Neon at Disney Parks

When neon expert supreme Eric Lynxwiler makes a request, I listen! He recently alerted me to a Zoom Artist Talk hosted by MONA (Museum of Neon Art).



Get a Backstage Pass to Neon in Disney Parks with “The Wonderful World of Disney Neon.”



Here’s the 411: Zoom Artist Talk: Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 7pm PST MONA will host Steve Spiegel, Story Editor Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering for a one-night-only Zoom event on December 9th at 7pm to showcase the history of luminous tubing in Disney Parks. Disney theme parks are known for their rigorous attention to historic and aesthetic detail and the “Imagineers,” Disney’s team of artists, writers, engineers, and technicians use neon and other forms of lighting in multiple ways, from perfectly replicating Golden Age movie houses of Hollywood to transporting audiences into hyper-realistic future worlds. Audiences will be wowed by the layers of narratives presented through light at Disney theme parks worldwide, such as the dazzling neon collection at “Cars Land” in Disney California Adventure Park.



A Q&A will follow the presentation.

Steve Spiegel is the Story Editor Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, the theme park design and development division of The Walt Disney Company. In this role, Steve has written notable Disney experiences including “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!” “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!” He is also a co-founder of Signs United, an international community of vintage sign hunters, enthusiasts, and preservationists. His photographs of vintage neon have been featured in exhibits at The Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA, The Perfect Exposure Gallery in Los Angeles and in a “Signs From Different Worlds: Vienna meets Havana” exhibit in Vienna, Austria.

You can get tickets here.

See more MONA photos at my main website.

Fandana Friday!

I don’t do it often, but today I am doing a few promotional plugs. I only do these for people/companies I actually know and believe in, so you better believe I stand behind whatever I endorse on here. First up is this INCREDIBLE fandana from Shannon Laskey over at Going to Guides.



Her trio of guides to visiting the Disney theme parks are sprinkled with photos from yours truly.



I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon in person previously at the Chateau Marmont in a completely unplanned “the universe is making things happen” serendipity moment. I couldn’t have planned it any better! To say that I adore Shannon is putting it mildly.



Not only is she just about the nicest person I have ever met, she is creative as heck (in a good way, not a really bad craft store way) and an entrepreneur who completely “gets” the vintage vibe of Disneyland. Back to the fandana that she has released. Perfect for wearing in public and yes, I have done so and gotten RAVES from those who have seen it.




But Dave…where can I get my very own fandana? Stop whining and I’ll tell ya! On Shannon’s etsy site; here’s the direct link to the 64th Anniversary Fandana pack. And if you want some really unique (in a good way) holiday gifts/stocking stuffers, Shannon’s Etsy shop is the place to go.

One more worthy plug for today…

For those of you who are neon fanatics like me, I received a plea from Eric Lynxwiler (author, historian, tour guide supreme, and neon expert) to promote the fundraiser for the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale.



Museums have been hit hard by COVID and most have been forced to close their doors to guests. MONA is now raising funds to build a “Sign Garden,” an iconic one-of-a-kind Los Angeles County landmark and outdoor exhibition space located in the former parking lot of the Museum. I love how creative people/organizations are finding ways to stay solvent and pivot in these turbulent times. Unlike a certain “museum” in Las Vegas that allows their vintage neon signs to rot and rarely restores them (while charging exorbitant fees for the public to see them), MONA actually sinks money into restoring and keeping these historical vintage gems available for people to marvel over, like this one from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre:



Want to help? Visit MONA’s gofundme page!

See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley on Location, Pt. 4

In the 1934 movie “Bright Eyes,” this American Airlines plane taxis up and down the runway. You know, just like regular planes today that make you sit on the tarmac for an hour or so. Who is the person in the cockpit of the plane? It’s Temple Tuesday...who do you think?



Excited about her Christmas Party, Shirley sings her signature song “On The Good Ship Lollipop.” Looks like she had too much sugar in this one.



