Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations – San Pedro, Joshua Tree, Perris & Anaheim?

Four days in sunny Southern California? You bet and Roger has the full tale of an interesting long weekend. It’s another edition!

Published

20 years ago

November 18, 2004

Roger Colton

(Apologies to Mel Blanc and those immortal words from the “Jack Benny” radio show – “Train now leaving on Track Five for Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga!”)

Well, if you are one of those who says that when Roger has a railroad story, that you don’t read his column (and I know you do), then you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping this one.

It is true that there will be railroads involved, but it was a very interesting and amusing long four days. And entertaining, too! So, sit back with that favorite morning beverage, and enjoy the tale as it unfolds.

Now as a precursor to this, I had the pleasure of getting not one, but two lovely injections of Cortisone in my right arm on Thursday the 11 th. Hence the short but sweet column last week, For something that is supposed to relieve pain (and it has, finally) it left me only able to do the one-finger typing bit. But I promise I am making up for it today.

Starting off, Jeff Ferris, Dasha Clancey and myself all made the pilgrimage to the Oakland International Airport early on the morning of Friday the 12 th of November. With Jet Blue’s usual speed and efficiency, we arrived at the classic Long Beach terminal, retrieved our luggage, Alamo rental car (a white Chevy Impala) and headed north on Lakewood Blvd in search of a hearty breakfast. Once that task was completed we headed for our first stop of the trip in San Pedro.

With a little imagination, you can see this as the Disney Magic…

Now this may seem an usual destination, but next year it will be one that many families will make their choice as the Disney Cruise Line docks here. The Disney Magic will call this it’s temporary homeport for a series of seven-night cruises to Mexico from May through August. And it looks like these will be extremely popular. Many sailing dates have been sold out for some time now.

Another ship, I have mentioned in a previous column, the S.S. Lane Victory, is berthed just east of the Cruise Terminal here. I had visited her before in San Pedro and was glad to see her now with a more prominent and better marked location for visitors.

But for us, this time, the attraction here was the chance to ride on the Port of Los Angeles “Red Cars”. At one time, it was the transportation choice of many people to ride from points in the LA Basin to board a ship here. Whether for a long cruise or just the day trip to Catalina, many people rode the “Red Cars” of the Pacific Electric here.

On the original Pacific Electric right of way, passengers travel from the Cruise Terminal to the Ports of Call Village and beyond…

The Port invested $10 million dollars into the project to create the mile and half operation. Currently, there are three “Red Cars” available for service. Most often seen are the two replicas of the 500 series Pacific Electric cars. Where the originals were wooden bodies, the new cars combine modern safety and convenience. Seating 48 people, and including space for handicapped accessibility at each stop, the offer a great way to enjoy the short ride.

The interior of the 500, complete with wooden walk-over seats.

Also aboard are vintage advertisements such as this one for the Folding Brownie camera.

The gem of the line is the one actual Pacific Electric car, #1058. You may recall seeing the car in a number of films, including “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. Anyone remember the line, “Look out for the Red Car!” as Roger and Eddie escape from the weasels with the help of Benny the Cab? This was that Red Car.

The 1058 sunning herself at the line’s temporary car house.

In their day, the 1000 series class cars were the biggest wooden cars to operate on the P.E. and only two of them survive today – both at the OERM in Perris (where our story will eventually get to). The 1058 is actually a 900 series car that was badly damaged in an accident. Purchased by trolley enthusiast Richard Fellows, it was mounted on rubber tires and was used in many movies, parades and events around the LA basin. When he passed away, a number of car bodies he owned were sold, including the 1058. The Port hired Railway Preservation Resources to oversee the restoration of the 1058 for rail service as well as the construction of the two 500 series replicas.

All in all it made for a great time in San Pedro. A leisurely lunch followed our Red Car visit at Utro’s Café right next to the Ports O’ Call Village stop. We even ended up visiting a local shop that we had seen a car card advertisement for on the 1058 – The Naughti Mermaid. A nice little gift shop and she has a good selection of Reyn Spooner shirts among other things.

