Mickey and Minnie! March 1962

Let's all wish GDB pal Ken S. a very Happy Birthday! As usual, Sue B. has provided a vintage birthday photo for us to enjoy (how does she do it?). Two boys and a girl (who I almost didn't notice) enjoy wearing plaid. One kid has his feet on the furniture, a real no-no. Maybe it's OK since the chair is plastic? I'm thinking maybe the kid with the plaid pants is in mid-blow (some of the candles are out already), and he probably spit right in his brother's eye. Yuck!

There are lots of fun things to do at Disneyland (news flash), but meeting some of your favorite characters in person is way up at the top of the list for many people. Especially if you get to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse!

Mickey has dressed up for the occasion, with his massive top hat and his claw-hammer coat. He kept things playful though, sticking with the red shorts. Hey, at least he's wearing pants, right? The two ladies to the left (one with a babushka!) are mighty amused by Casper the Friendly Ghost's encounter with The Mouse. 

Buzz-cut Photographer Boy has worked up the courage to say hello (Mickey can be a little intimidating, he can't help it), and he's going to hand Mickey a $5 bill because Mickey gots to get PAID. It's nice to get a good look at the scarce "Art of Animation" poster (the exhibit was in Tomorrowland from May 28, 1960 to September 5, 1966).

In spite of the brilliant sunshine, it was obviously a chilly day, almost everyone is wearing some sort of protection against the cold. Not Minnie Mouse, though, she is ready for the Easter Parade, in her pink skirt, hat, and matching parasol. Stylish as always. 

The ladies are holding 1961 gate handouts, so either these photos were taken months earlier, or the park was using up the last of the '61 brochures. The 1962 gate handout (which is orange instead of blue) is quite a bit scarcer than all the others, for some reason, so either scenario wouldn't surprise me.

Festival of Fools

Here's a fun batch of photos from the DREAM TEAM! That's Irene, Bruce, and James, for those of you who don't already know. These images are from the days when Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was the latest animated feature (it was released in 1996). Naturally there were theme park tie-ins, including a parade, character meet 'n greets, and as seen in today's pix, the Festival of Fools stage show.

First up, a general view of the courtyard inside Fantasyland - those colorful banners are part of the Festival decor.

Over in the Big Thunder Ranch area, a theater was built (medieval France style!) so that guests could watch the celebration of "Topsy Turvy Day", as seen in the movie. 

An anxious crowd awaits! The tension is so thick that a spoon would stand up in it (like a frosty milkshake, you see). This is very much what the Major Pepperidge compound looks like. "Pepperidgeville", some call it.

Here are some details. We love details!

I never saw this show, so I don't really have a concept of what went on. Based on the cast members pointing, and the audience members holding up their hands, it looks like volunteer participants were being chosen. FOR DEATH. 

There's Clopin, a "gypsy puppeteer" (according to Wikipedia) who tells the story of the Hunchback. One website said: The show officially started with the arrival of Clopin, everyone’s favorite gypsy and storyteller. Clopin retold the story of the film, which included many of the songs and iconic moments, mixed with improve and off-the-cuff jokes. But were the jokes ribald?

It's a bit hard to see here, but I believe that the lovely Esmerelda is dancing for us; meanwhile Quasimodo is swinging up on the great bell.

More singin' and dancin'! The show came to a dramatic finish with a battle in the bell tower, a final song, and massive confetti streamers raining from the sky. The 25-minute performance captured the spirit of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and brought huge excitement to the quietest region of Frontierland.

The Festival of Fools had a relatively short run, with its final performance coming less than two years after its debut. The hype around The Hunchback of Notre Dame was dwindling among park guests, and the parade float dedicated to the film was already absent from the lineup. Despite a very loyal following, the Festival of Fools held its last performance in April 1998, and the entire staging area was closed to the public for almost a decade.

MANY THANKS to the Dream Team!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Be sure to check out Part Two of our friend Andrew's trip report (about his first trip to Disneyland), he has tons of great photos and has written some fun commentary! This time he describes his  impressions of Adventureland and New Orleans Square. Go to the Bayern Curve Blog ASAP.

Cute Near the Castle, March 1962

Here are more photos of a fetching young lady, taken by a guy who took so many pictures of her. He was koo-koo bananas for her!

There she is, posing near Sleeping Beauty Castle; it was a Kodak "Picture Spot", as you can see. It sure looks nice with that planter full of shrubs and flowers. Seems like that tree kind of blocks the view, but I guess our photographer could have maneuvered a bit to the left for a better look. Let's face it, he didn't care about the castle at all! Do you think our gal is standing with her heels on the curb to look a little taller?

The woman is holding a copy of a 1961 souvenir guidebook, so it's the usual scenario; either these photos were actually taken in 1961, or they were still selling off the '61 guidebooks until the new '62 books were in stock.

