Will This Pinocchio Come to Life?

Walt Disney's second full length animated feature Pinocchio had its Hollywood premiere on February 9, 1940, and within two days had quickly entered the popular culture via this editorial cartoon that appeared in the February 11th edition of the Los Angeles Times.

The cartoon, created by Bruce Russell, satirized then President Franklin D. Roosevelt's potential designs on seeking an unprecedented third term in the White House. FDR's symbolic "3RD TERM" Pinocchio came to life later that year, and he would go on to successfully win a fourth term in 1944.

What a Character! - Johnnie Plug-Chek

The November 1945 issue of Popular Science provided this rare glimpse of the Disney-created cartoon character Johnnie Plug-Chek. This pint-sized mechanic appeared in the film The Right Spark Plug in the Right Place, commissioned by the Electric Auto-Lite Company and produced by the Disney Studios.

The Electric Auto-Lite Company has since evolved into Autolite. The company began in 1911 as a producer of buggy lamps. It started manufacturing spark plugs in the mid-1930s.

Windows to the Past: Davy Crockett and Burl Ives

Burl Ives was but one of over forty different recording artists who released a version of the song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." That is likely why Ives found himself signing copies of Davy Crockett comic books at a department store in April of 1955. This was at the height of the Davy Crockett craze and Ives' rather remote connection to the Disney television program and its four color tie-in was still enough to draw an excited crowd of autograph-seeking youngsters.

Photograph from the Life Magazine photo archive hosted by Google.

A Patron of The Clock Store

Even in the very early years of the Disney Studio, animators were paying homage to themselves and other studio personalities in the very cartoons they were producing. In the 1931 Silly Symphony The Clock Store, two pocket watches appear, marked with the engraved initials of their supposed owners. The initials W.E.D. are a quite obvious reference to Walter Elias Disney, but the initials of H.G. are a bit more mysterious.

Digging into the the film's credits, as provided by Russell Merritt and J. B. Kaufmann in their book Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, we discover that this particular sequence was animated by a gentleman named Hardie Gramatky.

Gramatky worked at the Walt Disney Studios from 1929 until 1936. On the website www.gramatky.com, Gramatky's daughter Linda Gramatky Smith notes:

"He went to Chouinard art school at night and to the Studio during the day. His first job was to do a Disney comic book, but he finished six months of drawings in three days when Walt asked him, 'Gee, Hardie, what would you like to do now?' Dad told Walt that he'd like to try animation. There were only fourteen animators there when he arrived (and 250 when he left for New York in 1936)."

In a 1938 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Walt Disney said of Gramatky, "There was a boy working for us who had a great future in our Studio. But his heart wasn't in his work and he decided to chuck it all and paint what he wanted to paint. We gave him a great send-off because we admired his spirit. He had a struggle, but he arrived. Even when he was struggling he was happy for he was doing what he wanted to do."

Gramatky would go on to become a well known artist and illustrator, perhaps most famous for his series of Little Toot childrens books. Disney would adapt Little Toot for the 1948 feature Melody Time. Gramatky was especially celebrated for his work with watercolors. In a 2006 magazine article, artist Andrew Wyeth named Gramatky as one of America's twenty greatest water colorists.

A footnote to the sequence from The Clock Store: The timepiece in the center is marked with the letter M, the meaning of which, if any, is a bit harder to decipher. The film's credits only list two individuals with names beginning with M: background artists Carlos Manriquez and Mique Nelson.

The Clock Store is available on DVD as part of the Walt Disney Treasures - More Silly Symphonies (1929-1938).

Lost Imagineering: Chinatown

Walt Disney and his Imagineers pursued a number of ideas for a street-based area that would have been located to the east of Main Street USA at Disneyland. Among the proposed concepts were Liberty Street, Edison Square and then later, Chinatown.

The main attraction of Chinatown was a dinner theater that would have featured an audio-animatronic representation of famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. The show was among the very first concepts developed that would have made extensive use of audio-animatronic figures. Development of the Confucius animatronic began in 1956; it followed Walt's well known Buddy Ebsen "Little Man" project, and preceded the the creation of the Lincoln figure by a number of years.

Authors Bruce Gordon and David Mumford provided an extensive description of the proposed attraction in their book Disneyland: The Nickel Tour:

We're back in October of 1959, where the Disney designers are hard at work bringing the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius to life in a little Chinese restaurant. It's all part of a "Chinatown area being developed for Center Street, next to the Market House.

In addition to a meal of fine Chinese cuisine, guests visiting the restaurant would be treated to a special show written by Golden Horseshoe comic Wally Boag. But before the show, while the guests were munching their appetizers in the Meditation Room. they could soak up the Chinese atmosphere, get into the spirit of the event, and, of course, get a peek at all the items that would be available in the Gift Shop after the show.

Seating would begin once each hour as the guests were led into the restaurant's main room. Mounted on the front wall would be a huge Chinese dragon. Looking out the windows of the room, guests would see film projections of Chinese streets, designed to make it seem as if they had actually been transported to the Orient. For dinner, there would be a choice of almond duck, shrimp, chicken or beef entrees, followed by a dessert of Chinese pastry.

