Film & Movies
Disney California Adventure’s original entrance complex gets ready to make its exit
I know that this is going to sound strange to all of you
folks out there who absolutely hate Disney California Adventure, who have been happily
sitting back and watching as this theme park undergoes its $1.4 billion
makeover … But it kind of makes me sad that they’ve begun dismantling Sunshine
Plaza. That – starting later today —
those two huge, beautiful mosaics that flank that miniature version of the
Golden Gate Bridge are getting pulled down.
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But maybe the reason that I’m feeling so down about this
particular aspect of the DCA redo is that I know how long & how hard the
Imagineers struggled to come up with a suitable entrance complex for the
Disneyland Resort‘s second gate. Believe it or not, WDI fretted about this
particular creative decision for almost 15 years. Which is why many pieces of
this particular puzzle didn’t actually come together ’til 18 months shy of
Disney California Adventure’s grand opening back in February of 2001.
Strange but true, folks. This story actually begins back in
late 1984 / early 1985. Which was right after Michael Eisner had come onboard
at Disney as the Company’s new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. And one of
Eisner’s first orders to the Imagineers was to find ways to expand Disneyland.
So that it could then go from being just a stand-alone theme park to becoming a
multi-day destination resort.
Obviously this plan was put into play before January of
1988. Which was when The Walt Disney Company acquired the Wrather Corporation
so that the Mouse could then own the Disneyland Hotel outright. But I digress …
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Anyway … The easiest way to expand Disneyland was
to build a second gate (i.e. theme park) in Disneyland’s old parking lot. But
that then raised issues about where Guests would park once they arrived in
Anaheim. More to the point, how thousands of people would transition from The
Happiest Place on Earth to … Well, whatever theme Disneyland’s companion park
was going to be built around.
Back when Westcot 1.0 was in the works, Disneyland Plaza (as
the area between the two theme parks was then known) was supposed to have been
this world-class public space. A seven-acre area that would not only provide
Guests with a Dramatic Entry Sequence (which then created a sense of place as
well as providing notable gateways to the theme parks) but would also serve as
the transportation hub of the Disneyland Resort. Giving DLR visitors the option of walking
(if they wanted to visit Disneyland Center. Which was supposed to be this
version of the Resort’s retail, dining
and entertainment district), boarding a Monorail (if they were headed to one of
Disney’s on-site Resort Hotels) or hopping an elevated PeopleMover (if they wanted
to return to their car. Which was located in one of the Disneyland Resort’s peripheral parking structures).
Now as for what the entrance plaza of Westcot 1.0 was
supposed to have looked like … Given that the Imagineers now felt that Epcot‘s
original entrance plaza was rather austere (which is why “Leave a Legacy” was
eventually added to the front of that theme park), they were looking to create
something lush and green.
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So the original entrance complex for this first iteration of
Disneyland’s second gate … Well, you were to have crossed this highly stylized bridge
and then walked under a cascading waterfall. After you’d have done this, you’d have found
yourself in this enormous lobby. Where you could then have boarded Westcot
1.0’s signature attraction. Which was to have been housed in Spacestation
Earth. Which was this 300 foot-tall golden sphere that would have loomed over
the horizon in most of Anaheim.
But when Orange County residents began carping about the
size of Westcot 1.0’s icon (Based on how big Spacestation Earth seemed to be from
the Disneyland Resort model, one Anaheim wag quipped that this 300-foot tall
golden sphere looked like a Sunkist Orange on steroids), the Imagineers then decided
to revise their plans for the Disneyland Resort. Opting instead to go with
Westcot 2.0. Which (it was felt at the time, anyway) would have been a far
better fit with that world-famous theme park right across the way.
Mind you, one of the reasons that it was felt that Westcot
2.0 would be a better fit with Disneyland is that the portions of these two
theme parks that faced into Disneyland Plaza would share a similar sort of
architecture. With Disneyland’s train station obviously reflecting Main Street
U.S.A.’s turn-of-the-century stylings while Westcot 2.0’s entrance complex was
to have been modeled after those beautiful glass-and-iron structures that were
built to house Philadelpia’s Centennial International Exhibition of 1876. Which
was the first official World’s Fair to be held inside of the United States.
