Davelandblog

Make it blue! Make it red!

2013-05-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

The barker bird that once enticed guests into Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is a relic of the past. Today's post will celebrate that long-gone bird and show how it underwent a series of changes during its short tenure outside this Adventureland attraction. In this 1962 pre-opening shot, he is hatless.

By January 1964, a straw hat and cane had been added to the mix:

This May 1965 shot shows a change from blue to red, as if the fairies from "Sleeping Beauty" had flown over the attraction and used their wands on the Barker Bird:

In August 1966, the Barker Bird is back to his original blue plumage:

Final shot for today is one from the archives of Bill H., dated July 1979:

I hope you all have a festive 3-day weekend and are able to get a little R&R; I know I plan to!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room photos on my Tiki Room web page.

Main Street, U.S.A., January 1964

2013-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Your journey down Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A., circa 1964, might begin aboard the Horse-Drawn Streetcar. Here's how that same journey would look about 49 years later:

Nearby, the Global Van Lines truck does a great job of advertising the company that sponsored the locker rental program in Town Square:

If you're having difficulty recognizing this section of Town Square, it's because it went through a major architectural overhaul many years ago. Here's how it looks today. I am assuming that the name "Carriage Place" is a nod to the former tenants and the vehicle that was once parked in front.

Up the street in the Plaza Gardens band conductor Vesey Walker is at the baton, entertaining the guests sitting in the shade of the bandstand.

Zooming in, you can see Vesey's credit to the right of the stage:

and of course, I had to zoom in for a better look at the band:

What became of the Plaza Gardens? You'll have to wait until my next trip to Anaheim to see a comparison photo of this area.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos on my Main Street, U.S.A. web pages.

Roaming Free

2013-05-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon Ryan's photos many years ago. What an amazing collection; this guy took just about every shot that fanatic guests like me could only dream of having the opportunity to get. Imagine having access to walk through the best dark rides...with the lights on...with only a few close friends in tow. It's the type of thing that doesn't happen much. Besides the behind-the-scenes nature of the photos, I really liked that they showed a few youth with their entire future ahead of them. No fear or worry about "what happens if..." They are in full exploration mode, enjoying a time when tight security was not quite the necessity that it is today.

Ryan was once a cast member in Anaheim, and he was kind enough to share his story of working there with me...and thus for you. I'll put a warning out there before you continue; if you have a gripe with "scene spoilers" or don't like photos that shine the light on the magic (literally), then you might want to skip today's post. Here's Ryan's story:

It was accidental that we had a camera those couple of days. Just myself and a couple of work buddies stomping around after hours. At the time we were working at the French Market (wearing those sweet blue vests you can see in a few pics)...

We would get off work an hour after most, so we decided to go exploring. We met a really nice security guard who was just as interested in climbing all over the place as we were. He was much more concerned about having his picture taken, so instead, he ended up taking a couple of the shots for us (most notably the one with Jason and I behind the captain on the ship).

We found boxes of sword props and fought.

We chased the ladies. I won the redhead.

It was a very memorable night.

They had just begun to get serious about lockout procedures and emergency evacuation plans about the time the pictures were taken. It was only a couple of months later that I would start work at Club 33 and Jason would move on to work on his masters. I really loved that job, and remember it vividly.

I felt more comfortable finding my way around The Haunted Mansion, having worked there previous to moving into food service. Pirates is a maze as well, only the maze has much higher drops!

I was very fortunate the way I got my chance to work at Club 33. I started off as a busser/front of house host for the French Market and Cafe Orleans. From there I followed the natural progression of the area. I trained into cashier, and worked the Mint Julep bar mostly. I enjoyed being alone, or being able to goof off with Jason. We made fountains out of cups and a broken water tube. I also worked at Cafe Orleans and the Veranda.

Later I went into Back of House as a Stock Runner for Cafe Orleans, French Market, and Veranda. Then a fry cook at the French Market. Around this time I did some cross training into being a Prep Cook for the New Orleans Main Kitchen. Here was where I busted myself as a runner or a prep cook, day in and day out. I was proud that I was the best at what I did. They made me a trainer for the Front of House positions, but always turned down Lead (just wasn't my cup of tea). All the hard work didn't go unnoticed, though. One night I was called into the main kitchen chefs office, thinking I was in trouble (perhaps they did see me and Alberto playing broomball on the roof...). I steeled myself for what was about to come. However, I was surprised to find Marcel from upstairs sitting in the office. He said he had noticed me "busting my ass" around and after talking to some people in the area, felt that I was the guy to help him fill a position in his kitchen upstairs. The only caveat was that I had to attend an abbreviated course at Le Cordon Bleu to get me up to speed on Baking and Pastry Arts from where he would take over and finish what I needed to know to do my job. I gladly accepted.

I filled the role as one of the Sous Chefs and would assist in/or create any pastry or dessert that did not come from the main kitchen. Working at the Club is an experience all its own. When you're up there, you aren't subject to the tedious rules and scrutiny that you are in normal operations. You feel much more free.

