N.Y.C. or Bust!

The recently acquired slide from June 1962 is a nice addition to a few other items in my collection. In 1962, Walt “packed up” Disneyland and took it to the East Coast for a show at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. Interesting that the moving line was Allied, not Bekins or Global Van Lines (who were Disneyland sponsors in Town Square). The famed venue is shown below as it looked in 1970:



According to the press photo below, it must have been some show. The caption states:

Walt Disney characters Goofy and Pluto make like movers shortly before the departure 3/6 of four large moving vans for New York’s Radio City Music Hall where Disney will present his first stage production “Disneyland, U.S.A.” which will open April 5. Included in the cargo caravan now enroute are many well known Disneyland attractions, including the fire engine, horse-drawn streetcar, costumes and properties for the New York production.



Anybody out there into license plates?







Note that in this sketch for the stage show (which I believe was by Bill Martin) for the stage backdrop, it appears that the Haunted Mansion was included. At this point in time, the exterior of the Mansion was being constructed, but the attraction would not open until 1969.



According to the Walt Disney Family Museum site:

Walt told one newspaper, “I raised my eyebrows when some of the figures began to come in, but everyone said to just keep on going. All I know is that it’s way beyond the usual Music Hall budget.” Ed Serlin was the public relations chief for the theater, and at that time said that from a production standpoint, it was the biggest show put on in the venue’s 30-year history. The show was developed by a team of Disney superstars including Disneyland's entertainment director Tommy Walker, choreographer Tom Mahoney (The Mickey Mouse Club, Babes in Toyland), and composer George Bruns (“The Ballad of Davy Crockett,”“Yo Ho [A Pirates Life For Me]”) served as music director.Disneyland, U.S.A. was essentially a virtual tour of the park, beginning with a scene entitled “Magic Kingdom.” This featured Walt Disney on film; interacting with Mickey Mouse, live on stage. The show continued to represent each of the lands with themed entertainment, including Wally Boag of “The Golden Horseshoe Revue” for the Frontierland scene.

Here is the short film that accompanied the “live” presentation:



A sketch of the stage set for the Golden Horseshoe portion of the production:



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

Shoot-out at The Golden Horseshoe, 1957

I’m keeping us in Frontierland for another day! Here are two shots from 1957 in front of Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Saloon, showing one of the shoot-outs that entertained guests back in the day. Sheriff Lucky is waiting for trouble, leaning against the saloon.

In the second shot, it looks like Wally Boag is getting it in this performance:

The closeup view; looks like the villain is sporting a jacket from the nearby Pendleton Shop.

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Saloon photos 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.

Not-So-Temporary!

It's hard to believe Disneyland history without Wally Boag, yet when he first came to America's fabled theme park, he only signed a two-week contract when Walt sent him over to casting director, Jack Lavin.

ANAHEIM, Calif.., June 21—'TEMPORARY' JOB SEEMS PERMANENT. Eight years ago comedian Wally Boag was signed to do a two-week stint at the Golden Horseshoe revue in Disneyland. He's still there, 13,000 performances later. Here he is in a typical routine.

Wally Boag ended up having a twenty-seven year stint between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And for those who were fortunate to catch his act "live," twenty-seven years was not enough. His talent is sorely missed, even today.

See more vintage and current Disneyland Golden Horseshoe photos on my Golden Horseshoe web page.

TPE: The Golden Horseshoe Revue

Even though the Golden Horseshoe is still at Disneyland, I would want to travel back in time and see a few shows featuring the original casts.





How about this sign that used to hang out front? In most shots of the GH, you don't notice it, but thanks to a smart photographer from March 1956, I am able to feast my eyes on it in living color!



The saloon interior was designed by Harper Goff, who basically re-used his set design from the 1953 Doris Day movie “Calamity Jane.” It was the perfect addition to Frontierland, providing the one bit of glamour allowed in an uncivilized territory!













The first show at The GH was Slue Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Revue, a 45 min. show which ran 50,000+ times and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running musical of all time.

What follows are some early shots from the GH's early years:

















In the early 1950’s, while appearing in revues in Australia, Wally Boag met tenor Donald Novis, who got Walt Disney to audition Wally for the Golden Horseshoe Revue, written by its first pianist Charles LaVere and lyricist Tom Adair. Novis was the show's first tenor (later replaced by Fulton Burley). Boag’s Pecos Bill/Traveling Salesman character specialized in slapstick humor, squirt guns, an endless supply of broken teeth (which he’d spit out at the audience), and...



his signature balloon animals (aka Boagaloons). Boag began his stint at the Horseshoe with a 2-week contract signed with Walt Disney. One of the features of the show was to have children in the audience sing & dance on stage; “Davy Crockett” was a favorite.



The role of Slue Foot Sue originated with Judy Marsh, and then was taken over by Betty Taylor in 1956 (who gave over 45,000 performances).





The cast relaxes with (what else?) Pepsi!



In the 60's, guests could dance to the hip tunes of the Elliot Brothers at Date Night:





Here's Charlie Barnet, at The Cavalcade of Bands, June 1, 1963



Zooming in to see the music:



Former Cast Member Russ "Lucky" Reynolds was kind enough to share some memories he had of working at The Golden Horseshoe:



I have nothing but the fondest memories of working at the Horseshoe (1969 to 1974). Disneyland has been a family affair. My wife (high school sweetheart during the Horseshoe years) was Snow White in those days. I used to take off my bow-tie and garters to sneak off to Main Street and watch Cathy in the parade. Years later, our older daughter Kariann worked in Frontierland operations for five years. More recently, our youngest Katie danced in the Parade of Dreams and the Christmas Parade. Now she is a Laker Girl.

Back to the ‘Shoe. Wally, Betty and Fulton were still doing the Revue, with Bert as Wally’s sub. Several of the guys I worked with had a crush on one of the dancers (Terry Robinson) – she was a very nice gal. I never got tired of watching that show. At night the entertainment was highlighted by Sonny Hellmer and Banu Gibson doing a Roaring 20’s show. Sonny would chug an entire pitcher of Pepsi every show. Special engagements were common back then. Such stars as Conway Twitty, Xavier Cugat & Charro, Buddy Rich, etc. The Kids of the Kingdom weren’t bad either. Truly, working at the Horseshoe was always fun. I never had a hard time doing my shift. As to the inner workings of the operation, the work was hard because we had to fill the house and serve every guest before the show began. The menu included tuna, beef & cheese and ham & cheese sandwiches (the h & c had great marbled rye bread). The waitresses had the toughest duty by far. There were a lot of breaks, however. While the shoe was on we all retired to the little foreman’s office upstairs. We played a lot of pinochle and poker and quickly bonded into a very close group by virtue of the close quarters and the many breaks during a shift. Yes, there were several weddings between bartenders and waitresses over the years. Now, 40 odd years later, we go back often as season tickets holders. Although we Enjoy Billy Hill & the Hillbillys, they are a far cry from the Revue. Those were the days!

Pepsi was a huge sponsor of The Horsehoe for years, underwriting the expense of the excellent entertainment, etc. at this unique venue. Several years after I left in the 70’s they pulled-out and left the budget in a hole, which was too bad. Walt was right with his belief that the bottom line took care of itself if the vision remained pure.

Thanks for the opportunity for nostalgic memories.

Russ (Lucky) Reynolds

See more vintage & current Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Revue photos on my Golden Horseshoe web page.