Two Leftuggies

You saw the title of today's post: it's LEFTUGGIE TIME!

We'll start with this view from August, 1959. Our photographer seems to have been on the river - perhaps on a Keelboat? The vantage point is pretty low to the water... I guess we'll never know for sure. I rejected this picture due to the odd light leak blotches in the sky, but decided that, while noticeable, they were not a fatal flaw. 

Let's zoom in for a better look at the Huck Finn raft that is heading from Tom Sawyer Island back to the mainland, where a crowd awaits their turn for the trip back. Of course we also get a pretty nice look at the old Plantation House, owned by chickens. 

Next, a slide dated "August 1958", taken (I presume) from the Fantasyland Skyway Chalet looking eastward (or south-eastward, to be more accurate) along the cable, which seems to be particularly packed with gondolas. It's sort of a neat perspective, I'm not really sure why I skipped this one years ago.

 

Disney Gallery Holiday Catalog, 1999 - PART 4

Hey hey! No, I'm not the Monkees. Today I am presenting the fourth and final installment in the series of 1999 Disney Gallery holiday catalog posts, from our good friend Sue B. 

The items on this page are actually described on the final page of the last Disney Gallery catalog post, consisting of decorative boxes "in a blend of gold, silver, bronze, brass, and pewter". What, no molybdenum? If your favorite is the set of Cinderella items, you have good taste, because that one cost $1,950. You're worth it! The crystal castle is practically cheap at only $1,495.

Those "framed costume posters" are a bit odd if you ask me (and you did). The handbag looks like it will hold plenty of candy, so it is beautiful as well as practical. As a kid I would have been drawn to the charms bracelet, with all of those little items. There's even a spoonful of sugar!

Another doll. I respect that people love dolls, I truly do. They're just not for me! Mary Poppins has just had Botox injections, so her face is a bit like a mask, but a few weeks on the rooftops of London will set things right.

I love a tea party! With the little sandwiches and cookies and... other stuff. You know you can put Nesquik in a teapot too, don't you? It'll change your life. I decided to (poorly) merge this two-page spread for your viewing pleasure.

The snow globe with St. Paul's cathedral, much like the one seen in Mary Poppins, reminded me of a cool blog post from Kevin Kidney (see it HERE) restored the original globe back in 2013. This merchandise version is quite a bit fancier, but it still recalls the one from the film.

I like this next piece, not quite a prop repro, but pretty close... Mary Poppins' parrot umbrella! It says that the parrot head was cast from one of the originals, but I think that they missed a trick when they didn't make it so the beak could open and close.

Those of you who have been reading GDB for a long time might know that Pinocchio is my favorite of all the animated features. It's incredible! But... here are more dolls. DOLLS?! And more porcelain too, the world supply of porcelain must have been depleted by the Disney Gallery. 

Here's more Pinocchio stuff, including miniature bear doll things (WHY?). I'm not wild about sericels, but this one was signed by Dickey Jones (voice of Pinoke), so that's pretty cool. Actual Disney history there. The Figaro and Cleo snowglobe sculpture is cute too, one of the few animation cels that I own shows Cleo in her bowl. 

And here it is: the back cover! WE'VE DONE IT! We've looked at the whole catalog, and now we crave charming little Disney knick knacks to fill every corner of our homes. "I'm sorry, I'd offer you a seat, but everything is covered in Disney dolls. Sorry!". The Pooh (and friends) plush figures are cute, but Disneyland gave plush toys a bad name.

MANY THANKS to Sue B. for sharing this Disney Gallery catalog with us!!

Christmas Parade, 1963 - PART 3

Hooray, it's time for PART 3 of the 1963 "Christmas in Many Lands" parade! Have you missed the first two installments? If so, I'm not angry, just disappointed. 

Once again, I was baffled when trying to ID the nation represented in this tableau, but (luckily for me) they put a little sign at the front of the float that says "Polish Carolers". I admit that I probably would not have guessed "Poland". Not only do we have men, women, and children in traditional dress, but there's a log cabin, a mannequin holding a creche (manger scene), and another mannequin holding what I assume is some sort of yummy delicacy. 

This one is easy - featuring fabulous female flamenco dancers from Spain! Are the leggy gals holding castanets? I can't tell. 

Alpenhorns and a Saint Bernhard dog must mean this is the contingent from Switzerland. 

The next two are a mystery to me; are these young men and women (all in white) from a local high school? The ladies' costumes vaguely recall Native America headdresses, with a Busby Berkeley twist. The young men also seem to be in a kind of "Hollywood musical" kind of native garb.  

I am not entirely sure that the marching band is with the performers in white, but they might be carrying a sign that says "SAUGUS", which is in Santa Clarita county (about 25 miles north of Burbank, where the Walt Disney Studios is located). Or do you think the sign says something else?

