Walt at the Opera

Disneyland’s Opera House is mainly known for its Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show. However, from 1973-2005, Walt Disney was part of the show, too. The above August 1986 image shows “The Walt Disney Story” taking top billing, with poor President Lincoln as the supporting player. The below image of me with Tigger in front of the Opera House is from October 1995.



Zooming in you can see the attraction poster on the outside wall. At least Abe scored a larger font size!



Inside the auditorium, guests could watch a twenty-eight minute long movie about Walt and…well, his story (narrated by Walt himself, through the magic of archival interviews). I remember being excited every time I saw the clip of Shirley Temple presenting him the special Oscar statuette for “Snow White” (1937). From 1973-1975, Mr. Lincoln was nowhere to be seen. Guests complaining about the removal of the Abe show caused the President’s return in 1975. After the Walt film was over, the Abe animatronic show would begin. Walt and Abe…together again! Thus the title, “The Walt Disney Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” Besides the presentation in the auditorium, guests could see awards and other memorabilia pertaining to Walt in the lobby of the Opera House. The below image from September 1976 shows one of the display cases:



In this first detailed view, you can see President Dwight D. Eisenhower presenting Walt with the Freedom Foundation Award. The below description of the event was edited from The Walt Disney Family Museum website:

Former President Dwight David Eisenhower served as the Freedoms Foundation’s chairman from its founding until his death in 1969. On February 22, 1963, at a special ceremony in Palm Springs, California, Eisenhower presented Walt Disney with the Foundation’s highest award: the George Washington Medal of Honor.…The award recognized Walt as “Ambassador of Freedom for the United States.” In his introduction, General Eisenhower explained, “Four men previously have been honored by Freedoms Foundation. Mr. Disney is the fifth.…It is my privilege, before I present to him the medal and the plaque that goes along with this award of the George Washington [medal]…to read what is on it: “Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge honors Walt Disney, Ambassador of Freedom for the United States of America. For his educational wisdom and patriotic dedication in advancing the concept of freedom under God; for his unfailing professional devotion to the things which matter most, human dignity and personal responsibility; for masterful creative leadership in communicating the hopes and aspirations of our free society to the far corners of the planet.” To great applause, Eisenhower presented the award to Walt. When the applause died down, Walt spoke. “Mr. President…General Eisenhower…or, I mean, Mr. Eisenhower…It’s kind of hard to express my feelings about this. This is one of those moments when I feel…entirely inadequate. It’s something that sort of makes you feel rather humble. But I want the Board of the Freedoms Foundation and everyone connected with this to know that I sincerely appreciate this tribute.”



If you look at the bottom of the above detailed view, you can see a photo of Walt’s wife, Lillian, with First Lady Pat Nixon and President Richard Nixon. The Richard Nixon Library website describes that event:

3/25/1969 Fifty years ago today, President Nixon presented the Walt Disney commemorative gold medal to Mr. Disney’s widow Lillian. The medal was awarded for Walt’s “service through so many years not only to the people of the United States, but to the people of the world.” The Walt Disney commemorative gold medal, struck by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, was authorized by Public Law 90-316 (82 Stat. 130).(WHPO-0591-02 & 0588-01)



Detailed view number two shows Walt at the top receiving the French. Legion of Honor award in 1936. The award was presented by Jean Joseph Viala, the French Consul General, at Disney’s Hyperion Studio.



Below is an article from the Meramec Valley Transcript Pacific, Missouri, Friday February 7, 1936:



The second photo in the detailed view shows Walt receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Johnson.



From the D23 website:

SEPTEMBER 14, 1964 On this day in 1964, Walt Disney was in Washington, D.C., for a special honor, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At a noon ceremony in the East Room of the White House, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “What America is to be, America will be, because of our trust in and of the individual and of his capacity for excellence. Only those who doubt the individual can be dubious of America’s survival and success in this century of contest. This belief is mine. It was this conviction that led President Kennedy to the establishment of the Medal of Freedom as our highest civilian honor for outstanding individuals—citizens who share an extra measure of individual excellence in the mainstream of our well-being and our advancement. On the talents of such citizens rests the future of our American civilization, for it is from the genius of the few that we enrich the greatness of the many. All Americans are proud, as I am proud, to salute today the great Americans here before me. Their lives and their works have made freedom stronger for all of us in our time.” One by one, the recipients would step forward to receive their gold decoration, including Walt Disney, whose achievements were described as “Artist and impresario, in the course of entertaining an age, he has created an American folklore.”