Memorable guests...there are quite a few. When the first Pirates movie came out, the A-List ate upstairs, and everybody in Hollywood has a sweet tooth (even if they only eat two bites). It was a great deal of fun to rub elbows with the Hollywood Elite and talk about what they found interesting in life, even what they were watching on TV as of recently. I recall having a conversation with Johnny Depp about gun control, which was a completely bizarre topic for the evening as it led into flintlock muzzle loaders. When he left, he found me and slipped me a hundred bucks without a word.

The one that sticks out the most in my mind, was when Harrison Ford came in. I only shook his hand, but damn if that wasn't the coolest moment of my life. Shaking Han Solo's hand. I went straight to the back and called my fiancee to tell her!

I had a chance to meet Donald Nixon, Richard Nixon's nephew. We talked about how, as a boy, he came with his dad while they were still building the park. It was pretty fascinating to hear about his interactions with the Disney legends that helped design the park. There were just so many small moments like that that you have working there, that make it a unique experience.

I eventually left Disney and the Club to finish up my degree. The pay isn't that great for what it is you do. This may sound quite the opposite of what it should, but I was really bummed out when I got my 5 year pin. I felt that I should be making more somewhere else. The hours that you work at Disney are insane. There are quite a few people there that manage to work and go to school. For me, I could never balance going to work and doing my homework. Working in the kitchen is a long day, sometimes a bit over 16 hour days. I always ended up going with whatever made me money. I felt that it was time for a change. I needed to do something that would not only make me more money for less time invested, but also something that would allow me the time to go to college and finish my degree. Disney is a great job, but I feel that unless you want to put in more than 15 years and do it in a managerial/VP role, it's nothing more than a transitory job. Strange where life will lead us, as I'm now in the Army. Go figure.

My youth was spent at Denny's and Houlihan's. To have had Disneyland as a playground at that age...it boggles my mind.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

The Blue Monorail, May 1960

2013-05-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie today, as I find myself running behind this morning. Here are 3 May 1960 images of the Blue Monorail in Tomorrowland, less than a year after its debut.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland Monorail photos on my Monorail web page.

Teddy, Disneyland's Shoeshine Boy

2013-05-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks ago I was contacted by Teddy, of Teddy & Kenny Shoeshine Boys fame at Disneyland. He came across these photos of himself from the early days of New Orleans Square. Here's what he had to say:

I was blown away when I stumbled across this picture of me (Teddy Miller) with the Royal Street Bachelors, around 1966/67 (above). The four years I worked at Disneyland were very memorable. I can tell you I really enjoyed those years of my youth, until I outgrew the character and moved on to become one of the costumed Three Little Pigs for a short while.

I remember Kenny Bell the other shoeshine boy and I were the youngest Disneyland employees; we had free run of the place, like it was our personal playground. We would get to ride all the rides for free, especially the Autopia before the park opened. The Royal Street Bachelors kept us out of trouble, cautioning us about not spending all our tips on junk. Most of mine was spent in the Magic Shop on Main Street, before New Orleans Square was built.

I also had a parallel career as a child actor. I was in such classic television shows as "Ozzie and Harriet," "My Three Sons," "The Fugitive," "The Lucy Show," "Mission Impossible," "Family Affair," "Mod Squad," as well as the Rex Harrison movie, "Dr. Doolittle."

With Disneyland's proximity to Camp Pendleton and admiring all of the Marines and other service members visiting the park, I was inspired to become a soldier. Thanks for capturing the memories.

I wonder if that was Teddy in costume behind me in this photo?

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland New Orleans Square photos on my New Orleans Square web page.

Main Street U.S.A.'s Penny Arcade

2013-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Penny Arcade is one of my favorite parts of Main Street, U.S.A. It gives such an authentically vintage feel to the Park with its old-fashioned games and musical instruments. This January 1964 image is one of those rare shots that allows me to zoom in a bit closer to get a look at what the Arcade used to look like:

Compared to this view from May 2006:

It appears that some of the games have been repainted and that Esmeralda's exterior was completely revamped at some point:

From 2012:

And 2013; looks like more candy, less games.

One of these days, I hope to get a good vintage shot of Esmeralda, the gal who knows all:

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. Penny Arcade photos on my Penny Arcade web page.

Rock and the Canonflex

2013-05-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

This vintage shot of actor Rock Hudson shows that Canon was his camera of choice. Most likely this is a Canonflex camera, which was introduced in May, 1959. It was Canon's first 35mm single-lens reflex camera, which came with a standard 50mm lens. Discontinued five months after release, approximately 17,000 were produced. Today, you can pick one up for around $100.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more Rock Hudson photos on my Rock Hudson photo web page.

Floating Over Snow Hill, 1958

2013-05-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Holiday Hill...Lookout Mountain...Lover’s Lane...Snow Hill. All names refer to the same area at Disneyland. Before the Matterhorn rose from the former orange grove covered land in Anaheim, the mound of dirt (which needed a place to go when the Castle moat was excavated) with the many names was directly below the path of the Skyway. Most interesting thing about this shot is that you can see the Omnibus, which once had a route that extended into Fantasyland.

