Wonderland Wednesday

Before there was Big Thunder Mountain, there was the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train. What it lacked in speed it more than compensated with thrills. The above undated 1950s shot shows Mineral Hall on the right, where the Black Light Corporation of America had a little display inside.



Behind the post you can see the original name of the attraction, before it became The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland in 1960.



Another undated 1950s image with a great view of the original Rainbow Ridge mining town. While scale would have proved a problem, wouldn’t it have been great if the Barber Shop, Hardware Store, and Hotel were truly in operation for guests?



Zooming in for a look at the souvenir bag, which is not familiar to me, while the booklet in the gent’s suit pocket is.



It’s the back cover of the 1956 Guidebook:



The next consecutive shot shows a Rainbow Ridge bulletin board:



While I can’t believe a guest shot this back in 1956, I am so grateful!



Another undated (but most likely 1956-57) view of Rainbow Ridge, but this time the train is at the station:



I see three cameras (where are those photos/slides now?) and a popcorn bucket!



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

Temple Tuesday: The Mural Fades

I recently acquired these June 1985 images of the mural in Hollywood known as “You are the Star.” The name is because all of the “stars” are sitting in the audience and from the vantage point, YOU are the one on the silver screen. Cute idea! Painted by Thomas Suriya in 1983, it shows a wide variety of actors from the silents to (at that time) the present. Edited from The Gainesville Sun:

“You Are the Star,” Suriya recalled, began, as so much does in this town, with a dream. In 1983, he said, he had “a vision of a movie theater but in reverse, with the stars looking out at the world which is a projection - the opposite of what we do when we go to the movies.” A few days later a friend invited him to brighten up the side of a family building at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue. “I came here cold - I had never painted a mural before, not even a portrait - but it grew into a wonderful thing,” Suriya said. He pored over film-history books to find top-tier actors from different eras - from sex symbols to action heroes. The mural’s audience includes 71 celebrities from silent films to the 1980s. “The heavy hitters are in the front row,” the 59-year-old painter said, pointing to Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. “All the tough guys are over there with John Wayne,'' he said. “There’s James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. Then there's the science-fiction-fantasy section'' with Superman and R2-D2. Jack Lemmon, Bruce Lee and the Marx Brothers are his personal favorites, the self-trained artist said.…The painting, which became a bona fide tourist attraction that seems to transfix those gazing at the stars watching them, was the big break Suriya had dreamed about. Even with no pay. He stayed with a friend during the project and local businesses donated paint and scaffolding. Before he came to Los Angeles, Suriya was living in the northern California mountains with friends, including Michael Attie, whose parents owned the building and ran a lingerie store on the ground floor. “It was a leap of faith on his part and an adventure for me,” he said. “It was pretty intense.” He went on to paint other murals in the city and work as a special-effects designer. 

Front and center is little Shirley Temple, sitting in the lap of W.C. Fields with Lassie at their feet. How ironic since these two quotes have been attributed to Fields: “Anyone who hates children and animals can't be all bad,” and “Never work with children or animals.” I am assuming Suriya (or whoever consulted with him on the selection of Stars) knew of this and made it part of an inside joke.



Here is the photo of Shirley from “Little Miss Marker” that the artist used for inspiration. He was nice enough to fix the tear in her dress.



This alternate view from 1985 shows a wider view of the mural while still including the red Pontiac Fiero parked in front. Nothing screams eighties like a Fiero.



Front row has Marilyn, Charlie Chaplin, and James Dean on the other side of Fields and Temple. Second row has Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh (from “Gone with the Wind”), Mae West, and Sophia Loren. Third row has Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Woody Allen, Judy Garland Mickey Rooney, and Marlene Dietrich. Fourth row has Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, Gregory Peck (?), Laurel & Hardy, Richard Pryor, and Al Jolson in blackface. Sixth row is a lot tougher. Kirk Douglas, Richard Widmark, Woody Woodpecker, Barbara Stanwyck on a really bad day (?), Greta Garbo, Anthony Quinn, Cantinflas, Jane Russell, and Bruce Lee.

