The Sacred Tree of the Aracuan Bird

Disney Meets Westinghouse–Part 2

2012-01-29T20:19:00.001-08:00

Here are the remaining pages from the Electrical Living booklet. What great rooms! I need me a time machine…

Mary Blair Ad

2012-01-27T20:19:00.001-08:00

I found this in my online travels today and simply had to share! What is better to see while flipping through the ads in a magazine than a two page spread of Mary Blair artistic gorgeousness?! I can’t think of anything!

This ad features one of the two The Spirit of Creative Energies Among Children murals Mary Blair designed for the 1967 New Tomorrowland. This mural was on the north side of Tomorrowland, covering the uppermost portion of the CircleVision-360 building. I have left this ad LARGE so you can look at it all in all its glory. See below.

It reads:

“Welcome to the bright, new world of telephone communications!

This is the theme… and the promise… of the 88-foot-long mural that greets visitors to the new Bell System Exhibit in the new Tomorrowland at Disneyland, California.

The artist is Mary Blair, well-known illustrator of children’s books and a designer of the ‘it’s a small world’ exhibit at the New York World’s Fair and Disneyland. Miss Blair interpreted the promise of world-wide communications in a colorful tile mosaic of a children’s orchestra sending music to friends in other nations.

But the mural isn’t the only thing that’s new about the Bell System Exhibit. There’s a larger, expanded display area that shows you telephone communications of the future.

Feature of the Exhibit is a Walt Disney film, ‘America the Beautiful’, in CircleVision 360, the motion picture that surrounds you and puts you in the center of the most beautiful scenery in the world. This is the new year to discover America in person. If you and your family get to Disneyland, you’ll be warmly welcomed at our new building in Tomorrowland.”

From Life magazine dated July 7, 1967.

New Paintings!

2012-01-26T00:06:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have been following my Disneyland paintings, I have updated my website with two more you have not seen. If you would like to, hop on over by clicking HERE. They include paintings of the Skull Rock area of Fantasyland as well as the third installment to my Storybook Land series, Pinocchio’s Village. I hope you like what you see!

Disney Meets Westinghouse Pt.1

2012-01-25T23:59:00.001-08:00

On May 28 of 1945, Disney delivered a 16-minute long animated short entitled The Dawn of Better Living to Westinghouse Electric. The short illustrated the improvements of electrical innovations from the log cabin era up through modern times.

To accompany the short, Disney produced a booklet, Electrical Living, featuring, what I can only assume (because I haven’t seen the short), images from the animation, or something close to it anyway. It’s a really nice booklet and I’m sure the Westinghouse - or Westinghouse if you saw The Lucy-Desi Westinghouse Special ("Now, look Lucy. It just so happens that I studied English grammar in Cuba. Lemme 'splain something. When the G is followed by an H-O, like in G-H-O-S-T. Ghost. G-H-O you say, ‘Go’ there is no H.") – people were proud to hand it out to their potential customers. For me, a huge enthusiast of all things 1930s-50s, I can’t choose which kitchen I like best, so Westinghouse would have had a fantastic customer in me!

The illustrations in the book are just fantastic, a couple having a certain feeling of the Ave Maria sequence in Fantasia and concept paintings of Bambi, in my opinion. The other illustrations are informative and at times whimsical. But why tell you when you can just look for yourself, right? Have a gander and enjoy!

Remember to check back for part 2! Have a great day, everyone!

It’s my bag!

2011-10-22T20:24:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Disneyland and Club 33 this week and my nitpicky brain picked up on something that I had not thought about in a good while- bags.

Show of hands! Who misses bag individuality in the park? I sure do! I will let my Disney dork flag wave and admit that I actually do keep most of my Disneyland shopping bags (because I keep everything from that place), but I will say that I’m not a fan of them. I was especially disappointed that even Club 33 doesn’t have their own merchandise bag; they have their own tissue paper, but not bag.

Normally, I preach the need for the flow and cohesion of storytelling in the park, but this is one time where I do not like it. I would really love to see some specialty, land-specific bags back. Granted, some of the individual bags came from the lessee establishments, but I feel that it would really create more of a realistic experience, especially to Main Street. It might also subconsciously divide Disneyland up so that it didn’t all feel like one large shopping experience. While we’re on the topic, I would also like the return of land-specific merchandise. But, that’s another blog entry.

To refresh everyone’s memories of merchandise bags of the past, I stumbled on this wonderful Disneyland Flickr Pool and found the following artifacts of consumerism (unless otherwise credited), before it all went to one design around 1990 for the 35th anniversary. Great stuff!

My personal favorite, circa late 70s-80s. I actually made stationery out of this. Word files look a lot more fun now! Photo credit.

It just makes your purchase from the Art Corner a little more special! :)

Bags from the 1970s. Photo credit.

Original bag from the 1950s. Love the atomic styling of it!

This is also one of my favorites! Look at the charm!!

Yep, they had their own, too! Photo credit.

Small wonder what decade this represents!

The individuality spilled out into the Disneyland Hotel, too!

This is also a great bag! I can only assume that perhaps it contained a little something from the One-of-a-Kind shop?

The styling on this bag is great. I love the red accents!

For your psychedelic purchase. Photo credit.

This bag is also from the 60’s. Be sure to enlarge it so you can see the wonderful line drawings. Photo credit.

Looks to me like 2 delicious churros would fit in here! Great piece from the 1970s.

And, just for fun, because I found it in my travels, a bag from the 1964 World’s Fair. Photo credit.

Disneyland Maps in High Rez!

2011-07-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Do check out all of the extremely high resolution goodness of some vintage Disneyland maps! 1962, 1964, 1976, 1983, and 2000.

One thing’s for sure… it’ll make you wish that Edison Square and Liberty Street had been built. I still think they’re tremendous editions that would be wonderful in the park today.

Have a look!

The Disney Cottages

2011-07-24T20:07:00.001-07:00

I found this interesting little article that I thought to share. It’s about the eight Disney-leased cottages in Los Feliz. Something you don’t hear about very often.

“…this property is significant in the history of Hollywood. When Disney's artists lived here in the 1930s, they produced the world's first full-length animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," using these buildings as models for the dwarfs' cottage.”

For more photos, check out this Flickr stream.

Aren’t they charming? :)

Enchanted Tiki Shakers

2011-07-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

“Mon ami! I am always ready, as you say, to put on the…” flavor!

Yes, though quite difficult to work into a nice table setting (but fantastic for an outdoor summer barbeque), these little tiki gods of flavor are just about as nifty as they come. They don’t represent any of the main tikis out on the lanai of the Enchanted Tiki Room, though they look like they could very well be related. I suppose the gods of salt and pepper weren’t as worthy as the gods of wind, rain, and earth balancing. But here at the Sacred Tree, we think they’re just as important! After all, what is a good mirepoix without them?

In actuality, they appear to be replicas of Easter Island Moai, which were carved out of stone. Here they are painted to look somewhat like weathered bamboo or wood, which is a very nice effect that ties in a bit more with the tikis of the attraction,

Made of a fairly hard ceramic and glazed to oblivion, these shiny little gods are like a little mid-century time capsule, in my opinion; very late 50s –mid 60s. Early Gilligan, I will call it.

On the back, in a fine tiki font reads “Disneyland” so that you may better explain their presence between the plates of chicken and mashed potatoes.

On top, there is a convenient “P” or “S”, so you don’t get confused in the act of spicing, since the gods are identical. On the bottom is one of the familiar old “Disneyland” production marks. Oddly enough, not in the common green color of the period.

I think they’re a fantastic piece of Disneyland merchandise history, and absolutely nothing you would see nowadays. I very much wish odd little pieces like these were still for sale in the parks. I miss Adventureland stores being well stocked with odd artisan pieces from other countries. It made the land feel so special and very realistic. No shots or bug repellant required!!

“Farewell, and aloha to you! “

My Friend Ferdy

2011-06-10T23:59:00.001-07:00

I love Ferdinand. Truly. It is one of my all time favorite stories and Disney shorts. It’s simple and beautiful and reminds us all to be in the moment, to be at peace, and to be grateful for all that surrounds us. It is pure, effective, simple, unaffected storytelling in its best form, in my opinion. It’s one of those ideal finds that appeals just as much to adults as it does to children. The perfect Walt discovery.

In honor of that perfect discovery, here is my perfect discovery: Meet Ferdy.

Ferdy sits atop my desk, totally clashing with its Queen Anne style, but I don’t care and neither does he. He is forever gazing at me quite happily with his floral offering, reminding me to take breaks from whatever I’m working on, and to be present and mindful. He also encourages other more enjoyable activities, especially while I pay bills. I always follow him up on his sage advice!

Ferdy dates back to the release of “Ferdinand the Bull” (1938), and is in excellent condition for his age. He has a few cracks in his paint, but otherwise he’s still a dapper fellow. His tail is made of a bunching of satiny type string connected to his backside, which I keep away from bees at all times.

The flower he holds in his mouth is made of pink plastic and is still holding up nicely after all these years. Isn’t he a charmer!?

I’m throwing in his film debut just because it’s a good thing to watch. It’s his gift to you! Enjoy!

Storybook Land in Paint

2011-06-01T23:08:00.001-07:00

Pretend you are sailing past the Snow White area of Storybook Land. This is what you would see, more or less, back in 1958 or thereabouts. It’s my newest painting, the second in what is now the Storybook Land Series. It is also the second in my 2011 year of Disney paintings. Have a look! Comments much appreciated… especially the positive ones! hehe!

“Dwarfs’ Cottage, Storybook Land”, oil on canvas 6” x 8”, by Devyn Samara 2011.

Riding Disneyland History

2011-05-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

This past weekend (April 30) I attended the 2011 Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, just north of San Luis Obispo in Santa Margarita, California. The annual event, to benefit the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, was supposed to be held for one day only, as per usual, but an extra day was added on May 1 to accommodate the demand.

I have been meaning to make this event for years, but my schedule has never allowed it until this year. Having never been to the Santa Margarita Ranch, I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful, natural surroundings and minimal structures on the land.

Driving over a wooden bridge with a flowing stream underneath , I followed the path down to a large historic barn and train loading area. There I was greeted by two original, beautiful, yellow Retlaw 1 Disneyland passenger cars.

Though three of the four coaches (built in 1955 at the Walt Disney Studios) are in need of a good restoration, (coach 105 Painted Desert has been restored) they are still so charming and their paint colors are still bold in the bright sunlight, which is surprising since they were retired in the mid 1960’s. (The Pacific Coast Railroad plans on restoring the other three cars, so I have been told.) Incidentally, there seems to be some confusion on the official retiring of these cars. I have seen 1958, mid 60s, and 1974. I’m not clear on which is correct, but those at the event were saying mid 60s, so for now, I’ll go with that.

Four engines were pulling the various coaches on Saturday, all with an interesting history:

The No. 1 “Caroline”, named after the Railroad owner’s granddaughter, is a 5/8 scale replica 1860s 4-4-0 built by Disney Imagineer Bob Harpur of Wilmington, California in 1968. Its former residence was in Astroworld in Houston, Texas. This engine was not running at the time I arrived, but was visible on the train ride around the ranch.