The huge support towers of the Skyway were somewhat of an eyesore, and the creation of the Matterhorn helped to cover them up from the view of Park guests. It's hard to believe that in one year the Submarines and The Matterhorn would take over the very same space you are looking at now.

This second shot was also taken from the Skyway as it cruised into Tomorrowland. You can see the station and tracks of the Viewliner below.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

City Hall Quintet

2013-05-16T05:15:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, this October 1963 image needs no companion. Five lovely young ladies wearing fashion that is so very "Mad Men," sitting on a bench in front of City Hall in Disneyland's Town Square. Behind them is a very simple hand-lettered sign proclaiming the highlights of the park that guests could enjoy.

I wonder if they all worked together, in a Madison Avenue Agency perhaps..out West on holiday. Could Don Draper be the one behind the camera?

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

Vintage Frontierland Signage

2013-05-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

A few lesser-known signs of Frontierland are featured today, starting off with a January 1958 shot of the Birch-Bark Lodge signage. On a separate note...the security cop in Frontierland is a bit jarring.

This Birch-Bark Lodge was one of the many authentic "exhibits" that guests at Disneyland could learn about in the Indian Village.

Here's another view of the 1956 Storybook-style map that heralded the upcoming Tom Sawyer Island:

If only the photographer had a steadier hand...

I can't even begin to read what is on this El Zocalo signage; anyone out there who can squint hard enough to decipher it?

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

Skyway Madness

2013-05-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Soaring gracefully over the park, the Skyway attraction offered transportation between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland while providing a scenic rest for weary guests who had been walking all day. Here is a May 1960 shot, taken from one of the buckets as it glided over the Autopia.

Zooming in, this has got to be the best view of the Richfield Eagle in my collection; you can even see his red glaring eyes!

Howzabout those saucer hats with the red ties? This photo shows the easy temptation of Skyway passengers who felt the need to target the guests below on the Alice attraction with spitballs and other assorted ammunition.

By 1965, the round Skyway bucket had been transformed into the square shaped shown here:

Daveland reader Bill H. captured this colorful October 1980 view of the buckets over Fantasyland. Guests still had 14 years left to enjoy this attraction before its removal.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos on my Skyway web page.

More Cast Members Behind-The-Scenes

2013-05-13T05:43:00.001-07:00

A few more "behind-the-scenes" shots from 1981/1982; I use the quote marks because these are obviously staged publicity shots, with most looking just-right and perfectly composed. I think I prefer the loosey-goosey impromptu cast member shots!

Still, looking at the outdated computer equipment is sort of fun!

Feel free to identify any of these folks!

Naturally, the "smile" poster in the background is an integral part of this photo's staged composition.

The token shot of a laborer.

I wonder if this gal was on duty during Yippie Day. Naw...probably too young.

Here we have Sara, John, and Pat. That's about all I can tell you about this trio. Other than that they are probably the life of the party.

My favorite shot of the bunch. Staged or not, it's cool to see one of the stretch portraits in progress.

To spice it up a bit, I'll throw in two photos that reader Bill H. submitted, showing a cast member marathon from April 1984, years before the official half marathon event ever took place.

This guy appears to be winning by leaps and bounds!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland behind-the-scenes photos on my Behind-The-Scenes web pages.

Debbie Reynolds for Mother's Day

2013-05-12T07:14:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Mother's Day, I recommend watching the lesser-known 1996 gem-of-a-movie "Mother," starring Debbie Reynolds, Albert Brooks, and Rob Morrow. Although the story is about a mother's relationship with her two sons, daughters (and daughters-in-law) will also be able to relate (and sigh) over the insightful statements about the sometimes dysfunctional and smothering qualities that a mother can exhibit towards her "boys."

John Henderson (Albert Brooks) is a mildly successful science fiction writer who has just divorced his second wife.

After a disastrous first date with a bimbo (expertly played by Lisa Kudrow), Henderson wonders where he has gone wrong on all of his relationships with women. Deciding to go back to the source of it all, he moves back into his mother's (Debbie Reynolds) house to perform an experiment, hoping to unravel the mystery of why he is attracted to unsupportive females.

Going so far as to recreate his old room just the way it was when he was growing up, both his mother and supposedly well-adjusted brother find the whole thing baffling.

The best scenes are between Reynolds and Brooks, as their characters muddle through what has always been (at best) a somewhat strained relationship. Brooks' script nails the whole situation and gives Debbie Reynolds the role of a lifetime (originally offered to Doris Day and former First Lady Nancy Reagan). Witty, charming, somewhat sad and wistful, it is a great celebration of mothers and all that they do (and sacrifice) to raise a child.

Two thumbs up on this one!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more Classic Movie & TV photos on my Classic Movie and TV web pages.

Splendid Decay

2013-05-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

When asked why I love the city of Savannah so much, I find it difficult to put into words just exactly what it is that draws me back so often. I just booked yet another trip there and can't wait to see this historic city which beckons me to visit over and over again.

