Growing up in Disneyland

Those of you who have followed this blog for awhile are aware of Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo BBQ, that tasty restaurant once located in Disneyland’s Frontierland where the River Belle Terrace currently resides. You have probably also seen that I know Don DeFore’s sons Ron and Dave, who through the years have graciously supplied information and photos from their Dad’s collection. Ron recently informed me that he has finished a book detailing his Dad’s career as well as a lot of interesting information about his own life and what it was like to have complete access to Disneyland in the early years. Ron was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about his upcoming book:



Were there any interesting people that you interviewed for the book?

My book, “Growing up in Disneyland” is a combination biography of my Dad and autobiography of my wild life growing up in a celebrity family, and, of course, Disneyland. So there wasn’t really a need to interview a lot of people. I did, however, lean heavily on brother Dave for his historical perspective. He did a great job filling in some memories as he’s five years older. He also did a thorough edit of the manuscript two times through. And as for the early years of Dad’s career, this book includes much of his unpublished autobiography, “Hollywood–DeFore ‘n’ After.” This is obviously the most appealing aspect of the book as it will include never-before read episodes of his career told in his own words. It, of course, includes how he met Walt Disney, how we got to ride in the opening day parade, and what led up to his own restaurant in Frontierland, Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo Barbecue. Dave Smith, Disney’s former Archivist, provided a great blurb for the back of the book that verifies Dad’s relationship with Walt as he was the only person allowed to display his name in the Park.

Although not an interview per se, I did have a great meeting with Sam Nelson (Ricky’s youngest son) and discussed much of the “Ozzie and Harriet” show and Dad’s role as their next-door-neighbor, “Thorny.”

Did you learn anything unexpected or new about your father?

I don’t know where to begin on answering this question. I’ve told several people that I learned more about Dad’s life and career than I had ever known while researching and writing this book. I spent months reading through his manuscript several times. I had never read it in its entirety before. That may sound odd, but I had heard enough of the stories from him directly that I never before had the drive to read it. Dave and I did some minor editing to tighten up the sections I wanted to include but there’s much I didn’t use and that was stuff that didn’t pertain to his career or our family. I believe the book will have great appeal to folks that remember his works, Disney enthusiasts, and others that may find it interesting to read about life growing up in “Hollywood” in the 50s and 60s, and of course my life dealing with things in Washington, D.C. later in my career. For those folks it will be a very entertaining “page-turner.”

I am assuming there are photos in this book; were you able to uncover any rare or new (to you) images?

The book contains nearly 100 photos and other graphics. I found several photos that will be new to those that follow our presentations and/or my Don DeFore Fan Club Facebook page. I did not find anything new related to the Silver Banjo. However, for the first time, I will be publishing photos of “The Plaque” and us Frontierland Banditos (but you all remain unnamed!). I also include a photo that I never even showed my business partners until just before I retired: me as the “Flying DJ” at Dillon’s Discotheque in Los Angeles that provides quite a contrast to my later career as a Reagan Appointee!

Your Dad is known for “Hazel.” What do you think he would most have liked to be remembered for professionally? And personally?

I believe he was most proud of his family and that he was able to give us five kids such a wonderful upbringing. He was very conservative and was able to imbue us with many of those same values which I talk about in my book. Many of the kids of the famous that I grew up with were very spoiled, many died young, and many never left their parents’ homes. Professionally, Dad had many productions and characters that he was proud of, but as I emphasize in the book, perhaps his greatest contribution to entertainment history was when he was President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1954 and 1955. His first year he did what several others before him were unable to do: he sold the first live national broadcast of the Emmy Awards to NBC. That accomplishment is also what led to Walt Disney wanting to meet the guy that was able to make that happen.



Do you have a favorite memory of your time "growing up at Disneyland"?

