Sunday Puddin'

Is it Sunday already? We'll I'll be! That means it's time to post some random photos for your viewing enjoyment.

First is an early photo of the Mark Twain as it makes its way past the Plantation House (out of frame to the left) and Harper's Mill. It really does look like it's heading into the wilderness, with nothing but trees and emptiness ahead. The Mark Twain was actually powered by 7500 genetically enhanced hamsters hidden inside the boat. Steam? Don't make me laugh. The "steam" is the condensation from their tiny exhalations. You won't find this kind of inside information on other Disney blogs!


The load dock for the Jungle Cruise is pictured here, circa 1969. Look at how lush the Jungle is...pretty convincing, thanks to the skillful army of gardeners and designers. And Miracle-Gro, of course.


Did Native Americans keep bison as pets? This is an odd addition to the Indian Village in my humble opinion. If it was a real-live, breathing, slobbering buffalo I could understand why people might want to look at it. But real ones poop and do other un-Disney things. So he's merely a stuffed buffalo, as well-groomed as a velveteen rabbit. They even built a shady cover for him so that he'll be comfortable on hot summer days.

Indian Dancers

Where else could you go for some authentic Indian dancing? Well, forty years ago there were probably a number of places (since the country was just crazy about Westerns). But I'd like to think that Disneyland was the best. Members from several different Indian tribes participated, sharing their various dances. In this first slide, we see the "lost contact lens" dance. (Well, there I go, I've probably offended somebody...)

I get a kick out of looking at the crowd almost as much as the dancers themselves. Notice the two cub scouts just to the right of the Indian, looking out from under the fence.


These slides are undated, but judging from the rest of the lot, are from around 1957 or '58. I think it's kind of disappointing that there isn't this kind of thing at the park anymore. I would guess that people would still watch and be interested...an it would be a piece of living history that would help make Frontierland feel more authentic (unlike Pirates on the island).

Freedomland, Part 4

Back to Freedomland we go! Please see my past three posts featuring photos from this park if you missed them.

First up is a great view of the fire that wiped out Chicago, reenacted every hour for the pleasure of arsonists of all ages. "At the sound of the alarm, the local fire department races its hand-drawn engine to the scene of the conflagration. But the heroic efforts of these fearless fire-fighters are not enough. They need help at the hand-pumps - your help." So sayeth the 1962 guide book!


Here's a view taken from an Ore Car, looking down on the Santa Fe Railroad. It looks like it has just left this station, and is crossing a small trestle (is that the park entrance passing beneath it?).


Freedomland had two 110-foot sternwheelers (the "American" and the "Canadian")! "You'll sail past the smolding city (of Chicago),with music on each boat for singing and dancing all the way." The one in the center has gone 'round the bend, and it looks like it is heading towards Borden's Farm. Elsie the Cow lived there...people just loved that cow, ever since her popular exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair. She exuded warmth, compassion, and milk.


Stay tuned for more Freedomland photos!

More Mystery Park, 1965

Here are some more views of the "mystery park" that I blogged about last week. While it's hard to see, the ocean is visible to the far left. Or could it be another body of water, like the Salton Sea? Nah, my vote goes to the good old Pacific. Meanwhile, check out those awesome cars in the background! Every one of 'em a classic.


This ride is much better than that crummy Autopia at Disneyland! For one thing, look at the sheer variety of vehicles you could choose from. And no noxious gasoline fumes. And....well, I guess that's about it. I still can't decide whether the guy with the mop of red hair is a dutiful, much older brother, or a youthful father. Either way, he is almost always pictured paying lots of attention to the kids.


In this photo I imagine him saying, "Look, it's not that scary, see that girl riding it?". Love the old fashioned, classic Tilt-A-Whirl in the background.


And finally, just because I liked it, here's a fun shot of the ferris wheel. Carrot Top is hard to miss, there he is waaay up high. This reminds me of my first ride on a ferris wheel at a carnival somewhere. It was scary at first, but then I realized that it was actually pretty fun. That other ride in the background might have freaked me out, though!

Disneyland trip, April 1962 (continued....)

Once again, I've programmed my wayback machine to April, 1962 so that we can drop in on our all-American kids during their trip to Disneyland. That lucky girl is holding a delicious fudgesicle...I sure hope she doesn't drip on her spotless dress! Older brother either wasn't hungry or he wolfed his down already...in either case, he's happy. Mom bought him pants that are too long because he's been growing like a weed! I'll bet he's pretty proud of his watch, too, carefully winding it each morning (like I did with my Snoopy watch).

In the background, the little Frontierland bandstand can be seen, as well as Rainbow Ridge, and to the right, Casa de Fritos is just in the frame.


Next is a cute portrait of this crime-fighting duo in a giant teacup. My guess is that this is before the ride, I hope sis manages to keep that fudgesicle down.