The last photo for today features the Mickey Mouse himself, banging away on The Big Bass Drum, which is pulled by Chip and his twin brother Chop. Dale had a sore throat and stayed home. Sitting in front of the drum is Ludwig Von Drake, I believe - not a character seen very often!

OK, that does it for now. Stay tuned for the final installment, a week from today!

Sunday Snoozles™

Here are two more VERY dark slide images from that April 1974 lot. They were probably stored in a haunted closet. Happens more often than you'd think.

This is an interesting composition as we observe guests heading into Adventureland; to be honest I'm a bit unsure of what the dark shapes are that frame the image. Big lumpy objects! Probably living creatures made of stone (Horta?), it's the only logical explanation. If this wasn't such a dark photo, it would be nice!

It must have been something when Walt Disney first saw his fleet of jungle launches lined up at the dock, ready to receive guests. This was quite a step up from the backyard railroad at his home!

Freedomland USA

It's always fun to revisit Freedomland USA, once located in the Bronx. New York, that is. The story of the development and short existence of Freedomland is a fascinating one, and there are entire books written about it. You might want to peruse the Wikipedia entry, or read this nice article from the New York Almanack website. Or if you are a real brainiac, read both! Today's photos are from August, 1961 by the way.

Here's a look at the exterior of the Saloon/Opera House, a soft drink bar that featured a 30-minute stage show with a four-piece band, showgirls, singers and comedians. Some of New York City's radio disc jockeys and program hosts would broadcast from the stage. Was the aforementioned soft drink Pepsi Cola by any chance? Like many features of Freedomland, this Saloon echoed the one at Disneyland, though it sure looks different, architecturally, and I appreciate that. Notice the sign telling guests that Dean Hunter of WMGM would be broadcasting every Wednesday night, while another sign mentions Tom Gregory of WNYW; From 1958 to 1965, he was the host of the mid-afternoon show Cartoon Playtime, on which vintage Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons were shown, and also occasionally hosted Wonderama.

Now we're looking at "Little Old New York", where (among other delights) one could explore an old-time apothecary. Was there a jar of leeches inside? My Magic 8-Ball says "YOU MAY RELY ON IT". You could also get spritzed with perfume at R.H. Macy. But the cool kids liked to take a boat ride aboard the "Totsie", a New York Harbor tugboat. 

And finally, we're looking at the "Great Lakes", part of the "Old Chicago" section of the park. Everyone knows that the Great Lakes are right next to New York Harbor, it's just a fact. In the distance to the left we can see the silo from Borden's Farm, where Elsie the Cow could be seen in her "boudoir". Right in the center, there is the charred ruins of a building that burned in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. On the water is one of two 110-foot 400 passenger steamboats (the "American" and the "Canadian"); I learned that they had calliopes on board. To the right of the steamboat is the "Pert", the other New York Harbor tugboat. 

We miss you, Freedomland, USA!

Costumed Characters, April 1960

Here's a fun pair of scans from 1960 featuring some of the slightly-weird costumed characters of those early days. The weirdness is what makes them fun in my opinion! 

First up is this cute picture of a little girl posing with one of the Three Little Pigs. Maybe you know which one it is! The pig to the left is clearly the Practical Pig, he loves Oshkosh B'gosh overalls and brick pianos. The Monorail track is overhead, but we must be in Fantasyland, because the Matterhorn Chalet (and Screechy the Richfield Eagle) can be seen behind the lady with the red vest.

I guess it's too much to expect a three year-old to stay at the park until midnight, so the family was heading out to their car - when LO! Mickey and Minnie were there! I kind of love this costume version, it is cute and has a lot of charm, even if it's a little "off model". 

The Matterhorn, 1960s

The real Matterhorn (in Switzerland) is one of my top 10,000 mountains. Some of you might be surprised to learn that the Disneyland version is in the "top 10"! Let's face it, the real mountain has a bunch of features that are not that fun. Real snow. Actual altitude. Bugs (I assume). A lack of basketball half-courts. I rest my case, your honor! 

Just look at this photo, with the Matterhorn looming loomily; it just occurred to me that the mountain appears to be very dark gray, which is how it looked when it was pretty new - at some point it was repainted (by Earl Scheib) in a lighter tone. Or else it just looks dark in this photo, which is no fun. And something else occurred to me! I don't think there were orange Skyway gondolas in the early years (because Earl was out of orange) so this probably isn't a very early photo of the Matterhorn, and I don't know why you even brought it up. 

Great googly-moogly, look at that crowd! I haven't seen that many people since I performed at Woodstock (you might recall that I played on day 2, after Canned Heat but before The Grateful Dead). 

It's a Small World Clock, August 1966

I am going out on a limb by associating the fanciful mechanical clock on the façade of "It's a Small World" with Christmas. Because toys, you know? Here, let me explain it to you. Kids get toys for Christmas, see? Ah, what's the use! Nobody will ever get it!