Jeff, Dasha and I eventually headed east with no particular plans, other than ending up in Yucca Valley, eventually. That’s where we were spending the night (at the Super 8 Motel). Working our way down the freeways, we ended up eastbound on the 91. As it wasn’t too late in the day, we thought why not visit Downtown Disney? With a showing of “Incredibles” at the AMC Theaters, and dinner at Hook’s Pointe, we managed to do quite well before getting back on the highway after all of the Friday night commute traffic had died down. Just in time to watch fireworks from the happiest parking structure in Orange County, too!

Hey! Radio controlled miniature Jungle Cruise boats at the Disneyland Hotel! Right down to the loading dock and offices!

Saturday morning, we slept in. After getting up so early on the previous day, it was a welcome change of pace. That’s a good description for the rest of the day, too. Joshua Tree is in the high desert of Southern California. It’s home to the National Park of the same name.

The Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Museum is a combination of small scale railroading and full sized railway equipment. Jeff, Dasha and myself have been helping here for the last few years as volunteers at the Museum’s “Dinner in the Diner” events. It’s a chance to show what it was like aboard a railroad dining car. In this case, it’s from 1927 and was once part of the Denver & Rio Grande operating between Salt Lake City and Denver.

Chef Rita Allan and her helpers did a fine job! Meals for almost thirty people.

“Dinner In The Diner, nothing could be finer…”

The small scale railroading has several sizes to choose from. That includes a “G” scale or garden railway, the 7 1/2 inch gauge and then the 15 inch gauge railroad. The latter is still very much a project in progress with a large bridge being built as the starting point for a very ambitious railway.

There was plenty of action over on the 7 1/2 inch railroad during the week end. These steam locomotives may be small in size, but they are every bit as functional as their full size brothers. Here are views of three locomotives in operation on Saturday.

A fine sunset in the high desert!

One of the most popular children’s television properties around the world in the last few years has (and continues to be) “Thomas The Tank Engine”. Railroad museums and tourist railroads have also discovered that appearances by this little blue locomotive are wildly popular with the public. So much so that “Thomas” is found visiting all across the country throughout the year. This particular visit was to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California.

Thomas at the ready for another trip!

Train rides with Thomas are the main attraction and start early in the day. In fact, things at the Museum began at 7:30 a.m. as opposed to a normal day beginning operations at 11:00. Rides continued all day long right up to the last departure at 4:30 p.m. and the train was full almost every trip.

Photographs with Thomas were very popular.

OERM may be known by some of our readers as the new home for some of the equipment of Ward Kimball’s “Grizzly Flats Railroad”. The Grizzly Flats car house does double duty during this event as the home to the Thomas retail store with all kinds of items for sale.

The Grizzly Flat Car House as the Store.

Streetcar rides proved popular with visitors as well.

For this day, we were aboard a 1956 Union Pacific sleeping car, the “National Scene”. This was part of the display at the Museum’s Car House 4, and was reached by riding a train of cabooses pulled by an electric locomotive. Even though cabooses may be gone from freight trains of today’s modern railroads, they still have lots of fans who enjoyed the ride aboard a traditional red caboose!

The Caboose Train ready to depart Car House 4.

Roger in the uniform of a Pullman Porter in front of a Santa Fe passenger diesel locomotive.

The day ended at 5:00 p.m. and things were pretty much done for the night soon after. As most of the Museum folks will be back there again this weekend (and yes, tickets for the Day Out With Thomas are still available!), they beat a hasty retreat. We joined a few of them for a fine dinner at Amigos Tres in downtown Perris.

Now originally, we had planned to meet up with a few folks in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning. The purpose was to show off a private railroad car to someone who is interested in chartering it for an event. That car, the “Pony Express” is based in LA and will be just right for this group with a trip down to San Diego and then back.