Once all the dishes had been cleared away, the dragon on the wall would come to life and the show would begin.

"Honorable patrons look very happy," the dragon would say, "must have been something you ate." Looking all around the room, belching fire, the dragon would say "Hope no one in audience minds if dragon smokes."

In addition to the idea of having Confucius host the show, the designers created a philosopher named "Chew Well" (it's a restaurant, remember) who would be surrounded by dozens of Audio-Animatronics birds in cages, as well as a group of singers called "The Nightingirls." But Wally settled on a character he called "Grandfather Chung," designed to please the prospective sponsor, Chun King (even though Wally mistakenly spelled "Chun" as "Chung").

"Now that you have dined on food, it is time to dine on knowledge."

Grandfather Chung would begin by taking questions from the audience. The questions, of course, were all prerecorded, and would emanate from somewhere in the back of the room.

The Chinatown concept was ultimately shelved and Imagineers turned their attentions to the development of a Hall of Presidents idea that eventually evolved into the Great Moments with Mr. Linclon attraction for the 1964 World's Fair.

Cutting Out with Johnny Appleseed

Here at 2719 Hyperion, one of our favorite Disney animated vignettes is the story of Johnny Appleseed, one of the segments from the 1948 feature Melody Time. The Disney incarnation of Johnny inspired few merchandise tie-ins, but the story of the American folk hero was translated into a comic book story that appeared in the Dell Giant Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies No. 6, published in 1956.

Johnny and a few members of his supporting cast were featured on the back cover of that comic in the form of a cutout activity. The instructions:

"These cutouts will give you a chance to set the scene for your own story about Johnny Appleseed's adventures. First, cut out the pictures on this page. Then, fold each one along the dotted lines to make it stand up. Now, you're ready to put your story into action. You can arrange the cutouts any way you choose, and move them around whenever you like to follow Johnny as he travels West planting his seeds."

Pana-Vue Slide: Arriving at Treasure Island

Images such as this one are relatively rare and take us back to the earliest of days at Walt Disney World. The Entrance Landing to Treasure Island was featured on slide WDW-961 from the Treasure Island set. Treasure Island was the original incarnation of Discovery Island. 1980s-era editions of the Birnbaum Guides revealed:

"Before the World began, this island was flat and scrubby, just a tangle of vines. But Disney planners, thinking of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, decided to turn it into a horticultural and zoological paradise. They cleared the vegetation, brought in 15,000 cubic yards of sandy soil, and added 500 tons each of boulders and trees. They built hills, carved out lagoons, sowed grass seed, and planted 20 types of palm trees, 10 species of bamboo, and dozens upon dozens of other plants from Argentina, Bolivia, the Canary Islands, China, Costa Rica, Formosa, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Peru, South Africa, Trinidad and other nations around the world. Then they added winding paths, built aviaries and filled them with birds, and added a few props to carry through the Treasure Island theme. A wrecked ship salvaged from off the coast of Florida was installed on the beach, and a Jolly Roger hung from the lookout post. The creation was dubbed Treasure Island."

2710 Hyperion Ave. - Send No Samples!

In the spring of 1936, Walt Disney wanted artists. That is clearly evident from this advertisement that appeared in April 1936 issue of Popular Mechanics. The studio was deep into the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was desperately recruiting artists. Ads similar to this one appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country.

But there is one small detail in this advertisement particularly interesting to the residents here at 2719 Hyperion. What is the significance of 2710 Hyperion Ave., the address listed near the bottom of the ad?

2710 Hyperion Avenue was the location of a building called the Disney Annex. It was situated across the street from the main complex of the Walt Disney Studios, whose address, 2719 Hyperion, we commemorate here. The Disney Annex was added to the studio sometime around 1936. During the late 1930s, it was in this place that aspiring artists were typically given tryout periods to prove their talent and skills, working mainly as in-betweeners under the watchful and often harsh supervision of studio manager George Drake. Part of the training process also involved art classes taught by Don Graham.

In an interview with Wes Sullivan, animator Volus Jones observed of the Disney Annex, "It was mostly for the young people who were moving into animation. They put them in one building. Then it also had a small sound stage."

In an interview with John Province, veteran Disney animator and Imagineer Marc Davis remembered:

The way you began was through a life class the Studio had, taught by a man named Don Graham, a marvelous instructor from Chouinard's. For the first two weeks, you were on trial. At the end of that time, if you could draw to Don Graham's satisfaction, you were enrolled in an in-betweening program. You would draw for half a day, and then attend art classes and lectures as a way of paying your way. so to speak. There was an entire building devoted to that kind of thing, and people were in and out of there like a revolving door. They would look over your work and someone would say, "Mr. Jones, Mr. Drake wants to see you," then he'd pick up his coat and leave. Everybody knew what it meant. We would never see "Jones" again.

In his autobiography, studio veteran Bill Peet was particularly critical of the harsh and competitive environment of the Annex:

The next morning at the appointed time of nine o'clock I was at the Disney front gate. It was the wrong place. I was told to check in at a one-story stucco building across the street called the Disney Annex. The tryout group had already lined up at the front door to sign in, and I was the last of the fifteen to arrive.

