Three More from 1972

Where were you in '72?! I was living in Huntington Beach, about 10 miles (as the crow flies) from Disneyland. On summer nights we would ride our bikes over to Edison High School, and you could see the teeny tiny fireworks in the distance. It was a kind of torture! Because it made me wish I was right there.

Anyhoo, these photos are from that year. Pictures of the "It's a Small World" entrance from around that time startle me because there is so much wide-open space. To be honest it's kind of ugly, all that pavement. But I prefer it to the merchandise shop that now blocks your view. You can really see the intricate and whimsical facade in all of its glory. We can be grateful that the pastel colors of a few years ago have been replaced with its classic white and gold again. Now if only they don't mess up the inside during the current rehab...


Here's a nice upshot of the Skyway buckets passing over the Pirate Ship. The complimentary colors of orange and blue enhance each other. I want my Skyway!


Tom Sawyer Island looks busy on this winter day. You can tell it's winter because of the coats and sweaters on everyone! Other photos in the lot show Christmas decorations aplenty, but those aren't evident here. The pontoon bridge is certainly popular. You know what would be cool? If it was a flaming pontoon bridge!

Matterhorn Bobsleds, 1962

Here's a fun group of slides featuring the mighty Matterhorn! My favorite is the first one, mom (or dad) managed to capture the kids as they sped past, and the look of joy on their faces is great! You can't really tell because she's facing away from us, but the girl with the pony tail in the middle is the same girl we met in this photo. We'll see her again soon!


The next two are just general shots of bobsleds in action. Here's one about to splash down (Pirate Ship peeking up in the distance)...


... while this one tries to capture a speeding sled, not very successfully (Moonliner in the background!).

Casey Jr., 1955

Let's return to 1955! Workmen are still scrambling to finish the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, which is sort of behind us. The shores of the Storybook Land canal are still nothing more than dirt and weeds (weeds watered with the tears of disappointed children!), although the colorful Casey Jr. Circus Train brightens things up considerably. And, since Casey didn't debut until July 31, we know that this photo was taken sometime after that, but (obviously) before the Pirate Ship opened its galley on the 29th of August. I would imagine that guests saw Monstro, toothy jaws agape, swallowing boats one by one, and couldn't wait to see what other wonders were in store. Suckers!


If we zoom in, we can see that there are quite a few bits and pieces of the Pirate Ship still laying around. Planks of wood bent in a nautical fashion, a mast (or is it a "yard"?) complete with striped sails, a table saw and sawhorses... if you link back to this picture from the same lot, you'll see how far they still have to go!

Keel Boat & Canoe, August 1957

"Frontierland water craft" is the theme for today! First up is this great photo taken from the upper level of one of the Keel Boats; an unusual view for sure. The kids each have their souvenir hats on... sis chose a sort of "coolie" hat (from Adventureland, of course!), while little brother has his engineer's cap on. On the spar above them is an octagonal "squawk box"... from the few recordings I've heard of the Keel Boat spiel, squawking is a very accurate description. In the background, Fowler's Harbor. I love the painted detail at the rear of the boat, looking like early American folk art!


The kids haven't had their fill of the Rivers of America, so now they will embark on a trip aboard an Indian War Canoe. If they don't get a few more customers, somebody is going to have to work double-time to make it all the way around!

Ocho Cientos! OCHO CIENTOS!

Eight hundred posts, zowie! I never thought I'd see the day.

Here's a beauty, a shot from December 29th, 1956 showing the fabulous Autopia. I love the bright sunshine and vivid color on this one, not to mention the glimpse of a relatively undeveloped Anaheim just over the berm. What are all those green leafy things? Perhaps they are what you hu-mans call trees. Meanwhile, kids are navigating the harrowing half clover-leaf (Easy does it! Hands at 10 and 2!) while others are coming to the end of their mini-adventure. Personally I would want that two-tone red and white car, it's a beauty. Is the girl who's driving it wearing mouse ears?


Now for a mystery photo! I don't know if this next one is a Disneyland slide, but it was in a small batch of park images (from 1957), so I am crossing my fingers that it is a rare view of something. The slide has turned a lurid magenta* , so please forgive the strange appearance. Could it be the interior of the Kodak shop on Main Street? I asked someone who might possibly remember this from the 50's, and he said he didn't recognize it. Could it be from Knott's? I really have no idea. Anyway, as you can see, there is a tableau featuring a mother and her sissy-boy son posing for an old-timey photo for an old-timey photographer. Watch the birdie! Nice lace collar, Percy. I think those mannequins were seen in a classic "Twilight Zone" episode. Marsha! If anybody out there has a clue about this photo, please chime in!

*FYI, "Lurid Magenta" is the name of my rock band, we cover Led Zeppelin songs at Mr. Grouchy's every Wednesday.


The year: 1955! The thingamabob: A genuine, bona-fide, electrified, six-car Stagecoach! I love this photo, with the little boy riding shotgun and waving at us, smiling his goofy smile. He's got his souvenir banner too! The driver is looking off towards the horizon, wondering if those thunderheads will cause a flash flood, and could that dust cloud be a massive heard of buffalo? Sometimes they take days to pass. If anybody can get these folks to the fort before nightfall, he can.