That was just the kind of trip it was supposed to have made on Saturday while we were out a Joshua Tree. But due to a derailment at the Los Angeles Union Station on Friday night, the car had to be placed in the middle of a train set, rather than on the rear, as would be the usual practice. That was fine as the charter would still be able to run. What complicated things a bit was that due to this and the derailment still being cleaned up, the car could not be removed from that train set once it got back to Los Angeles.

Why not, you may ask? Well dear readers, the train that the car returned on doesn’t end in Los Angeles that night. It continues on to Santa Barbara and little more to a place called Goleta. And that is just what it did — complete with the “Pony Express”! Car owner Stan Garner called me and told me the tale. It didn’t stop there, however. Just like “Charlie on the MTA” (as so notably sung by the Kingston Trio), it seemed that Stan and the “Pony” were stuck on the train. Sunday came and went and there they still were. Monday morning came and Stan was enjoying a fine breakfast of Quiche Lorraine, fresh fruit and a nice cup of coffee rolling along in his private railroad car, heading south along the coastline.

Amtrak finally did take pity on him and the car got switched out of the train set that afternoon in San Diego. He managed to make it back to LAUPT later that evening.

This all was amusing, but it meant that our plans to head downtown were somewhat unnecessary. Hey, it means for the second time in three days, we all got to sleep in late! Wow! Such a bonus!

And as fate would have it, while looking for the most reasonably priced (a.k.a. cheapest) room in the area, it turned out to be directly across the street from…

You guessed it! (Or you read my Ruminations Extra on Wednesday…) Disneyland.

Thanks to very light traffic on the 91 we managed to arrive in Anaheim about 8:30. And as Disneyland was open until 11, I bid Jeff and Dasha farewell, apologized for being anti-social and made my way to the Park, arriving just after the fireworks were done for the night. A good excuse to try out the digital camera and the little tripod!

The Emporium and the Main Street Christmas Tree.

The Matterhorn and construction at the top.

The entrance to DCA from an interesting vantage point.

So, here we are Monday morning…

I’ll recap a bit from the Extra here.

So bright and early we were up Monday. It was one of those rare days with a warm morning and the mythical San Gabriel Mountains were even in view, complete with snow capped peaks. After a brief moment of consideration, my companions decided that we should enjoy a Disneyland visit instead of making the trek to downtown.

After a quick nosh at the La Brea Bakery, we entered the Park and wandered down Main Street. Dasha is a big fan of Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” so we thought we would see what time Ariel would be at her Grotto to greet guests. Turned out that would be 12:30 p.m. so we had a bit of time. We went off to take in the “Indiana Jones Adventure” (The snake still looks fake.) Nice to see most of the effects back up and running. Also noted the new procedure that insures that each guest takes in the pre-ride film showing seat belts instructions, carry-on item storage and assorted safety warnings.

By the time that was finished, it was time to head back across the park to Ariel’s Grotto. Passing in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, we stopped to take in the ongoing restoration. While watching some folks at work on what appear to be the finishing touches, I thought I saw a familiar face walk by. Right I was; as Matt Ouimet and another Cast Member with a name tag of Steve said “Hello” to an Outdoor Vending Cast Member at the same location. Matt and Steve stopped for a moment to look at the Castle and then continued off on their walk. “Neat”, I thought. Nice to see him out and about as I’ve heard he’s someone very interested in seeing what is happening for himself.

So, we continued on and joined the short line of guests waiting for Ariel at her Grotto. It wasn’t long and Dasha soon had her moment for a photo and a chat.

A quiet moment with a favorite friend…

Now while I’m taking this photo, I’ve noticed that Monorail Blue is coming slowly around the Matterhorn headed for the Tomorrowland Monorail station. Just about the time I’m pushing the shutter button, I hear a loud pop, and Monorail Blue comes to a stop. So taking another quick photo of Ariel and Dasha, I walk over to join Jeff in seeing what has happened on the beam. We hear the pilot come on the public address system on the cars and let the passengers know that they are temporarily stopped for an unknown technical difficulty.