Most of them were fresh out of art school as I was, and they came from all parts of the country in response to the special delivery letter, not knowing what to expect.

The boss of the Annex, George Drake, was a tall, scrawny chain-smoking neurotic with a shock of rusty hair and extremely large ears. He started things off with a stern lecture warning us that the one-month tryout would be no bed of roses. And more than once he reminded us how fortunate we were to get an opportunity to work for Disney. "There are plenty of people waiting out on the street to get a job here" was his last warning.

Volus Jones also noted that early in the production of Bambi, a run was created adjacent to the Annex to house a live deer. "The artists would come over and look out the window so the little deer couldn't see them. And they would watch its antics and take pictures."

Based on Jones' memories and other anecdotal information, it appears that the Disney Annex was moved to the Studio's new Burbank location sometime in early 1940, and incorporated into buildings constructed there.

Photo of the Disney Annex from the Ingeborg Willy Scrapbook, courtesy of Bob Cowan.

Our Genuine American Antique - January 17, 1706

“Dr. Franklin, as our genuine American antique, I suppose our story begins with you."

Benjamin Franklin. Born this day, three hundred and three years ago, he would go on to become an author, publisher, scientist, inventor, philosopher and diplomat.

And let’s not forget cartoon character and cutting edge audio-animatronic.

The Walt Disney Company has brought the illustrious founding father back to life twice. First as a somewhat incompetent and comic character in the 1953 short Ben and Me, and then in 1982 as the co-host of the elaborate American Adventure attraction in the then newly opened EPCOT Center.

Adapted from the children’s book by Robert Lawson, Ben and Me is more the tale of Amos, a poor church mouse, who according to the story, was the true inspiration and innovator behind Franklin’s numerous and notable accomplishments. It was actually Amos who invented bifocals and the Franklin stove, and who helped turn the somewhat dry Poor Richard’s Almanac into the successful Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. When the practical joking Ben literally “shocks” Amos in the famous kite-flying electricity experiment, Amos swears off their partnership and returns to his original church home. Years later in 1776, Ben seeks Amos out for help as the colonies prepare for revolution. Wishing to protect himself from further mischief on Ben’s part, Amos insists on a contract, the words of which provide the basis for Thomas Jefferson’s opening to the Declaration of Independence.

Ben and Me is a fun and entertaining film with impressive pedigrees. It was directed by Hamilton Luske, and studio veteran Winston Hibler was part of the story team. Nine Old Men alumni Woolie Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Ollie Johnston and Les Clark were among the film’s animators. Sterling Holloway brought his usual charm and humor to the role of Amos, while Hollywood character actor Charlie Ruggles voiced Ben Franklin. Ruggles would go on to play the part of Haley Mill’s grandfather in Disney’s The Parent Trap in 1961. Released in theaters with the True-Life Adventure feature The Living Desert, Ben and Me was well-received, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Subject.

Ben and Me later appeared on the Disneyland/Wonderful World of Color television programs, and inspired a few merchandise tie-ins, most notably books and comics. Amos was clearly a member of a new species of Disney mice, all very similar in design, that began with Cinderella’s supporting characters, and frequently showed up in other products during the 1950s, including magazine stories and record albums.

Nearly thirty years later, Disney would reinvent Benjamin Franklin again, in another animated, but altogether different incarnation. In 1982, Franklin and co-host Mark Twain began telling the dramatic story of the American Advenute through music, film and audio-animatronic figure-filled vignettes. The AA for Franklin, at the time one of the most sophisticated and complex created, became famous in and of itself for ascending stairs and walking across a set piece. Imagineer Dave Feiten spent a week walking and practicing with a cane, in order to learn the movements and in turn program the AA for the scene that had Franklin interacting with Thomas Jefferson.Perhaps most distinctive about the Franklin character in American Adventure was the voice acting provided by Dallas McKennon. His performance as the "proud elder statesman" feels dead on accurate, despite the fact that we have no idea what Franklin sounded like. McKennon appeared in a number of Disney live-action films, and provided voice talent for features such as 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. He also supplied voices for other theme park attractions, most notably Zeke in the Country Bear Jamboree, and the Prospector who imparts safety warnings at the beginning of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Historians and biographers characterize Benjamin Franklin as a man of wit, humor and intellect. He likely would have been amused by the charms of Ben and Me, and no doubt impressed by the technology that brought him back to life for one of Walt Disney World’s premiere attractions.

This post was originally published on 2719 Hyperion in January 2007.

Pana-Vue Slide: Canoe and Keelboat

Two now extinct attractions can be found in this Walt Disney World souvenir Pana-Vue slide. Slide WDW-305 from the Frontierland set features guests paddling along in an Indian War Canoe as the Bertha Mae keelboat navigates the river not far away. In the distance to the left can be seen the Haunted Mansion. The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat can be seen on the right side of the picture, behind a still undeveloped Tom Sawyer Island. Though the slide caption identifies the canoe as an "Indian War Canoe," the attraction was referred to as the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes.

