Thursday with Tippi

A few recently acquired shots of Tippi Hedren from the Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller, “Marnie” (1964). Running close to my other obsessions The Chateau Marmont, Disneyland, and Shirley Temple, this movie has fascinated me since the first of many times I have watched it. The first image shows the pivotal scene when Marnie (Tippi) begins to trust Mark (Sean Connery), the man who had recently blackmailed her into marriage. Since he was attempting to cure and rehabilitate her from her frigidity and kleptomania, that makes it all ok! Connery does not look quite as comfortable as Tippi does with the horse! From the film’s big finish, Tippi is shown recalling the sordid past events of her childhood that made her the way she is.

Hitch delivered a Hollywood ending that satisfied the Studio, but added just enough ambiguity that one wonders whether the leads truly ended up in a state of bliss.

See more Tippi Hedren photos at my main website.

Welcome Wednesday: 1958

I really need to know the story of this vintage auto in the Disneyland Parking lot, circa 1958. Unfortunately, the photographer did not have a steady hand, so there are no gorgeous closeups from this image. Still, a lot of cool things to see, such as the Tram, The Fred Gurley train at the station, and...what the heck is this auto doing there?!?

This 1958 shot shows the line of attraction posters that once adorned the entry area. These are works of art!

Zooming in for closer looks at the Astrojet, Storybook Land, and Art Corner posters:

On the other side of the Main Street Train Station…

Looks like the A-Frame sign says something is under a “Rehabilitation Program.” Sure can’t use that verbiage anymore!

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

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and Johnny

In this 1954 photo of Shirley, she is at Ciro’s nightclub with husband Charles Black. Normally Shirley commanded the camera when the paparazzi were shooting; this particular photographer must have caught her off guard. She still looks lovely though!

Looking at the ashtray it would appear that singer Johnny/Johnnie Ray was performing or about to perform there.

Johnny Ray was a talented singer whose career probably could have gone farther had it not been for his personal demons, which included alcohol and the rumors about his sexuality. This was at a time when a rumor could ruin a career. He did star in “There’s No Business Like Show Business” with Marilyn Monroe (1954) and later toured with Judy Garland in Europe. This photo shows him at Judy’s final wedding, serving as her husband’s (Mickey Deans) best man:

The real question — whatever happened to ashtrays?!?

See more Shirley Temple Black photos at my main website.

Debbie Gives The Bird!

July 17, 1955, Walt Disney is standing on Main Street, U.S.A., proud as punch that his Park has finally opened and is going gangbusters! Here he takes a moment to chat with Debbie Reynolds. I’m sure Debbie is silently flashing the bird to her husband at the time, crooner Eddie Fisher, while she enjoys a cold bottle of Coca-Cola.

;ooking even closer (beyond the bird), you can actually read her Opening Day ticket!

Here a Keystone Kop stands guard next to the Tobacco store wooden Indian, located next to the Main Street Cinema.

Get a load of that City Police Badge that the Keystone Kop is wearing. I wonder if they were just for show or if the Kops actually handled any altercations at the Park?

Appropriately, playing at the Main Street Cinema is a Keystone Kops comedy, “The Noise Bombs,” 1914, starring Charlie Murray and Edgar Kennedy.

See more vintage Disneyland Opening Day photos at my main website.

Two Tars in Tomorrowland

This August 1958 image shows two sailor on leave, enjoying a day in the Park, possibly heading to see the Circarama exhibit. Guest stood in the center of a huge room with a 360 degree screen surrounding them. Through the miracle of Circarama, they could get views of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. As always, I have to wonder where the pictures are today that the sailor on the left shot with the camera hanging around his neck.

Note the signage, too, promoting the Tomorrowland exhibits in alternating colors of red and yellow: Circarama (sponsored by American Motors), Satellite-View of America, The World Beneath Us (sponsored by Richfield), Color Gallery (sponsored by Dutch Boy), and The Art Corner.

Here’s a previously posted shot from February 1959 showing the Satellite - View of America exhibit:

Note the K-7 Spaceman sitting in the ticket booth:

See more vintage Disneyland Tomorrowland photos at my main website.

Coke, Cops, and Cole

Guests at the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner at Disneyland are being serenaded by the Keystone Kops, circa August 1958. The Dapper Dans weren’t the only musical group on Main Street, U.S.A.!

Behind the Kops you can see the window for the Cole of California shop.

Founded in 1923 by Fred Cole, this swimwear company was once represented by Esther Williams (so you know they were legit).

This shot gives you an overall view of the area:

How about those mermaids in the display window? Wonder where they are now…

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

How to Date a Clock

Sometimes it takes a bit of careful sleuthing to identify the date of an unmarked Disneyland slide. Fortunately, this image of the Clock of the World at the entrance to Tomorrowland yields a few clues. The Avenue of Flags were moved to the entrance in 1956, and the patriotic bunting on the lightposts in Central Plaza tell us this image was taken in July. You’ll also note the attraction poster for The Mickey Mouse Club Theater move “3D Jamboree” which debuted in 1956.

The back of the white sign in front of the castle gives the best clue of all, though.

