More Great Frontierland Scans, 1977

Here are six fun photos from Frontierland '77, courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor. As I have mentioned before, these photos were taken by an official Disney photographer (presumably for potential publicity use), and in many cases there are multiple views of the same subject. 

This kid looks a little bit bewildered as he emerges from Injun Joe's Cave (on Tom Sawyer Island) - he was 20 years old when he entered (notice the "Notre Dame" shirt), and now he is seven! Inside the cave were wonders such as the "bottomless pit", which used to have an artificial echo effect for people brave enough to make any noise in that scary place. I'm not sure how long that feature was present.

Ya see, Timmy, when a photographer uses a tripod, he or she can get nearly the exact same photo over and over. I don't want to imply that the man and woman were too chicken to go into the cave, but... they were chicken.

Let's move on to the old fishing dock, shall we? Guests couldn't rent a bamboo fishing pole and catch real fish anymore, but it was still a nice place to take in the view and set a spell.

Take two... the lanterns make me imagine how nice it would be to sit in that very same spot at night. The trouble is, Tom Sawyer Island closed at dusk, and guests were rafted back to the mainland.

Thanks to the energy crisis of the 70's, the Burning Settler's Cabin stopped burning and mostly just smoldered. The real natural gas flames were gone, replaced by a smoke effect (which was so wimpy that it isn't even apparent in this photo). The dead settler was still there though.

A few wisps of stage smoke try (but fail) to impress! A fire effect similar to one used in "Pirates of the Caribbean", using mylar film (or whatever) and orange lights simulated flames seen in the windows - again, not visible in these photos.

Thanks to the MB!

"Gourmet" Menu, Disneyland Hotel - August 1963

Here's a fun and unusual vintage Disneyland Hotel souvenir... it's a genuine menu from the hotel's Gourmet restaurant, from August 1963. I assume that this design wasn't used for very long, since I haven't seen another one like it (perhaps you have!).

The cover design echoes the ornamental "erector set"-style steel girders that were part of the hotel's look - although the actual holes in the girders were hexagonal rather than circular. Still, it gave the graphic designer a place to put some line art showing a few of the amenities available at the hotel. Like a freakin' Monorail! I also love the winding background artwork, with an Adventureland theme for the upper part, and Fantasyland and Frontierland lower down. Tomorrowland can just go to hell!

What good is a menu if it doesn't tell you what you can order? No darn good at all! Luckily those Disney folks thought of everything.

Appetizers and Tonight's Specials: I have no idea what "jellied madrilene" is, and unfortunately there is no way too look it up. My best guess is that a madrilene is a cat. 

Marinated herring? Maybe for my dad. Chopped chicken livers? Manhattan clam chowder, but not New England clam chowder? Eh, just give me the French onion soup.

Wonder what the "Disneyland garni" was for spaghetti Neopolitan? Possibly an attraction poster rolled up and stuck into the pasta. Sopa homoca, that's a new one on me - but I don't get out much. Um, waiter, am I to understand that this restaurant doesn't serve chicken strips or hot dogs?

There's not much for the non-meat eaters, but I presume that there weren't that many to worry about in 1963. Mr. X would go for the ground round steak, I'll bet! The steak sandwich sounds good to me. And how about a butterscotch sundae for dessert? I would like one of each of these items, except for the cantaloupe (I don't care for melon of any kind - yet another of my weirdnesses). 

It might be time for all of us to get something to eat.

"Lion King" Main Street Windows

The Lion King (Disney's 1994 animated feature) was a smash hit with critics and audiences. Perhaps you have heard of it? Ultimately it grossed over $400 million domestically - that's more than $800 million in today's spacebucks. Worldwide, adjusted for inflation, it grossed nearly 2 billion dollars. So it's no wonder that it got the Emporium window treatment. Today's photos come to us courtesy of Irene, Bruce, and James; Us Magazine calls them The Dream Team.

I'm sure every kid (and most adults) love those beautiful window dioramas - an Emporium tradition going back to the 1960's at least. They were wonderfully sculpted and lit, and sometimes had limited movement as an added bonus. This first window celebrates the song, "I Just Can't Wait To Be King".

I had a friend who painted backgrounds for The Lion King - his name was Serge Michaels (what an amazing painter, and a nice guy), and he told me that the studio was counting on Pocahontas to be the studios big "prestige" movie, while TLK was considered to be something of a runner up. 

This window shows young Simba being introduced to the joys of eating bugs by his new pals, Timon and Pumbaa.

After a few years living in self-imposed exile, Simba runs into his childhood friend Nala, and they fall in love. Mushy stuff! Can you feel the love tonight, homies? 

In one of the climactic scenes, Simba confronts his evil uncle Scar, and learns that Scar was responsible for his father's death. Then they get their fight on! Guess who wins?

Many thanks to the Dream Team!

