Are you ready for your 1966 Universal Studios Tour? Looks like this bus driver was flirting a bit with the passengers. I was hoping a zoom-in to the bus would provide a better look at the map and an ID, but no luck.
Over at Stage 30 they are filming “Pistols 'n' Petticoats” and “The Jean Arthur Show.”
Set in 1870, “Pistols 'n' Petticoats” was a sitcom starring Ann Sheridan that only lasted one season. Sadly, she died a few months after the series was cancelled. “The Jean Arthur Show” only lasted for 12 episodes. Leonard Stone, known as Violet Beauregarde’s dad in “Willy Wonka” had a role as Jean’s chauffeur.
Done with the bus driver, our 1966 Universal Guest has made her way over to Park mascot Woody the Woodpecker.
A much better choice! I am assuming the arm pose of the statue was designed for posing with little kids.
From a May 1966 tour, this is the Pacific Ocean Naval Base set for “McHale’s Navy,” which had recently ended its four season run (1962-1966).
Gotta’ get a closer look. If only steadier hands had prevailed. We’ll just blame it on the tram driver.
From November 1965, another angle of the same set:
From the same batch
Interesting to note all the miniature watercraft in this shot:
See more Universal Studios photos at my main website.
4 comments:
Faintly recall a childhood visit around 1970 -- I place it there because there was a soundstage exhibit of a set from the "Pufnstuf" movie. Bob Hastings, a regular from "McHale's Navy", introduced the stunt show. He was the only star we saw that day. He had a record album on sale in one of the souvenir shops -- don't know if it was music or standup. The tram was the only ride.
The treasured keepsake was a souvenir magazine covering Universal's history. This is where I first found out there was a Green Hornet serial and a whole series of Sherlock Holmes movies, and it was several years before I got a chance to see more than a clip of either. Ah, the days before home video and the Internet. Now I actually own a lot of the movies and even some of the serials and TV shows I once knew only from those pages.
The Pufnstuf movie is about to be released on Blu ray. Loved that TV show as a kid!
Great stuff, Dave.
My one and only visit was a few years later. I remember seeing the set for "Ironsides", but no shooting or actors going on.
I sure do recall that lagoon with the ships shelling each other, and the fake rainstorm.
JG
This is a good place in time for pics of this, given what would happen next. I can't find the whole story but there was a Universal financial exec who had been on Walt's side from decades earlier, thus a good relationship between them. He asked Walt if he could spare a man to look over his studio tour. Walt sent Harper Goff who ultimately designed the "GlamTram" we came to know from 1964 onward. This makes that first shot all the more interesting because it has to be from just before that change.
Harper was also the art director for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from '71 so clearly he wisely kept an iron in every fire.
I remember the GlamTram passing McHale's Navy and the submarine "torpedoing" the road as you drove by.
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