Disneyland, Nineteen Fittys

There's no "Main Street" like Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. in the 1950's! I never seem to tire of looking at photos like this. Note the signs on the lamp posts heralding the opening of the "Alice in Wonderland" attraction, the "Columbia", and the "Grand Canyon Diorama". You can just see the banner stretched across Main Street, also advertising the diorama.


Here's a fuzzy photo taken from the Pirate Ship's poop deck (heh heh!), looking down into Storybook Land. It looks like the land of storybooks is still pretty rough, perhaps not even operating yet...this might even be pre-Skyway. The two boats that are visible are clearly not ferrying guests through magical miniature environments.

Expo '67

When it comes to World's Fairs and Expos, people readily recall the '64/'65 New York fair and the 1962 "Century 21" Expo in Seattle. But Montreal's "Expo '67" was considered the most successful World's Fair of the 20th Century, with over 50 million visitors. It also set a record for single-day attendance, with over 500,000 people showing up on the third day!


Originally this fair was supposed to be held in Moscow to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Those fun plans fell through (!), and the fair was given to Montreal. The big geodesic dome is the United States Pavilion, and to the right (the building with the multiple triangles) is the "Man and His Planet" and "Space Man and Life" pavilions.

Universal Studios, April 1972

Here are a bunch of slides from Universal Studios, courtesy of the Graziano family! I think my own family went there around this same time, maybe a year or two earlier. I particularly remember throwing foam-rubber boulders around, climbing on a giant telephone, seeing mummies from an "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode, and seeing H.R. Puff'nstuff in one of the displays.

I heard that the people who lived in this house had a relative who settled in a cabin on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland. Nobody knows what happened to him! I get the feeling that forced perspective in being used here, what do you think? Something tells me that if you stood next to that surrey, you'd look like a giant. A nice giant, don't get me wrong!


From fire to a flash flood, you can see that there is a terrible downpour in this picturesque town (somewhere south of the border), and that a torrent of water is rushing down the street, straight at us! Many people remember the tree that slowly falls over, and every smarty-pants kid turned around to see it slowly right itself as the tram continued onward.


I like this old beat-up custodial truck, parked in front of a facade that looks like it belongs in a charming English village.


This fearsome gorilla applied for a job at the Jungle Cruise, but he lost out to another ape (a case of blatant nepotism, but that's another story). Fortunately, Universal was hiring. Here he is, hanging from a vine just like real gorillas do all the time. Please tell me he was not supposed to be King Kong! I don't remember him, though I think he might have shown up on a Viewmaster reel.


And finally, here's a stately plantation house that I have no doubt was used in many talkies. At first I thought it might be "Tara" from "Gone With the Wind", but then I realized that I was delirious and that it couldn't be. Wrong studio! Sets like these are so convincing, and yet the building itself was probably a hollow shell.


Thanks once again to the Grazianos for sharing these photos!

New York World's Fair, 1964

I never get tired of photos showing the fabulous New York World's Fair of 1964!

There's just something wonderful about this picture, with the huge T. Rex looming over unconcerned crowds. Behind him you can just see a sliver of the Brontosaurus as well (this was pre-Apatosaurus!), the mascot of Sinclair Oil. "Sinclair Dinoland" contained nine life-sized models of familiar dinos such as Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and Ankylosaurus (as well as a few less-familiar thunder lizards).

To the right, two towers from the New York pavilion can be seen...these still stand today. Remember them from "Men in Black"?


U.S. Royal Tires giant tire/ferris wheel was one of the many icons of the Fair. "Visitors soar 80 feet in the air around a giant auto tire for a spectacular view of the Fair. Twenty-four gondolas seating four people each move around the circumference of the wheel. The tire, floodlighted at night, stands in a landscaped area."

Hey now! This tire still stands, although it is essentially just a road sign along a Detroit, Michigan Interstate highway, since the ferris wheel ride was removed.

Mystery Park, 1965

I found a group of slides from one family, they visited a lot of Southern California attractions including Disneyland and Knott's. But this little park is a mystery to me! It certainly looks like Southern California, in fact another photo (not posted) shows what looks like the ocean in the distance.


The rides are mostly "off the shelf" carnival rides, such as the tilt-a-whirl and little car and boat rides that go around in circles. This miniature train fascinated me due to its resemblance to Disneyland's "Viewliner". Does anybody know anything about the "South Shore Pacific" railroad?? In the first photo, that tunnel looks exactly like the antique papier-maché tunnels they used to make for little toy railroads.


I'm not sure that lavender would be my first choice of colors for a li'l train, but who am I to judge! This small amusement park probably didn't last very long, but I'm sure glad I have some photos of it. I'll share a few more sometime in the future.