Meese, September 1966

Guests could see all manner of critters along the banks of the Rivers of America... elk, mountain lions, deer, and best of all, moose. Or mooses? Like this pair, who must be pets of the nearby Friendly Indians (structures visible to our left) - because they looks mighty tasty. Ever had a mooseburger?

Those antlers make swell decorations too - a lesson I learned from Disneyland. 

Elsewhere, a solitary moose has eaten some funny plants, and now he is standing, staring off into space. "The colors, man! THE COLORS!". Soon he will become aware of how insignificant he is in the scheme of the Universe, and it will blow his mind. Take a nap, Mr. Moose, you'll feel better.

The Bird Cage Theatre, 1964

Many GDB readers are familiar with the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott's Berry Farm - home to classic melodramas and comedies for many decades. Below is a photo of it from some time in the 1960's. The "Flying Scud" was on the bill... "Fun for young and old".

But there is another Bird Cage Theatre, in Tombstone, Arizona. It opened in 1881 (note the date above the center arch), and was intended to be a respectable establishment. But the ups and downs of the nearby Grand Central Mine affected the economy, and the theatre became a saloon, gambling parlor, and brothel.

The interior looks just like my place! Wikipedia says: One of the first acts at the Birdcage was Mademoiselle De Granville (Alma Hayes), also known as the "Female Hercules" and "the woman with the iron jaw". She performed feats of strength, specializing in picking up heavy objects with her teeth. Other acts included the Irish comic duo Burns and Trayers (John H. Burns and Matthew Trayers), comic singer Irene Baker, Carrie Delmar, a serious opera singer, and comedian Nola Forest.

The New York Times described the Bird Cage Theatre as "the roughest, bawdiest, and most wicked night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast". Among the odd murders was one in which a brothel worker stabbed another with her stiletto heel. The building is said to have over 120 bullet holes.

Wikipedia again: The longest poker game in history was played in the basement of the theater. Those who wished to play had to pay a thousand dollars ($1,000) up front. Among the notable people who played in this particular game was George Hearst, Diamond Jim Brady, Adolphus Busch, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp. The poker game in itself was played continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It continued from 1881 to 1889 for a total of 8 years. It is estimated that approximately $10 million dollars was exchanged in the game during the 8 years that it lasted and that the Bird Cage retained 10 percent of that money.

With such a colorful history, it is no surprise that the Bird Cage is said to be haunted. "Visitors and employees both claim to have seen the ghosts of former brothel workers as well as dowdy men dressed in cowboy hats. Some people have even reported being pushed or shoved by unseen forces. Disembodied laughter and music can often be heard in the dead of night". 

I don't believe in such malarky, and yet... when this photo was snapped, there was no man sitting in that chair!

I'm sorry if I scared you too much, and hope you have enjoyed your visit to the original Bird Cage Theatre.

A Trio of Instamatics

Let us all raise our glasses of Yoo-hoo chocolate drink and toast Mr. X, our patron and Keeper of the Flame.

The sun doesn't always shine at Disneyland, even though it seems like that's the case in our memories. In this first photo the sky is like milk glass; everything is softened by the diffused light. I think it's a safe bet that it is early in the morning, as some of the cement is still wet from the scrubbing that it got every night.

At first I thought the Mark Twain was not in operation, but there's a CM standing near the area where guests would load, and he might just be waiting for the first batch of passengers. I love all the benches facing the river.

Mr. X snapped this photo of the noble saguaro cacti; they appear to be holding their arms in the air like they just don't care. Was X on a the Mine Train? Or perhaps a Pack Mule? The desert looks very green, as if winter storms had just brought some precious water to the arid land.

Next is this scarce view looking at one end of the Mighty Microscope (from "Adventure Thru Inner Space"). Atomobiles entered the foreboding dark tunnel, where the wonders of science shrank the Omnimovers (and the guests inside) to the size of subatomic particles. No Atomobiles are visible, oddly - even when I lightened the shadows in Photoshop, the track appears to be empty. Perhaps the ride was not yet operational, and the photo was taken from the Peoplemover (which passed through the load area)? 

Thanks to Mr. X for these wonderful photos.

Young Man River, 1997-ish

Here's another batch of not-that-old (roughly 20 years, according to UNIVAC) slide images, courtesy of Señor X. He loved that big old river in Frontierland, and was pretty upset when it was reduced in size for you-know-what. So he was happy to find these photos, recording how it looked in happier days.

First off is this standard view of the Mark Twain, coming in for a landing. Flaps are down, landing gear has been lowered - but I don't have to tell you about it. It's pretty enough, but seeing Cascade Peak still cascading (and peaking) raises this one by a few notches.