Monorail Blue stopped on it’s way to the station.

Less than two minutes later, the pilot announces that they will be pushed into the station in a few moments, as it appears that the electricity has been lost. Right they are, as in a great display of Disney efficiency, the Monorail tow tug comes to a top behind the train so that the tow bar can be attached.

The Monorail Tow-Tug, ready and on the scene…

While I’m busy taking photo’s of the tug and the Monorail as it is readied to be pushed into the station platform, Dasha is greeted with a “Hello” from Matt as he passes by, headed east under the beam. Of course, I never noticed this. She tells me about it after I’m all done and put the camera away…

From here it was off for a ride on the Disneyland Railroad, something Dasha says she has never done before. Well, we set that one right!

Yes, it is the Fred Gurley. That’s the DRR #3, the 2-4-4T (not the #4, Ernest Marsh, which is a 2-4-0 with a tender.)

Thanks to everyone who reminded me last time!

That’s what I get for writing on the fly…

We rode from Tomorrowland to New Orleans Square. Disembarking from the train, I spotted Disneyland Tour Guide Edmundo getting a group ready to board while we exited.

Edmundo and his group between near the Haunted Mansion.

A ride on Pirates of the Caribbean is always a favorite, so we made our way along Royal Street. I noted that the shop, “Le Mascarade de Orleans” was open again, as it had been shuttered earlier in the year. A quick visit revealed it has become a pin trading location with the usual variety. Too bad, I always enjoyed it as a hat shoppe, and even purchased some favorites there including a dashing grey top hat! Ce’ la vie…

Le Mascarade de pins?

After Pirates, we stopped for a bite of lunch at the Stage Door Café. Thankfully, they haven’t switched to the McDonalds fries just yet. But a burger is still just a burger here, too. It’s been a while since I had such mundane fare at the Park, so it was actually an amusing change of pace.

Haunted Mansion Holiday, good as ever!

We enjoyed this year’s Haunted Mansion Holiday and headed back to Main Street for some last minute shopping before heading off on that most dangerous of journey’s – the Southern California Freeways!

That was a great moment here as three fantastic Cast Members at Main Street’s Disney Showcase took very extra special care to see that twenty Christmas ornaments are especially wrapped to safely survive the airplane flight home. That was a great bit of Disney “Magic” and it just topped off a wonderfully unexpected day at the Park.

From right to left, these great Cast Members shared a special bit of Disney Magic – Gel, Teddy and especially Jo-Ann!

Thanks again for the wonderful help!

So there you have it. Or do you? I’ve saved a few things to share, so you’ll just have to check back later, won’t you?

It was a great four days in Southern California and just packed with good weather and interesting times. So much so that I’m doing it again next month, just in time for Disneyland’s Candlelight events! Stay tuned…

Thanks again to everyone for your support of the American Red Cross. It’s great to know that your help makes their efforts go that much further when folks in trouble need assistance.

And if you’re in a generous and or appreciative mood, drop me a buck or two using the Paypal Donation Box or the Amazon Honor System links from my bio page here! I’m putting it to good use, honest!

Television & Shows

The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

Published

1 week ago

April 24, 2025

Jim Hill

Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios

A long time ago in a galaxy that … Well, to be honest, wasn’t all that far away. This was down in Florida after all. But if you traveled to the WDW Resort, you could then experience “Star Wars Weekends.” Which ran seasonally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney World from 1997 to 2015.

Mind you, what most folks don’t remember is the annual event that effectively plowed the road for “Star Wars Weekends.” Which was “Super Soap Weekend.” That seasonal offering — which allowed ABC soap fans to get up-close with their favorite performers from “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live” and “Port Charles” — debuted at that same theme park the year previous (1996).

