Greetings from Black Bart!

If you were at the Disneyland entrance on this day in June 1956, you could have been greeted by ne’er-do-well Black Bart. Stepping outside of his regular Frontierland home, he provided a little entertainment on this day outside the gate,



Noah “Dick” Morrison played the original Black Bart until approximately 1961.



Sometimes he was in charge…and sometimes Sheriff Lucky was!



Here he is shooting the s$%t with a plethora of Sheriffs in Frontierland. I guess in the 1950s they needed more!



You knew Black Bart was a bad guy…he smoked in public!



He knew how to charm the kids though.



He also had a way with the ladies.



The last one for today shows him giving a guest the whammy for taking his photo:



A close-up of his signature Ace of Spades, stuck in his hat.



See more Disneyland Black Bart photos at my main website.

Cameras at Rainbow Ridge

Image #1 for today was taken from Disneyland’s Mark Twain riverboat and features a lovely panorama shot of the quaint mining town of Rainbow Ridge. This detailed show really illustrates the power of forced perspective. When you see the workers next to the buildings at the top of the town, you realize just how small they are. 



In this second image from the same batch, Sheriff Lucky guards over the Nature’s Wonderland attraction, keeping guests safe from that nasty bandit, Black Bart.



It appears that there was some professional filming going on at the time this photo was taken:



Panning to the right, an early example of graffiti, giving a shout-out to Pecos Bill.



This previously posted image shows another photo opportunity in the works at Rainbow Ridge, with some camera equipment that is a bit less spectacular!



See more Disneyland Nature’s Wonderland photos at my main website.

Hump Day at the Horseshoe

Wednesday/Hump Day seems like a good day to relax at Slue Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland, doesn’t it? The first two images are from Spring 1956. That Slue Foot Sue sign is a favorite of mine.

Just in case you weren’t sure, Pepsi-Cola was the sponsor. How about that A-Frame sign in front? My best guess: “ABC Radio presents Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Starring Wally Boag and…” The rest is too much for my brain to comprehend today.

Just in case you weren’t sure, Pepsi-Cola was the sponsor. How about that A-Frame sign in front? My best guess: “ABC Radio presents Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Starring Wally Boag and…” The rest is too much for my brain to comprehend today.

UPDATE 1: Daveland reader Darryl’s brain is working much better than mine today. A shot from my collection that I previously posted. Duh.

This one is from February 1964:

I call this “Law and Order”…and a really bad Christmas sweater! Sheriff Lucky ought to lock up the mother for allowing that one.

Something cool was going on here; I wonder what they were filming for?

A spy a box of GE lamp bulbs:

From the other angle:

Even Sheriff Lucky looks somewhat interested in the proceedings:

Did he just shoot the cameraman? The poor little girl in the foreground is horrified! Permanent scars for adulthood are in her future.

UPDATE 2: Bryan, thanks for ALSO jogging my memory. This COULD be from the same day; Wally Boag during a Frontierland shoot-out:

See more Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Saloon photos at my main website.

Friday Frontierland Fun

It’s February 1958 at Disneyland, and the dastardly villain Black Bart is up to no good in Frontierland…again! Sheriff Lucky appears to have things under control. I love seeing the reaction of the crowd, like this little boy covering his ears from the loud gunfight sounds.

…and the little girl wringing her hands with glee as Bart is captured.

If I had been there, I’d be the guy on his knees with the camera trying to get that unique angle of the fight! Wonder where those photos are today?

The next shot in the consecutive sequence is either from the next show, or Bart has managed to get away!

That red cowboy hat is everything.

See more vintage Disneyland Black Bart photos at my main website.

Wednesday in the (not so) Wild West

This undated 1950’s image shows early Disneyland. Looks like the bad guys and the good guys are exchanging stories in Frontierland (I see Black Bart and Sheriff Lucky in this one). Closing in we can see the “office” of Willard P. Bounds, blacksmith AND U.S. Marshal of Frontierland. You can also see Eddie Adamek’s trick ropes for sale, strewn in a semi-circle over the counter.

Farther on the right you can see the sign for the Miniature Horse Corral (which closed in 1957):

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Frontierland 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.

Cruising into another week

Is it Monday? Hard to tell anymore. Every day seems to blend into the next. This 1956 image of the Jungle Cruise dock really speaks to me today. The skipper has just emptied his boat and is about to head to the dock to get another load of guests. While I do feel that I am being very productive during this time of quarantine, there is a sense of monotony in the air.



As a follow-up to last week’s post about the Frontierland Sheriff, I was contacted by Daveland reader and badge collector supreme Michael Hulme.



Here is a poor picture of the Deputy Marshall badge worn in the early days of the park. Your recent photo of Sheriff Lucky is a great photo showing both badges and proving my theory that the Sheriff would rate a different badge than his deputy. I was lucky to obtain the Deputy's badge many years ago on E-bay. As you can see it is badge number 4, so one could assume they are rare. I do not have a Sheriff’s badge and have never seen a good close-up of what it exactly looks like. Judging from the picture I think the Deputy Marshall's badge looks more traditional and is way cooler. It was made by the Sun Badge Company back when Walt wanted everybody to have a themed costume to where they worked in the park. All that started to change around 1962 when the early metal employee badges were phased out for the plastic ones. I doubt the Deputy Marshall's badges lasted that long.

Thanks a million for that info, Michael!

As a follow-up to my post last week giving kudos to Dianne Jacob, I want to thank those who left such supportive comments. In this time of social isolation, knowing that others feel the same way about the restrictions actually made me feel connected again. Irene - I applaud your courage. I also find it funny (but not in a good way) that an entire group of people are being singled out as COVID-19 risks due to their age. In the workplace, that could get you fired! Obviously, a person’s health is not necessarily based on their age. It all depends on how a person has lived their life, genetics, etc. Fifthrider - can I tag along with you on that trip to find common sense?

For the gutless wonder who anonymously posted this:

Please leave the politics out of your site. There are plenty of other places for that, and your views do you no credit -- however much other readers may agree with them.

You are symptomatic of the problem. It’s time that people spoke out for their freedom, even if it’s a little uncomfortable. I rarely get political, but warning: there will be more posts here when I feel the need. That’s why the blog is called “Daveland” and not “Anonymous Land.”

See more photos at my main website.

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter and view my most recent photos on Instagram.

Wild West Wednesday

Today’s image hails from 1957, where you can see a little tot wearing his Disneyland Keppy Kap, surrounded by Frontierland law enforcement. The boy is also holding some kind of card in his hands; wonder if it was a souvenir that he received from the Sheriff? Digging the Sheriff’s vintage watch and ring, even if they don't really go with his costume!



I have separate pics of both of these gentlemen, and always referred to them as Sheriff Lucky, however…now that I look at their badges, they are definitely different. Maybe one is a deputy. Anyone out there able to shed light on the different badges or characters they played?



I know the one on the right was definitely Sheriff Lucky, as that’s how this Encyclopaedia Britannica labeled him:



Wanna’s see his signature? Here it is on a Wanted Poster in Rainbow Ridge:



Perhaps yet another Deputy on the left? On the right is Black Bart.



In this March 1956 shot, a guest caught him taking a break with a pretty little lass on New Orleans Street:



Finally, here’s another previously posted image of who I am “assuming” the Frontierland Deputy:



See more Frontierland photos at my main website.