Evolution of a Jester

Another Disneyland character casualty due to change was The Jester. This first shot shows the Jester, circa September 1958, standing in front of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant. This is the earliest shot in my collection showing this roving chap who entertained guests.

I’m not sure how many Jesters were employed at Disneyland, but arguably the most famous was Christopher Fair, shown below on his unicycle in 1959. He was hired out of high school (Chula Vista High School in San Diego) to do magic tricks and juggling at the Park; it was his idea to ride around on a unicycle. From the Disney History 101 Facebook page:

A young Christopher Fair’s first foray into the wonderful world of Walt Disney came during the mid-1950s, when he first appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club’s “Talent Roundup Days.” On these episodes, it became clear that young Christopher had a particular knack for performing magic tricks. Chris was more than a ‘fair’ magician, and Walt Disney kept an eye on this aspiring talent. Three years later, Christopher graduated from high school, and soon received a phone call informing him that Disneyland was seeking a Royal Court Jester to make magic happen in Fantasyland!



This 1960 Castmember spectacular was shot in front of Disneyland’s Main Street Train Station:



Zooming in you can see jester/juggler/unicycler Fair:



And a shot of his backside in front of the castle:



…performing for Annette Funicello above:



This June 1963 image shows him zipping by the Matterhorn Band on his unicycle outside the Castle, with the Sleeping Beauty Diorama sign barely visible on the right:



The shades and deadpan expression of this drummer are priceless…as is the Ticket Book Holder sign!



Another June 1963 image of Fair, with an amazed guest in the background.



Here’s a closeup of the stick he's holding; the mini-jester head on top is reminiscent of the Jack-in-the-box car antenna toppers. Which came first?!?



1963 was the last year that Fair worked at Disneyland. Another June 1963 shot below:



Another look at the mini-jester-on-a-stick:



There was at least one other Jester/Unicycle lad after Fair left, as seen in this 1965 image:



His Jester stick appears to be a different one from that of Christopher Fair:



If you want to see a Jester at Disneyland now, you need to visit the it’s a small world attraction:



This little model was on display at the Opera House in 2009:



See more Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Disneyland July 1963

A trio of images from July 1963 beginning with one of the entrance to the Douglas Moonliner, or the attraction formerly known as the TWA Moonliner. Of course my eye immediately goes to the cool vintage pink feather Disneyland hat.

Elsewhere in Tomorrowland, it appears that Pinocchio has gotten lost and is now grooving to some cool tunes with The Spacemen and Kay Bell. Is Kay the auburn haired beauty just visible behind our wooden friend?



Last and somewhat least is a shot of the entrance to the Sleeping Beauty Castle Diorama in Fantasyland:



And a contemporary view from a similar angle:



More vintage and current Disneyland photos at my main website.

Monstro's Storybook

This undated 1950s shot taken from the Skyway shows Pinocchio's Monstro, the famous whale that serves as the entryway to Disneyland's famed Storybook Land attraction.

Zooming in, you can see the gigantic Storybook Land Map that advertised the attraction when it first opened.



Another aerial shot with a similar view:



Here's a closeup of that great big beautiful Storybook; wonder what happened to it?



Back to Monstro…thanks to some funky lighting and vintage image fading, he looks like he needs a trip to the dentist.



From January 1959, Monstro's profile:



"To be, or not to be…that is the question."



See more Monstro, both vintage and contemporary, at my main website.

1968 Journey Through Storybook Land, Pt. 5

Today is the last installment for the 1968 Storybook Land attraction narration paired with vintage photos:



STRAIGHT AHEAD IS GEPETTO'S VILLAGE. GEPETTO WANTED A SON SO BADLY HE CARVED ONE OUT OF WOOD. THAT'S HIS TOY SHOP DOWN IN FRONT WHERE PINOCCHIO FIRST CAME TO LIFE.



THE STREETS ARE PAVED WITH COBBLESTONE AND THERE'S A TINY STREAM FLOWING DOWN FROM THE ALPINE MOUNTAINS...