The final detailed view shows a number of other interesting trophies and awards, for which I know zilcho about. I am “assuming” that most of these artifacts ended up at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

See more Disneyland Opera House photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and Elois

For Shirley’s final feature, “A Kiss for Corliss” (1949), Elois Jenssen was the costume designer. Here’s a photo of Elois looking over the sketches and fabric swatches selected for Shirley’s outfits in the movie.



I was able to pair up a few of them with photos from my collection, starting with Day Outfit #3. In the photo with Shirley are costars Tom Tully, Darryl Hickman, and Virginia Welles.



Night Outfit #5:



…which also came with a jacket:



Day Outfit #7, shown with Gloria Holden and Tom Tully:



Outfit #9, once again with Hickman.



Jenssen is probably best known for her work with Lucille Ball on “I Love Lucy.” While putting together this post, I uncovered another mystery (to me, at least!). On the back of the director’s chair that Jenssen is sitting in is the name “Mr. Lewin.” The director on “Corliss” was Richard Wallace; there is no listing for anyone by the name of “Lewin” in the credits. It’s also interesting to note that you can see the ghosted letters of the previous person who once sat in this chair. I guess Hollywood recycled these!



See more Shirley Temple “A Kiss for Corliss” photos at my main website.

Marmont Monday: Sunset Boulevard, 1980 Time Capsule

This undated image of Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard is most likely Spring 1980. There are many clues on the plethora of billboards that help determine this. In the first detailed view, we see the Chateau Marmont hotel, with a “Kramer vs. Kramer” billboard in front. While the movie was released in December 1979, the ad touts its five Oscar win, making the date of the photo post April 14, 1980.



The film was groundbreaking in that it challenged the notion that women are always the best parent. Exceptional performances by Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep helped show the flaws as well as the positive attributes for both characters. Justin Henry was outstanding as the little boy caught in the middle of their battle.



There is also a billboard for the album Cameosis by Cameo, which was released April 24, 1980.



Eric Clapton’s album from the Stigwood Group, Just One Night, was also released in April 1980.



The photo also shows an a billboard for Gilbey’s Vodka; below is the print version:



The lower right hand corner of the photo has a billboard for The Whispers’ album, which was released on October 24, 1979. Amazing that it was still around almost six months later.



At the time the photo was shot, the tall hotel in the foreground was known as The Hyatt on Sunset:



In my May 2014 image, you can see that it is now The Andaz, when apparently Tequila was the drink of choice instead of vodka!



Sorry, Gilbey’s! See more photos at my main website.

Inside the Pink Taco

I have always been fascinated with the Pink Taco location on Sunset Boulevard, which sits next to my home-away-from-home, the Chateau Marmont. At one time, it was known as The Players, a supper club I wish I had been able to experience in person. You can read more about that 1940s incarnation at my previous post.



As for the history of Pink Taco itself, I visited their website. Below is the edited version:



Devoted to damn good tacos. Mexican cuisine has captured the hearts and palates of food enthusiasts around the world. One restaurant that has embraced the flavors and vibrancy of Mexican culture is Pink Taco. What started as a small-scale venture with a cheeky name has blossomed into a renowned restaurant chain. Pink Taco was founded in 1999 by Harry Morton in Las Vegas, NV, opening its first location within Hard Rock Hotel & Cafe. Inspired by the vibrant street food culture of Mexico, Harry envisioned creating a restaurant that offered a unique dining experience. In its early years, Pink Taco operated as a single location in Sin City. The restaurant quickly gained popularity, attracting locals, celebrities and tourists alike with its inviting ambiance, lively music, and delectable Mexican fare. Pink Taco prided itself on adopting a casual, fun-loving atmosphere that mirrored the vibrant energy of Mexican street markets. 

