Banking on Main Street

This one vintage shot of Town Square at Disneyland has so much to see! Thanks to this closeup of the Information/Souvenir stand and the Guide Books for sale, we can deduce that this photo is most likely from around 1956. The cast member looks bored.



Dig the vintage A-Frame advertising souvenir photos…but of what? The Emperor's New Clothes for only 25¢.



Last detailed view for today shows the Town Square Realty window:



More Main Street Bank photos at my main website.

Happy Belated Birthday, Tippi!

In honor of Tippi Hedren's recent 86th birthday (and she still looks fabulous!), here is a vintage shot from 1964 of her with Rock Hudson. The accompanying publicity blurb says:

Tippi Hedren, newly elected Mayor of Universal City, receives the gavel of office from ex-Mayor Rock Hudson. Miss Hedren, currently starring with Sean Connery in Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie," will preside over an incorporated area of 410 acres — larger than the entire principality of Princess Grace's Monaco. Her "constituents" total more than 4500 Universal City employees.

The comment about Monaco might have been a little jab from Hitch himself, who was extremely disappointed that Grace Kelly turned down the role of "Marnie" at the last minute.

More Tippi Hedren photos at my main website.

Pan Pacific Auditorium

This 1957 image shows the Pan Pacific Auditorium, a casualty of time and fire that was once located near the CBS Television studios and the current site of the Grove Shopping Center.

Its final gasp of glory was in the movie "Xanadu" from 1980. Today, it is commemorated in the façades of the entrances to DCA and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

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Here's a rare interior shot from the 1940's:



Check out that drum line!



More vintage Los Angeles photos at my main website.

Skyway

Today I present to you a few vintage Skyway shots as many of you return to work after a three day weekend. This June 1960 shot shows the Tomorrowland Skyway Station.

I believe the train seen here in Tomorrowland visible in this detailed view is the Fred Gurley.



Look at those cast members wearing ties. What a different time it was.



This February 1965 view shows the Matterhorn and was shot from a bucket departing the Tomorrowland station…or about to enter it! I am sure there is a Disneyland geek out there who can tell.



A detailed view of the buckets:



More Skyway photos at my main website.

Jingle Junk

Two years ago, the Disney Corporation decided to add The Jungle Cruise to its lineup of holiday makeovers. For the first time, I experienced this "new" attraction myself. I should have heeded the sign above.

The boats get renamed during this (thankfully) temporary makeover.



Kudos to Skipper Randy, who made lemonade out of the lemons.



According to the Disney publicity machine, here's the storyline: Jingle Cruise is themed as if the Skippers are homesick for the holidays and to add cheer, they decorated the attraction queue and boathouse with homemade decorations, gifts and items from back home. Boats have temporarily been renamed with holiday monikers and the Skippers are armed with seasonal jokes. (Listen carefully in the queue, too – you may hear a holiday-themed radio broadcast playing in the background).



In my opinion (and I know there are plenty who disagree, but this is my blog, not yours), it just looks like someone dumped a bunch of Christmas decorations all over.



One of the running gags is that fruitcake has been strewn throughout. Ha. Ha. Ha.





This poor elephant looks like it is trying to escape the embarrassment of this makeover. I don't blame him/her.



If only this overlay could be washed away.



The Haunted Mansion overlay seems to have thought and integration, whereas this one just seems like it was an afterthought...



as if the Imagineers raided their homes of white elephants and then put them on the attraction. Hey…here's a few Christmas oven mitts from Aunt Mildred. I know we can find a spot for those!





Don't strain yourself…they're just fake candy canes!



Leftover holiday junk from an Imagineer's front yard, perhaps?



Let's turn the African Veldt into a holiday dump!







A holiday star on the rhino's horn?!?



More fruitcake.



Help…I can't stop laughing.





I know you want a closeup of the big gag.





Moving onto a bad holiday sweater gag.



make that a bad holiday cape gag.







Even Trader Sam couldn't avoid the mess.



In all seriousness, I was truly disappointed by this attraction and what comes off as an extreme lack of thought.

More Disneyland Jingle Cruise photos at my main website.

Space Age Hipsters

I hope you haven't tired of seeing the Space People in Tomorrowland, because here comes another vintage duo!

Somehow, the hipster glasses just don't seem right on this young space punk who is trying to be too cool for school. His female companion looks embarrassed.



Here's a closer look at the nearby Kodak Picture Spot sign:



More Space Age hipsters at my main website.

The Future Is Lost

Instead of hanging out in Tomorrowland, this 1950s Disneyland Spaceman is standing in Central Plaza. Obviously, the buttery popcorn from the nearby cart lured him out of the future.



A detailed view of his costume.



More Space People shots at my main website.

Put A Ring On It

The color and clarity on this July 1958 shot makes it seem as if it were taken yesterday…if yesterday was 58 years ago.

This Space Age couple is waving to the guest in Tomorrowland that has captured this fascinating detail: our Spaceman appears to be married! Who says you can't have fun in Outer Space?



The elderly lady shown here appears baffled by their outfits. The heat of the summer probably isn't helping. Maybe another sip of her drink from that delicious looking vintage Disneyland paper cup will help.



More Space People shots at my main website.