Monday Trouble Trio

Today’s post has three new (to me) publicity stills from the 1962 movie, “40 Pounds of Trouble” which had a sequence filmed at Disneyland. The first shot shows Suzanne Pleshette, Claire Wilcox, and Tony Curtis drinking milk (Disney sponsor Carnation, of course!) behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. They are wearing Halloween masks as disguises; Pleshette as Kruschev, Wilcox as Castro, and Curtis as JFK. The ship’s parrot (Paco) can be seen caged in the background:



This vintage slide from December 1962 (same time as the release of the movie) shows the Pirate Ship in full color:



Zooming in you can see the area where the three sat, including the parrot cage:



From July 1962:



The same seating area from the reverse angle, with a better shot of the Paco, the talking parrot:



Why were they wearing masks? In the movie, Tom Reese’s character was attempting to catch them, chasing them throughout the Park. Here he is in the Skull Rock cove area, with the Skyway pylons in the background:



How Skull Rock looked in color, circa September 1962:



The area where Reese was standing (note the matching light fixtures):



Here, the three leads are being pursued through Tom Sawyer Island over the pontoon bridge:



…and a color view from 1960:



While this remake of “Little Miss Marker” is not a very good film (critic Bosley Crowther called it “too hackneyed and dull”), the fifteen minute Disneyland sequence is a great record of vintage Disneyland.
 
See more “40 Pounds of Trouble” photos at my main website.

Tony Curtis Takes A Wild Ride

In 1962, Tony Curtis starred in the comedy “40 Pounds of Trouble.” This lackluster remake of Shirley Temple’s “Little Miss Marker” (1934) has at least one redeeming feature: beautiful color footage of Disneyland, shot with permission from Walt himself (albeit with minor script changes that he suggested first). Here’s Tony attempting to escape a detective (Tom Reese) hot on his trail as he dashes through the Teacup attraction. I wonder if there was any eye makeup left for costar Suzanne Pleshette after Tony was finished prepping for the film?



In between takes, Tony took his daughter Kelly (left) and costar Claire Wilcox (who played the Shirley Temple role) on Mr. Toad’s wild adventure.



Maybe Tony enjoyed the drag makeup from “Some Like It Hot” (1959) and decided to keep it.



A few screenshots from the movie that give rare interior views of Mr. Toad:





See more Disneyland Mr. Toad photos at my main website.

Janet Leigh rides the Mine Train, Pt. 2

Janet Leigh and family have safely boarded their Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland at Disneyland, circa 1962. Most likely current hubby Tony Curtis was off shooting "40 Pounds of Trouble" nearby.



I wonder what imminent danger Janet was pointing at to daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee?



Back to smiles in this shot:



But Jamie Lee is attempting to cover her ears from something.



With the help of some modern-day technology, we can see 8 consecutive frames from the strip of negatives in sequential motion:



More vintage Janet Leigh at Disneyland fun at my main website.

Janet Leigh rides the Mine Train, Pt. 1

These vintage images from 1962 show actress Janet Leigh taking her children, Kelly and Jamie Lee, for a visit to Disneyland. Their father (and Janet's hubby), Tony, was filming a sequence from "40 Pounds of Trouble" at the Park.



Here's a cute one of future actress Jamie Lee getting a pat on the head from mom:



Not a huge surprise that Janet was accompanied by a VIP Tour Guide:





Looks like trouble with the kids as Janet creates a few frown lines:



Daughter Kelly: "I don't want to wait in line!"



Looks like the crisis has passed.



Sassy!





Come back as we join the Curtis family aboard the Mine Train!

More vintage Janet Leigh at Disneyland photos at my main website.

Tony Curtis on the Autopia

Just when I thought my collection was complete...I acquired another still from the 1962 Tony Curtis film, "40 Pounds of Trouble." This forgotten film is mainly remembered because of an approximately 20 minute long sequence that was filmed at Disneyland. Now I have a trio of images documenting a scene where Tony Curtis is attempting to escape his captors. He hops into an Autopia vehicle...



and is then pursued:



During filming, Tony's wife, Janet Leigh, cavorted over in Storybook Land, charming the male guests that are surrounding her.



See more vintage Disneyland "40 Pounds of Trouble" photos on my "40 Pounds of Trouble" web page.

Janet & Tony at Disneyland

Back to 1962's "40 Pounds of Trouble," we see Suzanne Pleshette enjoying a cig during a break in filming with director Norman Jewison (far left) and costar Tony Curtis (far right).

I love this shot of Pleshette, cigarette almost fully smoked, with a look on her face as if she is ready to ruin somebody's day. With her deep whiskey-soaked voice (laced with its share of nicotine), Pleshette always sounded like someone you wouldn't want to mess around with.