Disneyland has the moat with the most. The most what? Magical swan poop, of course. I always appreciate an unusual angle on the Castle, and this one fits that bill.

 

Columbia Details, 1979

I'd like to wish our good friend Melissa a very Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day. Sue B. kindly provided a humorous vintage birthday-related photo (not a "Lou and Sue" joint). That little girl is concentrating every atom on the task of blowing out those candles. I love that the dog is there, waiting for his slice of cake!

And if that wasn't cool enough, Sue B. went above and beyond and created this special tableau just for Melissa! Notice the french fries sticking out of a Filet O' Fish sandwich!

Meanwhile, it's time for more details from the Columbia sailing ship, thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor! 

The Columbia wasn't a war ship, but that doesn't mean that it didn't need to open a can of whoop-ass occasionally. And a big shiny cannon will scare away all the the meanest scalawags. I like to fill the gun with red-hot shot. 

What kid hasn't dreamed of steering a ship through stormy seas (waves like skyscrapers!) while manning the helm? In oilskins and big boots, of course - a nice herring in the pocket to munch on (herring were the Gogurts of the 17th and 18th centuries).

If you've ever wanted a closeup of a ship's wheel, you are in luck! 

Sometimes the hold filled with water. Heavy seas, cannon holes, teenagers, you just never know. So a chain pump is just the thing to help prevent going straight to Davy Jones' Locker. It is also great cardio.

It's four bells! That means that it is time to do something, but who knows what? Those bells are so confusing. But they look and sound so cool that nobody has ever wanted to update to a nice Timex wall clock (with "Indiglo").

 Many thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor!

Canoe Guys!

It's time for another selection of photos, shared with us by GDB friend Ken S. ("KS" in the comments)! This time we are focusing on Canoe CMs. Ken kindly provided some personal recollections, which of course makes looking at the photos a much richer experience (his comments are in orange).

I like this series of shots.  47-48 years between them to be sure.  No ducks were harmed.  The first two shots are so typical of a day on the dock.  I almost feel I'm in the shot and can hear the conversations and laughter.

The west end of the dock was the congregation point...a shady and, as best we could, secluded area to sit down for a moment or two on a large 'dock box' which would contain our personal items or jackets as the sun warmed and cooled the temperatures.

Management did not want us to spend much break time "on stage" but it was also the place where our foreman would hang out checking schedules and...well...commanding the ship so to speak.  Not to mention that he would also be an instigator of such behavior until it reached a point that he would get us back to work.  But before the days of posting pictures on a social media platform in real time, there was a certain amount of freedom.  Today...we'd likely be fired.

Having the opportunity to clown around, take pictures and wait for them to be developed in a week or so gave us the latitude to deny all knowledge.  LOL  As I mentioned being all male...a lot of testosterone was present. And we got pretty good catching ducks to share with our guests and to demonstrate our hunting prowess.  The group shot with the ducks...pretty rare but that's what you get when somebody brings a camera!

The last shot was taken at a reunion party last year. Worked with all of them, 3 of which were on the canoes among other attractions. From left to right, 1) a retired commercial airline pilot, 2) successful real estate broker in Santa Fe (also pictured in the duck shot), 3) a former "rookie" CM which turned into a 40+ year career in the Disney Corporation...whom I believe is pictured in the first shot instructing guests about canoe etiquette, and selecting a paddle, while they are still in line.  Lastly, a well regarded architect working and living in Sydney, Australia.

As I get older in age, I get more reflective looking back.  And again, so many of us developed a strong camaraderie that social media brought us back together again in large numbers.  Seeing pictures of Disney marriages, many of us became a Best Man or Groom for each other.

So fun! THANK YOU to Ken S. for sharing these photos and memories of this cherished time. I for one am jealous.

There are more photos from Ken to come!

Leftuggies from April 1959

Here is a pair of less-than-exciting photos for your Snoozer Sunday, starting with this closeup of one of the signs affixed to a flagpole along the "Avenue of Flags" - one of 48 flags (one for each State!) that flanked a walkway in Tomorrowland. I honestly don't know if Alaska and Hawaii were ever added to the original 48 flags. I'd say it is a safe bet that whoever took this photo was visiting from Colorado. The crane behind the House of the Future might have something to do with construction of the Matterhorn or Sub Lagoon.

It's a shame this next one is not entirely in focus, because I like the long-lens shot of a brave guide helping to navigate an "Indian War Canoe" down the Rivers of America. Watch out for 20 foot-long snapping turtles!

Roadside USA

I have some nice scans of some roadside attractions - all of the best attractions are on the side of a road! 

Let's start with this shot of the Big Rock Candy Mountain motel and trading post, from September of 1969. I didn't know what the Big Rock Candy Mountain was exactly...

... but a little Googlin' showed that it's a tourist destination in Sevier, Utah (according to Google Maps). Its looks like the structure seen above is still standing:

Who doesn't love vintage postcards?