Artist Preston Russell put the feeling into words so very well:

When I drove down that first Savannah street in 1972, I saw something very moving—arresting. Old things, things that don't tend to dwell elsewhere in America. Old ways, old traditions. Tradition, someone said long ago, is the living faith of dead people. One can feel it here, even on a visit. After a few years, you know it. Old buildings, many dropping in splendid decay, like elderly folks who become more beautiful with the patina of survival. These old structures even seem to endow their occupants with an aura, as if an ordinary person walking down a Savannah street seems more real—even extraordinary—compared to that same person walking around the ubiquitous American strip mall.

Splendid decay. I love it. There is something about a historic building before it has been "restored." The moss, the cracks, the peeling paint...everything it has accumulated over the years adds to its character and heightens the story. For me, once a fresh coat of paint is slapped on, it begins to lose the wisdom and charm of its journey.

In his book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," author John Berendt described it this way:

The city looked inward, sealed off from the noises and distractions of the world at large. It grew inward, too, and in such a way that its people flourished like hothouse plants tended by an indulgent gardener. The ordinary became extraordinary. Eccentrics thrived. Evvery nuance and quirk of personality achieved greater brilliance in that lush enclousre than would have been possible anywhere else on earth.

In anticipation of my arrival, a toast to dear Savannah...

because if it's good enough for Rembrandt...

it's good enough for me. Can't wait to see you again and feel your inspiration.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more Savannah, Georgia photos on my Savannah web pages.

B&W Memories, June 1958

2013-05-10T06:03:00.001-07:00

This charming batch of guest snapshots from June 1958 show what I can only surmise are a boy and his mother, most likely taken by poor old dad, who didn't get to be in any of the photos. The first shot is typical; what kid wants to stand and pose when the entire Park is waiting to be explored and experienced?!?

Mom and son casually stroll through the Frontierland gates.

This kid is not about to remove his souvenir hat, not even for the Pack Mule attraction!

Zipping through the Autopia, he manages to keep his hat on.

At the end of the day, the boy proudly beams while showing off his booty of souvenirs:

He can't wait to read his comic book on the way home!

Looks like another satisfied customer, don't you think?

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

Under Construction

2013-05-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Today's post is an assortment of construction photos accompanying the text of an article from the Disneylander Employee Newsletter, September 1961. First photo here shows the sign for the Storybook attraction in Fantasyland BEFORE it got the Storybook! Following are two shots from the testing phase at Arrow Dynamics in Mountain View, California for Casey Jr. The rest are fairly self-explanatory.

THE DISNEYLAND PROVING GROUND

Much has been written about the very important phases of designing and construction of Disneyland's many attractions. When the construction crews have packed up their tools and the adventure is opened for the enjoyment of guests most people consider the project completed. However, the job is just beginning for the maintenance crews in Truman Woodworth's division.

Very few people realize what goes on behind the scenes to keep everyting so colorful and fresh looking. Continuing vigilance by mainteance crews round the clock, every day throughout the year is necessary to retain the Magic Kingdom's ever present "new look."

An article in a recent issue of the Western Paint Review magazine covers the problems of one group of Disneyland maintenance experts as follows:

Disneyland painters, under Larry Smith, realize the problem of maintenance, as they are responsible for maintaining every painted surface that is seen by the Disneyland guest as well as many that are not. These vary from "snowcapped" Matterhorn, to the underwater fish in the Submarine Voyage, to the re-finishing of the high style interiors in the stores along Main Street, U.S.A. and to the production line coating of structural steel recently used in the extended Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System.

Disneyland packs more painting problems into a 160 acre area than probably could be found in any other place in the world. At the peak of the season 30,000 people per day are shuffling over the coated asphalt walks, sitting on painted benches and generally contributing to the wear and tear on all finished surfaces. The effect of water corrosion is another of Larry's headaches. In the Submarine adventure, underwater surfaces must be maintained in good condition for at least a year. This includes the submarines themselves, tank walls, mermaids, fish and fluorescent decorations.

For many applications in Disneyland, standard paint formulations are not suitable and Larry has worked closely with his paint suppliers' chemists in developing and testing materials formulated for his special needs.

Among his notable successes is the development of a new coating for asphalt walks which he anticipates will withstand one year of terrific wear in comparison to the life of the previous coating, which was three months. Some of the coatings in the submarine lagoon are still sound after three years of immersion. Originally, a suitable finish for the lifelike fish could not be found. Larry finally came upwith the answer—a ceramic type of coating which is burned on with a torch.

Color is also something of a problem at Disneyland. Everything in the Park is color styled by the Disney art directors and this runs into 2,500 different colors for the paint department. These colors are all eye toned by color specialists and in addition, for touch-up work, original colors are let down to match the fading colors.

There are also major painting jobs which come up every two or three years, like painting the Matterhorn Mountain. In this case, Larry has a large colored rendition of the mountain provided by artists at the Disney studios. He stands down below and directs his crew with a walkie-talkie and ends up with a remarkable resemblance of the picture. Another major project occurring every two or three years is painting the submarine lagoon, the submarines and all the objects in the tank. This requires a lot of special finishes and artisitc ability. How often do you find a man who is an experienced 'sea serpent' or 'mermaid' painter? A lof of black light finishes were used which are especially effective when viewed through the portholes of the submarines.

