I just posted my interview with Alyja Kalinich on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Alyja talks about her time designing costumes and overdressings for Disney’s many parades and shows at Disney theme parks here and abroad. CLICK HERE for the interview and lots of photos.
I just posted my interview with Ron Logan on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Ron talks about his beginnings playing trumpet in the 1958 Christmas parade at Disneyland, and climbing the ladder to become the executive vice president, executive producer of Walt Disney Entertainment, responsible for all the live entertainment in the entire company. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos.
I just discovered this photo of me in Disneyland from 1975. I haven’t seen it in more than 40 years! That’s Prince John from “Robin Hood” that I’m giving a big hug to – he looks remarkably the same today! Also in that batch of photos I discovered are images from the groundbreaking Disneyland parade America on Parade, as the park was already celebrating America’s bicentennial.
My sister and I are at the entrance to Tomorrowland. Behind us, in what is now the entrance to Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, is the CircleVision theater, presenting the 1967 America the Beautiful movie “in the round,” which just happened to lend itself perfectly to the bicentennial celebration.
As you can see, the movie was sponsored by AT&T at that time. Within the movie that was a tour of the United States, one segment visited Hawaii, and was shot from the AT&T ship, Long Lines, which, as it was explained in the movie, was a ship to help expand and improve the worldwide telephone network by laying underseas cable across the Pacific, the Atlantic, and in the Caribbean. At the conclusion of the film, the AT&T commercial jingle, “Reach out and touch someone” would play as the audience exited.
I sure loved that film! For those that are not familiar with CircleVision, it was a 360 degree movie that completely encircled the audience as if you were really standing in whatever location was being shown. What amazing technology America the Beautiful was! This was before video, and this meant having to run nine film projectors simultaneously, and have them on a loop to be able to run continuous shows throughout the day. Disneyland’s original CircleVision movies required 11 cameras, but the updated America the Beautiful used wider film formats which meant less projectors were necessary. Did you know you can still see some more recent CircleVision movies today at Epcot?
Since 2009, the opening music from America the Beautiful can still be heard as part of the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction at Disneland, and for me, it brings back such happy memories of the past, just as finding this old photograph did!
I just posted my interview with Gary Krueger on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Gary talks about his times photographing Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney movie premieres and much more – and you’ll see lots of postcards of Gary’s photography! CLICK HERE for the interview and postcards
Yo ho everybody! I thought you’d enjoy this rare concept art by Marc Davis for the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Marc was my favorite artist and responsible for creating so many of the classic scenes you see in attractions such as Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and so much more. Marc started working for Disney as an animator and the first thing he animated was a scene in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” While he created characters such as Tinker Bell and Cruella De Ville, some of my favorite pieces were Marc’s characters that seemed to leap off the page – such as the various bears for the Country Bear Jamboree attraction. This Pirates artwork is a rough sketch for a scene that didn’t make it in the final attraction. I love it because it’s so rough, and different than a lot of Marc’s typically seen works, but still tells a story with humor. I’m grateful to Marc’s wife, Alice, another Disney Legend, for allowing me to scan it.
Here’s a throwback Thursday to a picture I took on Disneyland’s 40th anniversary. Lady and Tramp and other characters towered over Main Street on July 17, 1995. With the opening of the Indiana Jones Adventure as the newest attraction, the theme of the year was “40 Years of Adventure.”
“Thank you, Mickey, thank you Donald, let’s all give a cheer! The whole world wants to thank you, thank you for 30 happy years!” are the opening lyrics to this 1985 parade celebrating the 30th anniversary of Disneyland. Here’s a couple photos I took back in the day.
I just posted my interview with Jack Gladish. In this conversation, Jack discusses the detailed process of creating Jungle Cruise animals for Disneyland back in the 1960s. CLICK HERE for the interview.
With the official announcement of the beloved Electrical Parade returning to Disneyland, I thought I’d post some fascinating history about it! How was a football game responsible for the parade’s closing fanfare? Whose idea was it to have the park lights dim in perfect synchronization with the parade’s musical introduction?
All this and lots more Disney entertainment history is in my interview with Don Dorsey! CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
I just posted my interview with Jay Meyer on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Jay discusses his work as a singer in television and film, including The Jack Benny Program, as well as singing as a statue in the Disney “Haunted Mansion” attractions around the world, and his fourteen years, performing live in Disneyland entertaining audiences with Irish tunes in the historical Golden Horseshoe Revue. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos