I just posted my interview with Larry Billman on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Larry discusses his career, including his involvement in the early development of great live entertainment at the Disney parks worldwide. The interview and more photos are at CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
Although it is my goal to one day have all my interviews posted here on Mouse Clubhouse, and I’m still catching up from past interviews, I’m still doing new ones whenever I can. The last three interviews I’ve done are all recipients of windows on Main Street in Disneyland, a great honor! And it was an honor to have the chance to sit down with them and learn their stories! From Jim Cora, whom Walt Disney personally tapped to be involved in the creation of the original Disney University, to Renie Bardeau who took some of the most famous photos of Walt Disney, to Ron Dominguez, whose home was what would become Disneyland and he went on to become one of the heads of the parks! I know you’ll love the interviews as much as I enjoyed capturing their stories for you! Here’s a little more info:
Renie Bardeau’s window is above the Main Street Photo Supply. It reads “Kingdom Photo Services – Renie Bardeau Photographer, Archivist,” a nod to Renie’s job as chief photographer
Jim Cora’s windows is above the Disney Clothiers and reads “Global Exports and Expats – Specializing in Land & Sea operations – Our Motto ‘The Sun Never Sets on our Magic Kingdoms’ – Jim Cora – Master Operator,” for Jim’s role as Chairman of Disneyland International
Ron Dominguez’s window is above the Market House and reads ” Orange Grove Property Mgt. – ‘We Care For Your Property As If It Were Our Own’ – Ron Dominguez – Owner” in reference to Ron’s family orange grove which was situated inside the current site of Disneyland
I’m so grateful to these wonderful people!
I just posted some clips from interviews I did with people who were at Disneyland on its opening day on July 17, 1955. http://mouseclubhouse.com/interview-disneylands-opening-day/
I just posted my interview with X Atencio on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, X discusses his work for Disneyland and Walt Disney World, writing scripts and songs for attractions such Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and other attractions. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
Stan Jolley was a Hollywood producer, director, art director, production designer who had a lot to do not only with Disney, but with the very beginnings of Disneyland! His Disney film work included everything from “Zorro” to “Old Yeller” to “Elfego Baco” and “Toby Tyler.” He was the art director of the Academy-Award nominated animated featurette “Donald in Mathmagic Land.”
His large list of non-Disney movie credits include “Caddyshack,” “Witness” and “Superman” and television credits include “Mr. Ed,” “MacGyver” and “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.” As the art director for the pilot episode of “Get Smart,” Stan designed the classic title sequence with the doors and phone booth, as well as iconic props such as the “cone of silence.”
In 2009, for my Mouse Clubhouse, Stan invited me to photograph his 22,000 square foot estate. It is part home, part museum. Beyond every corner was not only a part of either Hollywood or Disney history, but with remarkable views in every room. In fact most rooms had at least one mirror in it so that you’d be able to see the gorgeous surrounding scenery no matter what direction you are facing.
Please enjoy the photographic tour below of the home of Stan Jolley and be sure to listen to the audio of that is beneath some of the photos.
Special thanks to Disney’s Golden Ears club for having me inside Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe to talk about the historic Golden Horseshoe Revue show that ran from 1955 until 1986! And thank you for letting me share some of my Golden Horseshoe treasures from that very theater, such as that photo of Fulton Burley at the very left of the photo. That used to hang upstairs above the bar. I just love the Horseshoe and I thank everybody who made me feel so welcome!
Thought I’d share my newest treasure. This button that reads “I’ve had Fun with Music” was given to elementary and middle school students in the mid-1970s, who attended a very special private show in Disneyland in the original Fantasyland Theatre (previously the Mickey Mouse Club Theater – about where the Pinocchio attraction and Village Haus reside now.)
The theater was open to the public, and was used to show Disney short animated films, guest performers, and also for private company events. With the title borrowed from one of the days of the “Mickey Mouse Club” television series, “Fun with Music” was exclusively for students on an exciting field trip and, with the help of characters Father Time and Melody, Harmony,Rhythm and Boogie Man, it formed an appreciation of music by teaching the basics. The show was written by Larry Billman, who wrote, directed and produced hundreds of live shows for Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the international Disney resorts.
