Sexy Sunday on Main Street

One of the most infamous shops at Disneyland was the Intimate Apparel Shop on Main Street, U.S.A., which (not surprisingly) didn’t even last a year.



See the stuffed granny in the rocking chair on the porch? She would welcome you into the splendor of a “museum” that taught you everything you wanted to know about women’s undergarments dating back to the late 19th century. Naturally, you could buy current merchandise, too. I wonder if the tree was put there to intentionally cover the signage from the little kiddies?



This angle from October 1955 gives an unobstructed view:



For those eagle-eyed viewers, you might have noticed the HM Company circle on both sides of the Intimate Apparel shop sign. Here’s an ad from the Hollywood-Maxwell Company, aka “The Wonderful Wizard of Bras.” The little wizard on the left can also be seen on the Disneyland sign between the H and the M.



Edited from the underpinningsmuseum website:

Hollywood-Maxwell was the first in a line of Californian brassiere manufacturers which entered the American market in 1929. Hollywood was a place of glamour and aspiration in the 1930s and it wasn’t long before the American woman’s desire for a movie star look had boosted the sale of the latest bra innovations from these companies, simply via their association with this famous Los Angeles neighborhood. Although most brassiere adverts did not feature movie stars, Hollywood-Maxwell claimed that its products were used exclusively in motion pictures made by Paramount. Hollywood-Maxwell founder Joseph R. Bowen patented a cup stabilization technique he called ‘Whirlpool stitching’ in 1935. This much imitated innovation used concentric rings of stitches to produce a rounded shape in the 1930s and a more pointed cup in the 40s and 50s.

Want to see a Hollywood-Maxwell  label? Of course you do.



The location of the former Hollywood-Maxwell company on Hollywood Boulevard is now the Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre, located next to the Snow White Cafe. I wonder if Snow wore HM brassieres?

This color slide from the opposite angle was stamped August 1956; either the photographer took a long time to develop their slides or the sign (and stuffed lady in the rocking chair) stayed around after the store closed.



By the time of this May 1958 image, all signs of the Intimate Apparel shop had been erased.



From July 1959, a young guest sits on the porch where “granny” used to rock:





The China Closet took over the space; this rare interior shot from October 1960 shows the former location of the Intimate Apparel shop. Note how the trim on the porch matches!



I shot this 2007 image from the Omnibus; the rocking chairs are gone and have been replaced with somewhat uncomfortable wooden chairs.



Today, the door is permanently sealed and there’s a Rolly Crump tribute sign (for Fargo’s Palm Parlor) that hangs over the porch.



Does the Disney Corporation trust its guests? Hell no. NOBODY is walking away with these chairs. They are permanently affixed to the floor.



See more Disneyland Main Street photos at my main website.

Rolly, Liz, and Joan

Today I celebrate a trio of birthdays: a Disney Imagineer (Rolly Crump) and two (heavenly) actresses (Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Bennett). Crump’s style is right up my alley; creative, weird, and dark. I had the opportunity to see his work at an exhibit in Oceanside six years ago. What a treat! There is much more to this man than just Disney.





Walt was impressed by Rolly and was grooming the young man for stardom in the Imagineer world. Unfortunately, Walt died before Rolly’s ideas for the Haunted Mansion came to fruition. Too afraid of his weird and dark aesthetic, most of Crump’s designs were deleted or minimized. This chair is one of the few items left in the Mansion that bears his distinctive style.



Elizabeth Taylor would have been ninety-one today. The actress/activist/husband collector/jewelry enthusiast and lover of life is shown here with James Dean. Taylor was filming “Giant” at the time and Dean was wrapping up filming on “Rebel Without A Cause.” He would join the George Stevens production shortly after this publicity shot was taken.



Taylor and her two boys enjoy a day at Disneyland with then-husband Eddie Fisher, circa 1959.



Today’s third (heavenly) birthday celebration is for Joan Bennett, who started her career as a blonde and hit pay dirt when she went brunette. Who says blondes have more fun?!? Here’s a vintage shot of a marquee with her 1956 film, “Navy Wife.”



Today, if remembered at all, it is probably for playing Elizabeth Stoddard on the 1960’s/1970’s cult TV show, “Dark Shadows.”



Bennett also happened to be one of the many actresses who tested for the plum role of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind.” Here’s a very bad dupe of Bennett’s screen test (along with a few others):



See more Daveland photos at my main website.

When Tomorrowland Had A Tomorrow

Remember when Disneyland’s Tomorrowland actually was about “tomorrow”? I know, it’s been a long time. These images from August 1970 are a reminder to those futuristic times. The PeopleMover was Walt’s idea of how to solve the congestion/transportation problems that existed in cities.



All of these images were shot from the Skyway and give a great overview of Tomorrowland. This was also the time period that the Astro Jets/Astro Orbiter sat high above the PeopleMover station and gave an even more thrilling spin to guests.



Nothing says “tomorrow” like the Rolly Crump designed stage below:



This one from February 1971 shows Lou Styles playing in Tomorrowland on the Rolly Crump designed stage:





Back to 1970…look at the little boy craning his head out of the Monorail. Yes…once it was possible to be excited about the future. Rocket to the Moon…PeopleMover…Carousel of Progress…wow!!



I’m sure it boils down to profits and money, but I still can’t understand why a corporation as large and as influential as Disney can’t partner with NASA or other innovative organizations to drum some life into Tomorrowland show that innovation (not Innovention!) is still alive and well.

See more Disneyland Tomorrowland photos at my main website.

Rolly Crump in Oceanside

While Rolly Crump is not a fashion icon, he definitely has style, so I have no qualms about finishing the week out with a post about his exhibit which I recently had the pleasure of seeing. This is about the only thing that would get me to Oceanside! Titled "It's kind of a cute story," the Rolly Crump exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art was incredible.



Care to see the original scale model for the it's a small world façade, featuring a working clock?



Amazing that this little gem from 1966 still survives. Here's a view of the back. I like to present the stuff that most people wouldn't. Yes...I go the extra mile so you don't have to.



A model of the Tower of the Four Winds, which was where EVERYONE at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair would meet each other. Designed by Crump himself, Walt Disney was enamored with it.



A photo of Rolly with Walt Disney at the Tower, signed by Walt himself, 1963.



Most Disneyland fans know that Crump was poised for his greatest Disney triumph with The Museum of the Weird, which was to be a focal point of the Haunted Mansion. Here's one of his concept drawings:



A 2017 model of The Gypsy Wagon that was to be part of the Museum of the Weird:



Once Walt passed away, the Disney Corporation got a lot less weird and Crump's revolutionary designs were axed. Here are some of Rolly's Disney name tags/ID cards:



The true highlight for me was seeing some of Crump's other art work that had nothing to do with Disney:



Slightly dark...a little irreverent...and full of humor. Rolly Crump is my kind of guy!





DEFINITELY worth the trip to Oceanside!

See more Oceanside photos at my main website.

Ride Thru: small world holiday

If you are missing the holidays, then this post is for you. If not...come back tomorrow! Today I am featuring a chronological ride-thru of it's a small world: the holiday version. I typically avoid this attraction like the plague, as the Sherman Brothers' memorable tune stays in my brain for days. However, for the sake of my niece, I made a sacrifice. Hope you appreciate!



Our VIP Tour Guide pointed out this Hidden Mickey:



The Mary Blair-styled figures:



Yup: it's 2016!



One of the controversial Disney animated characters that was added a few years back. To me, the whole thing was a tempest in a teapot.



Looks like I missed both lists.







Marc Davis' influence can be seen in these animals:





The Three Caballeros:





A tribute to Lilo & Stitch:



Zooming in I noticed this Elvis figurine for the first time:





The rainforest scene has survived:





Woody and the Americana scene; the one sloppy area on this attraction that just does not fit.





Peace on Earth: a message that should be followed year-round.



Continue the holiday celebration at my main website.