So how did this weekend-long celebration of daytime drama (which drew tens of thousands of people to Orlando every Fall for 15 years straight) come to be?

Michael Eisner’s Daytime TV Origins and a Theme Park Vision

Super Soap Weekend was the brainchild of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. His career in media began with short stints at NBC and CBS, but it truly took off in 1964 when he joined ABC as the assistant to Leonard Goldberg, who was the network’s national programming director at the time.

Eisner quickly advanced through the ranks. By 1971, he had become Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC. That meant he was on the scene when One Life to Live joined the lineup in July 1968 and when All My Children made its debut in January 1970. Even after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Prime Time Programming in 1976, Eisner stayed close to the daytime division and often recruited standout soap talent for ABC’s primetime shows.

Fast forward nearly two decades to July 31, 1995. The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire ABC/Cap Cities in a $19 billion deal. Although the acquisition wasn’t finalized until February 1996, Eisner was already thinking ahead. He wanted to use the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital to draw people to Disney’s theme parks.

He had seen how individual soap stars were drawing huge mall crowds across America since the late 1970s. Now he wanted to bring dozens of them together for something much bigger.

Super Soap Weekend Takes Over Disney-MGM Studios

The very first Super Soap Weekend was announced in June 1996, just a few months after the ABC deal closed. The event was scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Disney-MGM Studios and was a massive success.

The weekend featured panel discussions, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities with the stars of ABC’s daytime dramas. Thousands of fans packed the park for the chance to meet their favorite actors. Due to the overwhelming response, the event became an annual tradition and was eventually moved to Veterans Day weekend each November to better accommodate attendees.

Longtime fans like Nancy Stadler, her mom Mary, and their close friend Angela Ragno returned year after year, making the event a personal tradition and building lifelong memories.

West Coast Events and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro

Disney even tried to recreate the event out west. Two Super Soap Weekends were held at Disneyland Resort, one in April 2002 and another in June 2003.

At Disney’s California Adventure, Eisner also introduced the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, a themed dining experience that opened in February 2001. Guests could dine inside recreated sets from shows like General Hospital and All My Children, including Kelly’s Diner and the Chandler Mansion. The Bistro closed in November 2002, but for fans, it offered a rare opportunity to step into the world of their favorite soaps.

SOAPnet, Port Charles, and the Expansion of Daytime TV at Disney

Eisner’s enthusiasm for soaps extended beyond the parks. In January 2000, he launched SOAPnet, a cable channel dedicated to prime time replays of ABC’s daytime dramas.

During his time at Disney, General Hospital also received a spin-off series titled Port Charles, which aired from June 1997 to October 2003. The show leaned into supernatural plotlines and was another example of Eisner’s commitment to evolving and expanding the soap genre.

The Final Curtain for Super Soap Weekend

In September 2005, Eisner stepped down after 21 years as head of The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger, who had previously served as President of ABC and Chief Operating Officer of ABC/Cap Cities, took over as CEO. While Iger had deep ABC credentials, he didn’t share Eisner’s passion for daytime television.

In the fall of 2008, Disney hosted the final Super Soap Weekend at what was then still called Disney-MGM Studios. That same year, the park was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney began shifting away from television-focused experiences.

Within the next five years, the rest of Eisner’s soap legacy faded. One Life to Live was canceled in January 2012. SOAPnet was rebranded as Disney Junior in February 2013. Later that year, All My Children ended its 41-year run on ABC.

Only General Hospital remains on the network today, the last standing soap from the golden age of ABC Daytime.

A New Chapter for Daytime TV and Super Soap Fans

The soap genre may have faded from its former glory, but it’s not gone. On February 24, 2025, CBS premiered a brand-new daytime drama called Beyond the Gates, marking the first new soap launch in years.

