Today we are going to spend a little time at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. This undated image shows a quaint little ice cream cart outside The Shoe.
This October 1965 image looks standard at first, but once I zoomed in, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
Apparently, poor Lafitte's anchor has been moved around multiple times. Here it is, right in front of the Mark Twain dock. Today, it resides in New Orleans Square. Previously, I believe it was located closer to the area that is now The Riverbelle Terrace.
Anyone know what this building in the distance is that appears to say "Wilbur Clark's..." is?
Frequently, I have read that Harper Goff's Golden Garter Saloon design from the 1953 Doris Day movie “Calamity Jane” was reused as the design for Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon. Here are a few screen shots to show you the striking similarities between the two, starting with two exterior shots:
Here are Doris and costar Howard Keel cavorting inside the Golden Garter. In the majority of these shots, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two structures!
Compare with this corresponding shot of the GH at Disneyland:
The differences can mainly be seen when you see the angles that show the back of the house and the ceiling; otherwise, the look and feel of both facilities are very similar.
The back of the house and the ceiling of the GH at Disneyland:
It’s a fun movie to watch, done in the same vein as “Annie Get Your Gun”(1950) (which also starred Keel).
Warner Brothers got their money’s worth out of this set, which was also used in Vincent Price’s “House of Wax” (1953).
For a much more detailed history of Harper Goff's set design, be sure to check out The Disney History Institute.
See more vintage and current Golden Horseshoe photos on my Golden Horseshoe web page.
4 comments:
Answer: Wilbur Clark's Crest Hotel and I think later it was called the Grand Hotel which is what I remember it as.
I just watched Calamity Jane, for the 900th time, on TCM this last week. The saloon in the movie is at the old Paramount Ranch in Calabasas off Kanan Rd. There is a video of a short tour of the town on YouTube titled Paramount Ranch Tour. It shows the old saloon looking a bit different than it did in the film.
I'll also vouch for the building being the Grand Hotel. Drove by it (and the Melodyland Theatre) many times on my way to work as a CM
Nice comparison shots, Dave. Always heard the stories regarding the design, but had never seen the movie.
Great work!
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