Vintage Vinyl: Professor Ludwig Von Drake

While many Disney enthusiasts often immediately associate veteran performer and voice artist Paul Frees with his performance of the Ghost Host from the Haunted Mansion, I would argue that the crowning achievement of his Disney resume was in fact the vocal creation of the early television era character, Professor Ludwig Von Drake. And although his work in this regard stretched over numerous episodes of Disney's Wonderful World of Color and the featurette Symposium on Popular Songs, Frees's Von Drake persona is no better represented and encapsulated than on the vintage 1961 vinyl LP Professor Ludwig Von Drake.

Released just prior to the debut of the Von Drake character on television in the fall of 1961, the album Professor Ludwig Von Drake immediately transcended the juvenile music genre to which it was classified. The album proved an energetic, frequently spontaneous, and consistently hilarious endeavor, often more akin to comedy albums of the time period than to the narrative-based childrens records that were then typically produced as media tie-ins.

In their book, Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records, authors Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar noted:

"In the early 1960s, comedy albums reached a level of popularity comparable to music LPs. Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Vaughn Meader, and Allan Sherman were topping the charts. This could be what helped inspire Johnson and Camarata to produce an LP with an accent on humor, and an accent was responsible for much of the humor."

Side One of the album features Sherman Brothers songs, most of which were drawn from episodes of the Wonderful World of Color. Side Two is noticeably more free form as Von Drake explains the recording process by way of a performance of the "Blue Danube" and a send-up of "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" from Cinderella.

Frees brought to the character of Von Drake a wacky, irreverent spontaneity. According to Frees biographer Ben Ohmart, Frees once noted, "Walt Disney gave me a lot of liberty in portraying the Professor, and I've made him more personal than any of my other characters." Frees went on to say, "The Professor is bright, good-natured, has a sense of humor, and is marvelously absent-minded at times. But he has character. He is always driving at something and he is not beyond scolding you for lack of attention. When we have a story conference, the writers toss questions and situations at me. I ad-lib on tape and it's incorporated into the script."

Frees gift for ad-lib is apparent throughout the Professor Ludwig Von Drake LP. ("Now the Wonderful World of Color was originally on the television program, that of which I produced and starred and I directed . . . there's a character in there named Walt Frisbee or something that I draw and he's some kind a duck or something . . .") and ("This is Side Two for those of you who just came in late.") are just two of the many hilarious examples. Authors Hollis and Ehrbar noted that "Some of Frees's more colorful ad-libs reportedly did not make it onto the album but have been preserved for private listening."

Professor Ludwig Von Drake is currently available at the iTunes store.

Windows to the Past: Roy Williams for Christmas Seals

I had intended to feature this particular Window to the Past during the holiday season, but as they say, better late than never. This photograph was snapped on December 8, 1955. The big "Moose-keteer" Roy Williams is joined by actress Dani Crayne at the opening of the Christmas Seal both at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California.

Photo courtesy of the USC Digital Archives

Pana-Vue Slide: The Mickey Mouse Revue

Pana-Vue Slides were among Walt Disney World's more popular souvenirs during its first decade or so of operation. A good friend recently discovered quite a few sets buried in a corner of his basement and generously passed them on. Beyond their very cool vintage pedigrees, the various sets offer rare glimpses of bygone attractions and park landscapes.

From the Fantasyland set, slide WDW-411A gives us a glimpse of the Mickey Mouse Revue, the audio-animatronic show that was ultimately transplanted to Tokyo in the early 1980s.

"Grab Your Shootin' Iron Son, We're Goin' Huntin'!"

One of the great joys of the recent Disney Treasures DVD The Chronological Donald Volume Four was to see the 1955 cartoon No Hunting restored to its original unedited, widescreen Cinemascope presentation.

No Hunting clearly stands out as one of director Jack Hannah’s best efforts over the course of his tenure with Donald Duck. It is more akin to Tex Avery’s numerous MGM parodies or Goofy’s own “How To” series, than it is to traditional Donald Duck cartoons. Donald and his typical antics are kept to a minimum, in favor of a broader, satirical take on the outdoor sporting life that was especially romanticized during the post-war years.

Hannah's approach to lampooning that era's sportsmen was certainly an interesting creative choice. The director and his crew set their very over-the-top satire in a tableau of World War I and II-inspired battlefields and elements. Hunters hunker in trenches and hunter-paratroopers descend down from the sky. Beachhead landings and devastated landscapes feature prominently. The comedy is broad and often hilarious, despite the use of very harsh wartime imagery as its primary satirical device.

The broad, but still somewhat sharp social satire is combined with well-crafted slapstick in the form of the spirit of Donald's Grandpappy. He is certainly at the heart of the short's humor and foreshadowed future eccentric Donald Duck relatives such as Ludwig Von Drake and Moby Duck.

Hannah discussed No Hunting with Jim Korkis, in an interview reprinted in Volume One of Didier Ghez’s series of books Walt’s People. Here’s an excerpt where Jack relates the inspiration for the short:

I used to go hunting with my dad when I was a kid and this short was a great takeoff on these hunters and fishermen. They really are this way. They are as dangerous to themselves as to the game they’re hunting. I’ve heard there are more hunters shot on opening day than deer. It shows how timeless these shorts are because it still spoofs hunters and fishermen. They’re still that way.