Below is a shot from my first visit to the Las Vegas (ala “Sin City”) location with my friend Illica, circa February 2003:

 

“Cheeky name” is right. If you haven’t figured it out, I’ll let you visit Google to see what it’s slang for.



Above: from my recent visit with Melissa, aka “The Colonel.”



I’ve always wanted to explore the restaurant to see if there are any architectural remnants from The Players days, but have never done so until my visit a few months ago.



This time, I had my camera AND the restaurant was devoid of guests, which made my snooping/shooting less nerve-wracking. I love the archways and REALLY love this door, which has an old school feel about it. Original? Who knows.



I do love the decor of the PT. Vibrant AND creepy!



At the Pink Taco, it’s Día de los Muertos every day!



I asked the hostess if I can snoop around upstairs. Not only did she say yes, she took me around herself. I doubt that her mother was even alive at the time of The Players, but that was ok. I didn’t care.



I can’t say I got a 1940s vibe, walking through the halls and going into each dining/drinking area (and there are many).



I did ask her if she had heard about the alleged underground tunnel that connected The Players to the Chateau Marmont and she said “yes.”



She’d never seen it personally, but heard that it existed at one time.



While it was disappointing to see virtually nothing left from The Players, it was still satisfying to have checked it out anyway. One less thing on my bucket list. As for Willis, he can’t get enough of this place. He loves to walk by it as he knows there will always be broken chips on the floor to sample!



See more Sunset Boulevard Pink Taco photos at my main website.

Disneyland Memories from Steven D

One of the greatest joys of doing this blog is the opportunity for readers to reach out to me with cherished memories they have of visiting Disneyland “back in the day.” Steven D is one such reader who recently sent his story of both visiting AND working at the Park. He was also kind enough to share two black and photos from his collection, which are appropriately noted. The rest of the post is peppered with photos from my collection to illustrate his story (in italics). Enjoy!

I truly enjoy your blog, especially the earlier Disneyland stuff. That is the period from my memory and they are good memories. I was first there in 1958, when I was 5 years old. Above is a shot of my brother and me, (the taller one) in Town Square, 1960.

Little boys loved that cannon in Town Square! Below is a shot of my Mom and brothers, circa November 1965:



As boys in the early 60’s, my brother and I lived just a few miles from Disneyland. We would ride our bikes there and with just a $5 bill in each of our pockets, we could buy a 15 ticket book/admission for $3.25 and still have money for lunch. There was a Catholic School Day at Disneyland; we had the patronal feast of the Diocese as a holiday.



We could order our Disneyland admission ticket at school and go to Disneyland on a day when all the public-school kids were in school. That was still in the ticket days but on Catholic School Days you could ride anything as much as you wanted to, no ride tickets that day. I can remember riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds, jumping off, getting right back in line and right back into the bobsled again. We did this over and over again.





As I remember, the park was not busy on that day. Despite all the school kids invited & I think at a special reduced price, it must have been still considered a luxury for many families to send their kids. So, we basically had the run of the park.

After joining the company in 1973, I collected my paycheck every week backstage in a room at the rear of the Courthouse & had to pass the stairs to the Disney apartment on the way. By that time Walt was already dead. We knew though when Lillian was in the park. There would be two pots of blooming flowers on every step, all the way up to their patio platform when she was in residence. I believe that the special Disney train car, the Lilly Belle, was added to the train when she was in the park too.



I actually still remember my first day working on Main Street in the morning before the gates opened. It was a beautiful sunny day, sidewalks and streets wet, freshly washed a few hours before by the night cleaning crew. There was a magic in being there before the gates opened. I was very blessed. What a wonderful place! The above pic shows me working a Grad Nite at the Disneyland Newsstand, 1975 or 1976. I was in front gate, yellow and blue costume here. I preferred working on the other side of the tunnels in Main Street costume. In those days, the Main Street men’s costumes, shirts, bow ties, blazers, and vests came in four different color combinations to choose from! No wonder it was the largest wardrobe department in the world. Imagine the cleaning bill. Bad me, I checked out a clean costume every time I came to work, even if I just worked for 4 hours!



