Antique Car Ride, Seattle World's Fair

It's day 3 of "A Day Without You-Know-What" (remember, I'm not even going to say the name). Are you experiencing nausea, double vision, the shakes? Welcome to my world!

This seemed like as good a time as any to return to the Seattle World's Fair. Over in the amusement zone, they had their own tiny antique car ride, apparently with no themeing at all. Just be happy the thing works, kids... the whole place was built by toothless "carnies". As you can see, the diminuative cars had a steering wheel in front and in the back, which you hardly find in cars these days. And it comes with a full-sized spare tire, which is pretty nice. Check out the kid in the front seat... judging by his body language, they just hit a hobo and his conscience is torturing him.*


I wonder if Arrow Development had anything to do with this ride? They certainly built their share of auto attractions. In the background, the colorful "wild mouse" roller coaster ads a festive touch. Meanwhile, mom loves being the ultimate backseat driver.


*No hobos were actually harmed in this creation of this blog post.

Universal Studios Panorama, 1972

Welcome to day two of "A Week Without You-Know-What".

Today I have stitched together two photos of Universal Studios into one glorious panorama. Isn't Photoshop amazing? Except for the black squares in the corners, they stiched up perfectamento.

It's a pretty clear day, you can see all the way past beautiful downtown Burbank to the San Gabriel Mountains. Closer to us is the Lakeside Golf Club, and the lovely (ha ha) L.A. River. Howsabout a few closeups?


In the foreground you can see various props that kids could climb on, including scissors (from "Land of the Giants" (?), a police car, a jet fighter, and a stage coach with a background painted in a continuous loop that would turn when you pressed a button. To the left you can see a mere edge of the "New York" buildings. Moving to the right are some of the actor's bungalows, and then a lake with a Mississippi steam boat.


Looking further east you can see the walls of a medieval city. I'm not sure if that's where they filmed some of the scenes from the 1931 version of "Frankenstein"... anybody? Slightly to the right is the western town, where zillions of "oaters" were filmed. I sure would love to be allowed to just explore on my own down there!


And finally, looking past the Warner Studio soundstages you can juuust see Walt Disney Studios. They were probably working on their animated version of "Robin Hood" right about then!

Mystery Shack!

Today is day one of "A Week Without Disneyland"! That's right, seven days with no mention of The Happiest Place On Earth (excepting this paragraph, of course). Hey, it'll be over before you know it. Let's go!

When I first saw today's slides (circa 1957), I thought that they might be from Knott's Berry Farm's "Haunted Shack" - but they're not. Maybe they're from the "Mystery Spot" in Santa Cruz, or one of several similar crazy shacks from around the country.

Look, that water is running uphill! Sacre bleu! As you probably know, these mystery shacks are all built on sites where there are unexplained gravitation anomalies. My theory: there are UFOs buried beneath them. It's the only logical explanation for this gravity-defying phenomenon. If you wanted to build a swimming pool here, you'd have to build it upside down. Think about it! (Don't think about using the bathroom however).


Jumpin' jehosaphat, that boy is standing on the wall! He is a warlock, STONE HIM! To the right you can see the little trough where a marble will roll uphill due to the presence of dark matter. I would explain it, but it's very complicated.


You might think that somebody nailed junior's shoes to the floor as a prank, but that's not the case. He is defying the very laws of gravity and spitting on the graves of Galileo and Isaac Newton. BURN HIM!


I hope you have enjoyed day one of "A Week Without You-Know-What".

Der Matterhorn, July 1 1959

The Matterhorn was still brand spankin' new on July 1 1959 (it opened on June 14th, only about two weeks earlier!). I think I still see some bubble-wrap on it over there on the side. We've become jaded over the years and have forgotten how spectacular this must have looked to the hu-mans back in the day. You can see the Yacht Bar, and at the top of the Matterhorn is a silhouetted climber. Stop sitting around and dance or somethin'.


The sun has set, but the Matterhorn is bathed in the last peach-colored glow reflected from the sky. Looks pretty nice, huh?

Tomorrowland Entrance (undated)

You just get one photo today, folks. I've been lazy and this was the only scan left on my 'pooter. But don't worry, I plan on spending an hour or two slaving over a hot scanner (the old fashioned kind that runs on propane).

Meanwhile, at least you get to enjoy this classic view of Tomorrowland (my favorite!). It's undated, but somewhere between 1956 and 1959 - I'll let you decide! Let's go to CirCARama first, I think they have a new film now.