The band was led by Bruce Healey, who would become the Senior Music Producer/Director, Disneyland Entertainment and is responsible for much of the music you hear in Disneyland’s parades and shows.
Father Music was portrayed by Jim Adams. Although Jim wore a number of hats (literally, as an entertainer, and figuratively) during his time as a performer in Disneyland, he is best known as Pecos Bill from the Golden Horseshoe Revue from 1970 to 1982, alternating performances with the legendary Wally Boag.
Besides the show, students got to learn more about music by attending a concert performance of the Disneyland Band and visiting the attractions “America the Beautiful,” “Country Bear Jamboree,” “America Sings,” “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room” and “It’s a Small World,” which is pictured on the button.
Although most Disneyland park Guests are not aware this program existed, the cast and crew were comprised of Disneyland’s greatest! (In addition to the names above, some of you might be familiar with some of the other participants such as Jim Christensen, Dick Cook, John Anello, Judy Nuzum, Reid Shibata, Greg Killingsworth, Terry Robinson, Joyce Hodges, and Chellie Campbell!)
I hope to bring you much more about the very unique, but little known “Fun with Music” show in the future, but I just had to share this photo of my newest treasure.
On this day, May 30, in 1966, people from all over the world joined together under the golden sun at Disneyland for the opening of it’s a small world. The group included children performing groups from America and abroad, and more than 50 consul generals, consuls and vice consuls, representing nations worldwide. Amongst the opening day festivities was a phone call between Walt, who was at Disneyland for the dedication, and Disneyland Ambassador Connie Swanson, who, in keeping with the international theme, was in Sweden, to be heard on the loud speakers via an international phone call. Connie told me in an interview, “I opened it from Sweden. I was over in Skansen which is a cultural amusement park in Stockholm, and I was with the Minister of Communication, Olaf Palma and when I said the dedication words in that office in Sweden it went on the loud speaker. I could hear Walt saying, ‘There’s some difficulty, we can’t get it through,’ and I thought, ‘Oh dear, here I am in Stockholm with the press and this Minister of Communications’ and the line is going down, so I just read my script as I was asked to do.” Another aspect of the festivities was the brainchild of Jack Lindquist who told me in an interview, “We needed something to open the attraction. Walt was going to be there and Louis Lundborg, the chairman of Bank of America, and I came up with the idea of going to Disney reps all over the world and saying, ‘Send me a bottle of water,’ and they did a great job. Pretty soon my office had about 15 different bottles. Water came from Thames, Seine, Amazon, Danube, Nile, Volga, Rhine, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, among others. To me, it was just a symbolic way to open the ride. Here was water from all over the world, and we got kids representing those countries to pour some water into the moat. It was symbolic and it worked fine… and it was cheap. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know the Disney reps around the world.” In his dedication speech, Walt said, “I’d like to welcome all of you to the dedication of it’s a small world, and I’d like to thank all of these wonderful children who have performed here to make these dedication such a success. Thank you children! Beautiful children! When we completed it’s a small world for presentation at the New York World’s Fair, we felt that we had accomplished what we’d set out to do. We wanted to foster a better understanding among nations of the world by showing the dress, the customs, the language, the music and a little of the culture of our neighbors around the world, and we wanted to show it to be a very happy one. I think it’s safe to say that having fun has universal appeal.”
Sadly, Alan Young passed away on May 18, 2016 at the age of 96. Alan was one of the celebrity guests present at Disneyland for it’s big televised opening day. In 1990, for the park’s 35th anniversary, many of the opening day attendees were invited back as special guests. I took this photo of Alan and Russi Taylor at Disneyland during that 35th celebration. My first job with Disney was working on the television series “DuckTales,” and Russi provided the voice for Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby, while Alan was the voice of Scrooge McDuck, a voice he originated in the 1987 animated feature “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Alan was a popular actor long before his Disney work, with his own “Alan Young Show” and starring in the television series “Mister Ed.”
What a wonderful day I had with Renie Bardeau, pouring through some of the historic photographs he took during his 39 year career with Disney! I’ll post his interview in the near future!