Even Yet More Randos

If you have had trouble concentrating, and life has seemed kind of "blah", maybe these randos will liven things up for you! This first one is date-stamped "September 1977", and is a nice view taken aboard the Peoplemover as our train returned to the ever-rotating station in front of us. To the left, "America the Beautiful", and one of the Mary Blair murals. The Rocket Jets are not in the air, but you can't have everything. I don't really remember noticing those three flagpoles in the distance, though they have probably been in many pictures.

Next is a not-very-exciting photo from the vast parking lot, from a slide dated "September 17, 1970". There are only two VW Beetles here (including the one in the lower left corner). In spite of this rather "blah" view, I still kind of like it!

 

Sunday SNOOZLES™

I've been slaving over a white-hot scanner for days, and have a folder full of stuff to share with you over the upcoming months. And much to my amazement, there are not very many total Snoozles to deal with. Sure, there are some that are less interesting than others, but I don't have the real duds that sometimes show up on Sundays. For now, anyway!

Which is all to say that today's photos (from sometime in the 1970s) are not that bad, really; just kind of dull. We all love the mechanical clock that "performs" every 15 minutes in front of It's a Small World. But there are truckloads of photos of that whimsical feature, making it feel a little less special in picture form. 

This one was taken from the Disneyland Railroad looking toward the Matterhorn on a busy day. There's no intrusive gift shop in the way, which is nice. It looks like this might have been a pleasant Summer day. Let's stay until 1:00 AM!

Random Knott's Berry Farm

I have a random selection of vintage slide scans from Knott's Berry Farm today. Enjoy! This first one is date-stamped "January, 1963", and shows a very happy kid aboard one of the little coin-op antique autos. It would shimmy and shake just like Jack Benny's Maxwell! He'll need an unguent or nostrum from the apothecary when it's all over.

Next is this undated shot, certainly from the 1950s, with several nicely-dressed ladies checking out a corner of Ghost Town. I'm discombobulated, any idea where they are? What's that building to our left? I like pictures like this, I always imagine that the ladies were in their Sunday best, and were killing time before a table opened up at the Chicken Dinner Restaurant.

And finally, an unusual shot from the early 1960s, I don't believe I've ever shown Mrs. Murphy's Boarding House before. Good meals! Fish on Fridays! I assumed that this building contained one of the wonderful "peek-in" scenes, so I did a little Googlin'. The OC Historyland website has a nice article that says that Mrs. Murphy's... was the post office in Downey, California. It was moved here in 1952 and remodeled. (The Church of the Reflections, now located on the other side of Beach Blvd. also came from Downey, which was growing rapidly in the 1950s). For many years, Mrs. Murphy’s featured an animated family dinner scene. In 1967 it became the Calico Spice Shop. Later still, it was Grandma Botts’ Bonnets.

Stay tuned for more KBF!

A Pair From February, 1964

I just happened to have two scans from February, 1964 - different photographers, but they belong together, don't you agree?

This first one is a fun look at Fantasyland on a sunny late afternoon. Two ladies are amused to have discovered a REAL ELF. Will the elf grant them wishes? We can only hope. The bowsprit of the Pirate Ship can be seen, and Monstro the Grumpy Whale's starboard side looms. Let's head over to the Fan 2 Snack Bar for a hamburger. 

Now we're in Tomorrowland, at the area behind Monsanto's plastic House of the Future. As if you hadn't already had your mind blown by the futuristic house, there was more to see once you exited. Kids could climb on that amorphous sculpture (I thought it was concrete, but fiberglass seems more apt), very "Henry Moore". Along that back wall, advertisements for various manufacturers who contributed to the HOTF can be read by dad. "Well, I'll be!". On the other side of the wall, you can see an upside-down 1963 souvenir guidebook - I guess they just sold those until they were gone before introducing the newest iteration. 

Three From January, 1977

Let's start today's blog post by wishing GDB friend Nanook a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Sue B. is always on top of everything, and she sent this vintage photo just for fun (Thanks Sue). A tiny child holds a big cake! This almost looks like a Dorothea Lange image. Hey Nanook, what's that car?

BUT WAIT! Sue sent two later additions for Nanook. A veritable cornucopia. First up is this fun photo of a celebration of some kind at a place called The Blue Banjo, which was in Los Angeles. So many Mickey Mouse sweatshirts! What does it mean??

And Sue also sent along this scan, from a photo taken by her dad, Lou Perry. It shows some sort of high-tech "command center". Banks of computers with magnetic tape data reels! A typewriter! Swivel chairs! Plenty of buttons to push! Sue knows of Nanook's love of technology, this is probably what his dream home looks like.

AND NOW, here's a trio of scans from a lot of slides date-stamped "January, 1977". They aren't the greatest, but fun can still be had. 

Oh boy, look at that palm tree, and those pennants and flags - the winds were fierce on that day. Yuck! But you take what you get, and just have to deal with your funny-looking mess of a hairdo. Why, I'm chucking just thinking about it! Besides the Jolly Roger, we can see that flag that has come up in conversation before.

A small crowd enjoys a lunchtime musical performance over at the Carnation Plaza Gardens; there's a banner against the wall to the left, and it took me a while to decipher it, but I believe that it says "The Strawhatters". Those guys used to perform at the old riverfront bandstand in Frontierland, but they've moved to Main Street. 

You can make fun of It's a Small World all you want, I still like it! It's colorful, playful, and charmingly mid-century in its designs, thanks to the artistry of Mary Blair and Rolly Crump. The song doesn't bug me, either.

There are more scans from this batch, coming up!

