Where's My Tiki?

This September 1959 shot of a gent standing next to a Tiki statue got me wondering; what happened to it? This next shot from January 1959 looks like the same statue, but with a different paint job. Is it the same one but moved to a different location, or were there multiple versions of the same carving?



This dark June 1958 image would make one think that there were either three of these in the Park or else this guy really got moved around a lot!



This September 1962 shot is the most recent one in my collection; after that, it would seem that this poor guy got booted out of Disneyland. Anyone out there know his story?



More Adventureland fun at my main website.

The Coolest Kid at Disneyland Circa 1967

This 1967 kid has cool down to a science. Just check out the paisley shirt, tiki necklace (could this be what inspired the Hawaiian Brady Bunch episode with Vincent Prince?), the ticket book in the pocket, and the scowl that every cool kid has to wear whenever being photographed with an adult.



Just for good measure I'll throw in the shot of the Monsanto House of the Future that was part of the same batch of images.



More retro futuristic cool at my main website.

Bali Hai

The Bali Hai Restaurant located on Shelter Island in San Diego has been a favorite local hangout since it opened in 1955 by San Diego restaurateur Tom Ham. The name came from the popular song in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific." This 1950s image shows the landmark shortly after it opened.

How it looks today:



Zooming in on the vintage image you can see the Tiki icon on the roof called The Goof, which according to the Bali Hai website is "a playful and mysterious remnant that has stood guard over the restaurant for over five decades.



"In 1935, the movie “The Bounty” was filmed on Catalina Island starring none other than Clark Gable himself. An entire Tahitian village was built on Catalina for the film, and in order to support the cast and crew, a bar was located just below Gable’s sleeping quarters and became known as Christian’s Hut, named after the character Gable played, Fletcher Christian. When the shooting finished the bar was moved to Newport Beach, and was a major power spot for locals and celebrities alike. It spawned other franchises, but none of them survived, including Newport Beach (burned down in 1963), except for San Diego, which was renamed some years later. Early matchbook covers revealed that the “Goof” head, was prominent on the earlier franchises in Balboa and Corona del Mar, and was subsequently transposed to the San Diego restaurant. However, the actual meaning of the head, i.e. “the Goof”, still remains a mystery. On two of the early matchbook covers from the Balboa and Corona del Mar franchises, the cover reads next to the big fat guy, “Watch out for the Big Opu at….” In Hawaiian, Opu means stomach. Perhaps, the original character idea was that he was fat from eating such good food at the restaurant and his goofy face just evolved, or devolved, whichever you like, over the years into what’s on top of the Bali Hai restaurant today."

Here's how "The Goof" looks today:



At the front entrance is Mr. Bali Hai, a large Tiki wood sculpture, modeled after early Headhunters of the South Pacific.



More background from the website:

About the Bone through his Nose! The original Mr. Bali Hai Tiki had a bone through his nose, but due to wood rot and weathering and time the bone fell off (or was removed). There is talk of replacing the bone and bringing Mr. Bali Hai to his full original look! We will keep you posted!!

Mr. Bali Hai today:



Ham’s daughter Susie Baumann and her husband Larry, and sons Grant, Andy and Tommy run the restaurant today, carrying on the family tradition.

Find more San Diego vintage & current photos at my main website.

Adventureland Sign Changes

Some time between July (image #1) and December of 1961 (image #2), the marquee over Adventureland lost the canoe-paddles that once hung from it. I can only surmise that they provided too much of a temptation for guests trying to yank on them. Again…only a guess.



This previously unposted shot from April 1958 gives a better look at the paddles and the head that originally graced the Adventureland sign:



Creepy!



A comparison shot of the sign today, which is now stationary. No more rotating creepy head!



See more Daveland vintage & current Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Shirley Steps Out

The two photos in today's post show Shirley Temple and her husband at the time, John Agar, painting the town red. I believe these images are from 1948 or 1949, when the couple were on the verge of divorce...and it shows. John does not seem too thrilled to be out with his legendary spouse. The first image shows them at The Tropics on Vine Street, opened by Harry "Sugie" Sugarman in 1939. His first location opened in 1936, on 421 North Rodeo Drive. His bars were the earliest of the Pre-Polynesian Pop spots that catered to the motion picture industry. Guests came to see the stars, drink the strong cocktails, and soak up the tropical atmosphere (bamboo, palm trees, and Beverly Hills' first outdoor patio).

