their numbers are greatly reduced. I loved the old reindeer and truly wonder why somebody felt that they needed to be redesigned. You can’t improve on a classic. I think that Bill Justice designed the originals. I would love to go to the park on a creepy, empty day! Not that it will ever happen. I know the Main Street trees have been replaced at least once, and probably several times over the decades. I’d like to think that the removed trees were saved, but doubt it.
K. Martinez, believe me, I wish I had interior shots of that exhibit!!
JG, even though I don’t recall ever going to the Hills Bros Coffee Garden, I like seeing photos of it. I think I have a mental association with the menus that I have collected. I have actually gone north in some Main Street vehicles, including a few rides with a certain Sue B., I guess I thought more people took vehicles up toward the Castle than from the Plaza back to Town Square. Ha ha, “Lost in Space”, man I loved that show when I was a kid, and my brother watched some episodes not long ago (maybe on MeTV?), he said he was shocked at how terrible it was.
Nanook, as a rule, Walt seemed to like to hire directors who worked for cheap, so my guess is that whoever directed “Babes” was not the finest craftsman. I would not be surprised if even the studio publicists knew that they had a stinker on their hands.
Major-
ReplyDeletePart of the problem with [many] Disney live action films is they were simply TOO LONG. Part of the secret when making a good film is being able to 'sacrifice' material [no matter how great] that fails to advance 'the story'. It's often a tough call, especially for those so closely involved with the project. (And although the number of us may be small, I'm not the only one who feels even the great Mary Poppins could use a trim, here and there). I learned just yesterday that Annie Hall, which runs a mere 93 minutes, had a first, rough cut of 140 minutes, which seems shocking for a Woody Allen film, as Woody has famously stated he cuts each of his films until there is nothing left to cut - again explaining why most of his films run under two hours. But Jack Donahue [the director of Babes in Toyland] was no Woody Allen, and it's more-than-likely there were plenty of 'other voices' pushing ...Toyland along, that in spite of its relatively-'thrifty' running time of 106 minutes, is decidedly a film for the 'pre-teen' set.
And don't get me started on The Happiest Millionaire, which I sheepishly admit to watching twice at the Radio City Music Hall in its full 172 minute 'glory', back in December, 1967... YES, with the Xmas Show, including the marvelous Rockettes-! I don't know if that says more about me as a 'yet, fully-formed person', or as a 'more-seasoned adult' - but trust me - there are only a handful of films worthy of a "172 minute" running time, and The Happiest Millionaire with its AWFUL story and embarrassingly-awful direction, for starters, was clearly not worthy-!!
A friend of mine who has worked with Disneyland since 1978 and is an official Disney historian with the company has a massive collection of BABES IN TOYLAND ( Disney’s) material in her collection …. It is mind boggling how much stuff was produced at the time. She would have elaborate Babes in Toyland Christmas parties on certain anniversaries and almost all the guests were from WED, Disneyland or the studios. Costumes were required - the first one I went to was in 1986 and I was dressed as the “Toymaker” …. Everyone thought I was Grumio ( Tommy Kirk) the assistant because I was way to young to be Ed Wynn! My friend Lorraine went as a Toy Soldier and part guest Bill Justice said she had the best costume! At the party was always a historical display - one time the films set elevations were shown and a guest who worked at the Disney archives wore Annette’s famous red winter sleigh cape from the end of the film ( I guess archive employees could “borrow” things for parties then??)
ReplyDeleteIn defense of Disney’s Babes in Toyland . : it’s intended for pre-teen children of the early 1960’s : NOT 50 + aged men. It was Disneys FIRST test in live action musicals … it was started as a tv Christmas special production before being altered mid way as a theater release. ….. and had there been no BABES IN TOYLAND , there would have been no Mary Poppins ….
@ MIKE-
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming to the defense of Babes in Toyland as in making my point, the tone became a bit harsh. As for your friend who amassed that fine Babes in Toyland collection, and threw that great party in its honor in 1986 - I too was there. (So in some fashion, I'm happy to say we have met). Ahhh, you didn't know I was friends with this 'mystery woman', although since moving to Seattle, I haven't seen her since 2006.
Oh Major, I have ALWAYS Imagine, ne Dream, of Disneyland being that empty. “It takes people…blah blah blah”… get outta my way! I have a lot to see!! Please.
ReplyDeleteSometimes (in September) it was calm enough to actually still there at Hills Bros. and enjoy a leisurely breakfast with coffee before proceeding on with your amazing day, after all you were already in Disneyland. Ambiance.
There is a lovely quality to the color and light in these photos, and finely dressed folks. Nice.
MS
Nanook, I assume that many movies were hoping to compete with television by presenting long “roadshow” versions, to make the experience an “event”. Never mind that they only had enough real story or content for a film of half the length. Wow, I have to wonder if Woody has put any of the deleted material for “Annie Hall” on a DVD or Blu-Ray? I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos about the original “Alien” movie, including lots of deleted scenes, and in almost every case I’m glad that those scenes were cut or at least shortened. Knowing how bad a BAD Disney movie can be has made me basically avoid “The Happiest Millionaire” - I’m sure it has its charms to a degree, but not enough to make it worth it.
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, I assume your friend loved “Babes in Toyland”, maybe she saw it when she was a child. You know how that goes, your favorite movie when you are nine years old (like “Star Wars” for many) becomes a foundational experience that can never be topped. Costume parties, I avoid those - I know that I am just not a “party person”, and the idea of having to come up with a “Babes in Toyland” costume would be very unappealing to me. This is why I don’t have more friends! A young, pretty Vera Miles appears on the covers of two Disney publications wearing what I believe is Annette’s red sleigh cape. Is “Babes in Toyland” intended for pre-teen children? I always thought that Disney wanted to present movies “for the whole family” and not just for children. Whether they always achieved that aim is subjective.
Nanook, wow, just think, maybe you and Mike stood right next to each other and didn’t even know it.
MS, I think the only times I was ever at the park with relatively low crowds was when we’d attend “Navy Nites” when I was a kid. It wasn’t UNcrowded, but it definitely felt more open and relaxed, so even though it was only an evening, we were able to do everything we wanted to do. I can’t even imagine the park looking like it does in that first image!
A few years back, I sat down to watch The Happiest Millionaire. I was looking forward to viewing it for the first time, especially since I'm a Fred MacMurray fan (I especially enjoy his earlier movies). I have a one-word review: *snore*
ReplyDeleteNever saw Babes in Toyland.. Now, I probably never will.
"I have actually gone north in some Main Street vehicles, including a few rides with a certain Sue B."
Yes, and it was very enjoyable. Especially since you sat quietly, unlike "running really fast and screaming loudly," like you did on the bridge.
Regarding the target age group for Babes In Toyland, my sons loved it when they were about 5 to 10. I can still remember my oldest “pussyfooting” around the house like Ray Bolger, Henry Calvin, and Gene Sheldon.
ReplyDeleteCalvin & Sheldon were fresh off of Disney’s Zorro, and may have been kept employed like Guy Williams was while Disney and ABC were engaged in a dispute over the ownership of Zorro, The Mickey Mouse Club, and the TV show. By the time it was settled, Walt decided not to continue with the series.
MS, a few years ago Mrs. Chuck and I managed to have a nice, leisurely breakfast at the outdoor patio of the Carnation cafe with some dear friends one early November morning. I think that must have been something like what you experienced at Hill Bros. It was wonderful. A couple of days later, Mrs. Chuck and I took a look at the insanely long, slow-moving breakfast line at the Starbuck’s remuddling of the Market House and went back to the Carnation Cafe for breakfast. While we were seated indoors, it was still a wonderful, unhurried breakfast that still only took about 25-30 minutes. I would not be surprised if the people at the back of the Market House line when we crossed the street were just getting to the counter as we were settling our bill.
Disney's "Babes in Toyland" is the sort of movie best enjoyed as background at a holiday gathering. Forget plot -- It's all about Disneyesque sets, Disneyesque orchestrations, Disney performers (comic villains Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon were teamed on the Zorro series and in "Toby Tyler"), and Disneyland nostalgia (the toy soldiers, and for a year or two giant toys in the Christmas parade).
ReplyDeleteLikewise the musical "Doctor Dolittle", one of the monster flops of the 60s. It's visually attractive with some fun songs, but long enough to defrost a turkey to. Rolled in with a huge wave of marketing and merchandise.
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is likewise good for eye candy, but it's also sufficiently entertaining when watched as a movie. Over the top and silly, but that's part of the appeal. The producers made the James Bond films and brought over onscreen and offscreen talent from that franchise, and Benny Hill plays a helpful, G-rated toymaker.
