And the Best Dressed is...

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.

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

The Disney Channel Magazine, October 1985

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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!

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

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!!

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??

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

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

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.