Town Square Thursday, 1956

Moving through the front gate we enter Disneyland, circa 1956. Vesey Walker is conducting the Disneyland Band in Town Square. A Horse-Drawn Streetcar leads guests down Main Street, U.S.A. towards the Castle.



A view from the opposite side:



A you-are-there (remember that show?) viewpoint from inside what I am guessing is a Surrey (based on the fringe!):



See more Disneyland Town Square photos at my main website.

Welcome to Disneyland, 1956!

Just one quick one today as we prepare to enter Disneyland, circa 1956. Must be the holidays; and check out those positively primitive Christmas decorations! Guess what? I love 'em!!



This closeup view shows our friends from yesterday's Disneyland Hotel post.



See more Disneyland entrance photos at my main website.

The Disneyland Hotel, 1956

This batch of images from 1956 shows some amazingly rare interior shots of the Disneyland Hotel. Let's see what the exterior looks like first, shall we? This closeup shows the signage as well as a few vintage autos.



A few shots of our group walking the grounds of the Hotel.





Zooming in, we see that this couple have found an orange. Free food on a Disney property? It must be the past!



I am digging these lobby shots with the fireplace!



Just in case you want a closeup of the lovely ladies in the photo:





Looks like even back in the 50s, there was a love for all things Tiki:



The last one for today gives another view of the Hotel's pool:



...with the obligatory closeup to show off the details. I am guessing that the gent in the back was part of this group.



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

James Dean in New York

1950s icon James Dean's career was floundering in Hollywood. He went to New York and honed his craft on the stage and in many early TV dramas. While there, he lived in this New York City Apartment.



Dean walked up these stairs to get to his rooftop apartment:



Want to go in?



The interior is slightly different, but overall, very much the same:



Compare with this vintage Sanford Roth shot:



Where Dean bathed:



The rooftop and its views are incredible:



I was able to do a photo shoot with actor/singer Dominic Scaglione, Jr. who is best known (so far) for playing the lead in the Broadway production of “Jersey Boys.”



Wearing a Rebel Jacket from Daddy O's.





The view as you exit the building:



See more James Dean photos at my main website.

More Janet Leigh at Storybook Land

A recently acquired addition to my collection expands my library of 1962 Janet Leigh and family images. Visiting the Park while then-husband Tony Curtis was filming “40 Pounds of Trouble,” today's post shows them on the Storybook Land attraction. First, daughters Jamie Leigh and Kelly Curtis seem to be enjoying the Big Bad Wolf. I wonder if this inspired Jamie Leigh's scream-queen career?

Boarding the attraction:



Look mom, there's Toad Hall!



A closeup:



A contemporary shot of Toad Hall, now in a different location:



Cruising along to Pinocchio's tableau:



A closeup of Gepetto's workshop:



And a contemporary view:



The last shot shows them enjoying Alice's Village:



See more Janet Leigh at Disneyland photos at my main website.

Fire Department Friday

Here’s a September 1958 shot of the Disneyland Fire Department, located in Town Square. You can see the same location from the reverse angle in this previously posted shot, also from the 1950s:



A contemporary shot of the Fire Department:



In other Park news, the Main Street U.S.A. group Hook and Ladder has been fired (very bad pun for a not so funny situation). The group's last performance is this month. They have been a wonderful musical addition to Town Square for years that were a tribute to the Firehouse Five Plus Two, the early Walt Disney Studios band made up of some of the Nine Old Men.



The Silver Dollar Six in Frontierland has also been let go; you might have seen them on the balcony of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland.



See more Disneyland Fire Department photos at my main website.

Sax in the City

Just one image for today from June 1958, featuring the Keystone Kops quartet playing their saxophones for guests in Central Plaza. I don't know the names of all the performers, but Bernie Flamen is the one on the right. He played sax and clarinet at Disneyland 1955–1960 and in Desi Arnaz’s “I Love Lucy” band.

See more Disneyland Central Plaza photos at my main website.

Kate at Kent

And by Kate, I mean Katharine Hepburn. The Katharine Hepburn Dressed for Stage and Screen exhibit traveled around the country for the past seven years before landing back at the Kent State University Museum. You could almost feel Hepburn’s presence with this display of her signature slacks:



The costumes in the exhibition are all part of the Kent State University Museum’s permanent collection, a gift from Hepburn’s estate. Hepburn's performance clothes on display included stage costumes from “The Philadelphia Story”:



Coco:



Screen costumes from such classic films as “Adam's Rib”:



and the accompanying lobby card which features the same dress. Colorized as most lobby cards back in the day were, obviously the artist took liberties with the color of the dress:



“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”:



One of her television movies, “Love Among the Ruins”:



This memorable outfit from her Oscar winning performance in “On Golden Pond”:



The artist captured Hepburn perfectly in this vintage 1940 caricature; the signature looks like Susi Perlman:



A collection of Hepburn’s shoes, makeup, fall, and vintage movie magazines:



Unfortunately, the exhibit has now closed.

See more Kent State University Museum photos at my main website.