I believe that until 1975 we were wearing the Main Street costume when working at the Newsstand. After that it changed to a front gate costume, bright blue pants, yellow short sleeve shirt and warm but ugly yellow fuzzy jacket for nighttime. I am wearing the jacket in the photo. Everyone hated the new costume. There was a back door in the Newsstand stock room that led to a very narrow, probably not even 3' wide pathway right behind the front gate iron fence/hedge. The path led to the back lot behind the courthouse and was used to bring in stock for the stand from backstage. One time I went out there for some reason and found a young male guest perched on top of the fence trying to get over and into the Park. He asked me to let him come over. In a way I felt bad about it but also didn’t want to lose my job, so I told him, “Sorry, but you need to get back to the other side where you belong.” I remember waiting on Sally Fields and Sidney Poitier at the Guide Stands.

The image below is from March 1975:



I worked at the two Main Street Guide Stands right by the tunnels and listened to the “Disneyland Santa Fe Railroad” now departing message about every 10 minutes. When I pull it up on YouTube, it takes me right back and brings a bit of a lump in my throat. Main Street in the early evening hours was dead quiet. I still remember in the quiet hearing John Denver singing “Rocky Mountain High” from the Tomorrowland stage. The Guide stands were also the perfect places to view the parades. There was the Main Street Electrical Parade, when I first joined the company in 1973, The Christmas Parades, and in 1975/76, America on Parade [shown below in an August 1976 image taken in Town Square].



No better place to see the fireworks too. I wouldn't recognize the view to the former parking lot any longer. Did you know that the parking lot crew were all members of the Teamsters Union? I think the entire Park was unionized; I was a member of the Retail Clerks Union. I also loved spending my lunch break in The One Of A Kind Shop. I walked there in costume, which was slightly discouraged, as you didn't want to be seen in say a Main Street costume in Adventureland. As I remember I had to pass though there to get to New Orleans Square. I tried the tunnel system “once” and got hopelessly lost. I ended up coming out on the shore of “The Rivers of America” and never tried it again. It was dark, a bit scary, and no one was down there when I tried to find my way around.



Above: the Royal Street Bachelors playing in front of the One of a Kind Shop in New Orleans Square, 1969.

One day at the OOAK Shop, I was looking up at a small emerald and clear glass crystal chandelier [picture below]. The sales lady said, Mrs. Disney just brought that in. It hangs in my bedroom today here in Ohio. Stupid me. I didn't ask which Mrs. Disney and worse yet, should have asked the sales lady (who had been there for years) see if Mrs. D would write a short, signed note, for the piece. With the price of Disney memorabilia today, what could that have been worth with a note from Mrs. D? Doesn't really matter, I guess. I love it anyway. What a beautiful and luxurious shop that was! And now, cheap plastic, t-shirts and plush. Ugh!



Speaking of plush, I often worked Grad Nites in “Pooh” gardens, the Tour Guide Staging area, just packed with Winnie the Poohs, wearing graduation caps. Grad nights ran from 11pm till 6am. Unbelievable now, guys came dressed in coats and ties, girls in dresses. Groups like "The Spinners", "Olivia Newton John", "Natalie Cole" & "The Pointer Sisters", would perform those nights. After changing out of costumes at the end of the shift, we all went out to nearby Denny's afterwards for breakfast. Those were the days! Dad was transferred here to Ohio in 1976. I have a Fine Arts/Interior Design degree from Woodbury College but attended Cal State Fullerton too. I have often mused that I may have just stayed working at the park, working my way up, had we stayed in California. I was so happy there. Guests were generally so excited that their excitement was contagious. It as a happy job.

Actor Kevin Costner, who was one year younger than me, was attending California State Fullerton on a baseball scholarship when I was there. He had the esteemed job of a Jungle Cruise Captain when I was working at the park. Although I never officially met him, I wonder if I ever passed him coming out of wardrobe?

The last time I was at Disneyland was some time ago, just before California Adventure went in. I know if I went back certain areas are almost unchanged, like Main Street and New Orleans Square. I would like to see them again but I’m not sure that I wouldn’t be sad over some of the changes in other areas, be they better, like the newer Fantasyland.

Thanks a million, Steve, for sharing these great stories!

See more vintage Disneyland photos at my main website.