There are so many great memories of growing up in the Park it’s hard to choose the absolute best. One at the top of the list is a story I tell in the book about how my sister Dawn and I got to ride in the Christmas parade with Walt in a horse drawn carriage because his grandchildren were late and as Walt said, “I can’t go through the parade without any kids by my side!” Other great moments were when I brought a friend. I loved showing off all the things we were allowed to do: use my Dad’s employee pass to get on rides for free…and stay on as long as we wanted! We’d use all the employee back entrances, stay on Tom Sawyer’s Island for hours playing hide and seek. And, of course, the favorite of those to whom we’ve given your presentation: sneaking in the bushes of the Jungle Cruise Ride among the animatronics and pretending to be monkeys as a boat went by! We also loved it when we’d get a call at the restaurant requesting a few kids to test out a new ride.

“Growing up in Disneyland” is a book for all ages whether you’re interested in Don DeFore’s career and life, Disneyland history, life in a celebrity family, and my twenty careers from the Steve Allen Show, to Paramount Television, to several positions in the Reagan Administration, to forming a multi-million dollar PR firm in the nation’s capital. It’s been a life similar to that of Forest Gump: brushing up against historic events and people throughout my life like getting to meet the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and being Mike Love’s PR guy for a day at the Live Aid Concert. It will be published July 15, 2019 by Waldorf Publishing and is available for pre-order now. Need more Don DeFore? How about joining the Don DeFore Fan Club Facebook page?

HUGE thanks to Ron DeFore for taking the time to share this information about his upcoming book. More details here as it gets closer to being released.

See more Don DeFore/Silver Banjo BBQ photos at my main website.

BBQ for the Holidays

If it were December 26, 1959, you could have joined this fashionable young lady at Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue for beef, pork, ham, chicken, or spareribs.



If you're trying to place this location with its present day incarnation, then you'd be sitting in the area that serves as the outdoor seating for Riverbelle Terrace and Stage Door Cafe.



This vintage photo from the Ron DeFore collection shows a wider view of the Silver Banjo restaurant and the staircase which was originally located to the right.



For those of you who are new to the blog, here's a repeat post of the original recipe that the DeFore family used for their Barbecue sauce:



Now you can make a batch of your own. Let me know how your Silver Banjo Barbecue sauce turns out!

See more vintage Disneyland Silver Banjo photos on my Silver Banjo web page.

Silver Banjo Serving Line

WE INTERUPT THIS PROGRAM! My TPE series will take a short hiatus as I catch up from my weekend photography excursion. Taking over 1000 photos can tend to put one behind. For today, I will post this rare interior shot of Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant, which replaced Casa de Fritos when it vacated its original location on New Orleans Street. From the October 1960 publicity blurb:

Actor Don DeFore samples food served in his Silver Banjo restaurant in Disneyland while waitresses watch.

See more Disneyland Silver Banjo BBQ photos on my Silver Banjo web page.

TPE: New Orleans Street (not Square!)

Back to my special time-travel journey back to early Disneyland, I find myself exploring New Orleans Street. I know, I know...some picky newbie Disneyphile will correct me and say, "But Dave...didn't you mean to say New Orleans Square?"

Back in the day, this little parcel was referred to as New Orleans Street, and was going to have to suffice for Walt until he got the big bucks to build his special Square.

First shot of the day is from July 18, 1955, and appears to have been taken from the balcony of the Golden Horseshoe, back when guests could be trusted not to fall off, hurt themselves, and then file a lawsuit against ol' Mickey.

Zooming in, you can see the train at the original Frontierland Depot:



According to an early park brochure, The Oaks Tavern was a malt shop, which is currently known as the Stage Door Cafe. I don't know about you, but a malt sounds much better than chicken strips!



This little girl appears to have gotten her belly full at Aunt Jemima's; I wonder how many buckwheat pancakes she snarfed down?



Here you can see the original location of the Casa de Fritos:



One of the few restaurants at Disneyland to get its own poster:



AND a matchbook! The other day, you saw the version that featured the second location.



So you can see it in all its colorful glory:



Zooming in, you can see Sheriff Lucky making nice-nice with a young female. I sure hope Walt doesn't catch him doing that!



In this detailed view, you can also see Lafitte's Anchor in its original location:



Another early view of New Orleans Street and the pleasant grassy area where guests could dine:



What's this? I believe I have caught Lucky again (look at the back of the photo, dead center), this time hanging out by the condiments. Somebody better dock his pay.