X must have been on the lowest level of the Mark Twain, right in front so as to avoid silhouetted heads and hats. The journey around the river had only just begun; the Mississippi was famous for its ever changing dangers such as shifting sand bars, snags, and sub-humanoids from the deep. As you can see, a family of rocks has gathered in front of us, as they do every equinox. Sure, it's neat, but those rocks will rip the hull of your boat into matchsticks.

So far so good, but there's another family of rocks dead ahead! Not to mention those Class 5 rapids. Luckily the Friendly Indian Village is within eyeshot, so if we wind up swimming, we will be cared for by those generous people. X wants to point out the amazing trees that completely blocked all evidence of an outside world - not that I believed in it anyway.

X took a photo of the view looking behind the boat, I'm a bit unclear as to where exactly this was on the river. 

From the videos I've seen, the River still looks pretty nice, but I miss that real frontier flavor that it used to have (like a barbecue potato chip). By the way, here's one of those sub-humanoids, photographed by Mr. X.

Even More WDW Postcards!

Today I am sharing the fourth and final post featuring Warren Nielsen's scans of a vintage Walt Disney World postcard folder that he bought in 1976. Yes, he was dressed as Uncle Sam, just like everybody was during the Bicentennial.

Here's a neat shot of Main Street; I think I have read that some of these early postcard views were taken when the park was not open to the public, and this one probably falls into that category. Maybe these people were recruited from the Preview Center?

Mickey strikes an "Ain't life crazy?" pose in front of Cinderella Castle. It is, Mickey, it really is.

This picture looks so golden and serene, but I can't help thinking of the gators just below the surface, not to mention the brain-eating amoebas crawling up the side of the sailboat, heading straight for that guys ears.

This view of the Admiral Joe Fowler steamboat and the Haunted Mansion is familiar, but still impresses all these years later. The Magic Kingdom was not surrounded by a berm (by 1971, bermite was in short supply), so trees were used instead, to pretty good effect.

Here's a terrifying view from inside the Haunted Mansion. Just look as those ghastly ghouls! Not for the faint of heart.

One of the Magic Kingdom's coolest features was the old "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" attraction. The beautiful lagoon was surrounded by palms and volcanic rocks, giving it a very different appearance when compared to the Anaheim subs. And of course Florida had those incredible Nautilii (that's the plural of "Nautilus", yes?) - Disneyland's subs evoked the era when nuclear power was the latest in cutting-edge technology, while the steampunk Nautilus subs were just plain bitchin'. 

And finally... the 26th postcard of the bunch... it's the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, sponsored by Swiss Miss hot chocolate. The faux tree is just plain amazing - completely believable. I love the clever use of aerial roots for additional supports. I hope you Magic Kingdom fans appreciate that the Swiss Family still lives there!

MANY THANKS to Warren Nielsen for generously taking the time to scan all 26 images and sharing them with the GDB readers!

Classic Main Street Vehicles, October 1963

Main Street had its share of vehicles that guests could ride - Fire Trucks, some Streetcars, Horseless Carriages, Omnibuses, and Surreys. There were also two vehicles that generally stood still for photos.  This first example is the Global Van Lines truck (parked near the entrance to the guest lockers), in various shades of blue. If you told me that this was a genuine vehicle from, say, 1920, I would believe it. It is a thing of beauty! I'd always wondered what had happened to it, so it was pretty amazing to get to see it up close at the Richard Kraft auction in 2018, restored and looking as new as the day it first arrived at Disneyland.

Parked one block north, on West Center Street, was the Carnation Ice Cream Truck. It's sitting near bunches of flowers (West Center Street was also home to the Flower Market of course), and was sort of an older cousin the the Global Van Lines truck.

For those of you who are relatively new to GDB, you might enjoy looking at THIS POST, in which I got to reveal the happy fate of this beautiful vehicle.

Rescans and Restorations

Happy April 1st, junior gorillas. I was working on an April Fools idea, but didn't give myself enough time to finish it, so... it's "business as usual" today. Sorry!

Anyway... I've gone back into the archives where my "previously scanned slides" are. You know, next to the "Birds of America" by John James Audubon, and the Gutenberg Bible. I wanted to try my hand at rescanning and re-restoring images that appeared here many years ago. The results were OK!

Both photos are from 1958, with a boy and a girl who are in the "First Family"; they were each enjoying a ride on the Pack Mules.

Here's the original scan (color-corrected from a magenta slide), posted in 2010; it looks kind of cold and gray, with an unpleasant cyan, greenish cast. No bueno.

The new scan and restoration was worthwhile, I'd say... it's not extraordinary, but I'm still pretty happy with it. 

This one was originally posted back in 2009; even after my initial attempt to restore it, the thing looks oddly yellow, with sooty black shadows. C minus!

Our girl's clothing now has its proper red stripes, and the shadows are less oppressive. I'm not entirely happy with the way Rainbow Ridge appears, but no matter what I did, there was always something off.

Say, maybe I'll try rescanning even more old slides!