Temple Tuesdays: Behind the Storybook Pt. 2

It looks like Shirley Temple's daughter, Linda Susan, is ready to go home. She's had enough of waiting around the set. Shirley checks her wristwatch and reassures Linda that they will be heading out shortly.



Linda Susan double checks her own watch...



and the two hug it out. Awwwww...



More backstage in-between takes shots from "Shirley Temple's Storybook":







Check out the vintage television cameras!





A closeup of the camera and prompter:





Shirley has left the building; finally, Linda Susan gets to go home.



How 'bout that personalized luggage? STB = Shirley Temple Black. NEVER forget the Temple.







And that's the end of that series!

UPDATE! Many thanks to David at Gorillas Don't Blog for sending in two shots that match the background of the last few photos of Shirley & Linda Susan getting ready to drive off the lot.



That's St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank and the water tower from the Disney Studios.



More 1950s Shirley at my main website.

Inside the Fantasyland Theatre

Before Pinocchio's Daring Journey joined the dark rides of Fantasyland, that space was occupied by the Fantasyland Theater. Wonder what it looked like inside? Let's follow Alice in Wonderland who was gracious enough to take these two little gals inside one day back in July 1963.

Here's a rare interior view of the theater with Papotin's Revue in progress.



Let's zoom into what the spotlight is focused on:



This shot is even more rare considering the show only ran a few months in 1963. Direct from Paris...Andre Tahon & Papotin's Revue. A delightful musical fantasy starring the incomparable puppet-master, Andre Tahon. A show that will appeal to the young at heart of all ages.

And it only required 1 "E" coupon.

More vintage and current Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Starlight Musical Theatre

Although I've walked/driven by it many times, it wasn't until this month that I actually ventured a closer look at the Starlight Musical Theatre in San Diego's Balboa Park. Constructed for the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition, it was originally named The Ford Bowl because the auto manufacturer sponsored the outdoor concerts that occurred there.



The venue has sat empty since 2011. Falling into disrepair and decay, it has been a blight on the landscape of San Diego's jewel.



And here you can see the largest reason why this unique theatre did not do well over the years.



Touring the area with my mom who was visiting from the other coast, there was a steady stream of noisy planes flying directly over the stage.



Not really good for hearing music or dialogue. Still, it does appear that hope is on the way in the form of "Save Starlight," an organization that is working to restore, revive and revitalize Starlight Bowl by using creative technology to address opportunities and challenges for its location and architecture.

More Balboa Park photos at my main website.

La La Land and Hermosa Beach

I just crossed another one off my list of locations used in the film "La La Land." The Lighthouse Cafe is a real place, near the Hermosa Beach Pier. It really looks about the same from what you see in the movie.



What you see though is the back of the location; here's what the front looks like:



And here's the Pier as seen in the movie:



versus reality:



I think I'll take fantasy...and not just because Ryan Gosling is in the shot. I have read that the city is considering putting vintage lights on the pier to make it look more like the movie. That would definitely be an improvement as the pier looks fairly sterile in its every day incarnation.

More Los Angeles photos at my main website.

Old Time Photo Mystery

Within a recent batch of vintage Disneyland slides comes this July 1958 image of an old time photo "booth." I have no way of knowing if this is an interior of the Kodak shop on Main Street...unless someone like Beachgal comes forward and solves the mystery for me! Along with this interesting photo I also obtained this interior view of the Dutch Boy Paint Gallery in Tomorrowland. Leave it to Walt and the Imagineers to create an interactive/futuristic looking display for paint.



See more vintage and current Disneyland photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesdays: Behind the Storybook Pt. 1

From a batch of vintage negatives come these behind-the-scenes shots of Shirley Temple rehearsing her anthology television show, "Shirley Temple's Storybook."



Running on NBC from January through December 1958, it was a mix of color and black and white episodes. I tried to zoom in to be able to read Shirley's script, but to no avail. However, check out the ice on her fingers!



Although the golden curls had straightened out and gone darker, that famous dimpled smile was still around to charm.







I believe the gentleman with the cig and his back to the camera is Mitchell Leisen, who directed three of the series' episodes.



More 1950s Shirley at my main website.

Myra for President

With all of the turmoil over our new President (yes, I know...many claim he's not their President), why not get ready for 2020 by voting for Myra Breckenridge? Clad in her patriotic red, white, and blue, this statue apparently toured around Los Angeles to promote Gore Vidal's book and the upcoming movie that would star Raquel Welch and Mae West.



I don't know anything about these November 1968 photos other than they were shot in California (according to the trailer's license plate) and that the statue was also featured on the cover of Vidal's book.



These three images were part of a collection of a man who worked as a cameraman and Technical Director at NBC in Washington DC at WRC-TV-4 from 1947-1978. Apparently he passed away in 2004.



UPDATE: This statue is either the same or an homage to the one that once twirled on Sunset Boulevard near the Chateau Marmont Hotel from 1957-1966. My personal opinion when comparing the two is that they are different, and it's more than just a coat of paint. The one on the flatbed looks more like a temporary/cheaper construction version.



More vintage movie and television photos at my main website.

Union Station Hotel

Built in 1900, Nashville's Union Station became a luxury hotel in 1986. I love a good adaptive reuse that preserves historic detail while finding new life for something that might have been torn down instead.



Last year, a $15.5 million renovation was completed that helped bring the property into the modern age while retaining its history.



The lobby is really a stunner:





Vintage tile: check.



Handcrafted stained glass windows: check.



An impressive staircase: check.



An inviting fireplace: check.



This was one of the few things that made me wish I'd had more time to linger in this city.

More Nashville, Tennessee at my main website.