Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 11:28:57 GMT

Roger, I think Ape Pen Publishing needs to hire you as a consultant before publishing their next Disney book. Maybe they'll hire you for the second edition of this one, too.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:00:36 GMT

Roger,

I know that ABC attempted to block out many scenes to form a shooting script for the live Disneyland show in the ten-ish days leading up to the 17th. In many cases these attempts ended up in minor hostilities with the construction crew. But do you know on what day the ABC crew staged the dress rehearsal that included Walt? I have the book. I've seen the photos. Based on the plants in town square, I'm guessing this would have to be the 15th or the 16th? Also do you have a good source that would describe the events of that dress rehearsal?

Thanks.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:13:26 GMT

From what I know, the final dress rehearsal took place on the morning of the 17th. As for a solid source to confirm what happened? I would love to hear from someone who was there... This was a first in television broadcasting in many ways, very ambitious, exciting and I am sure nerve wracking. Anyone who has ever spent time with a live television production crew knows that things can get out of hand in a second!

And yes, I know that there were some problems with various crafts. The most visible one was the incident with Art Linkletter having to find his microphone, buried in a pile of lumber, as seen during the telecast.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:36:40 GMT

Thanks, Roger. That's helpful.

I've got to pull out my copy of Homecoming and check the photos again later today. Correct me where I'm wrong: But from memory, Walt wokeup around 6am in his fire house apartment because of the trucks delivering the very last of the asphalt for the Main Street / Town Square area. He's locked in his apartment because the door is sealed shut from a new coat of paint. He calls security and is let out, around 6:30, then goes off to get coffee. I'm guessing that--even though the asphalt story has probably been enlarged over the years--that it still took a couple hours to finish up the bare sections of Main St. This leave maybe 8-9:30am for a dress rehershal to clear the area before guests are allowed in. Now I'm curious to check those photos to see where the shadows lie. Also, Roy and Edna don't arrive until after the park is open as they come by car and encounter significant traffic when they reach Orange County. So Roy and Edna should not be in the rehershal photos if they occur in the morning, before opening.

Correct me where I'm wrong above--this is just from memory.

I'll drop you a note later today. My copy of the book is over in my office. I'll check it later today. But I'm very curious about it now.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 18:05:58 GMT

Looking over the photo in question, the shadows are directly overhead. A guess on my part that the rehearsal took place about noon with guests already inside the Park.

As for who is who in the photo, I don't know who is the woman. To her right is Goodwin Knight, Governor of California. Beside him is the minister who provided the invocation for the ceremony. I believe that is a nephew of Walt's. Can't recall the name right off the bat. And of course, next to him is Walt.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 20:03:35 GMT

If walt's nephew is there it had to be early afternoon. He was the last of the major participants to arrive. I can find a reference for that. I believe it's in one of the Thomas books, but would have to check. So the rehearsal would have to be early afternoon, as you say, with guests in the park. I've taken a new look at the photo now. My guess: they are staging the shot and setting up the cameras, somewhat of a walk-through.

Also, do you have an email address? I have a question about the dress rehearsal for walt's Epcot film, the one shot immediately before his surgery. I've heard that a number of close friends, such as Linkletter, showed up for the rehearsal. I was hoping you might know more about that.

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 20:25:16 GMT

You can find me at teamzurgatearthlinkdotnet.

I don't know about the Epcot film...

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 23:21:41 GMT

I always find your reviews quite interesting, Mr Colton, and can't agree with you more about this publication (I own all five of them).

I do know that those books are picture books and that the text is rather secondary but when i started reading the first page of this volume and saw SO MANY typos with even Disney characters' names misspelled (I just LOLed when I saw how Mary Costa's name has been butchered!!) that I stuck to the pictures!

My belief is that the books are "thrown together" by someone who's obviously not a keen Disney fan, not really acknowledging that, precisely, mainly true Disney fans would be attracted to such publications, which might end up looking like some "offense" to such fans!

No big deal really...

THANK YOU for the corrections your review brings; that "trivia" is very much appreciated!

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:29:01 GMT

Isn’t it amazing how people can cast stones. I would like them to do better, than what this lady has done. I say hats off to ya girl, for a job well done. Making an impact and crossing bridges that no one would ever think could be possible.(like getting 5 books into Disneyland - hummmmm) You might have made some errors in this book. Boy I don’t see anyone doing what you have done; I just see them complaining. So the next time others point the finger, tell us what you have accomplished in your life time. What Disney product did you write and get into the Park?? Even those awesome books we love some much with that perfection writing aren’t even in the park. Wow, it’s amazing what one person has accomplished and how so many seem to be so critical of or should we say envious! I think your books are great for what they are, and I’ll buy your next one!!!!

re: Ruminations: Picture the early days of Disneyland

Roger Colton — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 01:11:02 GMT

While there has been little debate over the wonderful pictures in this book, I think that the rest of the criticism has somewhat missed the point. For me, the book is more about memories and about the feelings of returning to someplace comfortable and familiar. Just as our childhood homes were there before we existed, for most of us, so was Disneyland. Seeing the pictures connects us with that past through our own experiences. It gives us a deeper understanding of a place we feel so familiar with and comfortable in - truly a 'homecoming'. The same is true for the interviews. Just because they were not there on opening day, or involved in the construction of Disneyland, doesn't mean that they do not have fond and lasting memories of Disney. Likewise, those who were there, such as Art Linkletter, may have memories that are off in timeline but specific in detail. At this point, you may confuse events of your 7th birthday with those of your 5th, but it doesn't make those memories any less vivid, or touching. For me, the book is much like going through a shoe-box you find in the attic filled with old photo's and letters. Some are of people and places that are familiar from your own experience, others of events and people from before you were born. They are in no particular order, and may have more or less relevance to you and events in your life, but, in the end, they are part of the history of your family and home. In that sense, 'Homecoming' is more photo journal than photo journalism. More memories than history. Both similar but very different, and both very powerful in their own way.