The No. 4 “Deanna” of the Sanstone Crag Loop Line, an 0-4-2T built by Baldwin in 1891 for the Kaiwiki Sugar Co. in Ookala, Hawaii was pulling a charming passenger train. This beautiful engine was shiny, bold, and stunning! In my opinion, perfect for a back yard railroad, Ward Kimball style! Which, I might add, I totally want now!!

The No. 3 “Melodia” was built as an 0-6-2T by H.K. Porter in 1897. It was purchased by the Barker & LePine Sugar Cane Co. of LaFourche Crossing, Louisiana. After her retirement in 1953, she was rebuilt in 1964 as a 2-6-2 and worked in several amusement parks. This day she was hauling two of the four Disneyland cars: the 102 Navajo Chief and the 105 Painted Desert.

The No. 2 “Roger Linn”, the most famous locomotive on the Pacific Coast roster, is a 1922 Vulcan 2-4-0 and was featured in the series “Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman”. It was originally a quarry engine in Lehigh, Illinois until1960. The “Roger Linn”, a jet black engine which reminded me of a less fancy E.P. Ripley, was pulling Disneyland coach 104 Land of Pueblos that I rode in, and I was literally so excited to get in the coach, that I did not take any shots of the exterior of the engine, but I got some nice interior shots, which you’ll see below.

I boarded my Land of Pueblos coach and was very pleased to see that so much has remained of the interior of the coach.

Running along the top of the coach are beautiful panels of etched glass which are still in tact and lovely.

The wood in the interior was still in quite good condition, save for some water damage here and there and worn flooring.

The painted peachy pink flourishes have faded out some, but are still visible and very beautiful.

The lighting I found especially lovely and in great condition. The speaker, which no doubt narrated the guests’ tour around Disneyland on opening day and beyond was looking superior as well.

Seating in the coach reminded me of the yellow school buses I used to ride as a small child, only shorter. I am assuming these are original, but if they are not and somebody knows better than I do, please let me know. The seats ran down the length of the coach, but near the door they were placed lengthwise as such:

Even behind the doors at both ends! No waste of space was permitted, evidently!

I got some weird kick out of the windows, which to me felt so authentic. They were a bit like an old school bus only not- I wasn’t in fear of chopping off a digit as I was on a school bus. They push upwards, and the latches were great.

Here are some interior shots of the “Roger Linn”. I loved seeing them dump the coal inside and stoke the flames. Great stuff!! And check out that woodwork!! Completely gorgeous inside!

Overall, the trip around the ranch was incredible. I noticed a very large difference in riding that coach as compared with the cars currently at Disneyland. There was a feeling of total authenticity about these cars that isn’t present now. I understand the current cars are better to view the sights and diorama, but I truly felt like I had been transported to the past while I rode the Land of Pueblos. I felt really privileged to experience the ride on open land, as well. There was something about the natural environment, the distinct smell of the smoke coming from the engine, and the sound of the whistle (I could have bottled that!) that was so wonderful. It seemed like I could have been anywhere in 18whatever, traveling to some new and distant location. I felt like Clara on the train in the third Back to the Future film (not hanging off of it, no)! It was a remarkable experience that I would recommend to anyone who has the capability of attending next year.

Here are some final photos to end our little tour…

Here is the fourth car, 103, which has been renamed. I would assume the original lettering reading Rocky Mountains still resides under the plaque that reads “Mary Frances”. I like how it kept the look of the original Disneyland signage. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right?

Here is the back of coach 105 Painted Desert down the tracks.

Here is the back of Land of Pueblos and a side shot as well. You can make out the “Roger Linn” a bit, too.

In addition to the main railroads, the event had a barbecue, a brewery truck from Central Coast Brewing, wine from a local winery, and much railroad paraphernalia. What I really found fascinating was the inside of the Asistencia Barn, which was built in 1780 by the Chumash Indians and was part of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and the first stone and mortar building in California. It served as a place of worship when padres from the Mission San Luis Obispo came to visit. It looks like this down the entire length of the barn on both sides.

I thought this little train was adorable! I don’t know if it was for sale, but I could do with this for starters!

I bought a pin from these two, who were just adorable all dressed up in their gear. Do note how Disney their nametags look.

For those interested in more info on the Roundup and the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, here is an excerpt from their literature:

Proceeds from the Railroad Roundup will benefit the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum's efforts to refurbish its museum building in San Luis Obispo's historic railroad district. Museum members have been working for over a decade with The City of San Luis Obispo to refurbish the new museum home in the historic Southern Pacific freight house which is just south of San Luis Obispo's Amtrak Station. Plans are being made for the museum to be open on a regular schedule by the middle of 2012. The interior of the Museum is nearing completion and will open for a "sneak preview" for the first time for numerous activities during the Central Coast Railroad Festival on October 6-10, 2011.

I hope you all enjoyed our little trip! If you’re interested in riding these, you might want to hop on over to this link. There is an upcoming event hosted by the Carolwood Foundation this month that will also take place at the Santa Margarita Ranch with the 4 Disneyland cars plus the Retlaw 1 Combine which was the first car in the line of coaches on the Disneyland Railroad. It is the first time they have been together in over 35 years.

Snow White Meets Huell Howser

2011-04-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

Adriana Caselotti- The Voice of Snow White

This is a great little video from 1986 featuring Adriana Caselotti, the voice of Snow White, and a very young Huell Howser.

Adriana speaks of recording her part and the lack of instrumentation or other actors around her, which I was not aware of.

Adriana is just as adorable as ever, and she can still hit the high notes beautifully in this segment. And Huell, any Californians with PBS will know him well. I would not have recognized him but for that familiar voice of his.

Just a nice piece to take a look at.

Happy Easter weekend, everyone!

World of Flowers - Part 2

2011-04-12T21:31:00.001-07:00

We are making the big jump from Frontierland to Tomorrowland today. If you’re totally lost, have a quick visit here to catch up with the rest of the class.

California Poppies highlight the Monorail in this first photo. The use of color here is a little less obvious than it was for Frontierland. In that land, the color mimicked that of the attractions, but here we have the color underscoring and supporting them. Orange and purple are very striking, energetic colors, especially when paired together. They suggest strength, an abundance of life, and percolating energy. They beckon the visitor by saying, “C’mon over! This is for you! This is where the action is!” Of course, Tomorrowland really was where the action was at this point. It was the hub of transportation, progress, and forward thinking. Everything was in motion. Using these colors together really gives the land an extra punch of liveliness, especially around the transportation based areas. Also note the contrast of the poppies against the aqua blue lagoon (not in the photo) as the Monorail would continue its journey over to Monorail Station. Do also pay attention to the lack of dull, grey tones that convey no sense of optimism whatsoever. The grays used here around the landscaping are silvery due to their metallic nature. They reflect the light and thus appear to be energized; and of course, anything that reflects light is an instant attention grabber.

Meanwhile, in another area of Tomorrowland, sat the House of the Future (HoF). Fresh, funky, and geometric, the HoF served to set the stage and anchor the identity of the land. As you approached the hub and looked to your right, it was a “What’s that?!” or what Walt termed a “weenie”- something that pulled guests’ interest and attention to it. When you ventured over to the HoF, the landscape is not all poppies and energy as it is deeper into Tomorrowland. Doing that here would be far too shocking for the transition from Main Street into Tomorrowland. Something neutral was needed, and for neutral landscaping, green is the way to go. But, pay close attention to the greenery used in this picture. They are also funky and geometric in appearance offering “weird”, unexpected, and clumpy forms, not entirely unlike the HoF. Also note the variance of greens. The blue tones of some of the greenery are beautifully harmonious with the blue accents of the HoF and even keep your eye moving from landscape to architecture and vice versa. The abundance of green here also gives the audience a feeling of comfort and balance by injecting plenty of nature to an otherwise plastic and concrete, man-made location.The rocks placed around the small body of water mimic the flat planes of the architecture, while also supporting the greenery on top of them in a comfortably contrasting way. The water assists by helping to lend a sense of atmospheric comfort that helps “sell” the HoF as something just as serene as the ideal home they were already familiar with. Making a choice to omit the water would make this corner seem a little too extreme and more than a bit outlandish and uncomfortable. Everything about this location is a balance between the stability we require in and around a home (nature, gardens, water, colors, shapes, and textures) , and the prospect of what home one day could be (concrete walkways, railings, geometric, flat, colorless, plastic panels). It works perfectly. Brilliance everywhere you turn!

More to come!

Must not miss…!

2011-04-09T19:15:00.001-07:00

Just a super fast post today. I just wanted to direct all of you to make time in your day to view the 300+ fabulous vintage photos of Disneyland located here. These are some of the best I’ve seen! There are some really interesting angles and views of the park that are rarely captured in other photos. It’s obvious that the person taking them was either a photographer, or just quite talented at taking some snaps.

The photos are also very high quality (and very large if you like to zoom in and check out small details). Have at ‘em!!

(If other people have noted these on their own awesome blogs, my apologies for the repeat. I don’t have a minute right now to check that out. But it’s always worth another look!)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Meet Walt.

2011-03-28T23:04:00.001-07:00

Some of my wonderful readers have also become friends and we chat art now and then; for these people the following will be no surprise.

For those of you who don’t know, I am a fine artist, and I’ve decided to dedicate 2011 to Disney-related works. I have just finished my first for the year which is a portrait of Walt Disney from a photo shoot dated October 1949.

I am very happy to share this year’s worth of paintings with all of you and hope you enjoy the first installment:

“Walter Elias Disney, 1949” oil on canvas, 18” x 24” by Devyn Samara.

A World of Flowers! - Part 1

2011-03-28T22:48:00.001-07:00

It’s great when your friends find fun Disney stuff for you at flea markets! One such find is a book I had been searching for for a while called Walt Disney Disneyland World of Flowers by Morgan Evans, © 1965.

Making it that much more fun was the little find that was paper clipped inside: two samples of stationery from Walt Disney Productions detailing the journey this book has been on.

Inside this book are some of my absolute favorite photographs of Disneyland in its early days. What I especially love about this book is how it brings the reader’s attention to the brilliance and importance of the landscaping in the park. I will be posting some of the photos from the book and talking a little about them throughout my next posts.

First thing’s first, though. We must begin with the introduction, signed by Walt Disney:

“This is the story of the landscape at Disneyland.

In a sense, Disneyland is a stage- a most unusual stage. Members of the Disneyland audience, unlike the audience at a motion picture or a Broadway show, do not simply look on. They participate in the drama, the adventure, or comedy. They walk onto the stage. They move through the sets. They touch the props. They examine the set dressings. And so sets, props, and dressings must be authentic.

At Disneyland, a jungle must have a jungle landscape. The Rivers of America must be banked by trees which are indigenous to American rivers. And a Living Desert must, in truth, appear as a living desert.

To achieve the right effect, our Disneyland landscape architects combined their talents with those of builders and maintenance personnel and created a believable and authentic scene of nature’s own design.

In giving credit for the landscaping at the Park, it is impossible to mention all who have contributed. Special plaudits are due to Ruth Patricia Shellhorn for her design of the formal Victorian plan for Main Street, the Town Square, and the Plaza. The trees and shrubs she selected in the spring of 1955 are still used. The late Jack Evans, to whom this book is dedicated, worked mightily to create authentic and delightful landscapes throughout the Park. Morgan Evans, a third generation horticulturist and brother of Jack Evans, has been supervising landscape architect at Disneyland since 1956.

This book by Morgan Evans is the story of the living scenery at Disneyland. It is also a guide for those who wish to take a landscape tour of the Park’s unique international botanical collection.” – Walt Disney

We will start with these two shots from Frontierland! First off is the landscaping in the area around Fowler’s Harbor/soon to be New Orleans Square area. This area is probably closer to Fowler’s Harbor which would be towards the left of the photo. Just walking around this area, you probably wouldn’t be that aware of the color play happening around you. Remember, this was pre- New Orleans Square, so even though certain elements are in place like the exterior of the Haunted Mansion, there were still plenty of retaining walls which are not fun to look at. Not only do the bright orange, peach, and yellow daisies pump this area up with visual interest, but they brilliantly match the bold colors and shapes of the Sailing Ship Columbia as she sails by; something the average guest would be quite aware of subconsciously. The intensity of the colors match the play of shadow and light on the ship beautifully. The white flowers soften the whole effect so it’s not too “in your face”, as well. Under the bright blue Anaheim sky, the contrasting appeal is definitely a winning combination!

Moving east, just down a bit towards the bulk of the upcoming New Orleans Square area and the older New Orleans/Frontierland section comes this change in landscaping. There hasn’t been any major change in “land” as we’ve been walking, but the color switch is very evident. The daisies have followed us on our walk and the white variety has led the way, increasing as we move east, now blending with a lighter shade of yellow and light lavender. The use of color in this area is also very interesting in that it mimics the Mark Twain in various lighting. The lavender picks up the cast shadows, the white obviously adopts the main color of the Mark Twain in the noon day sun, while the softer yellow daisies copy the highlights of color during dusk. The choice of flower is also sweetly frilly, adding to the charm of the area and details on the boat. Also note the pop of deeper reds and purples used very sparingly to break up the landscaping just enough to add a slight wild-grown quality to it and help begin the transition back up to the Fowler’s Harbor area. Fantastic!

More to come! Check back soon. :)

Disney on Ancestry… and in my own?

2011-02-17T20:37:00.001-08:00

Ancestry.com is allowing free viewing of their newly updated 1910 US Census records through February 21. If you have not caught the genealogy bug as I have this won’t mean much to you, but as a “just for fun” I have attached the page listing Walt & family when they were living back in Marceline. It’s pretty neat to take a look at!

As a side note… in my own ancestry lives a family named Swan from Ireland and Scotland. A family of Swans lives in Walt Disney’s ancestry, too. One such Swan, Maria (who married Arundel Elias Disney), is mentioned in both of our ancestries and I’d like to find out if they are one in the same and/or to which Swan family everyone belongs. Since Ancestry.com was no help to me last year on this matter, due entirely to lack of records from Ireland and Scotland, I’m wondering if anyone out there has done some more investigative searching into Walt’s genealogy, mainly the Swan family. If you have and would not mind sharing, I would love that dearly! Shoot me an email… art (at) devynsamara.com

Have any of my readers connected their lineage to Walt’s?

Extra Info on the Pirate Heads

2011-01-11T13:00:00.001-08:00

Here is some extra information on the pirate heads from the Winter 2004-2005 Disney Magazine:

New Orleans was one of Walt Disney’s favorite vacation spots. He loved exploring the area’s antique shops, where he occasionally purchased props for his films and TV shows. The city’s rich history- it was once the headquarters of the infamous French pirate Jean Laffite – was Walt’s inspiration for New Orleans Square, the first section added to Disneyland since opening day.

In the square, which opened in July 1966, narrow streets meander around ironwork-clad buildings, each containing treasures that might have been found in New Orleans in the eighteenth century. During the square’s early years, there was an outdoor café, a jewelry shop, an antique shop, and a store offering ladies’ hats.

In 1967, a spectacular new attraction made its debut in the square: Pirates of the Caribbean, which was packed with realistic Audio-Animatronics figures. Walt had approved all of the figures and introduced many of them in his TV show, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see the attraction open to the public.

The opening of Pirates of the Caribbean brought new merchandise into the park: eye patches, plastic swords, and Jolly Rogers. Guest could find “pieces of eight” among the antiques and reproductions in the One-of-a-Kind shop, which stood where Le Bat En Rouge is now.

Some of my favorite pieces from the era are three pirate condiment containers. These three-inch-tall ceramic heads are hand painted depictions of characters found in the attraction. The original New Orleans Square logo is stamped on the bottom. Of the three, the Auctioneer with his dark-blue hat is the most recognizable to guests. Avid Pirates fans will recognize the other two, which are stylized versions of characters from the jail scene (one has an added eye patch).

(Inset) Shiver me timbers: These condiment jars, sold at Disneyland in 1967, make an attractive addition to any landlubber’s dining table. They’re difficult to find today; a set could fetch $300.

Thanks to my reader sb-illustrations and the Phil Sears site for the lead! Now, I just need the Auctioneer to complete my collection!

Aarrrrgghh you ready for more from N’awlins??

2011-01-10T23:53:00.001-08:00

You are?!? GOOD!! :) This makes me happy!

What we have here, folks, are two shrunken pirate heads! It could be assumed that they escaped from New Orleans and headed east to hijack a Jungle Cruise launch and this is what became of them. Trader Sam seems to have repurposed them for… something. Sugar bowls, perhaps. They could also be salt and pepper cellars, which I think makes more sense because the area with which to put something in them is quite shallow.

The great thing about these is that there remains a price tag on one of them. I am unsure if they came together as a set, or if each pirate was 50 cents (53 cents with tax!). How fantastic would it be to pick up something this wonderful now for 53 cents?!

The one disappointment I have with these, much like the Mary Poppins spoon holder I blogged way back when, is that it doesn’t appear that these came with matching spoons of any kind. I’ve seen these before, but never with spoons. What’s the deal? Anyway, that aside, these are wonderful pieces.

Check out the character on them! The faces are so great, in my opinion. So reminiscent of the figures in Pirates of the Caribbean, and yet with all of that classic Marc Davis humor that was present in his sketches of the attraction.

As with most early Disneyland merchandise, the color has remained so beautiful and vibrant on these pieces which were manufactured, I believe, around the time of the attraction’s opening in 1967.

The only thing I think they lack are names. Does anyone have suggestions? :)

Mickey, “Charming” as Ever!

2010-12-27T20:58:00.001-08:00

Here is something any little 1950’s girl would have been so excited to have. I have never seen one like this before I received it. Well… strike that… I had seen the Mickey-in-the-box portion before, evidently (my friend says, “Yeah! You showed me a photo of it once!” and I said, “Really? Why don’t I remember that??!” I won’t forget it now.), but I’m sure I had no idea what it went to. Now, I know.

Somewhere there was a little girl who really felt like she was a member of the Club when she wore this as it appears to be well-loved. Both Mickey and Jiminy hang off its chain and seem to have been colored originally. You can see traces of paint left on both of them. Jiminy’s coat was green, it seems, and his umbrella was red. There is some remaining black paint in the crevices of Mickey’s ears and on his nose as well as a bit of red on his shorts and (oddly) one eye. Mickey apparently was suffering from conjunctivitis. The paint on the Mickey Mouse Club logo and the boxed Mickey seems to have remained the longest.

Inner Mickey, as we will call him, is mounted on a little spring. You can remove the whole thing from the box, if you wish, but I’m thrilled nobody ever did long enough to misplace him, otherwise I would have been wondering what the significance of the box was and probably assumed maybe it was supposed to represent one of those super fantastic “strong boxes full of Mouseketreasures” you got when you were talented enough to be on a Talent Round-Up Day episode. Lucky kids. But, lucky me for scoring such a sweet Mouseketeer trinket.

I hope all of my readers had a truly exceptional holiday! Here’s to 2011 being even more wonderful! Thank you for stopping by now and then to read my little retro Disney ramblings. I hope I’ll “see you real soon” in 2011!

Is it just me…?

2010-12-17T22:08:00.001-08:00

Doesn’t Humphrey Bear look exactly like Tony Danza?? C’mon. Who’s with me? I have always thought so, ever since I was a loyal Who’s the Boss viewer. They are one in the same to me… only one has more hair and the other enunciates better. Otherwise, SAME.

Do you agree?

You see it… right??

Need more? Ask and you shall receive.

Tony Danza in “Beezy Bear”.

Hmmm…

2010-12-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

So, here I was, being patriotic, looking for some great World War II poster to put up as my Facebook profile picture to honor Pearl Harbor day and to my surprise I find this!

Now, I’m no prude, but it might be the most inappropriate place I’ve found Donald. I get the whole using Disney characters to drive a point home concept, but… Donald, condoms, a scantily clad woman conveniently lying under foliage, and venereal disease??? Ehhhhh. Not so much.

Then I started thinking about duck reproductive organs, and it really all went downhill from there.

I don’t know, what do you think? And, more importantly, what would Daisy think!!? :o

A Disneyland Photo Update

2010-12-06T21:33:00.001-08:00

Greetings and salutations, all! I’ve got my very first Disneyland photo update coming atcha, so sit back and revel in the holiday gorgeousness!

I went this past weekend, December 4th, viewed the Candlelight Processional, and had a keen ol’ time! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get there earlier in the day to snap some more photos, but I like the ones I did get, and hope you do, too! Happy Holidays!!

View Full Album

Another Dick Van Dyke Post

2010-11-24T11:50:00.001-08:00

I’m just surprised as you are, and further surprised by the fact that he has a singing group! This is either well known, or I’m sadly behind.

If you’re interested in seeing Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix (they have an album!!) then mosey over to the Dear Old Hollywood blog for details.

If anyone attends, please tell me all about it! Guest “commentator” blog posting for you if it’s a nice review! :D

Unfinished Collection OR a Christmas hint, hint to my good friends that read this blog and need a gift idea ;)

2010-11-22T14:43:00.001-08:00

I have three of these babies! I’ve seen others, but I’m a lazy shopper. I have some weird blockage that makes me feel guilty buying fun stuff for myself, so they remain at three. But what a cute three they are!! :D

The “they” I am referring to are miniature plates, sold in the park in what appears to be the late 1950’s by the stamp and lack of foliage happening on the paintings.

As it seems all the early Disneyland collectables are, they’re very well made and in fine condition these 50some years later. The colors are vivid and beautiful, I adore the style of painting and especially the charm they exude.

Each little painting clearly conveys the feeling of each area of the park, and when paired together, is a reminder of just how perfect Disneyland is; so many different lands juxtaposed flawlessly. It’s just about as perfect as perfect gets.

I will obtain the other plates. This I know. And when I do I will slap ‘em up here on the blog. But do check out the New Orleans triangular miniature plate post (here) as the idea is very similar to these. I wish they would have gone for circular ones, just to complete the set visually.

I’m not sure if I’ll get to another post this week, so if I don’t, I want to wish all my readers a very happy Thanksgiving. Take a moment to count your blessings, because each one of us really has so many, even if they appear at times to be hiding. Oh… and eat lots of pie. Mmmmmm, piiiie…

Another Reason Why Dick Van Dyke is a Total LEGEND (as if we needed more)

2010-11-12T12:21:00.001-08:00

Feeling a little off today? That’s because Dick Van Dyke just out-awesomed all of us. We all knew he was the coolest kind of cool before… I don’t even need to list why… but then he goes and does something like this?

Finish up for the day, folks. There is no more awesomeness to be made. And anyway, it’s Friday. Enjoy your weekend! ;)

hehe! Happy reading! http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/nov/11/dick-van-dyke-porpoises-rescue

Little Bit o’ N’awlins! (with a side of silly story)

2010-11-03T00:12:00.001-07:00

All right, so every time I see something from New Orleans Square, I’m reminded of Christmas 1997. I was working in the park and there was a campaign going, “Welcome Home for the Holidays!” in which, we were forced to greet every guest with that same phrase.

The management in New Orleans Square was very particular that we would address the area with an “accent” and say N’awlins rather than New Orleans. So, the spiel when working in that area was, “Welcome home to N’awlins!” or “Welcome home to N’awlins for the holidays!” or some such compound. Not really the most natural greeting, but we do what the Mouse commands.

So, being the dutiful cast member, I greeted a guest, with a big Disney smile, and it went something like this:

Me: Welcome home to N’awlins! Happy Holidays!

Guest: (confused expression) I… I don’t live here.

Me: Yes, sir. I know.

Guest: (still confused) I’m from Nebraska.

Me: (not sure how to get out of this one) Well, welcome to Disneyland, sir! Are you enjoying your day here?

Guest: Can you really live here?

Me: No, sir.

Guest: Then, why did you say, “Welcome home”? What’s Naw-linns?

Me: (ignoring the first question, trying not to say “I have to say it.”) N’awlins is New Orleans Square. Now, how may I help you?

Guest: Why didn’t you just say, “New Orleans Square”?

Me: (little bit hating on the management at this point) Because that’s how they say it down south, sir. How can I be of assistance to you?

Guest: You know you’re not in the south, right?

Me: (really quite embarrassed at this point) Yes, sir. Proud Californian. What can I do for you?

Guest: (walks away).

HARSH.

Since then, every time I see anything from NOS, I think of that day… which was, by the way, the last time I said that phrase, and henceforth stuck with a simple, yet effective, “Happy Holidays!” I figured Walt would prefer it that way.

Anyway, that was a long introduction for a very small little item, which is seen here. A lil’ beauty from the late 60’s, I believe. Just check out the great color! I am assuming this was to be something similar to join the miniature plates of each of the lands that were produced prior to this (which I should post photos of in my next blog post… note to self), though it’s not round. Either way, I keep them all together and they look mighty perdy. I have to say, the look of the whole thing reminds me of the London Bridge section of “The Truth About Mother Goose”.

Hope y’all are having a mighty fine week! ;)

Finding Donald in Unexpected Places

2010-10-30T20:38:00.001-07:00

Whether it be on the side of a bomber or marching downstairs in a Ginger Rogers’ film, Donald Duck is one versatile celebrity. Sometimes, you just don’t know when he’ll turn up!

At first, I was quite surprised to see Dick York (AKA best Darrin Stephens) in this 1945 World War II training film highlighting insomnia… but then very surprised to see our favorite duck appearing in what I feel is the most memorable part of the whole 20ish minute film.

You’ll all remember the short (“Early to Bed”, 1941 ), but you’ll probably find its usage very clever in the film, which once again proves that animation was so helpful and effective in training “our boys”. I’m pretty sure Samantha could have been very effective as well… one twitch and their insomnia battles would be over! Where’s a witch when you need one? ;)

Detour!

2010-10-13T01:01:00.001-07:00

If you have a free minute, please stop over to the Dear Old Hollywood blog. There’s a great entry about Walt Disney’s home and studios. He has also included current photos of the buildings. I’m very happy to see they still look nicely kept. Have a look!

Walt as a topic on BBC Radio

2010-10-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

Stop by the BBC and take a listen to this great radio program they have. Their topic is the life of Walt Disney. It might be a little TMI about the bedwetting, though. Poor Walt! And poor Roy, for that matter! I can only hope he was quite small at the time.

From their website:

“Satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe nominates Walt Disney.

Gerald Scarfe spent much of his childhood in his sick bed, so it's not surprising that Disney cartoons and feature films meant so much to him. He can still recall the thrill at the prospect of seeing Pinocchio at the cinema, and then the agony of being lead away again in the rain because the tickets were too expensive.

Walt Disney came from a working family. His god-fearing father Elias, said by one writer to have 'hated Capital, and favoured Labour, but really needed to make a buck', found work where he could. So Walt lived a peripatetic childhood, and sought solace in drawing and play acting. Hard times early on did not make Walt frugal with money in adulthood, and despite the huge successes of the golden era of Disney, it was only with the opening of Disneyland that Walt attained any substantial personal wealth.

You don't have to look far to find myth surrounding Walt Disney. Even after his death, rumours that his body had been cryogenically frozen spread so widely that they soon slipped into folklore. He had actually been cremated, but the readiness with which the cryogenic claim was accepted perhaps bears witness to a man who was terrified of dying, who believed in the white hope of technology and who, some might say, had been searching all his life for an escape into an immortal, fairytale world.

Matthew Parris, Gerald Scarfe and guest experts Brian Sibley and Richard Williams, creator of Roger Rabbit, discuss the life of a complex cultural icon. A man who was seemingly unpretentious, and did not fit the image of movie mogul with his scruffy tweed jacket and awkward demeanour, yet a man who was accused of being a tyrannical egomaniac. The son of a socialist who ended up naming names at the House of Un- American Activities committee. Above all else perhaps though, they discuss the life of a man who strove tirelessly for perfection and who changed the cultural landscape of a little boy called Gerald, and arguably of the world, for ever.

Scarfe himself is best known for his classic images lampooning the great and the good of politics, and also in his iconic animation for Pink Floyd's The Wall. He reveals in this programme that he also spent time working on the Disney production Hercules.

The producer is Miles Warde.”

Pieces of the Mural

2010-09-03T15:03:00.001-07:00

Seriously. What’s going on with me? 3 blog posts in the span of a week?! How can this be? Will it keep up? Time will tell. However! I have a post to go with an old post today, which I was inspired to put up since I found photos of my chunks of Mary Blair (which sounds morbid, but I promise it’s not!).

My long time readers might recall a post, which you can find here, detailing the sad destruction, or possibly partial destruction of the fantastic Mary Blair mural in Tomorrowland.

I’m not certain if much of the mural remains, but I know that portions of the destroyed pieces were auctioned off. A friend of mine bought said chunks as a birthday present for me… which, in thinking about it, would be such a bad present for anyone who was not so marinated in Disney as I… and, being a huge Mary Blair fan, I thought they were pretty darn cool! Let’s hope they’re legit. I’ve never heard anything to the contrary about them.

As you can see, they’re relatively thick, seemingly the same thickness as seen in the tiles shown in the photos from my previous post. They’re painted, a bit weathered, but they still have a nice sheen to them. I don’t know what portion of the mural they come from, though I think they probably had residence towards the bottom area.

Here is the backside for anyone interested. It looks like there is some cement or mortar of some sort. I’m not a girl who would know the correct terminology for that. Some goo to make it stick to something else! How about that.

It would please me greatly if they brought the mural back, since they seem to be bringing back everything from our Tomorrowland of the past. Fingers crossed. :) Incidentally, did anyone see the floor in the Mary Blair area of the Walt Disney Family Museum? Fabulous!!! If they made that in rug form, it would be in my house right now!

Today’s lucky strike

2010-09-02T20:20:00.001-07:00

Quick blog post today!

Normally, I’m hyper-organized. Yep, the annoying kind. The everything-in-cute-boxes-and-categorized kind. I have not yet approached the dark side of labeling everything, though. If I were the labeling type, (and I probably would be if I had a labeler) I probably would not have placed this guy where he didn’t belong. But, that said… isn’t it fun to come across things you forgot you owned!? Especially Disney stuff, right? Who’s with me!?

I love the art on this matchbook. Simple lines and easy shapes create a whimsical and retro feel that perfectly illustrates the hotel at the time.

I am no Disneyland Hotel aficionado, so if anyone out there can date this little guy for me, do speak up. :) I believe I found it in my mom’s old stuff, so I’m assuming late 60’s?? The design strikes me as older, though.

Wishing a happy Friday to all of my readers!

Back to Blogging with The Peter Pan Tea Set

2010-08-28T20:42:00.001-07:00

I think I’ve been collecting Disney paraphernalia for my entire life… which isn’t as long as some collectors have been at it, but for me, it seems like a good while. I started with the easy stuff, collecting things from Disneyland, or preserving the things that my older sister had from her childhood, and eventually it blossomed into something bigger, better, and much older than I.

One of my favorite such blossomings is this miniature Peter Pan tea set from around the time of the film’s release in 1953. Being a massive fan of Peter Pan, it was an amazing gift for me. As you can see, it’s a rather large set, with very colorful graphics on every piece. Completely charming in every way and it looks as sparkling as the day it was made.

Unfortunately, the box and the cute punch out figures don’t belong to me. But, I love the graphics and the usage of the box! I love how, oftentimes, the box was used as some special part of the toy back then- like a colorful background - instead of being pure waste as it always is now. Great graphics on the box, too.

Now, if only this came in full, adult size! :)

A Fun Find

2010-03-18T23:59:00.001-07:00

There are a few Disneyland photos over at Blonde Episodes- a decidedly non-Disney site (I'm a vintage loving kind of girl!), but still fun to look at. Hop on over to see the others. :)

Walt feeds a penguin

2010-03-14T20:44:00.008-07:00

While searching through my growing list of blogs I love visiting, I came across this great photo over at Hollywood Heyday. It's an amusing shot of a young and casual Walt with what appears to be penguin snacks in hand, coaxing some audio out of the little cutie.

The post chronicles the goings on in Hollywood around April 17, 1932. It says this in the photo's caption:

"Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse animated cartoons, will move his bizarre animals from Columbia lots to those of United Artists some time in the middle of July."

I must say, I'm a little curious as to which short this was used for in 1932. If anyone has any idea, do let me know.

Have a great week, everyone! :)

Walt's Macaroni Mickey Mousse

2010-01-20T23:13:00.007-08:00

While tripping along a Disney recipe index, I came upon this, which I think is so adorable. It's from a February 1934 Better Homes & Gardens issue. I thought it was too nice to be hidden, so I wanted to bring everyone's attention to it here.

I can't figure out who the blogger is who originally posted it, but here is the source link. It was great of whomever to post it.

Now, I don't know how much cheese had to do with the creation of Mickey Mouse, but it does make for a cute read and references the mouse that scampered around Walt's Kansas City office.

I love the part that reads, "Mr. Disney often serves Macaroni Mickey Mousse to his friends who visit him at his Hollywood bungalow." The recipe variations that follow lead me to believe that perhaps he actually did.

If anyone tries this recipe out, do let me know how it goes.

Bringing Back a Classic

2010-01-04T13:38:00.004-08:00

We will call this post, Disney inspired, because it’s not directly Disney, but definitely something Disney brought my attention to; an unexpected topic, that of the Cream Waffle.

Here’s the story… I was looking through some images I had saved on my computer, getting organized, when I came across the breakfast menu from the Disney Studio Commissary. Going through it I began to wonder what some of the items were and being such a freak for all things 30s/40s I began to look things up and discover common products, packaging, and eating habits of the time (lots of meat for breakfast!). One such item on the menu caught my eye, the Cream Waffles of course, priced at 20 cents.

I assumed, perhaps it was a waffle topped with whipped cream, which I suppose it could very well have been, but after a bit of research I discovered the Cream Waffle is a whole type of waffle different from the rest. I found but one recipe for it online, as well as several people looking for the recipe, and decided to give it a shot. I journeyed myself to Trader Joe’s to pick up what I needed and made them for breakfast the next day.

What have I been missing?!? They were amazing! At first bite they’re common like other waffles, but in a few seconds the creaminess really takes hold and you realize just how much better they are in comparison to the old standard… at least in my opinion. I also found them to be faster and easier to make, which could have been a product of my enthusiasm, but there you have it.

I just couldn’t understand that such a great recipe had been lost in time, and so I bring it back here, to those interested, in hopes of reviving a classic and maybe, in some minute way, a little bit of Disney Studio history. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did. J

Below is the recipe. Being a gal who is not into sugar, I replaced the sugar with a couple drops of liquid stevia and added a little extra vanilla because that’s just how I roll. ;) If anyone tries this recipe, do let me know what you think in the comments section.

Cream Waffles

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 3 eggs, separated

· 1 cup heavy whipping cream

· ½ teaspoon vanilla

· 1 tablespoon sugar.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on low while adding cream and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Add to flour mixture; combine on low speed, then beat on medium-high until smooth.

2. In another small mixing bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

3. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with warm maple syrup or fresh fruit in season.

Snow White & the Artists and Others

2009-05-24T21:31:00.008-07:00

A family friend of ours, and famous author (we're not name dropping though!), is always going on about "artists and others"; meaning that all humans are divided into these two groupings. Being an artist himself he often sees the difficulties in gaining the understanding of "the others"and experiences their frequent inability to see innovation and comprehend the vast creativity of an artist. I guess it's true in many ways. I know can rattle off several examples of my own, but I find one of the best examples of this theory is Walt Disney; mainly in his two would-be "follies"- Snow White and Disneyland.

I was thinking of this theory and reminded of this article from a Photoplay dated April 1938. In my opinion, it is probably the best vintage spread done on the film in that it is so detailed it actually makes you feel as though you were one of the many artists, so hard at work, creating and dreaming at the Walt Disney Studios. Maybe it escapes many of us now, but at that time, Snow White was really something! A major feat. Any artist would know, especially any who have tried their hand at any of the many complex skills involved in making an animated film.

The theory might very well be true, as all things in life need balance. For all intents and purposes, Walt was the artist, and Roy, the "other". In this case a beautiful balance that produced the things which we all love so dearly. If only we could always find this perfect balance, the world would be quite a different place.

So, for all you "others", (and God bless you, for we definitely couldn't do without you, too!) read on, and I am certain, for just a moment, you'll feel a bit of what it is to be an artist.

Get your sketch books out, everyone!

2009-04-28T21:04:00.005-07:00

Hello all! I'm back! (And was finally able to upload!) For the moment, anyway. I seem to have a little problem with saying no to any creative venture I'm presented with, and have now found myself animating... something I haven't done since high school, and it's taking up all of my time! But, wow! I'd forgotten how much fun it was... and back then the best result I had was seeing it in flip book style. Now, I just drop those frames into Flash and see it all come to life. It's easy to get hooked!

In honor of my venture, here's just a little something in the same genre from a couple different issues of Mickey Mouse Club Magazine from the 50s. A nice little how-to I would have loved to have when I was a kid. One for Chip and Dale and another for Goofy. So, everyone get those pencils out and start sketching! :)

Must Checko El Groupo.

2009-02-02T21:09:00.009-08:00

A happy recommendation today to check out the El Groupo photos of Walt's goodwill trip to South America on Google's Life photos search here. There are four pages of photos to sift through, all of which are wonderful.

The collection highlights a lot of work by Mary & Lee Blair as well as some really nice Herb Ryman paintings.

As an artist, the greatest thing for me (being such huge fans of these remarkable artists) is that a lot of the photos capture the subject in which you see painted by one or more of the artists. A great compare and contrast to learn more about their style, how they saw objects, and their composition. Just a fascinating tour all around. How lucky to be able to roam around new places with a sketchbook, watercolors, and some fantastic artists in your company. Don't miss it!

Melody Time For Pecos Bill

2009-01-25T23:53:00.008-08:00

That title is what Wheel of Fortune would call the "Before and After" topic. Perhaps not a very good one, but I do my best around here! ;)

Here's a nice little layout on Pecos Bill from the Disney classic "Melody Time". I like things like this because it's just not something you'd ever see in a movie/celebrity magazine anymore. Pecos Bill in prose, with cut out photos. Simplicity and sweetness.

Some people aren't big fans of the compilation style Disney feature, but I often find myself watching them. There's something sweet and also quite relaxing about them. I've enjoyed them since I was a kid, and I know I always will. Entertainment and art is wonderful no matter how you slice it.

For a little something extra, just because I really like to showcase how relevant Disney films were back in the day, here is one of Photoplay's many write ups on what to see (and in some cases what is not so bad to miss) in theatres. This Platter Patter encourages you to not miss Melody Time. My only curiosity with this is that The Andrews Sisters are not mentioned regarding "Little Toot" but instead The Starlighters with Don Wilson (of The Jack Benny Show fame) narrating. Why is this? In doing a bit of research I found a YouTube file that plays an old record from 1948 of "Little Toot" completely narrated by Wilson with the backing vocals by The Starlighters. (Incidentally, this is really quite charming and you shouldn't miss it!)

So, to the experts out there, was "Little Toot" originally to be a narrated piece in Melody Time? And if so, what occurred to make it entirely musical and how were The Andrews Sisters brought in on the project? I'd love to find out.

Have a great week, everyone! :)

Tink in the New Year!

2008-12-28T23:06:00.010-08:00

I am back! I hope everyone had a truly wonderful and magical Christmas! I had a beautiful time with amazing people, and I'm still holding onto Christmas because I'm not quite willing to let it go yet! I'm a big Christmas fan! But enough about that. Onward to the next post!

Here's a cute prototype piece that someone (not me!) removed from the Studios. I don't know much about it at all besides the obvious and that it is from 1959. The outside looks quite vintage, however the inside looks quite modern, which is interesting from a design standpoint. Does anyone have this book in its entirety? I'd like to know what it was about. If anyone can help me out, that would be great!

Happiest of New Years to all of my readers! Please make yourselves known by adding your cute faces or avatars to the "Followers Who Reside Under the Sacred Tree" section. It always makes blogging much more fun and worthwhile to know that there are people out there who follow it. :)

Annette and the Princess

2008-12-09T23:21:00.005-08:00

It's been a while, I know! But what can I say? Christmas has made for a busy few months. Not just one! However, I return with 5 very nice photos from November 23, 1958.

As you can see, they feature one of my favorite (and yours I'm sure!) Mouseketeers, Annnette Funicello. She is serving as a special hostess and accompanying Princess Sophia of Greece. The older woman is Mme. Mary Carolou.

I don't know if there is much to say about the photos, really, but they do appear to be having the most fun on The Jungle Cruise. I wonder if Annette spent the whole visit with the Princess, or just shot a few photos. I would assume the latter, as she does look a bit reserved.

Either way, they are some very nice photos of the castle, with not very much vegetation surrounding it at this early date.

Just to note: all of these photos open quite large.

I hope everyone is successfully preparing and enjoying the holidays so far! :) I will try to squeeze in some holiday-themed posts soon.

Ain't it Ducky!?

2008-10-27T22:37:00.003-07:00

So, I have this thing where when people do really good impersonations of Disney characters I get oddly excited like a 5 year old on Christmas day. People say I'm easily amused, yes, but I think it's the coolest thing!
That is part of the reason why I was happy to find this today on YouTube. It's just a little something, but it made me smile- and perhaps clap my hands excitedly. I hope it makes you smile, too. Clapping optional... but good for the soul. Enjoy!

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough

2008-10-07T20:47:00.003-07:00

Sleeping Beauty came out (again) on DVD today, so in honor of that (even if I haven't purchased it yet) and the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough comeback, I present to you this nice little piece from Walt Disney's Magazine at the opening of the first walk through.

I'm a HUGE fan of Eyvind Earle and his amazing art, a lot of which depicts the area in which I live and have visited. I've been a fan since the first time I was swept away with Sleeping Beauty, and I keep my eye out for any art pertaining to his backgrounds.

I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about the style in reference to how it was used in an animated film, but as an artist myself, I just think it's magical!

I love the diorama effect of these small sized paintings. They draw your eye in, even in a magazine format.

I look forward to picking up my copy soon and seeing a great film in all its widescreen glory!

For your baby, in 1958

2008-09-11T21:08:00.002-07:00

This is a pretty sweet piece from my collection. It's a mobile for your baby's crib with dangling characters from Sleeping Beauty. They include the nameless animal characters, which I think is pretty cute.

I couldn't find a thing to attach this to that would make it stay up, (and wasn't made of nice wood) otherwise I would have taken a photo of how this hangs, but when upright, looks just like the photo, so you'll have to use your imaginations. :)

The plastic pieces that dangle remind me of the "before" state of those old Shrinky Dinks. (Let me hear it! Who loved Shrinky Dinks as a kid? I did!) When I got this, I was slightly tempted to bake it... but don't worry, I won't.

I just found this.

2008-08-31T23:05:00.003-07:00

I was going through some photos yesterday and found this adorable photo of my mom and sister at Disneyland in March of 1979. Great little shot of the flower market on Main Street. Not too much more to say about it, except... don't you just love finding Disneyland photos you haven't seen before in your own house?! Good stuff.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! :)

From the "Things That Should Still Be There" files...

2008-08-09T23:14:00.007-07:00

I give you, the deconstruction of the Mary Blair mural in Tomorrowland. Sad photos I just came across in my files. The mural was something I loved so much and I was so sad to see it come down. (I have chunks of it... or so they were given to me as. Never knew if they were real and always doubted they were... but one can hope!) There's not much to say about these, except to say the sweetness was sucked out of Tomorrowland when it went. But, I do look ahead to an eventual wonderful Tomorrowland (one day) that actually has everything to do with tomorrow. That'd rock.

In order to lessen the slightly sad nature of this post however, I will supersize today's post with a bright shot of color with this Mary Blair delight! It's lovely, even off of a wall, isn't it?

Oh, Blogger.

2008-08-09T23:07:00.002-07:00

Would love to know why Blogger is being a pain about me reposting this image. It used to work, now it doesn't, and it wouldn't let me fix it, then when it would, it still didn't work. So I repost it here for everyone... especially the Major who caught the problem for me. Thanks so much. :)

Gone Hollywood!

2008-07-17T21:17:00.005-07:00

First thing's first... Happy 53rd Birthday, Disneyland!!! Back in my OC days, I would make my pilgrimage to The Happiest Place on Earth every July 17... when I wasn't already there working it, that is. It was my thing, and even though I celebrate from afar now, I still try to do a little something commemorative on this day. Some might call me a dork, others (especially those equally into the Disney thing as I am) know far better!

All right, that out of the way, I have a decidedly un-Disneyland post for everyone today. I was just flipping through my large collection of vintage magazines the other day and came across this! It never ceases to amaze me how big of an impact Disney had on film back then. There have been so many times I've unexpectedly come across a great article on something Disney related in Photoplay, which is exactly what happened this time. One of my favorite Disney shorts, being my love of all things old Hollywood, I adore all the caricatures in this film and was stoked to find someone giving props to it with a full layout.

I have left the scans LARGE so everyone can read the fine print under each of the photos. Happy reading!

And the Best Dressed is...

2008-06-24T22:17:00.005-07:00

Victory over Vista! I have achieved success with my scanner, so I will be able to get back to posting whatever I can scan on the blog until I figure out the deal with my camera. I have discovered one very cool article that I will post in the coming days. I, myself, haven't seen it before on any other site/blog, and that's always a positive. I have to paste it all together in Photoshop because it doesn't come close to fitting my scanner bed. Anyway, on to the post!

I was chilling out the other day, going through an old Photoplay from 1938, getting a recipe from Bette Davis (ginger bread, yum!), discovering I have movie star leg measurements (sweeeet!!), when I turned the page to learn "Who's Really Who in Hollywood Society". I learned that Charlie Chaplin gave the best parties, Jimmie and Lucille Gleason gave the best garden parties, and that Walt was SNAPPY!!! Yes, dear readers, Walt was considered one of the best dressed in Hollywood (as well as one of the more athletic) and was in a class with some very sophisticated individuals, as you will see.

I have cropped out an excerpt of the article, as it is quite lengthy. If anyone is interested in the full article, just yell. Enjoy, everyone, and thanks for returning after the hiatus. More to come, keep checking back! :)

The Woes of Windows Vista

2008-06-16T15:30:00.004-07:00

Hey folks!
My apologies for not keeping this blog updated. I was forced to get a new computer and have been experiencing a lot of computer glitches mainly trying to get my camera and scanner to make friends with Windows Vista. They're not digging each other, so I have no way of getting anything new for you all to look at... yet! I will prevail. I know this! Just wanted to give everyone a heads up, though. If I find anything online that's significant and easy to share, I will post it in the meantime.
Take care, everyone and keep checking back.

Donald teams up with the Cheerios Kid!

2008-04-23T23:40:00.001-07:00

Put a little "Go Power!" in your day and watch this cute 50's commercial. Not too much to say about it, but a nice little time capsule nonetheless!

Disneyland '61!

2008-04-17T01:34:00.003-07:00

I came across this recently uploaded episode of Walt Disney Presents. I'm always so happy to find these wonderful shows that I miss so dearly from The Disney Channel (yes, back in its good old days). I wonder how my neighbors would feel if I installed a full size version of that super cool dancing topiary model in my front yard?! Hmmmm...

Enjoy this three-parter. I will attach the links to the other parts below for your convenience.

Part Two
Part Three

So Long, Farewell

2008-04-16T01:05:00.002-07:00

It was funny... I had this urge to watch the round table discussion with current animators on the second disc of Cinderella, Monday. I think I just wanted to immerse myself in that element a bit. Sometimes, after a hectic day, I find it helpful to get into the artistic "zone" by listening to others who so frequent the "zone" as well. Ollie came to mind and I was wondering how he was doing... and yes, how much longer he'd be with us.
When news of him came the following day, I met it with mixed emotions. I was never fortunate enough to know or even meet Ollie, as many in the Disney community have, but so many of my beautiful childhood memories are wrapped up with the incredible work he did. I have been so thankful for the blood, sweat, and tears he put into his craft to help deliver something to the public that would become a part of their soul in many ways. Those films are a part of me, and I've been long appreciative to the incredible Nine Old Men, as well as the lesser known artists for giving me countless of remarkable, unforgettable moments.
So, yes. I was sad. But in another way, happy. Happy to know that Heaven is a greater and even more creative place than it was just a few days ago. Happy that I know he was greeted by incredible people that we all have come to respect, and most happy to know that he was reunited with his wife and best friend, Frank Thomas. I never knew how he was able to carry on without the both of them. I don't think I could if put in the same situation.
So, here's to a life superbly lived. May we all strive for similar excellence in our crafts. My life-long admiration to you, Ollie. To quote a song sung by another amazing artist in his own right, "Thanks for the memories..."

April Peace Day

2008-04-01T01:09:00.003-07:00

I wish I could say something April Foolsy. But alas, I'm not so great at pulling gags. I used to be... but they usually involved buckets of water or plastic wrap on toilets. Things of that nature. Ah, youth.

Instead I bring you something non-Foolsy and is just plain pretty in my opinion. I've been having Disneyland withdrawals... as it has been too long since my last happy jaunt there. Popping in the WDT Disneyland DVD, watching People and Places for the 100th time, I just dug this shot. I dug a lot of them, actually. I really like all that grassy area of old. I like the composition of the shot, and the watercolor-like colors. It's so peaceful. So, on my blog anyway, I declare it April Peace Day, for those of you who suck at pranks like I do.

Have a peaceful day! :D

October '85- part deux.

2008-04-01T01:02:00.003-07:00

Ahh! I forgot part two. My bad. Here's the rest of October '85!

The Disney Channel Magazine, October 1985

2008-03-20T00:00:00.003-07:00

Ah, October. October 1985 to be exact. We've come several months forward since our last Disney Channel Magazine post.
Every October, the Disney Channel would feature much Halloween programming, that seemed to increase throughout the years until the channel's downfall. This year we had the very popular "A Disney Halloween" as well as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and the classic "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Much like "The Watcher in the Woods," that movie freaked me out as a kid, but I loved it anyway!
In later years, the channel would also see my childhood Halloween favorite, "Witch's Night Out".
In addition to the fun Halloween programming, we have the classics ranging from Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" to Annette in "The Monkey's Uncle."
One of the greatest things about the Disney Channel was its variety. You could watch brand new episodes of Danger Bay, and later on catch up on a classic episode of Ozzie and Harriet, while having learned a bit about Marc Davis on "A Disney Family Album". You could literally watch the channel all day, be entertained and be educated. It was great stuff and I miss it everyday!
I have included a couple of articles from this issue. Danger Bay was a great show, and of course, reading about the "New Management" is always interesting in hindsight.
Stay tuned for part 2!

Yes, Virginia... There Was a Contraption

2008-03-06T21:20:00.005-08:00

For years I thought I might have been the only person who remembered a little show called "Contraption". It was this great game show from my youth that involved clips from Disney films, trivia, and riding around in these super cool little "contraptions", and getting "contraptiles" to win the game. I loved that show. I wanted to be on that show! So I would question people, when the topic arose, on whether or not they remembered it. The answer, even to Disney Channel devotees, was always a big fat NO. Bummer for me. Countless no's later, and a few "no, but it sounds cool!", I turned my quest for proof of existence to YouTube, and though it took me over a year to find some type of mention of it, some brilliant and wonderful person uploaded an entire show.

I'm confident by the comments left on the video that there are other people out there who have been searching for this, too. I found it a few months ago, but didn't think to put it up on the blog until now, with the whole Disney Channel topic running. So, for those people, here it is! Let's hope other people upload other episodes! (For those of you who checked out the previous post, you will find mention of Contraption in that Disney Channel Magazine.) I'm only posting the first portion. You can link to the other 3 parts by navigating your contraption mobile on over to YouTube.

By Request: The Disney Channel Magazine - May 1985 part 2

2008-03-02T23:42:00.003-08:00

Here's part two! I hope it's bringing back some memories for all of you.
Have a great week, everyone!

By Request: The Disney Channel Magazine - May 1985 part 1

2008-03-02T23:10:00.004-08:00

All righty! We have had a request for The Disney Channel- the way it used to be! I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way about the channel as I do. It was truly a wonderful channel back in the day, and to see what it has become is rather depressing. For those of you who like to look back on how things were in better times, or for those who are trying to recall a certain program or film that was shown on the channel, this post's for you! If you're like me and you are a child of the 80's who grew up on The Disney Channel, a nice little portion of your childhood is contained in these pages. No doubt a trip over to YouTube to find some of these gems will follow shortly!
I will be posting some more Disney Channel Magazines in the near future from other years. Keep in mind I will only be posting programming. If anyone would like me to post the articles in the magazine, just shout and I'll be very happy to do so.

Promoting Snow White

2008-01-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my whole Old Time Radio thing, which I hope everyone is enjoying...

On the Lux program, Walt Disney guest appeared twice (as I know of). I have already posted the Snow White appearance, but on December 20, 1937, he did another... a sort of promo announcing his upcoming films. It appears at the end of "Song of Songs," with Marlene Dietrich and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (For those of you who want to skip ahead, Walt's portion begins around 47:00.)

The following day after this aired was the premiere of Snow White at the Carthay Circle. Walt sounds excited and eager as he speaks with Cecil B. DeMille. I love how Walt figures making Snow White on his own would have taken him 250 years. It's also quite cute to hear him working in the sponsor, Lux Flakes, into his speech. Walt also figures that the cost of Snow White's wardrobe stands at around $100,000-clearly a huge sum for the time for any one's wardrobe (as it is now!)

Walt goes on to talk a bit about film making and the upcoming feature length films- Bambi, Pinocchio, and Fantasia - as well as the shorts.

It's a very nice little time capsule that I hope you all enjoy!

"Song of Songs", featuring Walt Disney- December 20, 1937

A Dreamy New Year!!

2008-01-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!
My best wishes to all of you for an amazing 2008! May the year bring you more love than you've ever experienced, more wishes than you ever had granted, and more happiness than you've ever known!

Today I bring you some Snow White offerings... and there's a reason for this. It's my little reminder to you all, I suppose. Dream big for the New Year, just like Walt did. No matter how remote the chances of your dream coming true, dream it, believe it, and do it, and don't believe anyone who tells you you're crazy. Snow White and Disneyland serve as reminders of that for me. I hope they do for you, too. Anything is possible this year!