By jove, I think these guests are having the time of their lives!



By the time this May 1959 photo was taken, Casa de Fritos was gone and Don DeFore's Silver Banjo BBQ was in!



Guests are gathering around Aunt Jemima, barely visible behind the trees:



A few shots of the Aunt Jemima restaurant, which seemed to have a design identity crisis; Adventureland or Frontierland?!?







A better view of the Silver Banjo.



An even BETTER view of the SBB as we zoom in closer:



Music was popular in this area, with The Strawhatters entertaining the guests along the Rivers of America:





And here it is, a rare photo showing the backside of water...I mean The Strawhatters:





The girl on the left is very annoyed that the Strawhatters are on break.



If you didn't have an appetite for BBQ or Pancakes, you could always much on popcorn:



This last photo shows the beautiful view one was able enjoy when dining in this area, as well as Lafitte's Anchor. No wonder it was so popular!



See more vintage & current Disneyland New Orleans Street photos on my Aunt Jemima/New Orleans Street web page.

Note to all Disneyland collectors: Olszewski Studios is ready to release the Fantasyland base. After completing Main Street U.S.A., the talented Robert Olszewski began tackling Fantasyland. The quality and detail on Robert's work is truly amazing.

The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

From 1954-55, Don DeFore served as President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was instrumental in arranging for the Emmy Awards to be broadcast on national TV for the first time on March 7, 1955, which earned him the respect of Walt Disney. This is what led to the two becoming good friends. That year, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series for his work on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Here is a publicity blurb that accompanied the photo at left from November 1955:

11/15—NEW YORK: Don DeFore (C), president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, shows Walt Disney (R) and Ed Sullivan the "Emmy" award which will be presented to President Eisenhower for "his distinguished use and encouragement of the television medium." The announcement of the presentation took place at a luncheon at the Hotel Plaza, here 11/15, honoring the 1954 "Emmy" winners from the East Coast.

Walt figured if a guy could get the Emmys on TV, SURELY he could make a restaurant work at Disneyland! This can-do attitue of Don's too him from the Emmy Awards to BBQ...who knew? Here's one of Don with his brother Vern, standing in front of the Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant (1957-1961):



Here is how the same location looks today:



See more Don DeFore & Silver Banjo BBQ photos on my Don DeFore web page.

Cubby O'Brien, Don DeFore, and Vesey Walker at The Disneyland Hotel

Mouseketeer Cubby O'Brien is shown here playing his heart out at the Disneyland Hotel, circa June 1957, near the hotel's olympic-size swimming pool. This was part of an event to benefit the City of Hope Medical Center. The talented O'Brien was one of the kids actually picked by Walt to audition for the Mickey Mouse Club. Following his time with the Mouse, Cubby had stints with The Lawrence Welk Show, Spike Jones, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Carpenters (as in Karen & Richard, for all you young'ens out there!).

Vesey Walker can be seen in front of the Disneyland Band, just waiting for Cubby to figuratively turn the baton back to him, and actor Don DeFore (of "Hazel" fame) is smiling on the left-hand side of the photo. Don was a good friend of Walt's, and operated the Silver Banjo BBQ Restaurant over on New Orleans Street in Frontierland. None other than Don's son Ron positively ID'ed Don for me:



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

The Beloved Parking Lot

All of you young whippersnappers...the ones who think you know everything about Disneyland...I'll bet these images are a strange sight to you. This first shot, taken during the initial month of Disneyland's opening back in 1955, shows a parking lot. Not a multi-tiered concrete eyesore, but a flat paved lot full of yummy vintage autos. If you were standing in this spot today, you'd be somewhere near the Hollywood Studio section of Disney California Adventure, or maybe just outside the gate near the shuttle/tram area.

This next shot is from the 1960's; I would happily take any of those retro cars! This photo was taken from the approximate location of the DCA entrance turnstiles, recently retooled to resemble the Pan Pacific Auditorium.



Must...get....closer...



Jumping ahead to August 1977, the parking lot looks amazingly empty; must be early morning.



