HOW DO THEY DO THAT DEPT.: Here’s an early publicity view of The Ballroom Scene at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, showing what guests see as their Doombuggies glide by. However, to create the Pepper’s Ghost effect, the actual figures reflected in the ballroom reside in another room. Here they are in all their gaudily-painted glory. Note how everything is a mirror-image from what you see on the attraction.
Daveland eagle-eyed reader John R. Gutknecht checked out the books on the shelf in this photo and id'ed the red book as a Grainger catalog and noted that the other ones looked like industrial supply catalogs.
The table that you see is actually empty; here is what it looks like without the ghostly projections:
Most hardcore (and even semi-hardcore) Haunted Mansion fans know that the ghostly effect in the ballroom is from Pepper’s Ghost, which is basically a mirrored projection. But what is actually reflected in that mirror? The collection of Ambiguous Confabulation provides the answer with these way cool behind-the-scenes photos.
This is one dinner party that would give Martha Stewart a coronary. For those of you with stronger stomachs, enjoy the details of the table settings for this Ballroom Birthday feast!
See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.
Great pictures Dave. I would have killed for these back when I was 10 years old.
ReplyDeleteMy only wish is that the photographer had turned over one of the dinner plates, so we could know who made them.
Spode italian blue
DeleteThose are just some amazing behind-the-scenes photos! I wonder if the Disney folks would be upset to see them??
ReplyDeleteMajor: I don't think these behind the scenes pictures would create much of a stir today. "Back in the Day", yes they would, but back then the corporate culture at Disney was much more concerned about keeping backstage completely private.
ReplyDeleteI think it's Wedgewood. I remember the pattern, and we had those same glasses. They were available at May Co, Buffum's, Bullocks, etc. Leave it to Disney to find something commonly available and make it look antique.
ReplyDeleteWell, I asked my expert (my wife) and she nailed it. It's Spode.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=spode+blue+dishes&oe=UTF-
8&ved=0CCoQrQQwAg&cid=1423026639223986051
0&sa=image#p
CoxPilot: I am impressed. 6 minutes to get an answer on a china pattern! The Internets is good for something! Now I need to by a set LOL
ReplyDeleteThey are Spode Blue Italian! I have a set of the dinner plates. I love them even more now that I know they're Mansion related :)
ReplyDeleteYup! The internet is great. It really is "the information highway".
ReplyDeleteMy wife reminded me that we bought a set of the classes (both the wine glasses in the photo & tall tumblers) with the cranberry color at Alpha Beta market on 17th street in Santa Ana in 1966. The last one finally cracked about 10 years ago.
I wonder why the fruit needed to be on the table in the set-up under the balcony? It's not "ghost" fruit. I wonder if it's there to help with the positioning and alignment of the other figures around the table.
ReplyDeleteFrom a dance standpoint, the actual figures of the dancers are postioned correctly with the men leading the women, but the reflection that we see as we ride through is of the women leading the men!
Tokyo: the "ghost fruit" are needed to block the images of the ghosts as they pass behind it.
ReplyDeleteIn the real world, the ghost images are seen in the plate glass screen in front of the table. If the ghost fruit weren't there, the ghosts on the far side of the table would suddenly appear to be passing in front of the fruit.
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ReplyDeleteBy the way, somebody has compiled at least 7 of the various takes of the Ball Room Waltz, so if you ever wanted to hear all the various versions here it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5aWwa_6g6w
Katella, just say you're recreating the Haunted Mansion scene and you won't ever have to dust 'em. :)
ReplyDeleteThe fruit was a special effect! It lights up from time to time, replacing the "rotting" fruit on the table with ghostly fresh fruit (including a large pineapple). Google haunted mansion ballroom fruit and you'll see lots of references to it. :?)
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