Meanwhile, Tony Curtis' wife was also visiting Disneyland during this time. Wonder if she was checking up on Tony & Suzanne? In this summer 1962 shot, I can make a few guesses based on the crowd. Most likely Tony is off-camera to the left, as the guests behind Janet seem to be taking photos of whatever Janet is looking at. Curtis is probably signing an autograph for a young fan. I am also going to guess that the gender of the photographer of this candid scene was male; he had no interest in catching Tony Curtis, but his lovely wife Janet...that's another story!



I love the geeky look of this adoring male fan; oh if only his own wife was as dreamy as Janet Leigh!



See more "Forty Pounds of Trouble" photos on my "Forty Pounds of Trouble" web page.

Screen Gem Saturdays: MORE "40 Pounds of Trouble"

In previous posts, I've shown photos from the forgettable 1962 Tony Curtis movie "40 Pounds of Trouble." One of the most notable things about this film is the lengthy sequence filmed at Disneyland. Here are a few more photos from that production. First up we see Suzanne Pleshette, Claire Wilcox, and Tony Curtis rushing through the queue of the Matterhorn, with the Monorail beam overhead. The publicity blurb says:

"Hat jammed down over his face, Tony Curtis hustles Suzanne Pleshette and little Claire Wilcox away from an amusement ride in Disneyland where he's trying to hide out in this scene from "40 Pounds of Trouble," romantic color comedy opening Wednesday at the RKO Orpheum Theater."

Suzanne Pleshette is either being told about the Plaza Gardens being removed, or perhaps she is overacting a scene in the film. Either way, the caption is:

"Suzanne Pleshette and Tony Curtis are shocked by the sight of a private eye who has caught up with them at Disneyland in order to serve Curtis with a subpoena."

Personally, I think the removal of the Carnation Plaza Gardens is much more shocking.



With the Golden Horseshoe and the Frontier Gun Shop in the background, the gang seems to be having fun on a Tom Sawyer Island Raft.

"Six-year-old Claire Wilcox gets the thrill of her life when she visits Disneyland with Tony Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette."



A few behind-the-scenes filming stills near the Fantasyland Autopia show Pleshette relaxing with Director Norman Jewison & costar Tony Curtis.





See more "40 Pounds of Trouble" photos on my "40 Pounds of Trouble" web page.

TPE: Central Plaza

Welcome to Central Plaza, aka "The Hub," because it was designed to be the heart of Disneyland...the central place that guests could meet and enter each of the different lands. "Let's meet at the hub..."

All of the vintage vehicles meet here after taking guests from Town Square. In this particular 1956 photo, you can see where the Matterhorn would eventually be built. I can understand why Walt would want these covered up!



During my vintage visit, there's so much I'd want to do here. First I'd need to get off the Horse-Drawn Streetcar...



Or maybe I would have chosen the Omnibus...I do love that double-decker view down Main Street!





I have to zoom in on this one; the House of the Future, the Hall of Chemistry, signage...oh my!



I would need a snack, so I'd grab a delicious bag of hot freshly popped popcorn:





watch the organ grinder and monkey in action:





I'd want to catch a concert at the original bandstand (before it got moved to Adventureland and then off-premises):



I'd want to make sure I got to see Trinidad Ruiz, the famous White Wing who helped keep the Park spotless.



Central Plaza also seemed to be the place the guests would most likely get to see The Keystone Kops play their vintage melodies. On the right is Bernie Flymen; he played sax & clarinet at Disneyland from 1955–1960 and in Desi Arnaz’s “I Love Lucy” band. Funny how this guest appears to be completely oblivious to them.





I would also want to be in Central Plaza in 1962 when the movie "Forty Pounds of Trouble" was being filmed with Tony Curtis.



More action for the Keystone Kops.



I'd have to make sure I visited during Easter so I could see the La Coquette balloon:



What a cool site from Central Plaza; I wonder if guests were allowed to ride in it?



I'd also want to witness the pageantry often seen in Central Plaza, like the parade that heralded the opening of the Alice in Wonderland dark ride:



And I'd want to see all of the hullabaloo that accompanied the June 14, 1959 unveiling of the Matterhorn, Submarines, Motor Boat Cruise, and the Monorail. Wow...what a year!





Vice President Richard Nixon was on hand with his family:





Disney and Nixon were long-time friends who were a mutual admiration society:



Our Horse-Drawn Streetcar may be heading back to Town Square, but we have new adventures to tackle on Friday! Come back for more!



See more vintage & current Disneyland Central Plaza photos on my Central Plaza web page.