Meanwhile, All My Children alum Kelly Ripa has been actively working on a revival. In September 2024, she mentioned a holiday-themed movie set in Pine Valley that would bring back many original cast members. The project was in development for Lifetime, though its current status is unclear.

And what about Super Soap? Fans like Nancy and Angela still hope Disney will bring it back. Even if it only featured the cast of General Hospital, it would be a welcome return for longtime viewers who miss that one weekend a year where the magic of Disney collided with the drama of daytime TV.

If you want to hear firsthand what it was like to be part of Super Soap Weekend, be sure to listen to our I Want That Too podcast interview with actor Colin Egglesfield. He shares behind-the-scenes memories from his days as Josh Madden on All My Children and what it meant to be part of one of the most unique fan events in Disney park history.

History

The Super Bowl & Disney: The Untold Story Behind ‘I’m Going to Disneyland!’

Published

3 months ago

February 6, 2025

Jim Hill

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl isn’t just the game itself—it’s the moment when the winning quarterback turns to the camera and exclaims, “I’m going to Disney World!” This now-iconic phrase has been a staple of post-game celebrations for decades. But where did this tradition begin? Surprisingly, it didn’t originate in a stadium but at a dinner table in 1987, in a conversation involving Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and aviation pioneers Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

The Unlikely Beginning of a Marketing Sensation

To understand the origins of this campaign, we have to go back to December 1986, when the Rutan Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles before landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Their historic achievement earned them national recognition, and just days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded them the Presidential Citizen Medal at the White House.

Meanwhile, Disney was gearing up for the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, set for January 12, 1987. Following its usual playbook of associating major theme park attractions with real-world pioneers, Disney’s PR team invited astronauts Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton to the launch event. But in a twist, they also invited Rutan and Yeager, who were still making headlines.

A Dinner Conversation That Changed Advertising Forever

After the Star Tours opening ceremony, a private dinner was held with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and Eisner’s wife, Jane. During the meal, Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “You just made history. You traveled non-stop around the planet on a plane without ever refueling. How are you ever going to top that, career-wise? What are you two gonna do next?”

Without hesitation, Jeana Yeager replied, “Well, after being cramped inside that tiny plane for nine days, I’m just glad to be anywhere else. And even though you folks were nice enough to fly us here, invite us to your party… Well, as soon as we finish eating, I’m gonna go over to the Park and ride some rides. I’m going to Disneyland.”

Jane Eisner immediately recognized the power of Yeager’s statement. On the car ride home, she turned to Michael and said, “That’s a great slogan. I think you should use that to promote the theme parks.” Like many husbands, Michael initially dismissed the idea, but Jane persisted. Eventually, Eisner relented and pitched it to his team.

The Super Bowl Connection

With Super Bowl XXI just around the corner, Disney’s PR team saw an opportunity. The game was set for January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—just miles from Disney Studios. What if they convinced the winning quarterback to say, “I’m going to Disneyland” live on-air?

Disney quickly struck a deal with both quarterbacks—Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway of the Denver Broncos—offering each $75,000 to deliver the line if their team won. Simms led the Giants to victory, making history as the first athlete to say, “I’m going to Disney World!” on national television.

A Marketing Triumph

That year’s Super Bowl had the second-highest viewership in television history, with 87 million people watching Simms say the famous line. The next day, Disney turned the clip into a national commercial, cementing the phrase as a marketing goldmine.

Since then, “I’m going to Disneyland” (or Disney World, depending on the commercial) has been a staple of championship celebrations, spanning the NFL, NBA, and even the Olympics. What started as a casual remark at dinner became one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Jane Eisner’s keen instinct and Disney’s ability to act quickly on a great idea created a tradition that continues to captivate audiences. The “I’m going to Disneyland” campaign remains a testament to the power of spontaneous inspiration and smart marketing, proving that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

To learn more about Disney’s ties to the world of sports, check out I Want That Too: A Disney History and Consumer Product Podcast.

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned: