Blurzles™
Well, it's Blurzle™ time, and you folks know what that means. Maybe I should rename it "Astigmatism Theatre"? Both of these photos are fuzzy, like Mr. Fluffers (my kitty). They're from August 1961.
Here comes the Monorail! Like a strange biomechanical creature (as opposed to regular biomechanical creatures), it moves past us without a care, because we are too tiny to be of any threat. Plus it has lasers! Bob Gurr never mentions it in interviews, but it's true. Giant, scary lasers that will fry anyone to a crisp in the blink of an eye. They haven't fried anyone since 1970 when some Yippies tried some funny business. And yes, the lasers sounded just like the heat rays from the George Pal movie, "War of the Worlds".
They tried putting lasers on the Submarines, but that just resulted in fully cooked fish floating to the surface. A little dill, a little lemon butter - delicious!
16 comments:
Major-
Something often seen but rarely [if ever] mentioned on these pages are the spotlights shining down from the Monorail beamway traversing over the Sub lagoon. Inquiring minds want to know if the fixtures were re-lamped from above or from below...
And for those interested - you can now check yesterday's comments to learn the model and year of the 'swooping car' pictured in the final image.
Thanks, Major.
Why, these are hardly Blurzley at all! A mere smidge! The Monorail does sort of look like a mechanical shark... with a bump on its head. Maybe this is a cyclopian shark, and that bump is its eye.
"the George Pal movie, "War of the Worlds"". I've always loved the sound effects in that movie: Some of them done with an electric guitar, some of them done by plucking a high tension wire.
This is actually a very good photo of the Sub Lagoon. I love all the looping layers of track. I think I count five layers, including the Sub track. I bet the underwater lasers sounded neat! Too bad they discontinued the Sub lasers. At least they still have AEDs!
Nanook, indeed, how DO they change those bulbs? I would guess from above.
Thanks, Major. (Say hello to Mr. Fluffers for me.)
That is a great question about the Monorail beamway spotlights. And I do have an inquiring mind. Thanks for alerting us about the vintage jet ride comment.
Whatever happened to Tomorrowland? Not great things, but these photos are wonderful. They remind me of how Tomorrowland once held this sense of wonder and optimism.
Thanks, Major.
Lasers! That explains the need for the pilot to have a clear, unobstructed, 360° field of vision so they could operate the remote-controlled turret. And now I will have that sound effect in my head for the rest of the day.
Those spotlights are nuclear powered and never need changing, courtesy of the good people at Westinghouse, who built reactors for General Dynamics, the sponsors of the Submarine Voyage. The later (and prominent) involvement of General Electric in the Carousel of Progress and Tomorrowland led to competitor Westinghouse being memory holed from Disneyland history, much like C.V. Wood and Bugs Bunny.
Be sure to check yesterday’s comments for one final digital horror story.
Happy December, Junior Gorillas!
Monorail Blue was just the right color to fit between the sea and the sky. The tangle of tracks is reminiscent of the stacks of freeways outside the berm but without the traffic.
Lasers or not, these are fine pictures, just touched with the soft edges of memory. Beautiful stuff, Major, thank you.
JG
Nanook, my guess would be relamping was managed from above with a sling seat similar to what a window washer uses. Perhaps the monorail tug had a winch or other gear for this purpose. I was fascinated by those lights as a kid since it implied that the monorail and subs were designed and built together, which 9 y. o. me didn’t know then.
Thanks for the car ID too, DeSoto sounds right.
Did the shop teacher go-ahead and “frame his find”-?
Nanook, ha, I have never thought about how they might have changed those spotlight bulbs! I’m sure they put a rickety stepladder on top of a stopped submarine. That’s how I’d do it! I was out last night, so I’ll check in on yesterday’s evening comments, thanks Nanook.
JB, while it is rare, I sometimes don’t have any truly bad scans to share on Snoozle Sundays. So I have to look for photos that have flaws, but they won’t be too bad. Which is OK for you guys! “Cyclopian”, that word always makes me think of H.P. Lovecraft. I’ll bet George Pal himself shredded on that electric guitar for the heat ray sounds! Five layers in Tomorrowland, just like a good Mexican pizza (yum)! Mr. Fluffers purred when I said “hello” for you.
K. Martinez, I’ll bet they got that jet pack guy to change the bulbs two or three times a year.
K. Martinez, maybe Tomorrowland changed so much because we can’t even pretend that “tomorrow” will be bright and optimistic? I feel like the 1964 World’s Fair was one of the last places where a “great big beautiful tomorrow” still felt possible.
