Christopher Fair, Court Jester (part 2)

Today we get to see a dozen color photos from Christopher Fair's days as a Court Jester at Disneyland! As you can see in the images below, he often attracted some sizable crowds. I particularly like the first photo as he performed in front of the Midget Autopia.


I asked Christopher if he ever saw or performed for Walt Disney. He said that he did see somebody who he thought was Walt, and even spoke to him. But it's been many years since then, and he said that he can't be 100 percent certain!


He worked 40 minute shifts, with mandatory 20 minute breaks. That sounds like it could be tough on a scorching hot summer day! At one point he did an impromptu performance with the Tyrolean Band that played polkas around the Matterhorn. It was not part of his "official" act, but it was such a success that it became a regular event. It was only about 3 minutes long, but obviously people must have loved it!


Christopher's stint as a Court Jester lasted about 4 years, from late 1959 through around the end of 1963 (his younger brother assumed his duties as Court Jester after he left!). As a college student he studied ballet, and in 1964 he went to Utah to perform with their ballet company.


One of his most vivid memories of Disneyland actually occurred when he was there as a paying customer, years after his stint as a jester. He was there for the opening of the Haunted Mansion on August 9th, 1969! I can only imagine the crazy crowds on that day.


Today, Christopher still lives in Utah with his wife. He retired from ballet, knowing that, due to the physical demands, "it couldn't last forever", he returned to performing magic, which he still does today. He fondly remembers his years at Disneyland as "the experience of a lifetime".


Once again, I would like to thank Merlinsguy and Christopher Fair! I hope you enjoyed these photos and personal recollections as much as I did.

Christopher Fair, Court Jester (part 1)

If you visited Fantasyland in the 1950's and 1960's, you might have been lucky enough to see a Court Jester, juggling and performing magic on his unicycle. Christopher Fair was that jester! These photos were sent to me by Merlinsguy, who used to work at the park and knew Christopher personally. The scrapbook pictured above was put together by Christopher's mother, who also created the wonderful hand-painted cover. The photo beside it is one of Christopher's personal favorites! Merlinsguy was able to get me in touch directly with Mr. Fair, and I had the opportunity to talk to him on the phone. It was great to hear his recollections about his years with Disneyland!


Christopher appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club for several "Talent Roundups", where he performed magic tricks. He was voted the "Juvenile Magician Champion"of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1958. Around 1959 (when he was a senior in high school) he received a call from the Disney Studio. They said that they needed a jester for Disneyland, and asked him if he would be interested in auditioning. The answer was yes!


The audition was at the studio in Burbank, and at the time Christopher did not specialize in "close up" magic, but he learned some illusions for the role. It was his idea to use the unicycle...the people at the park were reluctant about it, thinking that it might be dangerous in a crowded situation. But he demonstrated that it was very safe, and got the "O.K.".


His act consisted of simple magic tricks and juggling. It must have been fun to watch him interacting with surprised Disneyland guests, and even more fun if you were the participant!


The two photos below are neat "backstage" shots. In the first picture, I believe that the people posing with him are two members of the Gonzalez Trio, who performed in Frontierland for many years. Snow White dropped by to say "hello" in the second photo! These were almost certainly taken behind the castle.


Many thanks to Merlinsguy and Christopher Fair for sharing these photos and great memories. Look for Part Two tomorrow, with color photos!

Rocket Jets, 1967

The Rocket Jets debuted on July 2nd 1967 as part of a massive effort to update Tomorrowland. The "New Tomorrowland" officially opened on July 18th of that same year. It is amazing to think that the construction for this overhaul - which also introduced the Peoplemover, the Carousel of Progress, the Tomorrowland Terrace, and Monsanto's Adventure Through Inner Space (in August) - took about 10 months. How many years has it taken to upgrade the Submarine Voyage? How long did it take to fix Space Mountain?


While this slide is dated 1967, we don't know what month the photo was taken. The Rocket Jets sure look new and shiny though! On the upper level, you can see two cast members (hot babes, it appears!) assisting guests as they load up the rockets. Below that is the load area for the Peoplemover, which was obviously not in operation on that day. I always loved the simple-yet-ingenious rotating platform, so that you boarded a Peoplemover vehicle that was not moving in relation to you.

And just visible at ground level is the relocated Space Bar. I had no idea that there was a Space Bar after the original was removed, but here's the picture to prove it. I'll have a cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.

Twofer Saturday

Today's post is kind of lame, I admit...I'm running out of scans! I need to warm up the ol' scanner, but there never seems to be enough time.