Here’s another 1956 image of the Castle:

This type of  map/sign was gone by 1957.

Looks like the colorful image leading our post today was from July 1956. NOW I can rest easy!

See more vintage Disneyland Clock of the World photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Dancing with Bill

In the history of dancing pairs, Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple lead the way for a number of reasons. When it came to onscreen chemistry, these two had it over everyone else; their adoration for each other was evident in each of their four onscreen appearances together. While it may seem like small potatoes today, having a little girl dance AND hold hands with a man of color was unheard of back in 1935. This speaks volumes for both Winfield Sheehan and Darryl Zanuck, the Fox studio heads at the time. Both pushed the envelope of what audiences would accept by filming these numbers and including them. True, it was up to the exhibitors whether or not they excised those portions of the film when showing them to audiences, but Fox sent them those films complete. Which is more daring and worth honoring: a studio that risked a financial loss in 1935 by filming an interracial dance scene? Or a studio (Disney) that in 2020 will not re-release a film from their vault (“Song of the South”) because of potential backlash and cause a loss of money? While I agree that portrayals of people of color were often racially insensitive in older films, wouldn't it make a great teaching opportunity to show them instead of hide them, add a commentary track, and have an open discussion about how far we have come and how far we still have to go?



In June 2020, Melissa Joan Hart (a huge Shirley admirer) tweeted about Bill and Shirley:

The post…by Danica McKellar reminded me of one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies, The Little Colonel, because of the history of the stair dance she did with the incredible Billy 'Bojangles' Robinson. When studying the life of Shirley, I learned that it was the first time an interracial couple danced on screen together. Bojangles wasn't allowed to hold her hand but Shirley grabbed his anyhow during the dance and it made history. She also gave him full credit for making her a better dancer, as did Gene Kelly.

The backlash was immediate as a swarm of busy bees was unleashed, quick to point out that the movie and even the term "Bojangles" were racist and offensive. Comments included:

Did you miss the part about this scene taking part in a plantation? Look, I know you mean well by this, but it's not helpful.…Black people are begging for our help right now - giving them a story where the white girl is the hero is not it.…Bill Robinson was an incredible man, but try calling your friends 'Bojangles' and see what they have to say about it.

Melissa attempted to defend her post by saying she wanted to portray a story "about friendship and about breaking barriers,” but the bees did not want to hear it. Do I understand what Melissa was trying to say? Most certainly. Do I understand what the bees were saying? I sure do. What I don’t see is why people are unable to view occurrences through the lens of the times and see how these small baby steps back in the 1930’s were part of what helped shaped people’s opinions going forward. Armchair critics who tweet from the safety of their homes really don’t impress me much. There’s no reason why BOTH opinions can’t be valid and EVERY reason why people should work together for a solution (see earlier in this post for a suggestion on that), instead of wasting time arguing over who is right.

Back to Bill and Shirley. Some criticize Robinson for accepting roles as a butler or a servant; I find his acting skills break through that barrier. Robinson was able to add a touch of class, style, and elegance to every role he portrayed. When doing a scene with Shirley, he always came off as either a peer or an educator, regardless of his socio-economic status in the film. Here’s a scene from their second film together, “The Littlest Rebel”:



Bill and Shirley’s third on-screen pairing, “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” ended with one of their best dance numbers together, “The Toy Trumpet.” Here’s a behind the scenes shot of the sequence being filmed:



While “Just Around the Corner” may have been a less than stellar movie, their final film collaboration yielded two more opportunities for Bill and Shirley to entertain audiences with their dancing. “A Happy Little Ditty”:



…and “I Love to Walk in the Rain”"



I’d also like to give a shout-out to Shirley’s parents, George & Gertrude. Not all children were raised to treat those that are different from them with kindness. Even today, that is something that is missing from the upbringing of far too many.



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Movieland Monday

When it comes to wax museums, people typically love 'em or hate 'em. I’m in the former camp, as I believe they are (if done properly) an art form. Creating a life-like representation of someone in wax is not easily done, and includes not only the face, but body, hands, clothing, and setting. Overall, the now defunct Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park did a damn good job. This batch of November 1976 images show you some of their finer work. Here is their depiction of W.C. Fields as he looked in the movie “Poppy.”



Good job on the face!



Look at the detail on the bottle which also includes a poppy:



Even the clapboard is accurate in the information that it provides:



The Marilyn Monroe figure isn’t too bad; definitely successful with the hair, costume, and the body:



The face is just a bit off though; I can’t quite put my finger on it but her face looks a little manly to me.



“The Beverly Hillbillies” tableau is a complete winner:



Granny (Irene Ryan) was captured to perfection!



Last but not least is the Shirley Temple area of the museum. The scenery provides a whimsical background for the most popular child star ever with a nod to her hit song “On the Good Ship Lollipop.” Maybe someone should have told the set designers that the ship was referring to an airplane.



As far as Shirley herself goes, they truly did an outstanding job with the face, body, hair (and that’s not an easy hairdo to successfully recreate!), and clothes:



See more vintage Movieland Wax Museum photos at my main website.