Davy Crockett in Tomorrowland?!? Fess Parker is shown here riding the Astrojets with Kathleen Crowley in this publicity still from the December 1956 film “Westward Ho the Wagons.” The fact that it’s a publicity still for a movie set back in the days of the 19th century makes this Tomorrowland shot a weird choice. The caption for this wire photo:
656-52 DATE AT DISNEYLAND…Fess Parker and Kathleen Crowley, co-stars of Walt Disney's CinemaScope-Technicolor western, "Westward Ho the Wagons!", enjoy a day at Disneyland. Here they ride an Astrojet rocket in Tomorrowland. Buena Vista distributes.
And for publicity photo #2, taken in Frontierland, do you think the gals really wore pumps back in the Old West? Juxtaposition or not, I still like these promo photos as they both have a feeling of innocence and charm, just like the park which was barely a year old at the time these were shot.
The original publicity caption:
656-37 DATE AT DISNEYLAND…Fess Parker and Kathleen Crowley, co-stars of Walt Disney's CinemaScope-Technicolor western, "Westward Ho the Wagons!", enjoy a day at Disneyland. Here they view the Rivers of America from a point on Tom Sawyer Island. Buena Vista distributes.
For more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my regular website.
4 comments:
Fun pitures. Are Fess and the lady in the Tom Sawyer tree house in the Frontierland shot? From the angle on the Mark Twain landing, I can't think where else they could be.
I wish they'd release WESTWARD HO THE WAGONS in a decent DVD. I haven't seen it since seeing it in a theater back in 1956, but I remember it was awell-mounted, mostly location-shot, wide-screen Technicolor tale of a wagon train heading west, battlin' injuns, very like the wagon trains my own great-grandparents crossed the country in 150 years ago. (My great-great granfather William Hickenlooper, led a wagon train to Salt Lake.) Along with Fess, there were several mouseketeers, I think Jimmy Dodd, and it was George "Superman" Reeves last feature film.
Btw, I love the Old West electrical cable near Fess's foot in the Frontierland photo,
Always seems weird to see a panaramic view of the park with nothing where the Matterhorn should be. In 1956, the Tom Sawyer Treehouse was the highest point in the park.
Dave- I think I have a couple other shots of Fess with the leading lady in the park shot the same day. I will see if I can dig them up.
Doug: yes the electrical cable is great! And thanks for the background info on the film. Hopefully it will be released in the Disney Vault collection at some future date. Matterhorn - that would be awesome to see some other publicity stills - thanks!
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