Thanks to all of the readers of "Gorillas Don't Blog", and to those of you who take the time to comment! It's been lots of fun (when I'm not going insane trying to write something about the Mark Twain for the 400th time). For now my goal is to reach 1000 posts; after that, who knows. But I'll feel like I've achieved something!

More Mine Train, 1972

I'm posting a few more Mine Train images from my 1972 batch. The photographer took lots of photos of Rainbow Ridge... more than was the norm. He was plum loco about that little frontier town!

Here we get a nice look at one of the miniature locomotives, while some cool customer relaxes on the fence and watches the other trains load up and vanish through the tunnel to our left. I'm guessing that this guy normally wore a conservative suit and tie at work; but when he let his hair down, he wore his windbreaker and moccasins (yep, it's the 70's alright!).


Now for a slightly unusual vantage point, aboard a train and looking at the poor shnooks still waiting in line. The engineer is wearing what looks like a heavy coat, but it doesn't appear to be cold (although these were taken around Christmas time). Maybe he is prepared for the sun's setting, since (as far as I know) you could ride the Mine Train after dusk. Now THAT'S something I never experienced!


And finally, a real "you are there" shot as the train rounds a bend past Cascade Peak and Big Thunder Falls. You can tell that the kid in the blurry foreground is thinking about reaching out to touch the waterfall... I can't say that I blame him. How often do you get to do that?

Sunday Stuff, April 1966

Ugh, I ran out of time today, so bear with this quickie post!

I chose today's two photos because they show the Matterhorn with its plastic neighbor, the Monsanto House of the Future. The gleaming white house had been there since June, 1957, but it wouldn't be there for very much longer!


The house is just to the right, but the walkways into it have been roped off. I think it didn't officially close until December of 1967, but it sure looks closed here! I'm guessing that the house of the future had already been marked for removal, and that Walt Disney had approved it. Monsanto, of course, went on to sponsor the legendary "Adventure Through Inner Space".

Stormy Weather, April 1957

Sometimes it seems as if it is always sunny at Disneyland, but of course that isn't always the case. One of my most fun visits was during a cold rainy day in November!

These next three photos were taken during a gray day in April, 1957. Just look at those dark skies!


I guess that the film stock imparted a greenish cast to everything... it reminds me of how the sky looks during the calm before a storm! Crowds are certainly light...


Somehow the moody sky suits the Pirate Ship! It appears that some of the lights on board have been lit. In spite of the gloom, remember that April showers would bring May flowers!

Three From 1956

Yay, a triad of photos from Disneyland's second year of operation!

Numero uno: This nice shot of the entrance to the park, with the ticket booths, the Disneyland Railroad, and Main Street Station of course. In spite of the blue, sunny skies, it must have been a bit chilly judging from the dress of the guests.


In this closeup view, we can see that the Carrousel was closed, that the park was open from 10 to 7, and that you could purchase "Special Guest Cards", whatever those were. Any idea, Tim (aka Mr. Vintage Disneyland Tickets)??


Here's a familiar view looking over the rail of the Pirate Ship towards Cinderella's dream castle. Casey Junior is about to pass beneath that castle, while Storybook Land boats (again with guys as the hosts!) cross hither and yon. You can get a nice look at Toad Hall. Thaddeus J. Toad's estate had ancient woods full of pheasants, a formal garden, and an orchard.


And last but certainly not least is one of my favorite Town Square images, with a nice dynamic composition. The horse is wearing a stylish chapeau, and City Hall looks appropriately grand. Wonder why Walt Disney didn't have his apartment above that building? It certainly looks roomy, and you didn't have kids ringing the bell like they did in the Firehouse. That foreground branch makes me think of the photos on Viewmaster reels, it would have made a great 3-D element!

Tomorrowland Murals, Nineteen Seventy Foo

Mary Blair's star certainly has risen over the last 10 or 15 years... before that, only true Disneyland and animation fans knew anything about her. Hard to believe! Nowadays a small gouache color study can fetch $8000 and more.

Her distinctive styling could once be seen primarily in "It's a Small World", the "Alice in Wonderland" dark ride, and on these murals that lined the Peoplemover corridor in Tomorrowland. The theme of these murals was, "The Spirit of Creative Energies Among Children". I used to think that the murals didn't really seem to belong in Tomorrowland, but to paraphrase on old chestnut, the future does belong to those little ankle biters, after all.


Even though it's on the shady side of the street, the sun still blazes on this mural! His face is more than a little reminiscent of the face of the clock on the front of "It's a Small World", don't you think? Throughout Disneyland's history, Walt Disney did various salutes to the children of the world (starting with the earliest Christmas parades); the theme obviously resonated with him in a big way. In these cynical times, it's hard to imagine that Walt was really that optimistic about the future, but I think that he truly did think that there would be a "great big beautiful tomorrow".