This last photo is one I shot myself out the window of my car (I think I still had one hand on the steering wheel!) during an October 1995 visit. This was probably the last time I parked in this lot and was able to walk right up to the gate.



On a sad note, Marion DeFore, beloved wife of the late Don DeFore (of Silver Banjo & "Hazel" fame) has recently passed away. Here she is at the restaurant with husband and daughter Amy:



From the L.A. Times:

Marion Holmes DeFore, wife of late actor Don DeFore (1913-1993), died November 17, 2011 at age of 93 in Santa Monica, California. Born Marion Holm in Chicago, Illinois in 1918, Marion began a singing career at age 17 while in her junior year at Kelvin Park High School by winning a WJJD Radio singing contest. She competed against more than 600 girls and won the opportunity to be the female vocalist with Frank Master's Orchestra in Chicago. She was also the songstress for Jule Styne, Maurie Sherman and the Buddy Rodger's band, with drummer Gene Krupa. Marion recorded several songs with the Henry Busse Orchestra, toured the Mid-West and sang at the famous Coconut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Marion joined Chicago-based Art Kassel and his Kassel's-in-the-Air, recording and making famous, "I'm A Little Tea Pot" and performed live broadcasts on WGN radio every Saturday night from the Walnut Room in the Bismarck Hotel, where she met Don while he was in Chicago starring in the "Male Animal". They married in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day, 1942 with Marion's matron of honor, Judy Garland. Although Marion gave up her singing career, her life in the celebrity spotlight increased as husband Don acted in more than 20 feature films in the '40s and '50s.

Don DeFore is best remembered for his television roles (for which he earned a Star on Hollywood Boulevard) as Ozzie and Harriet's next-door-neighbor "Thorny" and as "Mr. B" in the 1960s TV sitcom "Hazel" co-starring Shirley Booth. He also served as President of the Television Academy 1954-55. Marion and Don owned Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant in Frontierland, Disneyland from '57 to '62, managed by Don's beloved brother Verne.

Marion was a devoted wife for 52 years and mother of 5 children who grew up in Brentwood, Los Angeles. She served on various committees at the First Methodist Church in Santa Monica and as a Board Member of the L. A. Chapter of the Freedom Foundation in the 50's. Marion was a Board member of the ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists), President of the L. A. Chapter from 1960-62, and National Chapter President from 1965-67.

Marion had an illustrious carrier as a residential real estate agent for over 30 years beginning in the early 70's. Many agents in Brentwood have fond memories working with her, enjoying her charm, warmth and friendly persona. Marion is survived by her five children, Penny Hill, David, Dawn Burdine, Ron, and Autumn Moore, and 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers please send a financial gift to BelAir Presbyterian Church (16221 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049) in care of Marion Holmes DeFore Memorial. All contributions will go towards programs that assist inner city youth.

See more vintage & current Disneyland Parking Lot photos on my Disneyland Hotel & Parking Lot web page.

1500th Post - It’s A Celebration, Pt. 3: Frontierland

Acreage-wise, Frontierland is probably the largest land in the park (if you count New Orleans Square and Critter Country in its parcel). The Old West provides the perfect setting for imagination and exploration, which are excellent ingredients in the recipe of guest satisfaction. Here’s a warning for those with short attention spans: this post will be a long one, so hang in there!

Walt loved the Old West, and Frontierland provided an ample playground for him to build plenty of homages to the wide open spaces and homespun entertainment one would expect to find here. You can be sure he was having a ball taking these children around this area before the park had even finished construction.



Through these gates lies a land that is no longer accessible in the real world: FRONTIERLAND!



The colorful and eye-popping graphics in these early posters make the Frontierland batch my fave. The Nature’s Wonderland attraction had no less than 3 different posters over the years; here are two:





There were lots of choices to fill your belly in Frontierland. An early fave for Disneyland was the Casa de Fritos:



The original location on New Orleans Street:



v2.0, which was in the heart of the Frontierland shopping district:



Aunt Jemima and her crew served up the tastiest buckwheat pancakes until 1970:





Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo BBQ took over the vacated space of Casa de Fritos, and for a few magical years provided some lip-smacking barbeque to Disneyland guests:



The Chicken Plantation might look familiar to patrons of the Blue Bayou; eventually it was removed to make way for New Orleans Square.