NANOOK: AMAZING!! I met Tony Baxter at that party … he wasn’t famous then ( outside of Disney anyhow) but I recognized him from Big Thunder Mountain publicity photos … “Disney imagineer works on design model of a future Attraction for Disneyland “ kinda thing … they never named the designers then . Tony signed a giant plastic candy cane for me that I still have … “Mike : Dreams REALLY do come true! - Tony Baxter”
ReplyDeleteLol… major my friend with the massive Disney Babes in Toyland collection also collects HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE!! She even assisted with its restoration . Lol. One of my top 5 films ever is Disney’s SNOW BALL EXPRESS …. And I love Computer Wore Tennis Shoes , Now You See Him Now You Don’t , Strongest Man In The World…… ( the Dexter Riley - Kurt Russel films) so I can’t judge !!!
I've often taken the WDW vehicles north in the morning. I know it's going to be a long day, and I want to save steps where I can. And the vehicles don't run past noon, so there's no chance to take them on the way out of the park when you really want them.
ReplyDelete@ MIKE-
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is 'a small world', as they say-! I don't remember when I first met Tony Baxter, but it had to be prior to the opening of the 'new' Fantasyland in 1983, as I had a Press Pass, and I recall sitting next to him for the dedication ceremony. It's so great you still have the autographed candy cane - certainly a real nice keepsake - and one that would take on a personal meaning over time.
P.S. I too have a special place in my heart for the Kurt Russell films - and seeing the incredible image on the Blu-ray of The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes kinda blew my mind.
Lou and Sue, I remember a time when I dreamed that I could watch every Disney movie, including ALL of the short animated films, and so on. Now? It sounds like it would be a kind of torture. Not so much the animated films (though some of those can be dull and bland), but man, in the 1970s, they really made some pieces of c***.
ReplyDeleteChuck, I don’t get the reference to “pussyfooting”, but it sounds like it would have been funny to watch your kids doing whatever it was! I guess I’d read about why Disney did not continue with “Zorro” (which was super successful), but it’s a shame that ABC and Disney got into a disagreement about it. As for long unhurried breakfasts at Disneyland… I can’t do it! I need to get going! Maybe if I had an annual pass and went all the time, but my visits are too infrequent.
DBenson, that sounds like good advice, just put BIT on in the background. I don’t care about the many football games, anyway! I really don’t. We saw “Doctor Doolittle” in the theaters when it came out, and I don’t remember a lot about it, but my memory is that I liked it. And I really liked the pushmepullyou (or whatever it’s called), and the giant snail. And the songs. I also saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the theater, and remember being so confused when Chitty goes off a cliff (this is when you learn she can fly), but the curtains closed over the screen, and we got up to leave. WHAT?? I did not understand the concept of an intermission. Obviously we didn’t actually leave, but it felt like that’s what we were doing!
Mike Cozart, I wonder if your friend likes those movies because they were big productions, and because they are kind of forgotten today? Maybe the collectibles are a bit easier to get at reasonable prices? Or it could be just the opposite of course. I loved those Kurt Russell movies a LOT, I think we saw all of them. It was such a trip when I worked a the studio, and often ate at some outdoor tables - tables that the kids ate at in those movies!
Dean Finder, huh, do they stop running the Main Street vehicles at the Magic Kingdom because it just gets too crowded after noon??
Nanook, I’ve met Tony B. twice, once “in depth” (even got to go to his amazing house), and another just a “hello” at an event where Chris Merritt was giving a presentation. I’m glad to know that those Kurt Russell films have (apparently) received nice restorations.
Ann Jillian, really? I forget how I even know her. Pretty, blond… was she in “Designing Women”?
ReplyDeleteMajor, yes....really! She was a little girl in "Babes in Toyland," and she played Little Bo Peep. She wasn't in "Designing Women", but she starred in a show about waitresses who worked in a restaurant at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel (although the hotel was never named, just shown in exterior shots). The show started out on network television (ABC) as "It's A Living." For the second season, they tried "reworking" the show and renamed it "Making A Living." It was cancelled after the second season, but it was one of those shows that was revived for syndication (three years after ABC cancelled it), where it ran for another 4 seasons. Ann Jillian left after the first season of syndication and was "replaced" by Sheryl Lee Ralph.
I know.....that was much more than you wanted to know, but at least their wasn't any reference to a certain redhead!