There are many routine jobs such as, touching up many miles of hand rails once a month and five hours daily spent touching up the targets in the shooting galleries.

Colored water produced by black light pigments in the Mine Ride is checked daily. A regular touch-up program with a periodic refinishing is carried out on all the various vehicles, carousel horses and boats used to carry guests on Disneyland's forty-five adventures. All the benches, tables, waste cans, popcorn wagons, etc., receive the same treatment.

In short, practically every surface in Disneyland comes in contact with the brush of an expert painter with clock-like regularity. It all helps to keep Disneyland shining as brightly as it did on opening day back in 1955.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage & current Disneyland construction photos on my Construction/Behind-The-Scenes web page.

Vintage Town Square Tribute

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Because of its location, Town Square often gets the shaft at Disneyland. Guests are in such a hurry to get to their favorite attraction that they run through this area, missing many of the memorable features located here. To correct this, I am doing an entire post dedicated to Town Square...from a vintage perspective, of course. The first photo for today is from May 1956, when the park wasn't even a year old yet. Looks a bit empty from a guest and landscaping perspective, doesn't it?

From April 1958 comes this faded print, showing a festively costumed lady on a horse; I don't know any details about what's going on here, but it would appear that she is participating in some sort of contest or parade.

This elderly couple from September 1959 is walking by the Hills Brothers Coffee Garden, which is now used as a character meet and greet area.

The sky may look ominous, but I still love the color and composition of this May 1962 shot:

Town Square is also where guests board the Disneyland Railroad and get to see the inside (and outside) of my favorite Disneyland Train Station.

Had to zoom in for the details of this one, especially the oh-so-simple strollers.

This lovely Tour Guide photo is from 1967:

Last photo for today is from May 1974, and Town Square is crowded with both guests and balloons:

Zooming in to see the center of the commotion:

and to see the signage for the Fire Wagon:

Next time you're at the Park, make sure you spend some time in Town Square - you'll be glad you did!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage Disneyland Flying Saucer photos on my Flying Saucer web page.

The Saucers Are Coming!

2013-05-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

Before the August 1961 arrival of the Tomorrowland Flying Saucers, a technical drawing was needed. To build excitement about this new attraction, the Disney publicity machine created this sign to stir up the emotions of guests"

Thank goodness they were able to translate the Astrogram for us mere earthlings! Once it was available for guests to enjoy, it appeared to be a lot of fun...when it was working.

Apparently a nightmare because of their technical difficulties, more often than not guests found themselves stuck in a corner or unable to get the durn things to work the way they should.

Have to zoom-in to get a better view of the decal on the saucer:

From the Disneylander Employee Newsletter, September 1961:

FLYING SAUCERS AT DISNEYLAND

It took a little longer than anticipated by the Disneyland Flying Saucers finally went to work the middle of last month and started to tak in some "E" coupons

After a period of testing with many Disneylanders having the opportunity of playing like an Astronaut, the latest Magic Kingdom attraction opened with the proper ceremonies. On hand to celebrate the occasion were the Disneyland Band playing "Come Josephine in My Flying Saucer" and other appropriate tunes, the Space Man and the Space Girl and, of course, Pluto in the person of Tony Barksdale. (Honest)

Without taking anything away from the other celebrities who were on hand, it must be admitted that Pluto was the hit of the show. Jack Lindquist, Eddie Meck, Marty Sklar and Bud Nagle gave him constant insturctions as to which way he looked best for the flock of photographers who were on hand and he took it in stride, never missing a flash bulb.

Donna Fox, the Space Girl who landed in Tomorrowland after a short flight from Coke Corner recently, never looked more raidant or charming with her long blonde hair cascading majestically over the seltzer bottles she wears on her back. The Space Man costume was ably filled by handsome Gordon McClymont and both he and Donna ran a good second to Pluto to see who could use up the most Kodak negative.

Also on hand for the first official Flying Saucer flight were children of some of the nation's finest jet pilots who are stationed at El Toro Marine Base and Los Alamitos Naval Air Station. Two of the pilots also came along for the ride. They were Lt. Comdr. Larry Hauser and Lt. Col. Jay Willcox. The wives of the flyers also came but declined Pluto's invitiation to take one of the first rides. Either they couldn't understand what he was saying or they were wearing full skirts.

Disneyland guestrs practically ringed the entire Saucer area while the edication was going on. They thoroughly enjoyed the thrilled expressions on the children's faces as well as the puzzled looks on the faces of the two jet flyers who were both overheard to say to themselves, "Now how do you suppose they make this thing work?"

As an added attracition for the guests as well as the participants was the few minutes that the Band rode the Saucers and played one of their famous tunes at the same time. Jim Whitsett, who was directing because of Vesey Walker's absence, had no trouble leading the Band as they turned and skimmed in their Flying Saucers. After all, he's had years of experience on the Fantasyland Tea Cups.

It was a great dedication, according to all the spectators, and the Flying Saucers were successfully on their way.

The Saucers didn't survive the New Tomorrowland makeover and were replaced by the Tomorrowland Stage:

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Flickr. See more vintage Disneyland Flying Saucer photos on my Flying Saucer web page.