My students especially enjoyed the joke where all the trash cans are coming down the river and I stuck in Bambi’s mother who says, “Man is in the forest. Let’s dig out.” There was sort of a subtle feeling in the short that Donald wasn’t himself which is why he doesn’t talk. Hunting didn’t mean a thing to him but it was the spirit of his grandfather that came out of the painting off the wall that got into him and now made a monster of him. He was possessed. That’s why he didn’t speak. Donald just wasn’t himself. I never thought of that later as being one of my better shorts but after seeing it recently, I’ve changed my opinion.


Beyond his directing chores, Jack made another interesting contribution to No Hunting:

Talking about this particular short, I stuck my voice in several times. Remember where the spirit of the Duck had antlers on and a moose was down in a hole with him and the moose says, “Hmmm, you’re a cute one”? That’s my voice! The animator I was working with on that sequence, John Sibley, got a big kick out of the way I said it so I finally said, “Hell, I’ll record it.” And I did.

Special thanks to Jim Korkis and Didier Ghez for making the interview material available. Be sure to check on Didier’s terrific Disney History blog, and his Disney Books Network, for more information on the Walt’s People series.

This post is a revision and expansion of an article previously featured on 2719 Hyperion.

Images © Walt Disney Company

Adventurer's Almanac: Ganesha

Though the Adventurer's Club at Walt Disney World has faded from view, we can still continue to bring you excerpts from the always entertaining Adventurer's Almanac that was published during the early 1990s. This selection is from Volume No. 54, Issue No. 1.

Curator's Corner

Hello Adventurers; Hodges here. The topic for this installment of "The Curator's Corner" is Ganesha. Ganesha was the God of Good Fortune in the Hindu mythology ... eventually. You see, another Hindu god (who shall remain anomalous) was jealous of Ganesha's good looks and cut off his head! Vishnu, the head Hindu honcho, soon came by and said, "Dang! That's the third one this week!"

Following an ancient Hindu veterinarian's remedy, Vishnu restored Ganesha to life by supplying him with the head of the next animal to walk by It was, by good fortune, an elephant. Thus, Ganesha went on to be a wise and memorable god, in spite of the fact that he worked for peanuts.

So, when people call you "elephant-head," take it as a compliment! Here are several other expressions that history teaches us are actually compliments:

"Pig-headed"—honors the Welsh god Ovinia and her ability to find food for her worshippers almost anywhere, no matter how disgusting it looked. A reform movement later resulted in barbecuing Ovinia at the stake.

"Guano-head"—. . . bad example.

"Pin-head"— notes the inventor of bowling, Eugene S. Trike, and his ability to take hard knocks and still have something to spare.

"Egg-head"—no legend here, I just like saying egg-head.

I hope this information will increase your popularity. If it doesn't, perhaps you should try a mouthwash. Yours in college, uh, knowledge,

—Hector Flodges.

Editor's note: Curator Fletcher Hodges has resumed taking his medication at the proper intervals, as of this printing.

Freeze Frame! - Daisy's Favorite Spot

Daisy Duck has always been portrayed as a bit of a free spirit when it comes to romance. And according to the 1954 Donald Duck cartoon Donald's Diary, she dated quite a few Disney Studio employees. In one of the short's funnier moments, Donald carves his and Daisy's names in a tree at a location the narrator identifies as "Daisy's Favorite Spot." The back of the tree reveals why.

Though only first names are carved onto the tree, they likely refer to the following studio employees:

Al - storyman Al Bertino
Dan - effects animator Dan MacManus
Sib - animator John Sibley
Nick - storyman Nick George
Hugh - layout artist Hugh Hennesy
Ed - animator Ed Ardal or composer Edward Plumb
Harry - animator Harry Holt
Jack - director Jack Kinney
Bruce - layout artist Bruce Bushman
X - then artist and animator X. Atencio
Fred - Possibly animator Fred Moore, though Donald's Diary was made two years after his death in 1952

The cartoon features one other notable Freeze Frame! moment. When Donald and Daisy go to see a drive-in movie, they can be seen viewing the Pecos Bill segment from Melody Time.

Images © Walt Disney Company

"It's Merry May! Vacation's Near--"

GET READY--GET SET WEEK!

It's Merry May! Vacation's near—
It's time to get your car in gear!
A Standard check-up—just the thing
To give your car vacation zing!
Then have your fun—without a care
For you'll find Standard everywhere!


WE SQUELCH SQUEAKS!

Before you go, give us a peek!
We know a way to squelch that squeak!
And when you treat your car to grease
You'll roll along in quiet peace!


BATTERY ON THE BLINK?
The batt'ry in the family bus--
Say--here's a job to leave to us!
We check 'em, charge'em, give 'em pep!
For this we've got a famous "rep"!


TIRES NEED AN AIRING?

Treat your tires to Standard care!
Let us check 'em--tread and air.
They'll last you longer--save you dough!
Service free, where'er you go!


