Tex Williams' Chuck Wagon

We've been having a bit of fun these days working on a new photo display for the ranch. Captured through the eyes of the tourist's lens, the display is comprised of amateur Kodachrome shots representing many of the various performing artists who once showcased their talent in some of America's more popular theme parks. Hungry for a taste? Good! Let's journey to Knott's Berry Farm for a little glimpse of Tex Williams' Chuck Wagon show on the NBC network.
The sample images you see here were taken sometime in the 1950s. Unfortunately for us, they were not date stamped. Information on this particular program has been hard to come by. In fact, as named, Tex Williams' Chuck Wagon may have been a pilot or segment of a larger western themed show. Whatever the circumstances, the show was apparently staged in front of an appreciative crowd of park guests. You'll note the exuberant stage manager above encouraging the seated audience to clap their hands or become otherwise involved in the happy proceedings.
It wasn't uncommon in those days for television and radio programs to go 'live' from remote locations - or film on site for future broadcast. For the hosting venue, such coast-to-coast publicity was a genuine blessing! Knott's would go on to become the host for many such old west programs.
While Tex Williams is easy to identify, some of the other singers, artists and puppeteers are quite a bit tougher. If you recognize any of these other 'bit part' players, feel free to help us with a comment or two!

Floridaland 1969!

Floridaland! Everything you came to Florida to see!

Well, okay then. Let's get started.
Before there was a Walt Disney World in Orlando, Floridaland supplied all the fun and happy times a tourist family could possibly handle on one journey to the sunshine state. Built on 50 verdant acres of prime acreage near the town of Osprey, the gates opened for the first time on Christmas day 1964. The park offered a live deer pen, a seaside porpoise show, billy goats, wild west fun and a whiskey still! All in one place! Now, what more do you need than that?
There's the deer...
And here's the tour train mentioned on the map...
And the Porpoise show...
Genuine family fun. --- Really, dad?

Our photographer apparently wasn't quite as quick on the trigger as these gunfighters were - it seems we've missed the big shootout and all the advertised hoopla that came with it. But then, maybe that sums up the whole wonderful Floridaland experience, doesn't it?
Floridaland closed their doors for the final time in the summer of 1971, just months before Walt Disney World opened her gates in October of that year. One can only presume that from then on visitors would no longer find everything they came to Florida to see in one place. Pity.

Disneyland Hotel Marina 1977 - Then & Now

A vintage shot overlooking the old Disneyland Hotel Marina in 1977.

And seen above, a glimpse of the current Disneyland Hotel pool. With construction newly completed, the view offers a look toward the pool, Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar.

An Exciting New Book! Jason Schultz Offers Guests A Pocket Sized Time Machine

Jason Schultz and Kevin Yee have just completed work on a masterful new Disneyland book - and you're going to want to get a copy. The cover above says it all, but click on over to Jason's fine blog (Disneyland Nomenclature) for a full demonstration of its unbelievable content. Incredible stuff.

Sure, this is an advertisement, a little helpful boosterism, but Jason is one talented young fella - and we can't think of a better placeholder here on this blog while work continues on our own little project. Yes, in the 'spirit' of the fabled Winchester Mystery House we've been busy following the little voices that say; 'keep building...'

So stay tuned here folks, but in the meantime curl up with a good book! This one will keep you busy for some time.

Indian Village Totem Poles 1964

During a bit of research last week, we were led back to the incredible article 'The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney' in the August 1963 issue of National Geographic (if you do not yet have a copy of this particular NG in your collection, find one now! You'll be glad you did). Anyway, the above photo caught our eye and we started to wonder; just how did those new poles look once they left the Disney warehouses and were installed in the Indian Village?

Well, here they are in glorious 1964 Kodachrome. How many can you find?

Hello Dolly! Hello Knott's!

When it comes to the history of Hollywood studio tours, it's little noted that for a brief time 20th Century Fox offered tourists a little peek behind the scenes - just like their bigger competitor across town; Universal Studios.

Driven largely by their pride in the monumental sets built for their Gene Kelly musical epic 'Hello Dolly!' (starring Barbra Streisand and featuring, yes, EJ Peaker!), the New York street sets were a central part of the tour. And for good reason. The sets were amazing. On par perhaps with DW Griffith's 'Intolerance' sets from 1916 in their towering scale, forced perspective and grandeur.

Okay, but what has any of this to do with Knott's Berry Farm? Bet some of you know already. Let's visit once more the Charleston Circle Fountain in Knott's Roaring Twenties area. Here it is on the postcard below.

And HERE it is on the 20th Century Fox lot in Century City! All dressed and ready for 'Hello Dolly!' Pay no mind to the rental strollers in the foreground.

Believe it or not, for years there's been a friendly disagreement between the amusement and film making communities surrounding that Charleston Circle fountain. Everyone in the amusement community seemed to know the story about how Knott's bought the fountain from the Fox studio and moved it to Buena Park. The problem was that some in the film community questioned that story. Specifically because they had seen the same fountain still at home on the Fox lot. And it was there for years after Knott's installed theirs in the park! It was pretty hard to reconcile the stories... Knott's had borrowed the fountain and gave it back. Knott's had made a duplicate fountain. Knott's never had the fountain. And so it went.

Well, let's look closely at this slide because it's easy to solve this caper. There are two identical fountains in place for filming in 1968. Clearly, one went to Knott's and the other must have stayed at Fox. Now, can't we all just get along?

These slides were all taken in July 1968 and offer us a rare look at the 'behind the scenes tour' that 20th Century Fox gave tourists for just a brief moment in time.

Below, we find ourselves on the Peyton Place street. Some of you may not be familiar with the Peyton Place television series but it was wildly popular during the 60s and helped launch Ryan O'Neil's career. Well, how about this! There he is now, in living black and white! Feel free to pose for a picture with him. Clearly, our lovely tour guide felt the urge (or a nudge in the back).

More 'Hello Dolly!' sets below. They give us a fine 'you are there' view of the New York street facades and their construction.

Who can't appreciate some fine forced perspective artwork on the side of a sound stage? Which of these hanging clothes are real? And which are not? It's so confusing. Those crafty Hollywood wizards. They're sneaky little stinkers, aren't they?

If you take a second look at the top picture you may be interested in knowing that many of these sets stayed in place for years. In fact, the entrance to the 20th Century Fox studios retained part of this grand approach for some time. It was really something to see up close. Unfortunately, very little remains today.

But there is a little fountain we know about in Charleston Circle, Buena Park...