Dancing Waters at the Disneyland Hotel

2013-05-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

What could these photos be of? World of Color? Since they are from the 1980's, that would be impossible, as DCA wasn't even a vapor of an idea when these were shot. Thanks to Daveland reader Bill H., we can see these beautiful color photos of the Dancing Waters show featured at the Disneyland Hotel for many years. The first three photos are from September 1983. For an excellent history of this show, check out Chris Jepsen's OC History Roundup Blog.

From June 1985:

In 1992, a few years after Disney purchased the Disneyland Hotel from the Wrather Corporation, the show was altered by a company called "Waltzing Waters"(run by Michael Przystawik, grandson of the inventor of the first musical fountain) and was retitled The Fantasy Waters Show. The new program included not only colored lights, water and music, but also fiberoptic displays, light panels, and other elements. Naturally, the musical score took on a Disney theme.

The Fantasy Waters Show ended around 2007, and the area was greatly changed during the 2010 Disneyland Hotel makeover.

Today, landscaping blocks out what remains of the backdrop. At below is a photo from September 2011.

Many many thanks to Bill H. for the spectacular vintage shots shown here on today's post.

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New Era Chips and Cinco de Mayo

2013-05-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few May 1962 photos to kick off your Cinco de Mayo (or "Drink-o de Mayo," as some of my more festive friends like to call it). Over at the Casa de Fritos, this lovely lass is giving away more than just Fritos Corn Chips; she has something called "New Era." I had never heard of these before, but apparently they came out in 1951 and were marketed as a healthy snack. Here's the marketing spin that was found on the packaging:

"SCIENCE SAYS…'THE ALKALINE SIDE IS THE HEALTY SIDE.' New Era Potato Chips are partially starch dextrinized and therefore more readily digested…Chemical analysis have proven New Era Potato Chips to be a highly concentrated, energy-producing food, 95% digestible, and of greater alkalinity than even fresh, raw potatoes. Feast without fear!"

Just ignore the fact that they were processed in hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Made by the Nicolay Dancey Co., New Era became the largest selling Potato Chip in the country, outselling the others 3 to 1. In 1959 they merged with the Frito Company, which merged with Herman Lay in 1961 to become Frito-Lay, Inc., and then were bought out by Pepsi in 1965. Not sure what happened to New Era.

Last one for today is of the Gonzalez Trio in Frontierland:

It just wouldn't be Cinco de Mayo without the music of the Gonzalez family.

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Vintage Tour Through WDW's Haunted Mansion

2013-05-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

The quality may not be spectacular, but these 1970's images from Orlando's Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square may still appeal to some, as vintage interior dark ride shots are rare. Shall we board our Doombuggy Time Machine?

As you can see by this photo from my most recent trip to WDW, the landscaping has seen a bit of growth in the last forty years!

Our vintage photographer obviously did not heed the "no flash" warning by the ghost host, as most of these shots suffer from high contrast. Still, this is one of my favorite scenes, as the glimpse of the hands emerging from the coffin give an "eerie sense of foreboding."

Madame Leota loses her face with flash photography; the projection effect gets obliterated.

That #$%^ railing got in the way of the two ballroom shots! Maybe there are some Haunted Mansion railing nuts out there?!?

The best shot of the bunch is this one from the attic, showing a corner glimpse of the original bride:

The flash not only blocked the hitchhiking ghost effect, but kept our photographer's identity anonymous.

It was probably to prevent the ghost host from punishing him for using a flash.

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R.I.P., Deanna Durbin

2013-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Although the exact date seems to be unknown, it was announced recently that legendary singer/actress Deanna Durbin has passed away at the age of 91. Her popularity rivaled that of Shirley Temple and Judy Garland, and was credited with saving the film studio Universal from bankruptcy. Although it would probably be more accurate to say that her box office receipts "contributed" to Universal's success, there is no denying that her operatic voice, legendary beauty, and wholesome personality are what made audiences adore her during the 1930's and 1940's. Saddled with a number of crappy movies and trapped in the goody-goody image that her fans refused to let her shake, she left the silver screen in 1948 and moved to France to live in a charming old farmhouse with third husband Charles David. Somewhat bitter about the restrictive studio system and her inability to get good scripts, Durbin was rarely seen in public and refused to talk about "the good old days." When hounded for an interview, she once told The Associated Press:

"I've gained weight, I do my own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day."

While scouring the web for information on Durbin's life, I stumbled upon this fantastic 1983 interview by author David Shipman. It is her last known interview, retrieved from The Judy Garland Message Board and then reposted on the Java's Journey Blog:

PARIS. She was once one of the most famous women in the world, which didn’t exactly fit in with her conception of the life she wanted to lead. She is now Deanna Durbin David, but recent showings of her films on British and American television and reissues of six LP records have persuaded her to become Deanna Durbin again—for just one evening.

She became famous overnight in "Three Smart Girls," a run-of-the-mill feature whose budget was doubled after studio executives had screened the result of her first few days work. Her first screen kiss received more press coverage than any of Elizabeth Taylor’s marriages, and the transition to adult roles was so successful that, as she left her teens, British cinema managers voted her the biggest draw for three years running. She is finally breaking her silence because she is deeply touched by the reaction of old and new fans.