HERE'S HOW AND WHERE!
Unless you're guided by a star
You need a road map for your car!
From Standard men, all maps are free--
So's travel dope--for any spree!


IS YOUR OIL UNHAPPY?

Say! Leave your work and care today!
You need a trip--for rest and play!
Before you start--here's a tip for you--
If you need a change, your oil may, too!

Getting your car ready for vacation is the theme of our final Travel Tykes Standard Oil newspaper ad that appeared in the Los Angeles Times in May of 1939. Mickey Mouse is joined by Donald Duck, the Three Little Pigs and the Seven Dwarfs in a poetic fanfare to an automobile check-up.

"Which Oil Shall It Be for Thee?"

Behold! A queen of royal breed

Cries, "Oil, my lad—and show some speed:"

"And which oil shall it be for thee,"

Asks Mickey, "Queen, we've got three!"

"Come, come" she answers, "You know well

That each and every one is swell.

But naturally, I'll take my choice

A lady likes to have her voice!"

"Not only ladies, my fair queen,

But every driver that I've seen!

Each man to his own taste, I say

And Standard feels the self-same way!"

Though not part of the Travel Tykes series we have been featuring here at 2719, this Standard Oil newspaper ad still employed poetry and featured a fairytale theme. Minnie Mouse essentially returned to her character of Princess Minnie from the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Brave Little Tailor. As with the other Standard Oil ads we have featured, this one appeared in the Los Angeles Times in June of 1939, back when a quart of oil could be had for a mere fifteen cents.

Freeze Frame! - Mickey Under the Tree

Mickey Mouse toys were undoubtedly on the wish lists of countless children back in 1933. Disney artists payed homage to that notion with the appearance of this push-toy in that year's holiday-themed Silly Symphony The Night Before Christmas.

Snapshot! - Santa's Run Off to the Caribbean

"A week in the tropics and he'll be alright,"

"Sporting a tan as he rides out of sight."

The hilarious and imaginative set pieces at Walt Disney World's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course always put me to mind of the Jimmy Buffett Christmas tune Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum. The song relates of Santa curing his annual holiday burnout by spending a relaxing vacation in the Caribbean. In this particular scene, he enjoys a boat drink while falling victim to his mischievous elfish traveling companions.

"This Place Fries Men as Well as Eggs!"

1

"Help! Fan my brow!" poor Bashful begs,

"This place fries men as well as eggs!"

While Sleepy droops and near expires

Shouts Grumpy, "Men, just pipe them tires!"

Such heat! They're just about to roast!

Groans Grumpy, "I give up the ghost!"

But Happy, quick on inspiration,

Says, "Boys, there's help at Standard's station!"

2

Cries Sneezy, "Service everywhere!"

A-choo--some oil! A-choo--some air!"

"Ho! For the m-mountains," Doc observes.

"We'll scale the heights, spin 'round the curves!"

"Hold on," howls Grumpy, "take 'er slow!

I've heard the road is blocked with snow."

"It's ice cream," says the Standard man.

"Can you get through? Of course you can!

With Standard Gas your worry's over."

"Hooray!" yells Doc. "We're in c-clover!"

3

"Hi-Ho! We're off to Ice Cream Mountains!

The land of cool refreshing fountains.

We're through with motoring vexation--

We dump our griefs at Standard's station!"

As promised, here is the second of three Standard Oil newspaper ads that featured Walt Disney's Little People Travel Tykes. The adventure entitled "The Fried Egg Desert" appeared in the June 8, 1939 edition of the Los Angeles Times.

"And Standard Makes My Flivver Fly!"

1
From East! From West! For many a mile

They've come to visit Treasure Isle!

"Such crowds!" quacks Donald. "I must say

The gang's all here for "Snow White Day!'"

And such excitement! See folks run!

They leave the Tower of the Sun--

They flock from Courts of Moon and Flowers—

The Gayway--and the Elephant Towers.

2

Cries Donald, "Step up! Right this way!

She's fair as San Francisco Bay!"

The throng the big arena packs--

"She'll be here soon now," Donald quacks.

But no! A shout rings through the air!

"Snow's kidnapped! Help! Surround the Fair!"

3

Max Hare alone, in all the throng,

Had seen the villain do his wrong!

"The Wolf!" cries Max. "He snatched Snow White

And ran that way—with all his might!"

Yells Mickey, "Let me lead the chase!

With Standard Gas I'll win this race!

Quick! Get my car! She'll start in high

And Standards makes my flivver fly!"

4

Upon the bridge that spans the Bay

Brave Mickey overhauls his prey!

"Unhand her, villain! Free Snow White!

You've met your Waterloo, all right!"

"You saved me!" cries Snow White. But he
Says, blushing, "Standard Gas-and me!"

In 1939, Walt Disney partnered with the Standard Oil Company to produce an advertising campaign featuring many of the studio's well known cartoon characters. The commercial short The Standard Parade was perhaps the most famous and lasting component of that campaign, though the campaign extended to other media as well. Little seen since their original publications were newspaper ads that featured rhyming storytelling not altogether far removed from the Good Housekeeping magazine pages that had been popular throughout the 1930s.