Parkling Lot, January 6 1957

It is an odd thing; in posting a few pictures of a parking lot, I will be making some people happy. Who knew?

Yes, today's post features two parking lot images; technically I guess that they are really pictures of Main Street Station, but it's the cars that get my attention. Look, there's a Ford Frijole, a Pontiac Gnome, and is that a Chevy Molar over there? Of course my favorite is the Nash Mosquito, or maybe the Buick Seizure-88. Boy, do I know my vintage cars!


Oh man, check out those two-tone beauties, like the Mercury Mongoose, the Studebaker Knobster. And that might be the front end of a Oldsmobile Chiclet. They don't make 'em like that anymore, folks! I'll just silently tip-toe away while you feast your eyes on those babies, and dream of a time when cars were works of art.

Auntie Alice, April 1962

I have dubbed this cheerful lady "Auntie Alice". It just seems to fit! With her ultra cat's eye glasses and colorful hat, she looks like one of Samantha Steven's delightfully dotty aunts. She is striking a pose in front of a couple of attraction posters, and that plastic house we all know and love.


If Auntie Alice was a witch, she was afraid of heights! The next two photos show her staying safely on the ground while we abandon her. Still, she smiles just as sweetly as before.


Seriously, how did that work? "We're heading to Tomorrowland, auntie! See ya later!". I hope they took a round trip and came back for her.

Meanwhile, my eyes wander to the two fabulous bouffant babes with their sweaters and poofy skirts.

Sub Rehab, February 1964

When you have a Submarine attraction, it's going to have to be spiffed up once in a while. It's one of Newton's laws. I remember being disappointed to find that the Subs were closed during one visit oh-so-long ago, but was fascinated by the spectacle of the drained lagoon! I tried taking my own photos, but it was night, and I was too dumb to realize that my Magic Cube flash wouldn't light the entire lagoon.

Here are two totally boss photos (plus a couple of details) of one such rehab in 1964. The water filters out so much color (leaving only blue-green), it is surprising to see the rocks and "corals" painted a fairly vivid reddish orange. Coverall-wearing workers are polishing the giant clams and oiling the treasure chest that opened when it was full of bubbles. The temporary, wheelbarrow-friendly ramp allowed easy access to the floor of the lagoon.


Judging from the empty peach baskets, the workers enjoyed their fair share of peaches! Or maybe those containers held new, shiny shells, corals and seaweed.


This second angle faces the entrance to the "show building", where the attraction became a dark ride. That's the part I would have loved to walk through. Or better yet, get a snorkel and some fins and swim through!


What could be in those big metal drums? Paint? Adhesive? Waterproofing? Yoo-Hoo? Along the dock are many smaller paint cans. No wonder the Submarine Voyage was such an expensive ride to maintain, it was a huge job!

1964 New York World's Fair

Jiggety-jig, it's back to the fair we go! The World's Fair, that is. Keep up with me, son!

Here's the exterior of the Illinois pavilion, which I am partial to; I was born there, after all. It's not a very exciting architectural statement, resembling a large, windowless post office. But it does have that nice large photo of Honest Abe, and that quote about slavery and democracy; both hint at what was inside. You already know what it was... Walt Disney's "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln"! Happily, that legendary show has reopened at Disneyland, restored (with some editing and additions) to almost the original show seen here in New York.


You get two Fair attractions for the price of one in this photo; the Maryland pavilion and the Singer Bowl. Maryland's building contained exhibits about Chesapeake Bay, ships, the hilarious War of 1812, and crab cakes. Crab cakes, do you hear? The Singer Bowl displays included "the latets in fashions and do-it-yourself sewing projects. Sewing machines, typewriters, vacuum cleaners, TV sets, phonographs, computing devices and other products are on display." Sewing? I'm so there!


And finally, a telescope-like view across the pool that contained the Fountain of the Planets. There's the General Electric pavilion, and to the left, the Better Living Center.

Those Meddling Kids, August 1963

It's time for another visit with America's favorite kids (see them from their previous installment here). They're dy-no-mite!

Mickey Mouse, star of so many classic films, waves happily (who can really tell?) while the kids smile for a different reason; they've successfully lifted his wallet! And it was so full of cash that it looked like one of Dagwood's sandwiches.


You don't see Gideon very often. How many kids even knew who he was? Just a funny cat with an eye problem. But that's all the kids need to make them happy. In the background, the short-lived "Midget Autopia"!