ON THE HILLSIDE IN FRONT OF US YOU CAN SEE THE CHURCH BELL RINGING IN THE STEEPLE OF THE OLD CHAPEL. SOME SAY THAT PINOCCHIO HIMSELF RINGS THE BELL, BUT YOU MUST LOOK VERY CLOSELY...AND IT TAKES A LOT OF IMAGINATION. (softly to the children) — CAN YOU SEE HIM?



THROUGH THE CAVE ON YOUR LEFT IS NEVER-NEVERLAND—WE CALL IT THAT 'CAUSE WE NEVER, NEVER TAKE YOU THERE. THAT'S WHERE OUR LITTLE BOATS GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.



WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TRIP THROUGH STORYBOOKLAND AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY/EVENING IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM...

PLEASE REMAIN SEATED UNTIL WE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP...THEN STEP BACK THIS WAY AND I WILL HELP YOU TO THE DOCK. PLEASE DON'T STEP ON MY CUSHIONS WHEN YOU LEAVE, AND, IF YOU'VE BEEN TRAILING YOUR HAND IN THE WATER WHEN I WASN'T LOOKING, PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR DRY HAND WHEN YOU LEAVE THE BOAT.



THANK YOU AND COME AND SEE US AGAIN REAL SOON!

Hope you enjoyed your tour!

See more vintage & current Disneyland Storybook Land attraction photos on my Storybook Land web page.

The Walt Disney Family Museum, Pt. 2

Today's post takes you over to the main building of the Walt Disney Family Museum. Many (including myself) raised a big question mark when the Museum's location was announced as San Francisco, but after seeing it in person, I cannot imagine a more lovely setting. With a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and a long front porch with plenty of seating, the building is extremely warm and inviting.

One of the first things you see inside is a section with furnishings from Walt's Disneyland Apartment.



Many of these original pieces can be seen in the famous photo from National Geographic:



According to the accompanying text from daughter Diane: "Dad and Mother spent many weekends in the apartment, often with some of their grandchildren. They decorated it in the Victorian style they both knew and loved."





I was most astounded by the abundance of things to see here; and not once did I feel like the museum was "padded" to fill up space. Every item on display was a revelation, rich in the history of Walt Disney. Here is his Certificate of Baptism:



An original signed cartoon by Walt himself:



A shot of young Walt using his camera to make a movie:



Lo and behold, the camera itself:



Throughout the museum, Walt's actual voice told much of his story by piecing together vintage interviews. This treasured piece of paper was Walt and Lillian's Certificate of Marriage. What I loved most about the museum was that it successfully intertwined Walt's personal life with his professional achievements, thus fleshing out a real person.



A cleanup animation drawing by Dick Huemer for the Silly Symphony "The Goddess of Spring" (1934):



A menu from the Studio Restaurant:



Note that in the steaks/chops section, the time it takes to cook some of the items is listed. Perhaps to help those on the time clock make a better decision?



A few items from "Pinocchio":





A reproduction of an Animator's Desk, based on the design by Kem Weber for the Burbank Studio.



The multiplane camera that gave so much depth to early Disney animation:



A few photos of Walt with Salvador Dali:



Concept art for "Night on Bald Mountain, Fantasia" (1940) by Kay Nielsen. So much of this concept art could stand on its own in a gallery. It is breathtaking, and often even more powerful than what reached the screen.



There was even a section on the infamous strike at the Disney Studio. In the accompanying text came this quote from concept artist Joe Grant: "I think Walt was a fair man; he would have done most of the stuff they were fighting for, but they didn't give him a chance."



A gorgeous watercolor by Mary Blair:



Her concept art for "Cinderella" (1950):



and "Peter Pan" (1953):



Even Disney's artists did their part to keep the servicemen's "morale" up:



David Hall's 1939 concept art when "Alice in Wonderland" was in its earliest stage of development. Just a tad bit freaky!



Tomorrow: Disneyland!

See more Walt Disney Family Museum photos on my WD Family Museum web pages.