At the Horseshoe, circa 1956

Here are three vintage images from 1956 of Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon. The first one shows the exterior sign. Interesting to note that the male cast members are named, but not the female, who would have been Betty Taylor at the time (having replaced the original Slue Foot Sue, Judy Marsh).

Next up (and of course in sequential order!) are the GH Can Can Girls!



Final shot from the trio shows tenor Donald Novis and Wally Boag:



A closeup of the two featured players:



See more Disneyland Golden Horseshoe photos at my main website.

Friday in Frontierland

This batch of Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Saloon images shows the Can-Can girls in action circa October 1959.



Here's Slue Foot Sue herself, Betty Taylor, harmonizing with Don Novis.



Last one is a solo shot of Betty.



I have to give kudos to the photographer; interior images of the show are rare, and he/she did a pretty good job of capturing it without too much blur.

More Golden Horseshoe images at my main website.

Wally at the Golden Horseshoe, 1956

Today's images from 1956 show a young Wally Boag performing at the Golden Horseshoe saloon. Let's get a closeup of Wally and that beautiful curtain behind him!



The Can-Can girls followed Wally.



I am assuming that Fort Wilderness is the inspiration for the art on this curtain backdrop:



More Wally and the Golden Horseshoe at my main website.

"Live" At The Golden Horseshoe

The Golden Horseshoe was once the entertainment highlight of Disneyland. This April 1960 image shows you how the saloon looked shortly after the Park opened. Zooming in, it would appear that one of the musicians is about to mosey on in.



Before digital, interior shots at Disneyland were very difficult to achieve; either they came out extra dark or if you used a flash, they would typically wash out entire areas of the image. Not very pretty. With the bright stage lighting of the Revue, these July 1962 gems are a collector's dream. The Can-Can Girls start the show off with a "wow."



The lovely Betty Taylor literally glows in this image.



Let's get a better look at Betty, shall we?



Wally Boag is center stage in this one;



Poor Betty seems to be laughing at his antics and leans against the curtain for support.



The trio of Boag, Taylor, and Fulton Burley face the audience, with the Can-Can Girls giving it their all in the background.



A trio of Disneyland Legends.



Will the 'shoe ever be able to live up to this standard again? See more Golden Horseshoe photos at my main website.

Limited Time Magic: Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue

Excitement ran high when Disney announced that there would be a return of The Golden Horseshoe Revue as part of its Limited Time Magic promotion for 2013. Billed as a "Salute," it was fairly obvious that there was not going to be an attempt to exactly re-create the legendary show made famous by Wally Boag & Betty Taylor.

Although many (including myself) would love to see that show again, it just would not be possible. Without the original cast, the audiences who had seen the original would be too busy attempting to compare the new vs. the old. Wisely, the entertainment division created a rousing tribute that is perfectly fitting and tons-o-fun to see.

It is important to get to the Golden Horseshoe PRONTO once the rope drops on Frontierland. Don't even think about trying to get to Indiana Jones first; you might miss the opportunity to get a ticket. The friendly cast members at the stand in front of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon will give you a ticket(s) for the show that you request, and then you return at the appropriate.



And don't even begin to think about showing up late; your ticket is only valid if you show up on time (or early, if you want a good seat!). Annual Passholders have the option of getting a reserved seat and a special dinner-time meal for $35.

A live band performs in the pit (Note: in this case, front row is not really a bonus, as you'll have the drummer in your face. Try to get a balcony seat!), and once the piano player began, it was obvious that this was going to be a real treat.



The Can-Can girls came out and immediately took ownership of the stage.





Don't get too close to the stage; you might lose your front teeth!



Kudos to Miss Lily, the star of the show.



I don't know who played her, but she was a fantastic choice. Excellent timing, a great voice, and a personality that immediately endeared her to the audience.



Once she was done primping with her mirror, she used it to check out the guys in the audience.



She found one lucky sap who ate up all the attention; his wife didn't seem to mind, as they had been married almost twenty years.



Back up on the stage, Miss Lily took the pace of the show back up another few notches.



The Can-Can Girls gave it their all...



and before I knew it, the show was (sadly) over.



Could it have been longer? Probably, but for general audience appeal and attention span, the length was perfect.



Kudos to the Disney Company for putting together this fantastic show; and judging by the packed house, I would say that it has been a hit.

See more Golden Horseshoe Revue Salute photos on my Golden Horseshoe Revue Salute photo web page.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Can Can Dancers in GWTW

"Gone With The Wind" was the carefully produced creative vision of David O Selznick. Few details were left to chance. In this particularly short scene, vixenish Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is seen gorging herself with husband Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) on their New Orleans honeymoon. This little vignette begins with a shot of some can can girls dancing below the Butlers.

Here, dance director Eddie Prinz is rehearsing the girls for their brief moment of screen fame.



Five of the seven girls proudly band together outside of Stage 10:



Last minute high kicks before the cameras roll:



2 shots of the actual filming:





These can can girls are pooped! Note the cool retro phone in the left-hand corner!



It is hard to believe all this work went into a few seconds of screen time, but that is typical of show biz.

See more vintage "Gone With The Wind" & Vivien Leigh photos on my Vivien Leigh photo web page.