If you came to Frontierland for entertainment, then you certainly could get an eye and earful! Wally Boag, Betty Taylor, and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe gang kept guests entertained for years:







Here’s Wally doing double-duty on top of the GH, performing some stunts in a shootout spectacular.



Young tots were mesmerized by the classic good guys vs. bad guys conflicts that popped up out of nowhere:





Besides cowboys, sheriffs, and villains, guests could meet real-live Indians and learn about their culture by watching ceremonial dances. Here we have the original Village People:



No contest here: this is one of my very favorite photos at Disneyland. EVER. The connection between these two is magical.



Prunella on the left seems to be out of her element—talk about looking uncomfortable!



Frontierland was also a great place to pose:





When it came to transportation, Frontierland was no slouch! Here is The Mighty Mark Twain, with Cascade Peak being built in the background:



Here is Cascade Peak, the final product, in all its thundering glory:



Although a beautiful ship, The Columbia is also known as “The Floating Skillet” due to its lack of shade. The museum below deck is a good alternative for those who worry about baking in the hot sun!



Here are some construction images of The Columbia:





For a more rustic choice, you could pick a Conestoga Wagon or a Stagecoach:



They may not have been the smoothest ride, but the Pack Mules were still a popular way to see the sights:



One of the most popular ways to view the attractions of Frontierland was the Rainbow Mountain Railroad, which boarded at the quaint town of Rainbow Ridge:





Of course the town that Walt built for Frontierland had to be near a river; how else would all of the fantastic mercantile offerings make their way to the shops?



Right in the middle of The Rivers of America was Tom Sawyer Island, the ultimate playground for little boys and girls. Note that the original TSI poster had a reference to pirates with the skull & crossbones insignia on the raft’s flag:



Here is an early construction shot:





The view from TSI, March 1958:



Walt liked to show glimpses of the not-so-sweet things in life. Here is the dead settler at the Burning Cabin being attended to by a cast member:



FRONTIERLAND TODAY: Still bears the same rustic charm that it did back in 1955, but definitely has more "polish" (not necessarily a good thing) and is definitely more developed. Although the landscaping has matured, there seem to be fewer wide-open spaces.

Nature’s Wonderland has been removed, and part of that parcel was converted into Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Although thrilling and lots of fun, it doesn’t bear (pun intended) the repeated rides that its predecessor did. Nature’s Wonderland was all about the journey and the discovery of different landscapes & animals; BTMRR is mainly about the thrill. Nothing wrong with a thrill...it just doesn’t linger in your heart as long. On the plus side, BTMRR has a replica of Rainbow Ridge, which is a nice nod to the past.





The Golden Horseshoe still packs ’em in, even if Betty & Wally aren’t there to do the entertaining:





Casa de Fritos is a thing of the past, but Rancho del Zocalo carries on the tradition with a number of tasty Mexican dishes. Guests can choose between indoor or outdoor seating:





There are still plenty of transportation options in Frontierland, although many of the previous land-based ones have disappeared. The Mark Twain, The Columbia, the canoes, the rafts, all still coexist beautifully on the Rivers of America.





There are still a number of familiar faces here:





...which helps alleviate some of the missing ones who kept Frontierland a little more honest about what it used to be like. There is no dead settler here, nor is there any fire. Instead, the “Burning Cabin” has become downright suburban.



The Indians were pushed out for Bears and Critters; not really sure that can be called an improvement.



The chance to dance with real indians lingers in the memories of guests longer than the thrill of a drop at Splash Mountain.



Thankfully, Tom Sawyer Island is still a playground for the young at heart, despite the fact that it has been taken over by pirates.



I am probably a little too old fashioned, but I believe that in trying to make Frontierland more up-to-date and relevant, the Imagineers have tainted it with elements that just do not fit. I still love it...I just used to love it a lot more.

Next up: NEW ORLEANS SQUARE! View more Disneyland Frontierland photos at my main website.