Christmas on Main Street, 1976
I have a folder with quite a few Disneyland-Christmas scans; but some are less exciting than others. Today's two examples are perfectly nice, with a family posing on Main Street, with the big Christmas tree reduced to colorful bokeh dots. In photography, "bokeh" refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas of an image, especially the background, often characterized by soft, smooth, and pleasing visuals. It's derived from the Japanese word "boke" meaning "blur" or "haze".
Finally, all those other family members have continued on, and mom can pose with her daughter. The kid that she likes! OK, now I feel guilty, what if the now-grown boy sees this post (I'm sure he's a fan) and I make him sad? I'm sorry, kid!
10 comments:
Major-
These images are making it hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit where it appears only one member is grinning. (Maybe that's what the Christmas tree actually looks like in-person, which would at least be a reason for so many sullen faces).
Thanks, Major.
This appears to be a very artsy and serious family; judging by their expressions and poses. Although, the gal on the left has a normal (and nice) smile... she must be the black sheep of the family.
I do like the warm glow in these photos. The blur at the bottom makes it look like the family is standing in a bonfire. 8-\
Hmm, more pensive seriousness. At least they're not standing in a bonfire anymore. I wonder if all photos of this family are as somber as these two? Cheer up, ladies. You're at the Happiest Place On Earth!
Like Nanook, I have mixed feelings about these photos; mostly pleasant, but kinda eerie too. Maybe they're relatives of Gomez and Morticia? Thanks, Major.
You know how sometimes, on GDB, we wonder why a family got rid of their priceless photos/slides? In this case, we don't have to wonder.
I actually like these because they are so 'different.' Thanks, Major.
I think Mom is actually the short, smiling woman to the left. She has that mid-‘70s - early ‘80s “mom haircut.” That would make the tall girl the older daughter. Or possibly a ghost, which would explain the kids’ otherworldly, emotionless expressions and the fact that the family let these pictures go.
This is going to sound dumb, but it never occurred to me that those garlands across Main Street would have had lights in them. I never saw Disneyland at Christmas in this era, but it’s such an obvious touch I’m embarrassed to admit it.
Thanks, Major. These are a great reminder that I need to remember to bring my office Christmas decorations to work today.
These are rather nice pics, maybe everyone is just tired at the end of a long day? At least they could spend it together in the Park and not spend half of it fiddling with their phones to use Lightening Lane (sic).
JG
The three young people at right were in that earlier post in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and also seen in an employee backstage area. I thought the young lady was a cast member and other Junior Gorillas identified her hair as being a wig for the Can Can dancers in the Golden Horseshoe.
Regarding Saturday's post about the Quebec staircase: I recognized it from another source. Alfred Hitchcock's "I Confess" played at the New Beverly Cinema last month, and you-know-who makes his cameo appearance at the steps. It's one of the first shots in the movie; sorry I'm very clumsy and unable to copy a photo of this scene, but there are several on the web.
I find myself touched by these, Major. Not the usual photographs and the use of the 'staged' look tells me that the photographer knew how to operate a 35mm camera. Pensive, but also a look back in time to my memory of the Park during the Holidays. KS
Nanook, they DO look generally pretty glum. Maybe they’re just really tired?
JB, I’m not much for having my photo taken but I at least know to smile for the camera. Did the photographer snap the image without a “Say cheese”?? I think the blur at the bottom is the reflection of the top of a trash can, which will make the trash can spotters happy! I wonder how late this was? Spoiler, they saw the big Christmas extravaganza that night (the name is slipping my mind at the moment), with the big chorus and “human Christmas tree”, so they really could be exhausted after a long day. I once went with a friend and her two kids, and by the time we drove home, both kids were in tears from exhaustion.
Lou and Sue, I agree, especially in this case, when the slides are from 1976. Those kids are now in their late 60s or early 70s! Maybe they both have houses full of crap, like so many of us.
Chuck, I guess I was all mixed up on these photos! I like the idea of the taller woman being a ghost, that would add a whole new take on these. Good eye on the lights on those garlands, I wonder if they always had lights? Maybe they were added later, since these are from ’76. I’ll have to look for that Christmas special with Walt dressed like a Dickensian fellow, maybe we can see Main Street in that one.
JG, see my comments to Nanook and JB! I know I have been wiped out after getting up at 6:00 AM, and then finally heading home at 1:00 AM the following morning.
Stefano, WOW, I love that Hitchcock link to the photo from the other day, that’s awesome! I found a jpeg of Hitch at the top of the steps. Very cool! I’ve never seen “I Confess”, in fact I was wondering if it might be one of his silent pictures, or early talkies, but no, it’s from 1953. Thanks for that!
KS, I’m glad you liked these! They definitely don’t feel like publicity pictures in guidebooks, but instead feel like “real” pictures of a real family.
With the lighting and focus, and the maudlin family, these look like stills from some obscure 1970s horror film that appears on Svengoolie.
Dean Finder, ha ha! My brother watches Svengoolie all the time, I think he loves the old movies and tolerates that bad jokes.
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