 

Front row: Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Rudolph Valentino. Second row: Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Brigitte Bardot; Third Row: Dietrich, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds in “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982). Fourth row: Theda Bara, Mary Pickford, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross (?). Behind Theda Bara are the Marx Brothers (Chico, Harpo, and Groucho). I believe Jack Lemmon is the one behind Chico.



Front row: James Cagney, Lauren Bocall and Humphrey Bogart next to Marilyn. Second row: Jean Harlow (?), Edward G. Robinson, John Wayne, Cary Grant, and Hepburn. Third row: Burt Lancaster, Toshiro Mifune, Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Newman and Redford. Fourth row: Anne Bancroft (?), Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Joan and Bette. Fifth row: Godzilla, R2D2, King Kong and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein (with Bela Lugosi as Dracula behind them), Christopher Reeve as Superman, and Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dancing over the aisle. Phew!



Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) visited LA in August 2006. According to the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles website, the mural was “restored” in 1995. I would imagine direct sunlight, cars, and people could take quite a toll on a piece of public art. Here is Melissa with daughter:



Despite the restoration, it was still looking a bit rough in 2006:



Melissa’s daughter was ready for her closeup:



Of course they had to have a photo near Shirley’s portion of the mural.



UPDATE: Daveland frequent reader Fifthrider pointed out this gem (after alerting me to a few others):

Until now I never noticed the open doorway at the dark back of the theater. Inside the yellow rectangle you can see E.T. trying to use the payphone.

Apparently, Suriya returned in 2007 for another restoration, according to The Gainsville Sun:

Thomas Suriya is back, with his brushes, paint and scaffolding, to restore the luster that 24 years of sun, smog and anti-graffiti coating have stolen from the 20- by 30-foot mural of a fantasy Tinseltown mash-up.…The star of his favorite movie - Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner'' - didn't make his cut in 1983. If Suriya (pronounced SIR-ee-uh) were doing the mural today, he said, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson would also get a seat. “Now I look at (the mural) and it looks so rough,” he said, pointing to James Dean's hand. “I was so ambitious.” This time, Suriya is getting paid for his work through a grant from the Hollywood Arts Council. Suriya said he was reluctant to return to Los Angeles because of the working conditions: Heat, car exhaust and a narrow sidewalk on a sketchy corner. But he’s been surprised.“People trudge along with their shopping carts and they look up and say, ‘Nice job,’” he said. Luxury lofts and chain stores have been built a few blocks away, but redevelopment hasn’t touched this stretch of Hollywood Blvd. “The spirit is different now,” he said. “In the early ’80s the economy wasn't that good, but the vibe was better.” The Attie family sold the building last month to an East Coast investment group, said Steve Tronson, a commercial real-estate broker. The new owners plan to preserve the mural and the exterior of the elegant 1931 Art Deco building, Tronson said. Suriya hopes the restored mural will last another quarter century. His first work has been photographed by thousands of movie buffs and tourists and has played bit parts in commercials, music videos and movies, including “The Player,” “S.W.A.T.” and a David Bowie video.

Flash forward to 2016 when the mural was featured in “La La Land” with Emma Stone (at right) and Ryan Gosling. 



Once again, the mural was looking rough.



From Google views comes this truly disheartening image. The mural is fading quickly and the Stars are barely recognizable any more. The homeless man with his back turned to the mural is an unintentional commentary on how this piece of art has been treated.



Suriya, come back!!

See more photos at my main website.

Monday with Mansfield: The Carrousel

As long-time Daveland readers know, actress Jayne Mansfield’s May 11, 1957 Disneyland visit was well documented. I have been fortunate enough to acquire yet another shot from that day. Obviously a night-time shot, it is chilly enough that Jayne is now wearing her mink coat as she is assisted up on the King Arthur’s Carrousel horse by then husband, bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay. Daughter Jayne Marie Mansfield is barely visible behind the pole at left.

I attempted to see if I had any other matching shots of the horses in my collection. It was a challenge, but here’s one from September 1969. I wonder if the little girl wearing the gold outfit knows she is sitting where Jayne once sat. Probably not.



I THINK this horse I photographed in March 2012 is the one that Jayne Marie is sitting on (obviously repainted and bedazzled). Anybody with more patience is welcome to do the sleuthing for me!