Chuck, of course there are many technical considerations for lasers, and you have pointed out several. I wanted a few to be mounted to my Honda so that I could vaporize rude drivers on the freeway, but the people who service my car advised against it. I’m a bit surprised that C.V. Wood is still “not to be mentioned” in any official Disney history tome - just give him credit where it’s due, and be honest about how he took credit where it was NOT due. Seems simple enough. December? How did that happen?
JG, I am wondering how many other color options were considered for those early Monorails. It seems that by 1959, the metallic colors like copper or bronze were falling out of favor, but the specific metallic sapphire blue was still a popular car color (we had a station wagon that was roughly that same hue).
JG, yes, a hanging platform seems to really make the most sense, though I even wonder about how the bulb-changers would get from the two vehicle down to the platform. Maybe just a ladder!
In regards to “changing the submarine lagoon spot lights”: the Monorail service tractor can pull two service -maintenance trolleys called “fry baskets” they allow workers to do close up inspections if the monorail beams by having the inspectors ride to the side but bellow the beamway. I’m assuming the service “fry baskets” were used to access the lights . Those conical spotlights were supplied by a LA company called SHADA … long out-of-business. They supplied all kinds of specialty outdoor lighting fixtures for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The Disneyland Monorail colors have always been DITZLER FLEET FINISHES and some of the 1969 colors were indeed automotive /fleet colors popular during that time . The first Red, Blue Yellow monorail color selections were influenced by the SANTA FE WAR BONNET F7 locomotive color schemes … the RED SANTA FE war bonnet colors being the most famous . This was when there was still tension with Santa Fe demanding identification on the Monorails because of an unclear segment of their Disneyland sponsorship agreement. The blue was toned down a bit from the traditional Blue War Bonnet color … and Disneyland slapped the Santa Fe shields on the Monorail Trains to pacify Santa Fe RR company - despite they were not actual Monorail sponsors .
Major, "I’ll bet they got that jet pack guy to change the bulbs". He'd have to change them reeeally fast! If I recall correctly, he only had about 30 seconds of flight time before his 'juice' ran out.
Mike, I LOVE the name "fry baskets"!
@ MIKE-
Thanks for the info on the "fry baskets". I suspected as much, as it would make sense that [easy] access beneath the beamway would be important for ongoing maintenance.
WOW - that's a name I hadn't thought of in a coon's age: It'sShalda Mfg. Co., not Shada. What a memory you have-! Shalda (as you might remember) manufactured their wares in Burbank. I found this image caption from 12/23/1963... "Products designed and manufactured by Shalda Mfg. Co., Burbank, are demonstrated by president William Shalda, who holds smallest product, garden light next to firm's largest floodlight, 1,585 of which were used to light Dodger Stadium." The company designed a unique underwater lighting system for the 1964 World's Fair in New York".
Shalda outdoor fixtures were often seen in more industrial-commercial applications, where Kim Lighting fixtures would be specified both commercially and residentially where 'more artistic' requirements were called-for.
Thanks for the memories.
AND... Disneyland made extensive use of Kim, Shalda and Stonco outdoor fixtures.
AND, AND.... More sleuthing revealed this info:
"I remember knowing that Cathy Shalda’s father owned Shalda Lighting and that the company installed all of the lighting stuff at Disneyland back about the time it opened".
"Hubbell Outdoor Lighting was established in 1963 in Burbank, CA with Hubbell’s acquisition of Shalda Lighting."
Mike Cozart, ha ha, “fry baskets”, I love it. The inspectors are just onion rings! I didn’t even think about the monorail beams needing inspections, but of course they would, especially in earthquake-prone SoCal. I know you’ve mentioned Ditzler Fleet Finishes before, but I’m not sure if you mentioned the influence of Santa Fe War Bonnet colors. Kind of cool! I thought that the War Bonnet colors were basically red/orange, yellow, and black, but I am sure I am wrong about that. It’s the blue that throws me. I’ll have to look that up!
JB, when you’re a jet pack guy, you learn to do things in a hurry!
Nanook, I wonder why Shalda Mfg. Co went under? It sounds like they were very successful. Even if they moved their manufacturing over to China (like everyone else does, seemingly), I’d think that they would be a “big fish” in the lighting industry.
Nanook, you sure know a lot about lighting!
Nanook, ah, there we go - Shalda was acquired. I guess I should have seen that coming.
Mike Cozart, I see that there were more variations of War Bonnet colors than I was aware of.
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