“I knew that sooner or later I would give an interview and decided that I would do it with you. I liked your two books on the stars and such statements you made as, “the system was firmly rigged against the individual in favor of the machine”. I admire you as one admires a scientist who, with a few bones, manages to reconstruct an entire dinosaur. So I am curious to see what you’ll make with the bits and pieces I offer you today…”Why did I give up my career? For one thing, just take a look at my last four films and you’ll appreciate that the stories I had to defend were mediocre, near impossible. Whenever I complained or asked for story or director approval, the studio refused. I was the highest paid star with the poorest material-today I consider my salary as damages for having to cope with such complete lack of quality.”

“I did not hate show business. I loved to sing. I was happy on the set. I liked the people with whom I worked and after the nervousness of the first day, I felt completely at ease in front of the camera. I also enjoyed the company of my fellow actors, the leading men who were so much older, like Herbert Marshall, Melvyn Douglas, Franchot Tone, Walter Pidgeon, Joseph Cotten, Vincent Price and Robert Cummings. I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. What I did find difficult was that this acquired maturity had to be hidden under the childlike personality my films and publicity projected on me.”

I asked whether it was true that her father had handled her investments. “Yes, he did before my first marriage, but he was not a broker or a businessman as the publicity department always made him out to be. My father-Lancashire born and raised-had taken his family to Winnipeg, where he worked as a blacksmith for the Canadian Pacific railway. As the cold Canadian winters ate up all the summer savings, he took us all to California where he worked as a welder and held a variety of manual jobs. His clever hands, combined with my mother’s intelligent housekeeping got us all through the Depression. But my father started having trouble with his health. I remember when he came to pick up mother and me from the studio where I had gone for an audition. Dad looked pale and sick. He had fainted twice and the doctor had told him that he had to stop working for quite a while. He was desperate. “Would it help Dad, I asked, if I brought home a hundred dollars a week? The studio wants you to come back tomorrow and sign a contract for me. I’ll never forget the look on his face, the happy tears in his eyes.”

“I had been singing since the age of goodness-knows. Some neighbors knew an agent, not one of the important ones, and he got a try out for me at the Disney studios for the voice of Snow White, which I didn’t get for they said I didn’t sing like a child. Then he took me to MGM and I sang for one executive who went out and got another executive and I sang again, and I sang again. Each time I sang there was a lot of whispered consultation and someone else was sent for. I must have sung about ten times in all.”

MGM put her into a short with Judy Garland, "Every Sunday," and this particular Hollywood legend is true, that when Louis B. Mayer said “drop the fat one” he meant Garland, not Durbin.

“For me this was the end. My dog Tippy and I went for a long walk. I was crying bitterly and decided that I’d kill myself-I couldn’t go back to school a failure. Not many months later, returning from my first publicity trip for 'Three Smart Girls' in New York, I saw huge posters of me all over Hollywood. I had become a star. I was tired, but happy and alive!”

“Judy soon entered her own period of triumph. Right from the start Judy had an immense talent. She was a professional and had been on the stage since she was two. Her later story is tragic, but I’m certain she could never have given up. She needed an audience as she needed to breathe.”

“I understood Judy, though. I did some vaudeville with Eddie Cantor when I was beginning in pictures and between our weekly radio show. Eight shows a day! It was very exciting. Contact with a live audience is heady stuff, like the evening I walked in to sing at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City when the entire audience rose to its feet. She laughs. I should have done more live shows.” I point out she did sing extensively for the troops during the War, but that, she says, was a very different emotional experience, remembering one evening when she was lifted on the back of a truck and sang without accompaniment to soldiers about to embark for overseas.

“I hated being in a goldfish bowl. If I went to New York, I had to stay in my hotel room or go everywhere under guard, whisked away in a big black limousine, terrified that the fans running alongside would get hurt in the traffic. My mother and I were once mobbed in Texas: the police lost control of the crowd and my mother suffered two broken ribs from people trying to reach me. I have never been so frightened. They put me in the town jail for safety and to avoid the mob still waiting at the station, they flagged the train down in the middle of nowhere, where I got on safely.”

Here's Shirley Temple visiting Deanna at Universal Studio on the set of "Spring Parade," 1940

“My upbringing was very ‘proper’. It was drummed into me that I must never have sex with a man before I was married, and then the next day I was off to the studio where a very different set of rules prevailed. I must admit that it was lovely to be asked and even lovelier to be able to say no…or yes. Part of the fun of being asked meant that I wasn’t a little girl anymore…and that is why I wanted to look glamourous. I couldn’t wait to wear low cut dresses and look sultry. I remember the day when Philippe Halsman from LIFE magazine came to my home. He said he was going to photograph me ‘looking like an angel’. I answered that I may not know how I did want to be photographed, but if there was one way I certainly did not want to be photographed it was looking like an angel! He laughed and the picture he took more than satisfied me. I'll admit that for some of my public all of this must have been hard to understand.”