Here's the back, so you can git some learnin'.

Another vintage postcard:

Next is this photo of a genuine Conestoga wagon (with genuine truck tires), with a genuine old coot who can fill you with frontier wisdom (of course he sounds just like Gabby Hayes), and you can take his picture, all for a few bucks. Such a bargain! There is no writing on the slide, but there's a sign in the photo that says "Papago Park", which is in Tempe, Arizona. I thought that this fellow might have been parked along Route 66, but that ran far north of Tempe. Live and learn.

From a completely different batch of vintage photos comes this second view of what I believe is the same old coot and his covered wagon. It might be a different fellow, I concede. Does Tempe have miles and miles of empty desert as in this photo? Maybe it did in the 1950s. Or maybe the old coot moved from place to place.

Bear Country, 1973

Today I have two more wonderful photos from Mr. X, circa 1973(ish)! Once again, the 3 C's (color, clarity, composition) make for some particularly vibrant views of the park as it looked nearly 50 years ago.

Bear Country had opened in March of 1972, the first new "land" to be added since New Orleans Square (in 1966). To accommodate this new area, the borders of the park were pushed out beyond the train tracks. So a trestle bridge was built, allowing guests to walk beneath the tracks, the only place they could do so besides the entrance at Main Street Station. 

Here we are looking from Bear Country out toward the rest of Frontierland, with the Ernest S. Marsh passing overhead. The Hungry Bear Restaurant would be to our left (beyond the trestle), and the sod-roofed Trading Post can just be seen in the distance to the right.

Here's a scan from a 1975 souvenir map for a little context.

I have very few photos from inside Bear Country, so this nice shot of the Mile Long Bar was quite the find. The sign above the windows says "1902 - John Colter Building", any idea what significance that might have? That tunnel to the right is the entrance to the Country Bear Jamboree. 

Many thanks to Mr. X!

Universal Studios

Today I have a neat series of black and white (or sepia, to be precise) photos, taken by Sue B's cousin Stu during a visit to Universal Studios. The studio officially opened to the public as an amusement park in 1964, introducing the "Glamour Trams" and the famous Studio Tour. My guess is that these photos must have been from around 1964.

This first shot appears to have been taken from inside a Glamour Tram, with that angled window and the fringed canopy. The view outside is overexposed, but it almost looks like a "modern" mid-century home.

Here's a great shot of the Bates house (from 1960's "Psycho"), it looks very spooky and definitely haunted! You can still see the Bates house (and the Bates Motel) on the Studio Tour, though the buildings have apparently been moved around several times over the decades.

I asked Sue if she knew the people in this photo, and she had no idea who the young boy is; but the woman in the middle is her paternal grandmother, and the woman on the right is Sue's aunt (father's sister).

Sue's aunt and grandma needed a time out!

There's Stu himself, posing among what I assume are foam-rubber boulders. 

While a bit blown-out by overexposure, you could easily convince a person that this was a real New York street. I tried fiddling with it in Photoshop, but no significant details could be recovered.

Here's one of the soundstages with the big doors wide open, probably to let the bats out. Why are there bats? How should I know?! I don't know why you are always talking about bats. 

It's fascinating to think that this big warehouse of a building could become the inside of a U-boat, a New York penthouse, a courtroom, or a suburban home. The possibilities are endless. All thanks to THE MAGIC OF THE MOVIES. 

This is probably my favorite photo in the batch! Universal Studios looks more like Corriganville here, it is almost unrecognizable. What I wouldn't give to see it like it was back then!

Here's a quartet of character actors, though the fellow on the left might be an "above the line" type. The gentleman who is third from the right looks very familiar, but I can't place him. Can that possibly be Paul Lynde on the right??

I don't know who this gentleman is, but that little girl (and the woman behind her) appears to be wanting his autograph. Does anybody recognize him?

MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue and Stu!

Golden Horseshoe Revue, 1950s

It's time for a little Disneyland Naughtiness™, courtesy of the Golden Horseshoe Revue! Don't worry, it's no worse than a PG-13 movie, and there are no decapitations. These oversized slides were mounted on glass, which is always a novelty. And good photos of the Revue are not common, so it's nice to get these big clear color images.

There they are, the can-can gals, legs high, showing off their colorful petticoats. I'm blushing as I type this because it's so naughty! I don't even know, did they play the famous "Galop Infernal" by Offenbach while this saucy display was occurring? I'm sure the composer would be honored to learn that his music would eventually be used in two Disneyland attractions (The Enchanted Tiki Room being the other). "Je suis heureux!".

Well! There's something you don't see every day. Unless you live in Las Vegas. Then you see a lot of crazy stuff every day. I wonder how many dancers the Golden Horseshoe Revue employed? There are four here, but I'd assume that there were at least two shifts multiple performances during a long day. And it was hard work too! But with regular employment at Disneyland, hopefully these ladies could settle down and have a nice life.