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.

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.

40 Pounds of Trouble in Storybook Land

Another publicity shot from the 1962 movie "40 Pounds of Trouble" starring Tony Curtis & Suzanne Pleshette. Here's the accompanying vintage publicity blurb:

WORKING ON BOATS

A closeup of scene filmed from a second boat during a movie chase in Disneyland. The camera was focused on Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, and Claire Wilcox, as a six-year-old girl who is the "trouble" of the film title to Curtis.

—WIDE WORLD PHOTO, 5/1/62

See more "40 Pounds of Trouble" photos on my main website.

More Trouble

40 Pounds worth, that is. Here are a few more images from the 1962 movie, “40 Pounds of Trouble” which was actually filmed inside of Disneyland. The chances of something like this being filmed today would be slim to none.

Tony Curtis gets up close and personal with these Indian figures; something a regular guest could never do.



I attempted to find shots of the same figures, but ran into difficulty. These two are located at the far end of the Indian Settlement; most guests shot their photos as soon as the Settlement came into view. You can see this same area if you look towards the right side of the photo and even see these Indians behind the trees, circa December 1961.



In the film, the editing job makes it appear as if Tony Curtis & Suzanne Pleshette ride the Monorail and get off at the Main Street Train Station. Often pointed out as a huge goof, this actually makes more sense to me. One of the reasons I rarely ride the Monorail IN to Disneyland is because you miss that sense of entrance...no attraction posters, no Mickey Floral, no sense of wonder as you cross under the arches on either side of the Train Station. I've often wondered why the Monorail didn't just let guests off in front of the gate instead of plunking them down in the middle of Tomorrowland.



Last one for today shows Curtis stripping in front of Rainbow Ridge:



For all you fashionistas out there, here are some FABULOUS fashion tips and fun from "High School Musical's” Sharpay, who is getting ready to make her starring debut on 4/19 in “Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.” Click the photos for downloadable PDFs.









See more “40 Pounds of Trouble” photos at my main website.