Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Attack of the 50 Foot Ambassador



Back in the day before Photoshop was ever a word, people had to create magic by hand when it came to trick photography. This image is probably one of the most bizarre in my collection of vintage Disneyland photos. Disneyland Ambassador Julie Reihm has been enlarged and superimposed over the Disneyland Main Street Train Station. I am assuming that the original goal was to have it look like she had her hands around the E.P. Ripley train pulling into the station. Instead, the person who put the images together missed the mark, making the photo even more strange. Here is the vintage publicity blurb that accompanied this January 25, 1965 shot:

DISNEYLAND 10TH ANNIVERSARY…Disneyland enters its second decade in '65 and to inaugurate the event, a special "Disneyland 10th Anniversary" program will be presented on "Walt Disney's World of Color," over NBC-TV Sunday, Jan. 3 (7:30-8:30 p.m. PST; EST). Julie Reihm, a Disneyland Tour Guide, who has been chosen as "Miss Disneyland," is pictured here inviting viewers to watch the program which will feature among other stars and attractions, Hayley Mills and family, Louis Armstrong, Tinker Bell, Mickey Mouse, a cake with dancing candles, marching bands, pom-pom girls and a regiment of tin soldiers marching down the Magic Kingdom's famous Main Street. Walt Disney as usual will be on hand to emcee the program and review the history of his magic land and describe some of the new attractions now in the works.

More Disneyland Ambassador and Tour Guide photos at my main website.

6 comments:

K. Martinez said...

And here I thought we were going to see the beautiful Allison Hayes. Instead we have the lovely Disneyland Ambassador Julie Reihm of which her line "By going up the waterfall?" sticks in my head. Very unusual photo for sure. Thanks, Dave!

Anonymous said...

That's just a weird pic.

By the way, apropos of nothing, I saw in yesterday's news that Disney Studios has completely restored Walt's original office "...to the tiniest detail..." including all 3 ashtrays on his desk, wet bar and the piano used by the Shermans to develop the movie themes.

Admission to various club member (D23 and sim.) types only, for big $.

I'll never see it, but I'm glad they did it.

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

Yep, that's a weird one!

TokyoMagic! said...

The "Village of the Giants" theme song is going through my head....along with Beau Bridges doing the Jerk.....or the Swim.....or something similar....in slow motion.

K. Martinez, "A SKELETON GHOST!!!!!"

MIKE COZART said...

when I saw that photo on EBAY TOKYOMAGIC I thought the same thing! :"Village of the Giants". That really is such an odd picture..BTW that's the CK HOLIDAY locomotive in the shot.

But what people don't remember is that year Julie had a over-active thyroid and experienced monumental growth in a short about of time. Luckily imagineers were working on early versions of THE MIGHTY MICROSCOPE for the 1967 Tomorrowland, and after a visit to miniaturization control at MAPO's test facilities, Julie was returned to normal size and was able to go on her world-wide Disneyland Tercentennial Tour! Very few shots of GIANT JULIE have survived into the 21st Century.

outsidetheberm said...

Such an odd shot. One that probably should have been rejected by publicity; surely they had something better. Thanks for the look!