Marnie 50th Anniversary

Today quietly marks the 50th anniversary of one of my favorite (albeit somewhat strange and twisted) films, Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie." Once it was done, Universal seemed to know that they had a box office turkey on their hands, and did their best to give it a broad appeal. This ad truly reeks of desperation.



The production got off to a bad start when its leading lady, Grace Kelly, decided to back out.



Her replacement, Tippi Hedren, required a lot of one-on-one coaching with Hitch himself to make sure she didn't flop in the very complex role that she was playing. Typically, Hitch allowed his actors to figure it out on their own.



Troubled or not, it still offers a lot to those who admire the work of one of the greatest auteurs of film, Alfred Hitchcock.



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Toilet at Club 33

At Daveland, you just never know what I am going to post. Today's images are 1980's WDI documentations of a toilet from Club 33. Located in the women's restroom, this Victorian-style piece is probably one of the fanciest toilets I've ever seen. Whether this is an original piece from the Club's opening or something that was added later on, I have no idea.



A recent photo (not taken by me!) of this piece from inside the Club:



It will be interesting to see if this survived the remodel. Here is the concept art of how the new Grand Salon dining room is to look:



The Jazz Lounge, built above the French Market:



The Jazz Lounge Seating Area:



I am looking forward to seeing how the interior looks in person, and hopefully soon will have that opportunity. The one piece of art that really saddens me shows the new and definitely not improved Court of Angels.



Andy Castro, Disneyland aficionado supreme, posted this photo shot through the new gates:



The wrap-around light vines are just awful. What was once well designed now just looks like a very poorly done re-muddle. Less is no longer more when it comes to this area.



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Dinner at Napa Rose, Pt. 2

Hands down, Napa Rose is the best restaurant at the Disneyland Resort, both in and outside of the park.

The entry hall gives a grand welcome with its warm woods, high ceiling, and amber lights.



The spacious lounge is the perfect place to hang out while waiting for a table.



This time I tried the Napa Passion cocktail. Yum. It was gone before I knew it.



A panorama shot of the dining room. Flooded with natural light from the large windows, this is a beautifully designed space.





The fresh flowers at each table are a small touch that go a long way to show that even the details get the most careful attention here.



I started off with delicious heirloom tomato salad. Portions here are perfect.



The lamb melted in my mouth. Perfectly seasoned, well accompanied with a variety of vegetables.



The dessert, a Bananas Foster Creme Brûlée was tasty, but left me wanting more. I'm a dessert pig. I'll admit it.



You just can't go wrong at this place.

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Dinner at Napa Rose, Pt. 1

Before seeing Cher at the Anaheim Honda Stadium, we stopped at the Disneyland Resort's Grand Californian Hotel for dinner at the Napa Rose.





Although the Grand Californian is a huge facility, because of its Arts & Crafts design, the space seems very warm and approachable.



The knick-knacks throughout the lobby and in the display cases are worth a second look.



And there are the windows for Club 33 members.



Merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. I guess they are attempting to clear house of items with the old logo before the ones with the new (gasp) logo are introduced.



Here is the new logo. Ta-da! Looking like a melting door knocker, the designer needs a serious lesson in Art Nouveau.



Have you put in your order for a Club 33 paperweight yet?



We'll get back to the Napa Rose for tomorrow's post.

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59 Years Ago Yesterday...

Not long after exiting the Main Street Train Station, Walt and Company convened in Town Square for the official dedication ceremony. Using photos from the USC Digital Archives as well as some from my own collection, I am presenting a variety of views from this special July 17, 1955 event.



A few setup/casual photos before the actual event occurred. Walt is without his tie; I can only imagine the heat on this July day! The lineup (from left to right) is Mrs. Goodwin J. Knight and her husband, the Governor of CA, Reverend Glenn D. Puder, Walt, and…I'm not quite sure!



A nice overview shot of Town Square during the ceremony:



That flag post looks dang tall!









For those that engage in the debate of whether 7/17 or 7/18 is Opening Day, I will point out that it was 7/17 that Walt made his historic speech.



Just sayin'…

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