I came across these fun little clippings whilst going through the archives of one of my local papers. Check it out... Snow White's very first showing, and they had the nerve to show it for one day only!!! Absurd!! (Yes, I know this was typical, but it's still not right!) Plus, that's quite a drive north back then to see a film. I wish I could find out what the turn out was like.

For those of you who enjoyed the OTR Pinocchio, here is Snow White, with a bit of Walt speaking with Cecil B. DeMille in the intro. He sounds excited. I love it! Have fun, everyone! :)

Lux Radio Theatre- December 26, 1938

Wishing Upon a Christmas Star

2007-12-25T00:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone is having an amazing day. And if you happen to make it to my site today, thanks for taking time out of your day to drop by.

I'm a big fan of Old Time Radio. There's just not much on modern television, if you ask me. I don't particularly think most current comedians are funny, and call me old fashioned, but I like wholesome entertainment. I listen to OTR many times throughout the week, and especially love the old Christmas episodes from some of the great old shows. One of which aired on December 25, 1939. It wasn't the first Disney submission to the Lux Radio Hour, but it was aired on Christmas day, and so I bring it to you now. I hope everyone enjoys it!

"Christmas night. Dinner is over and your sitting comfortably in your favorite chair beside the fireplace, gazing dreamily into the flames. You're relaxing for the first time today, and you've made a solemn resolution that nothing shall move you from this place for at least three hours. You won't be surprised if, at a time like this, that burnt ember on the hearth should move a little and sit up, for you've just noticed that it isn't an ember at all, it's a cricket. And not an ordinary cricket, either. He wears a beaver hat and a long green cutaway coat, and in his hand he carries a furled umbrella. He sits looking at you out of his large, rather mournful eyes, and then, just as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he begins to sing..."

Lux Radio Hour - December 25, 1939

Christmas smiles!

2007-12-19T23:33:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not updating the blog in a few weeks. The holiday season has hit me hard and I've been crazy busy. I hope to get in a couple more posts before the year is out, however.

I've posted this already, but being that it's seasonal, I'm throwing it in again, just because the T. Hee drawing is so charming! This Santa and reindeer makes me smile, and I hope it makes you smile, too!

Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy Holidays for those of you who don't celebrate it! :D It's a beautiful season for everybody!

Turkey with a side of Mouseketeers

2007-11-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! Thanks to all of you who continue to visit my little blog. I am thankful for all of my readers, and also thankful for all of the other awesome blogs located at the left of this. Great people, great blogs, great photos, great info!

For today's offerings, I give you a quick entry, just something fun to read while you're waiting for your turkey to reach 165 degrees! I'm such a fan of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and here is a nice article on a day in the life of a Mousketeer! I wish I could have been a Mouseketeer. Only the 50's mice were far cooler than the after mice I might have qualified as. I must settle with collecting original MMC things instead. My favorite piece will always be a photo of myself, my mom, and a dear friend of mine with Mouseketeer Bobby. What made it so special was that he was a favorite Mouseketeer of my mom back when she was just a tiny thing, and she always wanted to meet him. We just ran into him, almost literally, and he was gracious enough to pose with us. Fun how life works sometimes!

Welcome!!

2007-11-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

To all of you newcomers who subscribe to "Daily Dose of Disney", welcome!! I hope you enjoy your tour around the Sacred Tree blog, and that you visit again soon. Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave comments!

(Thanks also to Karen with "Daily Dose of Disney" for her kind gesture of suggesting my blog for today's Dose.)

Distant Disney (Mad) Hatter??

2007-11-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

Is it or is it not THE Disney? That is the question. I received this hatbox earlier this year and the only information I have about it is that it is from around the turn of the century, and it was found in an antique store in Illinois. That's it! I thought, the Disney family name is just not common, there must be some connection. While I knew Walt's immediate family wasn't making hats, perhaps there was a distant Disney relative to Walt... perhaps an uncle or cousin... who was in the millinery business. Could it be?! All I could locate was an ad from the early 40s. Nothing substantial.

I wasn't able to find any information to support my theory, so I posed my question to the fabulous Jim Korkis... who is a peach! Or a Florida orange, whichever he prefers! *wink, wink, Jim!* He hadn't any information on it, so Dave Smith was asked and had this to say (Thanks, Dave!):

"We have an ad for the Disney hats, dating from May 29, 1911. The ad says they were established in 1885. They were on Times Square in New York City, at 1486 Broadway near 43rd Street. This would not be our Disney family, but more likely a branch that came over to the U.S. from England, whereas our branch came from Ireland to Canada."

So there you have it. Maybe a distant cousin was the mad hatter in the family! We will probably never know for certain, unless any of you fine readers know a bit more than stated here. Otherwise, it's still a great piece I wanted to share. I would definitely have been proud to wear a Mr. Disney hat... if it came in a Ms. Disney collection, that is! I don't know if I could work a fedora or bowler.

A Look Back: 1959 Family Films

2007-10-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

I tried to find something Disney related that went with Halloween, but alas, I found nothing unusual enough to post. So I look to tomorrow, November 1st. I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who finds it insane that there are only two more months left of 2007. Craziness!! I don't know what 2008 holds for the Disney company, but one thing I do know... the films will not be as sweet as they were in 1959.

This beautiful, colorful, highly charming ad is from the December 1958 issue of Life magazine. It gives you a happy look ahead to what the Disney company had in store for everyone in the coming year. Does it get more fun than Sleeping Beauty and Darby O'Gill? I'm inclined to think not. The storytelling in the films from this general time period in Disney history is so spot on. It's rare to find anything of its kind in our modern times. And when I say storytelling, I mean it's as it is in a storybook. I'm not talking brilliant cinematic film writing here. I'm talking about that feeling you had as a kid reading your favorite tales. The charming, unforgettable, warm, inviting kind of storytelling. And who doesn't like a good shaggy man-dog story?!

Don't even get me started on the art, either. Eyvind Earle's fantastic and inspired background art in Sleeping Beauty is something in itself. Absolutely beautiful. Everything is so realism-driven now, even in animation. You don't see anything like this anymore.

And actors. Sean Connery in Darby O'Gill. Can I get an Amen, ladies out there?!?! (Do I even have female readers? If you're out there, yell. Sometimes I think men are the only ones who comment on my blog.) Okay, perhaps that's more eye candy than his most brilliant piece of acting, but it will do, and I will not complain.

Yeep, yep, yep. 1959 was a good year.

Happy November, everyone!

Gurrmobiles 1957

2007-10-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

I admit it... I know nothing about cars. I can drive them and fill them with gas, and one of the proudest days in my life was one in which I changed my own oil (with some help). Yes. I did call everyone I knew to tell them I accomplished this. It was big for me! I'm the type that panics when there is some minor sound and am fairly convinced any oddity means the car is sure to blow up. This is not to say I don't like cars. I love vintage cars! I have always wanted one, and the day I can drop an entirely eco-friendly engine into one sweet convertible that reminds me of the baby blue Sunbeam Grace Kelly drove in "To Catch a Thief" is the day I drive off in green supah-style! But until that day, I enjoy seeing a vintage car here and there. Some of my favorites happen to be in my favorite place- Disneyland.

This is a fun little article from the August 1957 edition of Walt Disney's Magazine. It goes into a little more depth about the antique vehicles than I knew of previously. It seemed that they did kind of the same thing I want to do (in an non eco-friendly way, of course) back in '57. For this brief moment, I will consider myself cool like Bob Gurr. I might even refer to my jaunty little dream car as a Tinkmobile.

Vanity Fair, October 1933

2007-10-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a great piece from this month, back in 1933. The one thing that I don't like about it, is that the article is so TINY!! So much shorter than the accompanying pieces in the magazine. However, it's a great photo of Walt and some over sized Mickeys. I have always loved vintage Hollywood photography, and this is a great example of that. I have included the easier to read version of the minuscule write-up for your convenience.

In other news, I have launched a new website based on my art. For those who have visited the old site, thank you! I have received some lovely feedback from very great people. I hope those who visit the new site will enjoy all of its upgrades. I welcome any feedback! Simply click over to "My Art" on my links column, or click here... www.DevynSamara.com

Happy weekend, everyone!

What's in your bag?

2007-09-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

I think I might be a strange Disneyana collector. I rarely collect things for it's monetary (or future monetary) value as it seems many people do. Often times, I collect Disneyana things that I would have purchased if I were a kid at the time they were created. And I SO would have purchased this! I mean, c'mon, it's the carpet bag! I would have spent hours pretending cool things came out of it. I wouldn't have pulled out a lamp or a mirror, or anything else Mary yanked out of her carpet bag... no, I would have gone for the big guns- a pony!! Oohhh yeahhh. That's where it's at! Or maybe a doll house! Furnished of course.

I think they should have sprung for a different, non-plastic material for these bags, but my imagination could have carried it off. Still a very cute and colorful piece for kids! What would you have pulled out of a magic carpet bag when you were a child?

70 years ago today...

2007-08-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

... you might have opened up your Sunday morning paper (straight to the funnies/comics, of course) and read this!

This is a cute piece from The San Diego Union from Sunday, August 29, 1937. Two very nice strips of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. It must have been fun to open up the paper every Sunday and read these. I know if they were available when I was a kid, I would have been all over them!

*Note: I have left this a large file for your viewing pleasure. Please excuse the bit of glare from the flash, as the strip is behind plastic. Happy reading! :)

Help me solve "Mary's Medicine Mystery"!

2007-08-24T00:51:00.000-07:00

Maybe not as fun as solving mysteries at Disneyland in "Minnie's Moonlit Madness", but it will have to do until next spring, folks!
Mary holds a mystery. Oh yes she does. One that neither myself or anyone else that I have asked (and there have been many) can figure out. It fits all into this cardboard box of confusion!! So I turn to you sensational blog visitors for answers. How on earth do you use this thing?!
First thing's first. I received both the Mary and the spoon together, although I am fairly certain that they were sold separately. Now, I have the original Mary in the box, as you can see, and by all accounts I cannot see that there is a piece missing. It says 1 piece on the box. She fits very snugly in the box, with no room for anything else that I can tell. Please correct me if I'm wrong. That being said...
As evidenced in photo #3, Mary has two indentations in the shape of spoons on either side of her. One is labeled with Tablespoon, and the other with Teaspoon. Handy dandy! Mary also has a little slot, as you can see in photos #4 and #5, for what I can only assume would be part of a spoon.
It would make sense to me if a spoon was supposed to lean against Mary, or sort of clip into that slot portion, only no spoon I have every tried fits to it at all, not even, as far as I can tell without removing it from the original plastic, the Mary spoon pictured. They all fall down. You can lean a spoon up to it if you balance it correctly, but it doesn't come into contact with the slot or the spoon part.
You cannot even fill the built in spoons up with the supposed medicine because it would drip all out the slot portion there onto the ailing. So what's the deal!? Were these types of things common in and before the 60s? I've never seen any other form of this, nor has anyone I've ever asked.
Please help! And if you can't, ask your friends, neighbors, and relatives, or even just get creative. Help me solve Mary's Medicine Mystery!