I have found three "Tiny Tykes" ads that appeared weekly in the Los Angeles Times during May and June of 1939. This one is particularly significant in that it very prominently showcases San Francisco's Golden Gate Exposition, the west coast counterpart to the New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadows.

A "flivver" originally referred to a Ford Model T, but by 1939 had become a slang term for any old, run down automobile.

Windows to the Past: Davy Crockett in Atlanta

Young boys in their coonskin caps pose in front of the Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia before attending the local premiere of Davy Crockett-King of the Wild Frontier. The film was a compilation of the original three Davy Crockett episodes from the Disneyland television show and was released to theaters in May of 1955. Sharing the bill was Arizona Sheepdog, a 22 minute featurette.

EPCOT 1939: The Original Illuminations

Walt Disney World's pyrotechnic displays have been long recognized as state-of-the-art spectaculars. Epcot's Illuminations, in its series of incarnations, has in particular been lauded for its truly amazing combination of fire, water, music and pyrotechnic elements, with many observers especially praising its stunning originality in both concept and design.

However . . .

"This Lagoon of Nations display centers in a giant fountain which rises from an oval lake two blocks wide by four blocks long. Water, geysering in beautiful patterns from 1,400 nozzles, is painted in constantly changing rainbow hues by batteries of powerful electric lights from below. At climaxes in a performance, towering gas flames roar through the columns of scintillating water, from more than a hundred jets. Showers of fireworks burst overhead. Stirring music thunders an accompaniment to the display from the heart of the fountain."

From the article "Fountains of Flame" by Kenneth M. Swezey;

Popular Science, August, 1939

Welcome back to EPCOT 1939.

I have been for some time wanting to continue this series of articles from the very early days of 2719 Hyperion. Those posts demonstrated the very distinct theme and design parallels between EPCOT Center and the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair. The Fair's Lagoon of Nation's Fountain Spectacle and its clear connection to EPCOT's Illuminations afforded me such an opportunity.

As we noted in previous EPCOT 1939 articles, the overall design of EPCOT Center was distinctly analogous to that of 1939 exposition. Similar to World Showcase, the Fair's Government Zone, which was comprised of pavilions representing both states and nations, was located in similar fashion behind the technology and commercial zones and featured a body of water at its center. It was there that the Fair's designers decided to create " . . . a scene to thrill thousands," as noted in the Popular Science article. The article was accompanied by a detailed illustration of the behind-the-scenes mechanisms that produced the show.

Click on illustration to enlarge

The article explained that "The whole complex mechanism is 'played,' as if it were some mighty organ, by three operators at electric consoles located in a near-by tower. Regular programs, based on such themes as “The Spirit of George Washington,” “Creation,” “Isle of Dreams,” “Fire Dance,” are presented to tens of thousands of spectators each evening." Some of those themes do not sound very far removed from that of the current Illuminations presentation, Reflections of Earth.

In his book, 1939: The Lost World of the Fair, author David Gelernter observed:

The critics raved. Fountain displays like the ones at the Lagoon of Nations and San Francisco's 1939 fair "deserve to be called examples of a new art," wrote Talbot Hamlin. "The best of them are as emotionally compelling as they are visually exciting." The show at the Lagoon gave the New York fair "its most unique and perhaps its most artistically memorable element." "Dramatic and indescribable beauty" wrote Gardner Harding.

And so the Fair closed out its daily operations every night, over a half a century prior to guests at EPCOT Center being entertained in similar fashion around the World Showcase lagoon.

Windows to the Past: Snow White in a Rose Parade

Walt Disney and Disney characters have had a long association with the Tournament of Roses Parade that takes place every New Years Day in Pasadena, California. Walt was the Grand Marshall of the parade in 1966, and Mickey Mouse held that same honor some four decades later in 2005. But one of the earliest Disney-Rose Parade connections is displayed in this photo from the 1938 parade. Coming almost immediately on the heels of the film's December 1937 premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre was this parade float that featured Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Windows to the Past: Have a Brighter Day!

Los Angeles mayor Norris Poulson, actor Jean Hersholt and Donald Duck team up to promote National Health Week during February of 1954. Donald proclaims "Eat a BETTER breakfast. . . have a BRIGHTER day!" Poulson served as the city's mayor from 1953 to 1961. Hersholt would pass away just two years after this photo was taken. His most famous movie role was that of Shirley Temple's grandfather in the 1937 version of Heidi, although he is likley best known as the namesake of the Motion Picture Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

September 11, 1968 - Walt Disney Day

Forty years ago today marked "Walt Disney Day" in the state of Missouri. The state's governor, Warren E. Hearnes, issued the proclamation a few weeks earlier as part of the planned festivities that would be held in Marceline on September 11, 1968 to celebrate the United States Postal Service's release of the commemorative Walt Disney postage stamp.

For an excellent reporting of that day's events, check out the article "Walt Disney's Stamp of Approval" by Wade Sampson at MousePlanet.

