August 1961
Hooray, it's BIRTHDAY TIME! We can send our best wishes to KS on his special day. Sue B. has been scouring the internet for vintage birthday photos, to the point where they have become rare and valuable. In today's example, you can see a curly-haired boy blowing out the candles on his cake, while Gramps (?) holds him so that he doesn't fall and suffer an icing injury (happens all the time). Snoopy, or some other random dog, holds a red candle, which means something. BUT WHAT?
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When I've posted all the slides in a batch, but have two left over, you can usually count on them being mismatched. But it's OK! My socks are mismatched and they are just as comfy anyway.
I rarely get very excited about Jungle Cruise photos, just because they tend to be views that we've all seen before. But this first scan is historic, if nothing else, because it shows a group of dancing headhunters as the celebrate something that has happened, or something that is going to happen. All of the were removed from the attraction in 2021 because they were deemed insensitive; I admit that they might not have aged that well over the past 70-ish years. The scenes that replaced these generally had rampaging monkeys, and they are fine, if not amazing.
Next is this a nice photo of the Mark II Monorail zipping along its beam as it returned to the park from a stop at the new station in front of the Disneyland Hotel (visible in the distance, as is the iconic Disneyland sign). Bubble dome! I guess the photo isn't that nice, but the subject matter is. Too bad the sky is so gray, but what can you do? I enjoy seeing a rare "Art of Animation" exhibit poster affixed to that Monorail pylon nearest to us.
19 comments:
Happy Birthday KS-!
I can spot at least 15 candles on that birthday cake, far more than our pictured birthday boy could've achieved in years-! (Maybe the count is akin to 'dog years...') I certainly hope your birthday cake proves to be accurate in all ways - or at least tasty.
'Gramps' reminds me of a character actor, whose name escapes me at the moment.
Major-
Hurray for dancing headhunters and Art of Animation posters-!
Thanks Sue and The Major.
Major-
'Gramps' does remind me of Phil Harris.
Major, again-
That IS a Snoopy candle holder. It's made of a paper-mache and it's from Hallmark-!
Happy birthday KS! Hope you're surviving the wildfire in your neck of the woods.
Looks like Snoopy to me. Interesting birthday theme: dogs and bears... and decapitated clowns; THE BEST KIND! Given the (to my eyes) unusual accoutrements seen here, I would say this birthday took place somewhere other than the U.S. of A. The Birthday Boy seems exceedingly hyper. If he wasn't being held back, I think he would jump up onto the table and smash everything in sight!
Thanks for another b-day pic, Sue. This one leaves me wondering where and when it was.
Wow, this must be the bestest, clearest photo of the dancing headhunters we've seen here! Seems like they shoulda had a few heads, or skulls, hanging around to drive the point home. But I guess that would've been 'too much'. Just wait, it won't be long 'til they consider the rampaging monkeys to be insensitive, and replace them with cuddly puppies and kittens playing together.
Yes it's a very gray day in this photo, but that makes the bright red Monorail stand out even more! In the bottom right corner, the Lady In Red's purse looks like an aluminum fishing tackle box... or maybe a tool box... or maybe a construction worker's lunch pail.
Thanks for the disconnected photos, Major. Well, they're both Disneyland photos, so I guess they're not all that disconnected.
Happy Birthday, KS! Don't forget the dress code for your birthday, today! No shoes, no shirt, no celebration! And make sure you shave! ;-)
Yep, that's a Snoopy figure. You can tell it's Snoopy by the "snowman" shaped black spot on his back.
Just wait, it won't be long 'til they consider the rampaging monkeys to be insensitive, and replace them with cuddly puppies and kittens playing together
JB, some people will be offended by that, because it will just remind them of how many puppies and kittens in the world are homeless. Just replace them with teddy bears. Wait, teddy bears have fur, and that is offensive. Better make them "gummi" bears. Hmmm, the American Dental Association might be offended by that, because of the high sugar content. Just replace them with an animatronic rampaging Walt! Yeah, that's the ticket!
Thanks, Major!
Maybe a Mark III Monorail? Any monorail is a good monorail.
Happy birthday KS!
Thanks Major and Sue.
Zach
Happy birthday KS...hope you have as much zeal for your cake today as Curly, who may or may not be trying to get a sip from Gramp's highball.
IOS26 beta has a silly new feature that can take any old photo and make it 3-D, which works great on this monorail shot, almost pokes your eye out.
MS
Happy Birthday KS!
Jungle Cruise photos... meh
Monorail photos... YaY! Whoopie!! Woo Hoo!!!!
Yeah, I get excited about the Monorail. :)
Happy Birthday KS! Many happy returns of the Day! I hope you enjoy your birthday celebration as much as I enjoy your comments about your time as a CM. I know that term wasn’t used in your era, but it’s convenient now I guess. Thank you!
The birthday boy in the pic is going to be dipped in the frosting. That dish cupboard is sporting some heavy metal, but it’s sensible to use plastic and paper for the kids. Looks like some china and silver escaped detention, probably for the adults. Those green goblets are just hidden enough that I can’t be sure they looked like some we had back then.
Excellent historic documentation of the Jungle Cruise, and a nice clear picture too.
And what an excellent pic of the Monorail! If the sky were not so gray, that could be a postcard! And a great view of the giant power lines too! I wonder if those stretched all the way out to Hoover Dam? Notice how the poster frames have little knobs on the corners? I never really saw those before.
Thanks Major for the post, and Sue for scouring the ‘Net for vintage pics and keeping track of everyone’s special days!