As viewers of the movie know (and those who read this blog a few weeks ago), Shirley’s mom goes off to that big Christmas Party in the sky. Here, James Dunn’s character gets the sad news delivered by his ex, played by Judith Allen.



These scenes were shot at the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California.



I am happy to report that the building still exists and has been restored beautifully by the Disney Corporation. It was originally built in 1928 and used as an airport until 1959. It has been owned since 1997 by Disney as a part of its Grand Central Creative Campus. Three hangars also remain standing. The location of the single concrete 3,800-foot runway has been preserved, but is now a public street.





Yes - the tower still exists!



A detailed shot of the Art Deco carvings:



A side view of the building:



To end today’s post, here’s a vintage publicity still from “Bright Eyes” with accompanying blurb:



PLENTY OF INTERFERENCE - - Football players of All-American caliber were brought together by the filming of “Bright Eyes,” newest Shirley Temple picture. Left to right, Aaron Rosenberg, former Southern California guard; Paul Schwegler, former University of Washington tackle; Fred Crawford, former Duke University tackle; Director David Butler, holding Shirley Temple, and James Dunn, ready to charge through with the pigskin.

Gotta’ zoom in for a closeup of Shirley!



After our successful Shirley Temple film location tour, Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) and I celebrated with lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel:



We stayed retro by eating at the Fountain Coffee Room. This place is a step out of time. In a good way!





For now, that concludes this little Temple Tuesday series. Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned...there could be more locations uncovered in the future!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

MONA, Motels, and More

Until August 26, the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale has an exhibit titled “There’s More to Neon Signs Than Liquor, Motels and Live Nude Girls” and “Motel California.”

With a touch of humor, the majority of this exhibit features signs about liquor, motels, live nude girls...and motels.

And I loved it. With designer, author, and saver-of-vintage-neon Eric Lynxwiler as our group's tour guide, we had a blast looking at the other-worldly glow that emanated from these vintage neon masterpieces. See the neon in the tube travel closer to Eric. Apparently water attracts neon!



This little guy was amazing to watch. I felt like Dr. Frankenstein in the laboratory!



Eric showed the different colors possible and how they were achieved.



I'll let your eyes feast upon the twists and graceful curves achieved by some of the neon artists of yesteryear.





A few animated gifs to show you the neon in action:







Last and definitely not least is one of my favorites:



See more MONA photos at my main website.

Return of the Dragon

Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard is arguably the most famous movie theatre in the country. Of course it's famous for the cement footprints in the front court area, but it's also known for the spectacular neon that graced the façade, especially the two dragons that faced each other since 1958.



In 2001, both dragons were removed and disappeared from public view until now, when you can see one of the dragons fully restored, thanks to the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale (aka MONA).



It took about eleven years of fundraising and restoration, and it was TOTALLY worth it. The sound of the mechanism as the neon inches up to the head of the dragon is like music to Eric Lynxwiler's ears (more on him in future posts!).



See more Museum of Neon Art photos at my main website.

Mildred on Monday

In the 1945 film noir classic “Mildred Pierce,” the city of Glendale plays a key (but uncredited role) for the movie's scenic backdrop. Her modest home (where she bakes the pies that lead to her fortune and downfall) is on “Corvallis Street”; in reality the home is on Jackson Street.



And looks very much the same! Except for the replaced windows.



Daughters Kay (Jo Ann Marlowe) and Veda (Ann Blyth) walk home from school down “Corvallis”:



Walking down this quaint street makes it easy to time travel to the 1940s; other than the taller trees! Note how large that Palm in Mildred's front yard has gotten!



Here's the Glendale Post Office; most likely where Mildred mailed her letters:



An interior view:



The 1925 Alex Movie Theatre in Glendale; I wonder what locals thought when the movie played here? Hey, that's my house!



The terrazzo in front:



The theatre seemed to be under renovations or perhaps just some early morning repairs; the court is very reminiscent of the Egyptian in Hollywood:



See more Glendale photos at my main website.