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!
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair lasted from April 22 – October 18, 1964 and April 21 – October 17, 1965. Today's featured shot is from June 1964 and shows two of the seven dwarves on top of Rolly Crump's Tower of the Four Winds. You can just barely see the yellow of Snow White's dress at the far left of the frame. The 120' tall tower was a landmark at the Fair and spawned the phrase, "Meet me at the Tower."
The Tower was torn down at the end of the fair; this model in the Walt Disney World Contemporary Hotel is the best way to see it up close and personal.
See more Daveland 1964/1965 New York World's Fair photos at my main website.
Last Thursday, December 5, marked what would have been the 112th birthday of creative genius Walt Disney. Today's belated tribute celebrates that momentous day with a recently acquired assortment of photos featuring Walt himself. The first one from August 1954 shows him with a model train, inside of what I believe to be the machine shop at the Disney Studios in Burbank. It is easy to attempt to interpret Walt's thoughts, especially since he isn't around anymore, but this particular quote on Disneyland is about as clear as it gets:
“I just want it to look like nothing else in the world. And it should be surrounded by a train.”
Face it...the main loved trains. If you do, too, you might enjoy this clip of Walt's backyard train setup. It's a wonderful glimpse of him having a ball and enjoying life:
The Lilly Belle, Walt's beloved miniature train that is featured in the video, can now be seen at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francsicso:
Moving forward to 1961, this onset photo from the film "The Parent Trap" shows Walt with director David Swift and stunning leading lady Maureen O'Hara. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards: one for Sound by Robert O. Cook, and the other for Film Editing by Philip W. Anderson.
O'Hara was a knockout as Maggie, the spunky ex-wife of her soon-to-be-remarried ex-hubby, Mitch (Brian Keith). Here they are during a dinner cleverly arranged by their twin daughters (played by Hayley Mills) who would like nothing more than to have their parents reunited. The black eye on Keith's character was courtesy of his feisty ex, who had no interest in being told what to do.
I defy anyone with a pulse to have a dry eye during this little romantic reunion scene from the finale of the film. The chemistry between Keith and O'Hara is supreme.
OK, this is about Walt, not Maureen O'Hara. Pardon me for the interuption.
For the Pepsi-Cola small world exhibit entrance at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, Walt wanted a "wow." He spent $200,000 on 100 ton Wally Crump creation that was 120'/12 stories high and 46' wide at the base. This creative medley of mobiles was called The Tower of the Four Winds and required a 60' deep foundation to keep it from blowing over. Opening Day for the fair was April 22, 1964; the Disney press release for the occasion described the Tower in this way:
"Attached to three primary columns and four slender buttresses will be more than 100 spinning, swiveling, oscillating elements of as many colors and shapes. Propellers of every description and size, a miniature, purely decorative carousel with animals from several countries (a giraffe, camel, reindeer, llama, horse, elephant and donkey), a stylized representation of the sun; figures of birds, flying fish, winged dragon, butterflies, bees and other creatures—all will be in perpetual motion."
Although it was well received and "Meet me at the Tower of the Four Winds" became a catch-phrase for the fair, the Tower was basically dismantled and dumped. I am not sure if the model on display in the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World is the same one from the photo with Walt, but for sentimental reasons, I'd like to think so.
However, zooming in to the descriptive display material, it would appear that this is most likely a modern-day recreation.
Last one for today is a Bob Taylor cartoon this was the most fitting of tributes to Walt when he passed away.
The quote sums it up perfectly:
"Laughter and Happiness for children of all ages."