“My two broken marriages were not an asset either. When my first marriage failed everyone said that I could never divorce. It would ruin the ‘image’. How could anyone really think I was going to spend the rest of my life with a man I didn’t love, just for the sake ‘of an image’?!”

“The second divorce was traumatic, for there was a child involved. Being the child of a movie star can mean a life even more unreal than that of the parent, and at that point I knew that I didn’t want my daughter to grow up in Hollywood.”

“Donald O’Connor once said that I was a professional, which, coming from him, pleased me, but that at the time we worked together I was unapproachable…’in a funk’ as he put it. With my second marriage breaking up at that time, I’m sure he was right.”

In 1950 she left for France where she married Charles David who had directed her in "Lady On A Train." Since then she has resisted some tempting scripts: “I would have had to go through all the paraphernalia…the pre-recording of songs, wardrobe fittings, publicity and so on, not to mention the time this would have taken me away from my family.”

Joe Pasternak, who produced her early movies, used to telephone whenever he was in Paris. “Are you still happy?,” he would ask, and when she answered “yes”, he would say, “damn, well I’ll try again next time” and hang up.

“Just once was I seriously tempted, by the prospect of "My Fair Lady" on Broadway. It was still in an embryonic state just a few songs completed when Alan Jay Lerner came to my home to play them for me. I loved them…but I had my ticket to Paris in my pocket and anyway, Julie Andrews was great and so was Audrey Hepburn in the film.”

So she brought up her children: Jessica returned to America to marry while Peter, her son by Charles David, is working there in medical research. I sense rather than see her pride in them and the reason I don’t see it is because her radiance is absolutely undimmed by the years. She speaks with the directness and vitality of the young Deanna, but again I sense an extra enthusiasm when she says that bringing up the children and seeing them happy represents no sacrifice. Now she and her husband indulge their passions for music and travel, combining both with regular visits to the United States, Salzburg, Florence, Prague, Vienna, Glyndebourne and London.

Deanna herself still sings. She is grateful to her second film, "One Hundred Men and a Girl," for introducing her to Mozart. At the age of fifteen she sang Mozart’s Alleluia with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting.- It is impossible not to say that I would like to hear her sing, which receives a crisp “thank you”. She did not want to continue making films when she left films because the required publicity would have destroyed the privacy she longed for. I wonder, without asking her, whether she might be tempted now. She does turn down all requests to appear on TV shows and does not want a biography done. I did not suggest that any other form of comeback could be considered, even with the children grown up, for I could not imagine her ever being more contented than she now is – and we were talking, one or the other of us, for more than five hours. The waste of her talent is in the past, even if, at a cheerfully admitted sixty-one she looks a mere thirty-five, slim and so attractive that it is a relief when she puts on glasses and looks maybe forty. Because of this youthful appearance, and because I doubt whether she has even glimpsed a beautician since she left Hollywood – she is not only like the young Deanna but uncannily like: candid, sensible, completely without affectation, concerned and captivating company. Like all great stars, and despite her particular qualities, she is mysterious. She is Deanna Durbin – one of the best-loved of all stars. It is to return that love that she has given her first interview in so many years.

I assure her that many people who asked me to convey messages of affection were not even born when she quit movies. She smiles, too much of a realist to be surprised.

* * *

This photo of Deanna Durbin, taken by her husband, Charles David, is from 1981, making it hard to believe that she had put on any weight, let alone aged at all. Image Copyright: NYC Cinema Studies.

I hope you enjoyed today's tribute to a Hollywood legend.

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The Lawman goes to Disneyland

2013-05-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

Today, if you see a celebrity at Disneyland, chances are they have an entourage of security and a tour guide with them, briskly ushering them through the attractions and keeping them away from guests. Can't say I blame 'em! Back in the day (which in this case is February 15, 1959), celebrities mixed with us real folks, and even allowed their photos to be taken! Definitely a different time. Here is John Russell aboard a raft on the Rivers of America, enjoying a day with his wife Renata Titus and three kids (yes, the matching plaid!). If you don't know who John Russell is (I know that I didn't!), he was the star of the ABC western television series "Lawman," from 1958—1962. The lucky fan who got her picture taken with him seems beside herself at her good fortune!

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Sexy Space Travelers

2013-05-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

The sexy space couple survived the transition to "New" Tomorrowland, but disappeared shortly thereafter. Here's a front view from 1967:

...and a back view of the same couple.

"Baby got back" would be a good caption for this shot, as the young boy with a band-aid on his elbow questions the apparatus on this Space Girl's (id'ed by a reader as 1966 Disneyland Ambassador Connie Swanson) back:

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Haunted Mansion: Treasures from the Attic

2013-04-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Today's post features a few of the "ghosts" that formerly inhabited the Haunted Mansion's attic in New Orleans Square, beginning with a sketch of the infamous Hatbox Ghost. For years, his return has been one of the hottest rumors to make the rounds on the discussion boards. My animated gif version of this long-lost fan fave:

The original bride, complete with red beating/glowing heart:

and what replaced her, proving that new and improved technology is not always the best choice:

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