Filipino bartenders whipped up drinks named for Sugarman's movie star friends, such as Thin Ice (Sonja Henie: "If your girlfriend is frigid, one of these will break the ice"), Samoa of Samoa (Bette Davis: "Liquid Lightning…sets you on fire!"), Untamed (Lana Turner: "One drink and you're tighter—than Lana Turner's sweater"), Deep Purple (Cesar Romero: "Colorful as the 'Cisco Kid' himself"), and Zulu (George Brent). Sugarman is also the man who came up with the idea for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Beverly Hills Tropics was sold to Harry Arnheim in the mid 1940's, and then purchased by Steve Crane (former husband of Lana Turner) and turned into the Luau in 1953. In December 1979, the Luau was torn down and replaced by the Rodeo Collection shopping mall.

This photo was taken by Hollywood Fan Magazine photographer Hyman Fink. Zooming in for a closeup you can see the photo of Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian competition swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player, and businessman who made surfing famous. Kahanamoku was also a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.



This other image from the same evening shows the not-so-happy couple down the street at the Brown Derby Restaurant. Maybe the awful hat Shirley is wearing was the real cause of the problems between the two!



Jimmy Durante's signature can be seen in this closeup; the Derby was famous for the caricatures on the wall of famous celebrities. The ones in this photo were by Eddie Vitch, who had approached Derby owner Robert Cobb in 1931 and offered to draw caricatures of the famous guests who dined there.



Here's Shirley with The Great Schnozzola himself in a still from a deleted musical sequence filmed for 1938's "Little Miss Broadway" called, "Hop, Skip, Jump and Slide":



The 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" opens nationwide in theaters today for a limited engagement in a brand spanking new 3D version;



The reviews so far have raved about how fantastic the (almost) 75 year old film looks; I can't wait to check it out.



See more Shirley Temple photos on my Shirley Temple web pages.

Adventureland: Switching Sides

This crystal clear image of the Adventureland Gate/Bridge got me thinking...I wonder if any of these original masks/tribal decor still exists? I also happen to have an image of Walt himself, inspecting these very same masks:



This July 1960 shot shows them, still hanging for all to see:



Still around in 1966:



Traveling forward to today, all of the decor appears to have been replaced:





Yet, when you look at the OTHER side of the gate, it appears that one of the designs has been retained:



Can you match the shield from the first shot with the shield in the present-day shot?

I guess one out of three ain't too bad!

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

1950’s BW Medley, Pt. 2

3 more from yesterday’s batch to finish off this short series. First image is a closeup of a tiki statue from Adventureland. Here are two shots of the same statue that I have posted previously so that you can see it in color. It would appear that he moved around a little bit during the early years of the park. Sadly, I do not believe he is there anymore.





Another figure that is no longer in the park is the Chicken of the Sea Mermaid, who formerly graced the Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland.



And just when you thought you’d escaped ol’ Vesey, here is on the Mark Twain, leading the band as they tour the Rivers of America. As Major pointed out yesterday, he sure got around the park.



See more Disneyland photos at my website.

Bazaar (or bizarre) Tiki

June 1958 brought some cloudy weather to Southern Cal, as can be attested to this overcast shot. Still, the large carved Tiki figure near the Adventureland Bazaar is way cool!

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

Keystone Kops

For the lady who commented recently on an old entry about one of the Keystone Kops being her father-in-law, I believe he is also in the first shot (July 1968) as well as the second (pardon the re-run on this one). Hopefully she will see this entry as well; would love more info from her.



And for Tangaroa, I am including this undated slide (I believe based on others in the same batch that it's 57/58) of a cool Tiki figure in Adventureland.



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my main website.

Return of the Dapper Dude, Part 3, July 18, 1955

Just when you thought it was safe...the dapper dude with the cap and cool shirt is back, this time at the entrance to Adventureland, standing near the assorted skulls and other tribal goodies.

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

Walt Disney in Adventureland

Here’s a great photo of Walt in what appears to be Adventureland, surveying the skulls and other decor located near the Adventureland gate. It may seem a little funky to see skulls at Disneyland, but this is one of my favorite entryways at the Park.

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

Adventureland Gate at Disneyland, 1950’s

Here’s an awesomely retro view of the Adventureland gate, complete with retro tourist. Must have been early in the morning as there is nobody else to be found.



Thanks to "Tangaroa" for identifying this shot as The Living Desert.

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