The Story of the Adventurers Almanac

Our good friend Jim Korkis has been recently deep in research relating to the histories of the Adventurers Club, both real and created. Since the beginning of the year, we have been featuring excerpts from the club's newsletter, the Adventurers Almanac. Relating to these reprints, Jim has generously shared with us the information he has uncovered revealing the creation of this fun, faux-publication.

So many guests wrote to the actors in the Adventurer’s Club (wrote to them in their personas) that it seemed best to create a more formal newsletter to answer these questions and share news. (The Almanac was based on an actual turn of the century newsletter called Adventurer’s Club Newsletter.) The editor and chief writer was Chris Oyen (who was the Show Writer and Director brought in January 1990 and continued in that role for the club and Comedy Warehouse for roughly the next five years).

Also contributing to the writing was Reed Jones, who was the stage manager and then became Show Director when Chris left.) Sometimes Chris allowed the performers to write something on a volunteer basis. Fan letters still kept coming so Chris set up a personal secretary for the club, Bernice Smythe-Fenton, who was a pseudonym for a cast member from Guest Communications who also worked closely with Chris who sometimes had to answer letters in character.

Yes, those “Membership meetings” did take place for guests to come and bring artifacts and share stories. That stopped for several reasons including the fact that Disney Legal was “troubled” about accepting artifacts from guests as well as the fact that the club manager felt the club was losing too much money on the free appetizers and drinks.

The almanac was put together in the days before computers so all those pictures and text were hand done and pasted onto a master mock-up. It stopped because it was labor intensive, it was getting to be too expensive because they had to increase the print run and because Chris left to work on the Diamond Horseshoe and Galaxy Search. In addition, it didn’t seem to generate new attendance but basically seemed to bring in the regulars (like for the Membership Meeting and free drink and appetizer).

Souvenirs: The Star Wars Travel Postcards

These postcards from 2001 are among my favorite attraction-themed souvenirs. I misplaced them a few years ago, and was excited when they resurfaced during our recent housecleaning and remodeling projects. Star Wars has always been rooted in retro and so marrying the Star Tours attraction with the style of vintage travel posters made for some very dynamic and fun designs.

Adventurer's Alamanac: Lillie-Levitt Safari Returns

From Volume No. 55, Issue No. 9 of the Adventurer's Almanac, we learn of the adventures of the famous Lillie-Levitt Safari and Travel Company:

The Lillie-Levitt Safari and Travel Company returned from a Club affiliated tour of the Sepik River region of Papua, New Guinea. Tour leader Art "Paddlefoot" Levitt graciously donated a lime garnish holder used in native beetlenut chewing rituals to the Club's Permanent Collection. Immediately after mounting this new artifact on the western wall of the Zebra Mezzanine, "Paddlefoot" regaled those members present with one of his legendary lectures, complete with photographic documentation. The four surviving safari members of the original expedition force of twenty eight remarked that the experience was "unbelievable" Those interested in participating in future Lillie-Levitt Travel Company exploits, or for pricing information, may contact them c/o the Club. Scott "Thumbs" Lillie, who has become quite an amusing fixture at the Main Salon Bar, hinted that next spring they might be repeating the piranha teasing excursion to the lower Amazon which has made him somewhat of a Club celebrity.

On the same page of the newsletter there was also this interesting Bulletin Board announcement:

Congratulations to Alvin Chowderflute After months of living with, eating with, and copying the mating habits of the lemming, Alvin wired us that he had finally ascertained why these creatures mysteriously throw themselves off of cliffs and into the sea. Unfortunately, the stress of this undertaking apparently took its toll. When last sighted, Alvin was seen running at a fast pace at the head of an enormous lemming herd, screaming "I am your King! Follow me!" in the vicinity of Niagara Falls.

Freeze Frame! - Kinney's Saloon

It appears that Disney cartoon director Jack Kinney was moonlighting as a saloon owner as evidenced by this scene from the 1952 Goofy short Two Gun Goofy. Kinney spent close to three decades at the Disney Studio and was the primary director of the Goofy cartoons. He was good friends with story-man and big "Mooseketeer" Roy Williams as the two had both attended the same Los Angeles high school. His brother Dick Kinney also worked at the studio in the story department and the two collaborated on numerous cartoons.

A Quick Note

Apologies for the shortage of content this week at both 2719 Hyperion and Boom-Pop! We got caught up in some extensive home remodeling that was long overdue but is now happily completed. We will return to our regular schedule of posting next week. Thanks as always for your continued interest and encouragement!

Snapshot! - Mickey and Minnie Go Green

Walt Disney World has long been famous for its topiaries and this vignette from the Magic Kingdom shows off these two wonderful examples. The backdrop of Cinderella Castle sets the scene for Mickey's and Minnie's horticultural counterparts.

Windows to the Past: An All Color Walt Disney Show

The Capitol Theater in downtown Salem, Oregon hosts an "All Color Walt Disney Show" during the summer of 1952. It was literally the best of all possible Disney entertainments. The live action feature The Story of Robin Hood, accompanied by the True-Life Adventure Water Birds and the cartoon short The Little House. Posters for The Story of Robin Hood and Water Birds can be seen in display cases on each side of the theater entrance.