 

A Pair From June 1962

I have a fairly large batch of slides from June, 1962, and for some reason I keep skipping over them when it's time to choose images for blog posts. There's no explanation. 

This first example shows a very crowded Frontierland, with guests in the foreground taking a break at the outside tables of the Casa de Fritos. Hey, Klondike! Those sturdy tables and chairs have a mid-century charm, with those bright colors that evoke the land south of the border. Notice that many people in the background are facing something out of frame to our right - my guess is that the Gonzalez Trio is probably performing there. 

Next is this view of Fantasyland as seen from the deck of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. More stripes, please! As I've said before, I like the "New Fantasyland" (over 40 years old) that we have now, but I will always love the original "medieval faire" version, built quickly and on a low budget for a park that was hatched in less than a year.

CBJ on GDB!

I've been scanning a batch of slides date-stamped "December, 1973"; it's been fun. The photographer was especially taken with the Country Bear Jamboree, using 10 precious frames of film while enjoying that relatively new attraction (it debuted in Disneyland on March 4, 1972. By the way, this person also took 10 photos inside "It's a Small World", you'll see those soon enough! Having only seen the CBJ one time, I'm not super-familiar with the characters or songs, so I will write some stuff, and you can tell me about all of my errors. Deal?

This first one shows the Master of Ceremonies, Henry. Did a critter live in his stovepipe hat? He is presumably introducing the show with the "Bear Band Serenade". "Say, Patty, is that a real bear?". "I don't think so, Larry, that's one-a them robots that Walt Disney liked to build". "Zowie! What a show!".

I had to do research. Yes, it hurt to use my brain, but I did it for you. This photo shows Gomer, who plays the pianny. Something you don't see every day. The show's curtain is probably made from fire-proof asbestos (you can't be too careful), and all of the local business have advertisements painted on it. I'm surprised that they did not use the names of actual Disney Imagineers on any of these ads!

There's the Bear Band! At one time they were bigger than the Beatles. Not more popular, just bigger. I'm going to take a swing at naming these guys, uh-oh. From left to right: That's Tennessee on bass (only one string); Fred is on harmonica; Wendell is on mandolin; Ted plays the corn jug; Zen is on fiddle; and Baby Oscar sits with his teddy bear, spacing out.

Liver Lips McGrowl;  poet, musician, acrobat, philosopher, moonshiner, lepidopterist. One of the greats.

Stay tuned for seven more from the Country Bear Jamboree!

Leftuggies From July, 1964

Leftuggies™! Known to be a favorite of folks such as Oscar Wilde, Jean Paul Sartre, and Ruth Buzzi. And ya know what? I like them too. Both of these are from July, 1964, a fine vintage indeed.

Over on Tom Sawyer Island, we were once again reminded of the hard facts that Walt mentioned in his opening-day speech. The frontier was a harsh place, and people died from many causes. Sure, there was the doctor in town, but he liked to sample the laudanum, so you took your chances. Behind Fort Wilderness, a humble graveyard was partitioned, and the unfortunate settler laid to rest for eternity. To the right is an open grave - one of our readers made sure it met his standard for comfort!

Next is a nice look from the branches of the Swiss Family Treehouse, looking down on the Rivers of the World, teeming with hippos, snakes, wildebeests, piranhas, crocodiles, and the wicked Candiru (look it up). I believe that the croc to our right is Old Smiley - he already has his belly full of guests, so he let that boat pass without confrontation. What a guy.

SNOOZLES™

Snoozles™ are problematic, you already know that. But today's scans could have been great! Which makes their issues all the more frustrating. But what are ya gonna do? 

This first one is from March, 1963; you probably remember those little boys from before (see HERE and HERE). This time they're inside the Adventureland Bazaar - a rare interior. But the low light took its toll! I wish I could remember the full story, but Rolly Crump was tasked with designing the interior of this shop, and he had a small budget and little time. I think there was a vampire in the story, but I can't recall how that factored in. 

In spite of the blurriness, you can see lots of quality items made of brass, copper, and pewter, textiles, and... well, that's about it. I need that big copper platter for eating pa-sghettis. There's not a plush doll or bubble machine in sight!

This next one also suffers from poor focus; the composition is weird too, frankly. What was the photographer aiming at? Perhaps the whimsical ticket booth for Casey Jr. But he also wanted the Skyway gondolas. And the Pirate Ship. I guess that one pole has lights on it (?), though they are very weird lights and they make me a-scared and I might cry.

Wildwood, New Jersey - August, 1964

I found two fun vintage slides from one of the boardwalk amusement parks in Wildwood, New Jersey that make me wish I could have seen these places in their heyday - it all looks like a ton of fun. In the distance is a magnificent galleon, which I learned (from a postcard) was the Man o' War attraction, whatever that was. To the left we can see a sign for "Jungleland". The rocky bluffs were part of the Golden Nugget dark ride, described as a combination Roller Coaster/Dark Ride located on Hunt's Pier - I'm not sure if the giant skull was also a part of that. 

Here's a YouTube video of the Golden Nugget ride in its last year of operation:

Vintage postcard time!

Next is this impressive façade for the HELL HOLE. This ain't Disneyland! There's also a sporty little car ride of some kind, and as the sign says in the distance - SCOOTERS.

Apparently the façade of the Hell Hole ride was repainted often (that salt air probably did its damage), when researching it, almost no two images looked the same. Here's a vintage photo scrounged from the Interwebs:

And another:

I confess to being a little disappointed that the Hell Hole was merely a "Rotor"-type ride, it would spin and guests would stick to the wall due to nuclear energy or something. Still, you can see that these folks are having plenty o' fun.