JG
Nanook, I guess Mom must have arranged the candles to look good rather than have them add up to the kid’s age? She was a non-traditionalist! I sort of miss the headhunters, but understand why they had to go. And you know I’m all about anything having to do with attraction posters!
Nanook, I can see it!
Nanook, ha ha, you did the research that I refused to do.
JB, ever since I got an app that alerts me to brushfires in the SoCal area, I’ve been shocked at just how many fires we have. It’s probably always been this way, but most of them went unnoticed by me. Ha, I didn’t make the leap to “decapitated clowns”, but now I will never be able to think of anything else. It is true that most photos of the headhunters are not that great, this person snapped the shutter at just the right time. It would have been amazing if they’d sprinkled a few heads around (speaking of decapitation), but I guess that wasn’t the Disney way (what about “hard facts”??). I will never complain about cuddly puppies and kittens, so bring them on! That lady’s purse does look like a tackle box, I wonder if it was actually made of wicker? Hard to tell from here.
TokyoMagic!, I always thought Snoopy just had a spot, like a regular oval-ish shape. This is the first I’ve heard of it being described as “snowman shaped”! And yet, it is more complex than an oval. I’m not sure that bears having fur is offensive, unless the bears were killed for the fur! However, I always carry around a cup of red paint so I can throw it on anybody wearing fur. Or even faux fur! Yum, now I want Gummi Bears.
Zach, I agree that any monorail is a good monorail, though the Mark IIs and Mark IIIs are especially great!
MS, I hope Curly’s experience tasting Gramps’ highball is better than my experience taking a sip of my dad’s bourbon and water. Yuck! To this day I do not enjoy brown liquors of any kind. I’ll have to look into that 3-D feature you mentioned, it sounds kind of cool.
Grant, ha ha, it’s OK to get excited by the Monorail! If only there was a bikini babe in the same picture, it would be worthy of the Pulitzer Prize.
JG, I don’t understand why they didn’t just scoot the cake closer to the birthday boy, instead of putting it several feet away. No wonder Gramps had to hold him! Cake tastes better on paper plates, it is a scientific fact. If that family was like my family, the fine china was always too good to use for pretty much any occasion. I do wish the sky wasn’t so gray in the Monorail pic, but as you know, gray skies are a SoCal feature for weeks if not months, so we just have to deal with it. And it does help keep the temperatures down, so it’s not all bad.
Well thanks folks. You have started my day with a smile as I hit another milestone in my journey of life. Sorry I have been AWOL but it has been an exceptionally busy summer. And then add a Level 1 fire evacuation notice which really puts life on hold, then restarted again, when one gets the 'all clear' notice. This one was a first hopefully not to be repeated.
I wouldn't mind ending up headlong into that cake. I have never met a carbohydrate I didn't like! Mom always made the best cakes with REAL sugary icing too! To put all the candles on now, I need a sheet cake from Costco to do it.
Dress code of the day hasn't changed much through the years. I had no trouble fitting into the the standard of the day. And yes, that CM moniker wasn't used back then. 'Disneylander' perhaps was the term.
That's a clear shot of those dancing natives. I always had some smart thing to say which I have now forgotten. What I clearly recall was this was at a point out of the hippo pool that you had to be careful slowing down or the wake of the boat would lift it off the guide , making the visit with them up close and personal while you fired off six shots to announce a breakdown to everyone back on the dock. No radios back then.
So to all...thanks for those kind thoughts and comments! Hopefully I responded to all of them. Now I am off to recharge my fire extinguisher before the candles are lit. :) KS
Note that the dancer on the right seems to be missing a foot. Maybe it was bit off by a crocagator?
Ios26 feature is called ‘spatial’
MS
HAVE A GREAT BIRTHDAY KEN!!!! Always enjoy talking with you or hearing your insights of the glory days of Disney & Disneyland!!
Seeing the attraction posters on the monorail pylons is always exciting …. If you notice in many recent park related publications Disney publishing will “delete” the posters when showing views with the attraction posters on the pylons …. But leave the Frame.
Thanks Mike. Twice!! You are the font of all knowledge on Disney. I continue to learn from you!! KS
Tokyo!, Haha. Maybe if they were sugar-free Gummi Bears? I'm glad you took my jab at 'insensitive' and ran with it. The animatronic rampaging Walt will probably happen on its own one of these days, and 'Walt' will run out of the theater and end up in the Jungle Cruise, causing mayhem.
KS, thanks for chiming in, and I'm glad you've only had a "Level 1" evacuation instead of the horrible "Level 3".
Anon, Ha! I didn't notice the missing foot! That makes this pic really special!
"If you notice in many recent park related publications Disney publishing will “delete” the posters when showing views with the attraction posters on the pylons …. But leave the Frame."
Huh?? Mike, why are they doing that?!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEN! I suggest we all meet you at the Jungle Cruise, in an hour, and go for a tour on the river while eating birthday cake. (No sinking skiffs.)
Glad all is well and safe in your area...I can't imagine trying to evacuate - and with horses, too.
"IOS26 beta has a silly new feature that can take any old photo and make it 3-D"
Cool! Thanks, MS.
Thanks, Major.
A little late, but Happy Birthday, KS!
Sue : I’m not really sure … but I suspect there were times posters were left in the images and some featured ling past sponsors and sone I’ve got yelled at …. WHAT!! Give ALWEG and TWA free advertising!!??? …. Bank of America!?? KODAK! GOODYEAR!! ….
Hollywood Maxwell The Wizard of Bras!!!??
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