I guess I need to just soldier on. I have some nice photos of the aforementioned mechanical clock, circa August, 1966, when IASW had only been open at Disneyland for about three months. Most of us are probably so familiar with this sight that we don't fully appreciate how wonderful and elaborate this entire façade is. As you can see, it was 6:45 - still plenty of daylight left in August.  

I just love the very "mid 1960s" style of this attraction, with all of those shapes and doo-dads that look like they are straight out of a magazine article about crafts (McCalls? Better Homes and Gardens?). Not the cast members in those cylindrical enclosures. If you happen to be there when the park closes, those enclosures fly backstage, Jonny Quest style!

Disney Gallery Holiday Catalog, 1999 - PART 3

Welcome to more 1999 Disney Gallery holiday catalog scans, courtesy of Sue B! LET'S GO!

I must restrain myself from making "nautical pooh" jokes. I remember that there was a point where I was getting mighty overloaded with Winnie the Pooh on products and the Disney Channel. He was truly everywhere, all the time! But I have to admit that I can understand his appeal. I like the fact that these items portray the famous Milne characters as they looked in the original E.H. Shepard illustrations. 

I'm a sucker for sets of things, though I am more of a commemorative thimble guy, as you know. But how about a Winnie the Pooh spice jar collection? HOW ABOUT IT?! I would truly love to know if there is anybody out there who is actually using their Pooh spice jars 24 years later.

Theo only time I was tempted to buy a ceramic cookie jar is when I saw a Bulldog Cafe cookie jar (looking just like the cafe in The Rocketeer) at a shop. But then I came to my senses! 

It's interesting to see these leather accessories circa 1999. No iPad case? No phone cases? The first iPhone wouldn't be introduced until 2007, and I don't know how we lived before then.

I used to know a girl, she liked to collect snowglobes from every place she personally visited. They were usually those plastic ones you might see in an airport. However, once people knew she liked snowglobes, she would get them for her birthday, for Christmas, etc. And she got pretty annoyed. "I don't want just snowglobes!" she would scream from the top of the Empire State Building.

Those Mickey Mouse boxer shorts make me think of the Mickey "ear balloons" from Disneyland, so you can buy me a few pairs of those. And maybe a scarf!

One time, I was wearing a tuxedo, and I got nacho cheese on my black tie. It looked just like the tie in this catalog! True story: I often wear a cummerbund even when I'm in my casual t-shirt and jeans daily wear.

The Mickey and Minnie bears are odd. "Hey, Marty, you know how we can move all those teddy bears we got in the warehouse? Put 'em in Disney clothing!". "Tony, you are a genius!". The Maleficent marionette is kind of cool, and hey, it has Bob Baker's name on it. I'd like it even better if it had Bob Barker's name on it.

Many people remember when Eddie Van Halen played one of these short scale Mickey Gibson electric guitars in concert (this was when Gary Cherone was the lead singer - the best in my opinion!). You haven't heard "Panama" until you've heard it played on a short scaled Mickey Gibson guitar. 

One of the most beloved scenes in "Cinderella" is when the mice and birds all work together to help create Cindy's beautiful ballgown. Until those wicked stepsisters see it! I'm just going to tell you the entire plot of the last third of "Cinderella", so sit back and relax.

WHAT? Only one more installment of the Disney Gallery holiday catalog to go? Yep, and in only a week too. THANK YOU to Sue B!

Christmas Parade, 1963 - PART 2

It's time for more vintage pix from the 1963 "Christmas in Many Lands" parade! If you missed part one, Mr. T will have something to say to you.

Here's an impressively huge band. "HB", presumably Huntington Beach? Or maybe Hermosa Beach? Huntington Beach is not that far from the park; I used to live there, and as I've mentioned before, we used to be able to see Disneyland fireworks (though they were very far away) from the bleachers of Edison High School.

It's all male, and all nude! Well, that guy to the left isn't wearing a shirt, at any rate. I'm not sure if this represented all Arab people, or if it was supposed to be more specific than that. The gold lame kaffiyehs are quite a thing. Meanwhile, I probably should have pointed it out before, but we can see that the Opera House was the headquarters for the Mickey Mouse Club at this time.

Hmmm, I was originally going to guess that this small group represented a country in Northern Europe, but now I'm thinking it might be Italy. What do you think?

Once again I risk displaying my ignorance; I think this group represents Japan. with the young geishas, and what looks like a samurai doll. Is that a baseball trophy at the front of the float? The lilac-colored haori (kimono jackets) are a nice touch.

WELL. Another Arabic group, my apologies for not knowing. I need flags, darn it! Give a guy a break. I wonder how many Disneyland guests had never seen a real camel before? To the left there are critters that look like small llamas to me. But they can't be llamas. 

And finally (for today) I believe that these folks might represent Mexico. That flowered float reminds me of the colorful boats that are seen at the floating gardens of Xochimilco (near Mexico City). But I'm always happy to be corrected!

 There are two more installments from this parade, so stay tuned.