First up is a look at the C.K. Holliday as it sits in front of Main Street Station (from a slide dated June 1956). Is that engineer giving us a dirty look?! I miss the old Santa Fe signs...as others have pointed out, they added that dash of "reality" that made Main Street feel so much more authentic.


And next is a view from the Skyway looking down on King Arthur's Carousel. You can see that the horses are not all white, the way they are today. The thinking is that "everyone wants to ride a white horse", but I personally would prefer a variety of colors. Would a kid have less fun because his horse is brown? That's right, I'm never satisfied!

Disneyland, November 20 1964

I have a small number of stereo slides from Disneyland, and thought I'd scan some of them for today. Unfortunately you can't see these in 3-D, but they're nice anyway. All three of these are from 1964.

First up is a view of Tomorrowland. Where is everyone? Guess it's morning, judging by the long shadows. I can almost imagine being one of the first people to walk into that land, before the crowds and lines. What should I ride first?


Next we are in one of the Submarines. I seem to remember that the turtle sort of bobbed up and down...who knows! Matterhorn1959 recently had some photos of the Submarine Voyage that weren't blue like this. Maybe it was due to a different kind of film.


And lastly, here we are looking at Tom Sawyer Island. From the top of a Keel Boat? There in front of us is the old Pirate's Den, which is probably staying a Pirate's Den in the re-vamped island. My guess is you'll see a few more Jolly Rogers and guns around here soon. Merry-Go-Round rock is on top of the caves, removed in the name of safety. There is nothing more dangerous than a merry-go-round! Above that, a glimpse of Cascade Peak.

Fantasyland Princess

I've had this slide for a long time, but it was only after looking at it recently that I noticed the princess up on Sleeping Beauty Castle's balcony (or is it a parapet?). She doesn't look much like Briar Rose. I think Daveland had a photo that had Annette Funicello up there, do you think that this could be her? In spite of the crowds milling about beneath her (and nobody apparently noticing her), she seems to be waving directly at us!

Fantasyland, October 1962

Today we'll look at a wonderful photo of Fantasyland! There's lots going on in this one, great color and activity. Flying elephants, pirate ships, soaring skybuckets, and of course the Matterhorn. Not much else to say about this picture except that I deem it "postcard worthy"!!

Frontierland Potpourri

Today I thought I'd post a bunch of Frontierland stuff for y'all. It's not 15 images like Daveland would post, but it will just have to do!

First up we get a view of the Mine Train comin' round Cascade Peak. I sure miss this bit of Frontier eye-candy. You couldn't climb it, and no rides went through it, but having it gone stinks!


Sorry about the next blurry photo. I have had this one scanned forever and didn't know what to do with it. I mostly wondered where this train has apparently stopped, and why. I've seen a few other pictures of mine trains that might have been on a spur line. Anybody have any ideas?


The next picture is a nice detail of the sign outside Davy Crockett's Frontier Arcade, circa 1956. I have no idea what was inside this building. General merchandise? Rubber tomahawks and coonskin caps? 1830's-style pinball machines?


And finally, here's a look at the pilot house for the Mark Twain, also from 1956. Running the big sternwheeler around the Rivers of America sounds like a pretty sweet job to me!

Scary Pirate, circa 1958

Today I am posting one of my favorite Disneyland slides! In spite of the fact that it had turned magenta, I love the image. A mother and child (the same ones from my very first post on Gorillas Don't Blog) are on board the Chicken of the Sea pirate ship, back in the days when you could see a genuine pirate with a genuine wooden leg. The boy looks a little scared, clinging to his mom. She is trying to gently convince him that it will be alright.


I've seen a few photos of this pirate before, so he must have been a familiar face to Disneyland visitors in the 50's. Some fun details: The machine that dispenses "Pirates Grog", including Coke AND Pepsi, Root Beer, and Orange drink. Also the mom is holding a great vintage popcorn box, as well as one of the old, large-sized ticket books.

Tomorrowland Entrance, November 1961

Here's a nice look at Tomorrowland in a photo taken from the hub. There's the Avenue of Flags, and plenty o' attraction posters. The Clock of the World (was it powered by atomic energy?), America the Beautiful, and Monsanto's Hall of Chemistry are also visible.

You sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed something unusual in this photo...the short-lived Trash Can ride. Tear out one "A" ticket to enjoy a unique solo trek around Main Street while your attentive Sweeper entertains you with stories and fun facts! There were two load areas, one in front of Main Street Station, and the other seen here. This popular attraction was dropped after just a month due to unusually low capacity, but it is still a fond memory for a few lucky Disneyland visitors.