Life at Disneyland, 1958

2007-08-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Major Pepperidge for snapping me out of my blog slackerdom! My apologies to everyone who stops by hoping to see an update. This summer has been a busy one, but I will do my utmost to wipe the paint off of my hands and update the blog at least once a week again!
We continue with this article/photo/thing from a special issue of Life magazine, December 22, 1958. It's a really timeless shot. It looks like it could be from any year. Timeless magic!

Happy Birthday, Disneyland!!!

2007-07-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Happy 52nd Birthday, Disneyland!!!

My absolute favorite place on earth! Back when I used to live in Orange County, I was able to attend every July 17th in honor of the day (yes, I have been called a Disney dork). For the 35th I even got into a commercial and on TV! Go me! So, being that I am too far from the OC now, I will have to celebrate with this birthday themed entry to my blog. This comic book, dated August 1958, celebrates a Disneyland birthday party. I haven't read it in a few years, but to the best of my recollection it's a birthday trip through Disneyland with the Mickey and friends. Cute little story with some activities included.
I hope everyone who's attending today has a great time! Eat a churro for me! ;) (or a Dole Whip, whatever suits your fancy!)

How to Catch a Cold

2007-06-27T02:52:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this today. Something I personally didn't know existed. So I figured most likely a good percentage of other people probably haven't seen it either. So I'm posting it. Simple as that! :P
But seriously, this is a very nice piece from 1951, sponsored by Kleenex, with some cute Disney animation. Plus it sends a good message: Keep healthy, and most importantly, don't let people sneeze all over your newspaper!

School's Out!!

2007-06-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, kids! School's out! You can put things like the above item away and do as I used to and forget school even exists! So in honor of your summertime freedom, I bring to you this bit of school-related Disneyland merchandise from the past. I really like the stylized 1950's graphics on the front of the case, and personally think that having this in my desk at school would have made the day a whole lot more fun. It does surprise me that the pencils (and really the whole case) are unused. They fit to the box along with the ruler, so I would assume those are original to the piece, but as far as the funny looking eraser and the sharpener, I'm not sure, as they both look used and I cannot see why they would have put a non-Disney character eraser in it. Either way it's a charming little piece of kid merchandise.

Circa 1959

2007-06-23T01:58:00.000-07:00

The busy, busy life of Tink. June has been a great month so far, but has left me far too busy to blog. However, today I return with some fun footage I found.
This footage, circa 1959, has a little bit of everything. Some Frontierland that looks so authentic, it nearly had me questioning if it was a real old Western town, or actually Disneyland. There's a nice shot of the Midget Autopia, too. It's really nice footage, and in some sections you can see how parts of Disneyland haven't changed much at all. For me, I love to see that!
Happy weekend everyone!

More Tink on the Small Screen

2007-05-31T01:58:00.000-07:00

If all of you out there are like me, you're amazed that there were that many commercials back in the 50's containing Disney characters. Here are some more I haven't seen posted up anywhere before for your viewing pleasure. They appear to be from the holiday season, perhaps in either 1954 or 1955 I'd guess. Be sure to watch both clips as they contain an intro section to the Disneyland television show with all of the sponsors.
"A new cap that unscrews." Now, this has left me wondering what other kind of caps there would have been on the peanut butter jar. Did some just pull off or something? And "Fruit Cocktail Eggnog Pie". How bad does that sound?!

Peter Pan Blocks

2007-05-20T01:36:00.000-07:00

Moving back to some Disney merchandise, here's a nice piece from the 1950's. It's a set of Peter Pan blocks, as you can see, and on every side they make up one of these lovely pictures you see in the third photo. Each of he photos tells a bit of the story as well. My personal favorite is the mermaids! I love these pictures as they remind me of the Little Golden Book illustrations of my childhood. So fun and vibrant! I would have been very happy to play with these as a kid in the 50s!

A New Old Commercial Featuring Jiminy Cricket

2007-05-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a very fun and recently uploaded little 1950s advertisment featuring Jiminy Cricket. This one's animation of Jiminy is far more traditional than the other that has been on YouTube for some time now. Join the "sipping and singing society" and enjoy!

Happy 50th!!

2007-04-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

On this day, April 29, 1957 the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-through opened to the public. So in honor of this day, I present to you footage from this, very missed, attraction. I cannot imbed it, so feel free to visit here and relive some fun memories! Happy Birthday!!!!

Who's calling?

2007-04-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love finding Disney(land)ana that's fresh and crispy like it's brand new?! I love that!! This is one of those pieces. So new feeling that the cover is still tight and somehow no child back in the 50s drew inside of this. Not one pencil mark. Love it, and especially love the vibrant turquoise color of this. It's one of those pieces that you can easily picture as one of the last things purchased in the park, in the Emporium perhaps, on the way out.

Monday's Catch of the Day!

2007-04-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

All righty, things have slowed down a bit and I have time to do some more blogging again. Sorry to keep everyone waiting!

I thought I should do a bit of vintage Disney merchandise, so I pulled this odd little number from my collection. When I received it, it was very badly tarnished, but with a little care I got it looking quite sweet and shiny again. It is a pendant- a lobster to be exact... an odd choice for Disneyland merchandise, with a tag attached that says "New Orleans Square" on it. It appears to be something from the late 60s. I've never seen another or any other crustaceans from N'awlins. Does anyone have any idea which shop might have carried this? I'd love to find out.

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope it's a great week! :D

On a side note, in addition to being an artist I also work in medical research in search of a cure for paralysis/spinal cord injuries. We are a private group and are in desperate need of more funding to move things into human clinical trials. We have applied for funding and find out this week if we get it. Any prayers you all could make would be so greatly appreciated! We need this so badly! Thanks! :D

Disneyland 1968

2007-04-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not updating the blog as much as I would have liked to for the past few weeks. Too many things going on. However, I fully intend to get back to some more regular posting in the very near future. Until then, enjoy this fine Disneyland footage from 1968 recently uploaded. There are some great Frontierland shots in this! Enjoy!

The Horse of the West

2007-03-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

Two posts for today to make up for the dry spell. ;)

While YouTubing, I came across this recently uploaded file of Walt introducing the upcoming Disneyland programming for the following week which is scheduled to be "The Horse of the West". It looks good! It also looks like it would make me cry, but I'd love to see it anyway. Does anyone remember this one? It didn't sound familiar to me, but I hope to come across it one day.

Incidentally, I also came across this interesting YouTube file of Fantasmic!'s first commercial. There are a few shots before the final edited version of the commercial. Kinda cool!
Happy Tuesday, folks!

A Very Ducky Artist

2007-03-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I was lucky to meet Dick Alexander, an animator who worked for Disney in the good ole days. Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of time to talk with him, as the event we were at was of a musical nature, but he was kind enough to draw for me the above picture. I remember he said he worked on The Duck a lot, and if memory serves I think I recall him saying he did some work on Pinocchio, though I could be mistaken. Does anyone have any additional information on Mr. Alexander? I'd love to learn more about him! I just thought it was so cool that he'd take the time to draw something for me. He was a very nice man!

Aerial, not Ariel

2007-03-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a very nice, and very early aerial shot of Disneyland's eastern side. As you can see there isn't much in the Tomorrowland/Fantasyland area yet, and the photo gives a nice view of the future home of the Matterhorn and the Subs. The surrounding area is still covered in orange groves, which must have made Disneyland smell spectacular during orange blossom season. Especially mixed with the ever lingering scent of waffle cone!

This photo opens up very large for your viewing pleasure.

Peter Pan Sweatbox Meeting Notes- pt. 4

2007-03-13T00:35:00.000-07:00

Here is the conclusion to the Sweatbox notes. I hope you've all enjoyed them! :D

Peter Pan Sweatbox Meeting Notes- pt. 3

2007-03-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

Part 3! Happy reading!

Can I be the 'Disney Kid'?

2007-03-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

I don't recall seeing this posted on any other blogs lately (though it's very possible I could have missed it), but if you've seen it, I think it's cute enough to watch a 2nd time. What is it with the 1950s and having 'Kids'. I've heard of the Frito Kid, but now the Cheerios Kid? How many more were there? The Maypo kid was pretty cute, but I don't think he was officially called the Maypo Kid was he? Okay it's late, I'm sleep deprived, and just thinking silly thoughts now. Please excuse me. :P

Peter Pan Sweatbox Meeting Notes pt. 2

2007-03-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

Here is part 2. Enjoy!

Peter Pan Storyboard

2007-03-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't make the Disney History blog a daily stop (and you should!), I would recommend heading over there. I have lent Didier Ghez a storyboard from Peter Pan that goes nicely with the sweatbox meeting notes that I have listed this week. Check it out! :)

Photoplay

2007-03-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a reader, Brian, he informed me that the last page of the Photoplay article I posted in February was no longer working. I tried to fix the link in the original post, but for some reason it refuses to work. I am posting the last page here for those who were not able to read the original here.

Peter Pan Sweatbox Meeting Notes- Jan. 28, 1941 pt. 1

2007-03-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

Being the week of the release of Peter Pan- Platinum Edition, I've decided to post what is one of my favorite Disney possessions. They are sweatbox meeting notes from January 28, 1941. I think the most significant part of this is that you can clearly see how much of this movie is from Walt. His ideas are so clear and it is fascinating to see in these notes just how his mind worked. He does much of the speaking here, and as you will come to find, his thoughts in 1941 came to fruition in many ways over a decade later when the film was released.

*Note: my scanner bed isn't legal-sized unfortunately, so much of the white exterior portions of the scans had to be cut off. All of the dialog is in tact, however.

Merr-Hee Christmas!

2007-02-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm super late for Christmas, but I didn't have my blog until January! This is a fun piece though, and I can't wait until December to upload it.

Disney artist T. Hee appears to have taken some time out of his animating (it's written on what appears to be thin animation paper) to make a very long Christmas card list for himself. I love the sketch on the side of what, I assume, was the design for his Christmas card that year (undated). It is also great fun to see the names of so many great artists and people including Frank Thomas, Bud Swift, Roy Disney, Bill Peed, and even Fred Moore's brother-in-law in Lancaster (whomever he may be!). Also of note is his misspelling of Ollie Johnston's name.

I know my Christmas card list every year is no where near as fun as his was.

The Last Word

2007-02-25T03:27:00.000-08:00

Today we bid aloha to selections from the Storyboard magazine. The best way to do that, of course, is with some Walt quotes. Happy reading and happy Sunday!

"May I have your autograph?"

2007-02-24T01:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know about all of you, but being the Disney fan I am, I often phone doodle Walt's signature. I have for years. It's probably the most animated signature I've seen, and it really is quite fun to try and perfect. I love it, and I've even stolen part of it for my own signature. (Thanks, Walt! :D )
Here's a bit of info on the world's most well known autograph.

Our Uncle Walt

2007-02-22T03:25:00.000-08:00

Work has been a bit hectic lately, so I apologize for the dry blogging week. I have some fun things that are lined up to be scanned this week, but before we get to those things, I'd like to finish off the scans from the Storyboard magazine over the next few days.

Above are some great pictures of Walt, which, like his quotes, a true Disney fan can never have enough of.