How about that souvenir bag that Mickey is clutching for Jayne?



It uses the iconography from the Disneyland TV show that helped make the Park possible! Here’s a color shot of it from Dan Cunningham’s collection:



Earlier in the day, there was no need for a fur coat as Jayne signed autographs for young guests in front of the Carrousel.



See more Jayne Mansfield at Disneyland photos at my main website.

Down By The Riverside, 1950s

Today, let’s enjoy a leisurely visit to the Dock area of the Rivers of America at Disneyland. The first image is from December 1959. I had to zoom into the boxes to see if I could see any fun inside jokes; none of these names register with me. Notice the El Zocalo sign behind the two guests.



This October 1960 shot seems to be the best shot I have of the El Zocalo sign; still difficult to read. Another bucket list item for my collection!



Here, guests sit inside the bandstand that was once located on the banks of the Rivers of America. This undated view is from the 1950s. The paper hat on the right indicates it’s from the early years, and since Tom Sawyer Island has been built out, we know it’s after June 1956.



An overhead view of the bandstand, September 1958. Because of the angle, it was probably taken from the second story of the Chicken Plantation Restaurant.



This May 1958 image shows the location of the bandstand and the restaurant:



This undated view of Frontierland was most likely taken from the Mark Twain:



It has to be 1950s because the Matterhorn has not been built yet.



The same view from a higher/farther vantage point, most likely the tree house on Tom Sawyer Island. Undated but probably from the 1960s. Because of the round shape of the Skyway buckets, we know it’s at least pre-1965.



The El Zocalo and Casa de Fritos area of Frontierland is visible below:



Enjoy your weekend, whether you spend it on the river or not!

See more Disneyland Rivers of America photos at my main website.

Harlow & Faye

Today’s blog post refers to the two leading platinum blondes of the 1930s: Jean Harlow and Alice Faye. Harlow’s film career first began with supporting roles in silent comedies such as “Double Whoopee” (1929) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.



In “Brats” (1930), Harlow can be spotted briefly if you look closely at the photo on the mantle. Producer Hal Roach apparently quipped that he got Harlow to appear “for nothing” in this comedy short as well as in 1931’s “Beau Hunks.”



Zooming in:



Harlow’s breakthrough role came in the 1930 war film, “Hell’s Angels.” By 1932, MGM put her under contract and she became a box office favorite with hits like “Red-Headed Woman” (1932), “Red Dust” (1932), and “Dinner at Eight” (1933).



The pencil thin eyebrows, the platinum hair, and the sarcastic wit were all part of her manufactured persona.



Enter Alice Faye (approximately four years younger than Harlow), Fox Studio’s “answer” to Harlow over at MGM. Today, portraits of the two are often confused. Faye was given the same platinum hairdo as well as the hardened makeup that Harlow had been sporting in her early career, as seen in “Now I’ll Tell” (1934), where Faye played the “other woman” opposite Spencer Tracy.



Below, a Gene Kornman publicity shot of Faye for “Poor Little Rich Girl” with Shirley Temple (1936) with this caption:

After she’s through with the day’s dancing sequences in “The Poor Little Rich Girl,” Alice Faye curls up in her favorite chair, clad in her favorite pajamas of black silk velvet lavishly trimmed in white marabou. In this 20th Century-Fox production, starring Shirley Temple, Alice finds herself teamed with Jack Haley, who does pretty well as a dancer himself!



In this, her first Temple film, Faye played the wisecracking wife who nags husband Jack Haley all day long. Faye’s characters up to this point lacked the innocence and vulnerability that made Harlow so appealing underneath the sarcasm. Still, Faye had one thing Harlow didn’t: a gorgeous contralto voice! 20th Century-Fox Studio head Darryl Zanuck saw the potential in Faye and by the time she made her second Shirley Temple film, “Stowaway” (also in 1936), she was almost unrecognizable. In the following publicity still, Alice had graduated from silk velvet and marabou to an outfit that any typical woman of the day might have worn. The accompanying caption:

Attired as comfortably as possible, Alice Faye takes a stroll for the sake of fresh air before reporting for preparation at 20th Century-Fox for her role with Shirley Temple in “Stowaway.”



Zanuck saw the value in making Alice Faye more approachable to both sexes by softening the edges and putting the vocal talents front and center, much to the chagrin of little Shirley who would later recall:

I retired to bed singing “Good Night My Love,” a delectable ballad by Mack Gordon with Harry Revel with lyrics about Dutch dolls, teddy bears, and my dead daddy. Faye then reprised my song outside, under a romantic full moon, using mature lyrics sung in her own silky style. Instantly I knew her rendition had finessed mine. Hers was deeper-throated, more resonant, and her facial expressions insinuated much that I sensed was important without knowing why. Yet my proprietary feeling could not so easily be quenched. It was my song. I had sung it first. Why did I lose when she won?…Perhaps the problem was not my deficiency but her skill. She was older, I brooded, and had beautiful cow eyes to boot.



At the same time, MGM was working hard to soften Harlow’s image, realizing (just like Zanuck) that her appeal would be greater if they moved away from the one-dimensional platinum bombshell approach.

One of the oft-told legends of Hollywood was that MGM wanted so badly to borrow Shirley Temple for “The Wizard of Oz,” that they offered Clark Gable and Jean Harlow for Fox’s production of “In Old Chicago.” Shirley herself even repeated this myth in her autobiography, Child Star. It doesn’t take much digging to figure out that this was a fabrication, although portions of the story are true. When Alice Faye was interviewed by Joe Franklin in her later years, he asked, “Did you get that part [In Old Chicago] when Jean Harlow was about to die?” “That's what I read,” replied Alice. “I read that, but I’m not sure.” “I never believed it,” responded Joe. “I never did either. I wouldn’t mind following Harlow,” Faye said with a smile. “She was pretty dishy!” This speaks to the fact that back in the 1930s and 1940s, the studio bigwigs made trades and deals but the stars themselves were the last to know. They were under contract with the understanding that they would follow along with executive orders without complaint. Shirley Temple herself would not have had any firsthand knowledge about any of this, either. Here’s what we know:

“In Old Chicago” went into production mid-June of 1937, shortly after Jean Harlow’s untimely June 7th death. Thanks to some sleuthing by Melissa (aka “The Colonel”), we know that on May 27, 1937, the L.A. Times was still reporting that Harlow…

…is pretty certain as one feminine lead in that picture, incidentally.

One day later, the Times changed its tune:

With no chance of getting either Jean Harlow or Helen Hayes for “In Old Chicago,” Twentieth Century-Fox is to set about popularizing two of its own feminie players in this banner picture. And that’s not a bad idea either, particularly as one of the young ladies is Virginia Field.

On June 1st, the Evening Courier reported:

I don’t know what would have happened if Darryl Zanuck couldn’t have borrowed Jean Harlow for “In Old Chicago.” He had his heart set on her, but for a few weeks it looked as if M-G-M would have to refuse. In order to swing the deal, Darryl had to promise Tyrone Power in exchange. So it’s set that he will play the boy in “Madame X.” First of course, he co-stars with Jean in the Chicago epic, with Don Ameche in an important part and Virginia Field and Phyllis Brooks in supporting roles. Henry King directs.

Other than Harlow and Virginia Field, the rest of the report panned out. MGM made “Madame X” without Tyrone Power, using Warren William instead. “Madame X” began production mid-July 1937 and was released on October 1. And what about Shirley? Where does she fit into all of this? Based on contemporary accounts, Shirley Temple had zilcho to do with the “In Old Chicago” / “Madame X” swap. MGM didn’t even own “The Wizard of Oz” at the time all of these shenanigans were going on. While the bean counters at MGM wanted the box office stability of Shirley for “Oz” when they did purchase it, the production and creative team all wanted Judy Garland and the story was purchased specifically for her. MGM vocal coach/composer/arranger Roger Edens was sent to Fox for an informal audition of Temple and reported back that her “vocal limitations were insurmountable” for “Oz.” And that was that. 

What would “In Old Chicago” have been like with Harlow? What would “The Wizard of Oz” have been like with Temple? To quote Alice Faye, “You’ll Never Know”!



See more Alice Faye photos at my main website.