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But after Euro Disney struggled to meet its initial
attendance & financial projections after that $4 billion Resort opened in
April of 1992, Eisner lost his enthusiasm for ambitious multi-billion dollar projects.
Which is why – in January of 1995 – Michael pulled the plug on Westcot (which –
at one point, anyway – was to have cost $3 billion to build) and then asked the
Imagineers to come up with a more affordable alternative. Which is where the
idea for Disney California Adventure came from.
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Now for a while, the plaza that Disneyland and DCA were to
share did retain some of the features that had been initially designed for the
Westcot versions of the Disneyland Resort’s expansion plans. To be specific: A
huge fountain that – just like Epcot’s Innoventions Fountains (which are
located in Future World’s Innoventions Plaza) – were to have presented
elaborate water ballets to entertain Disneyland Guests every 15 minutes.
But – over time – as the Imagineers struggled to stretch the
$1.4 billion that Michael Eisner had given them as far as they possibly could
(Because – let’s remember – this wasn’t just $1.4 billion that had been set
aside for construction of a new theme park. No, this money also had to be used
to build the Grand California Resort & Spa, the Downtown Disney shopping
& dining district, that six-level Mickey & Friends parking structure as
well as DCA), certain decorative elements got dropped along the way. And among
those items were the fountains that supposed to have been built at the very center
of Disneyland Plaza.
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Now as for the entrance complex for Disney California
Adventure itself, this area went through 5 different iterations on the next
four years. As the Imagineers struggled to get a handle on what the icon for
this theme park should be. Should it be a huge ornamental fountain shaped like the State
of California …
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… or a giant golden spike (Which was supposed to be
referencing the California Gold Rush of 1848 – 1855.
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Though – truth be told –
this icon was actually a carry-over from the massive Future World show building
that the Imagineers had initially designed for Westcot 2.0.
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Which – to be
completely honest – had been inspired by the Trylon and the Perisphere, the
Theme Center for the New York World’s Fair of 1939-1940. But – again – I
digress …)
The only problem with the first five versions of Disney
California Adventure’s entrance complex is that they were clearly inspired by
the all of the Spanish & Mediterranean-style architecture that you already
see throughout Southern California. In short, while this type of design was
entirely appropriate for a theme park that celebrated the Golden State, it was
also nothing special. It just didn’t stand out.
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Or so thought Tim Delaney. At that time (circa 1998), this
veteran Imagineer was already the Creative Director, Producer & Field Art
Director of DCA’s Paradise Pier area (which was supposed to be this
affectionate recreation of California’s seaside amusement piers of the 1920s).
But as Delaney watched WDI constantly flailing and then failing to come up with
a suitable concept on Disney California Adventure’s entrance complex, Tim
finally felt that he had to intervene.
Back when I interviewed Delaney at DCA’s Grand Opening in
February of 2001, Tim talked about how concerned he was.
“After all, you only get one chance to make a first
impression. And the designs that WDI had come up with previous to my coming
onboard this project were … To be honest, they weren’t special enough,” Tim
explained. “I mean, this is the theme park that’s being built right across the
way from Disneyland. People have been coming to Anaheim for almost 50 years now
for the magic and the fun. Which is why they’re going to expect that the Park
that Disney builds right next door to Disneyland is going to be magic and fun
as well.”
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And to get that point across, Delaney suggested that WDI
step away from all of the Spanish & Mediterranean-style architecture and
instead turn DCA’s entrance complex into this giant 3D postcard version of
California. So that – even while they were standing outside of this theme park
— Disneyland Resort Guests could get a sense of some of the Golden
State-themed fun & magic that lay just beyond those turnstiles.
So Tim pitched this design to Imagineering management. Who
liked it and then immediately passed this concept along to Eisner. Who quickly
signed off on the 3D picture postcard idea for Disney California Adventure’s
entrance complex.
The only problem was … Again, this was 1998. And – what with
the Paradise Pier project — Delaney’s plate was already very full. So could he
really pull that part of the theme park off as well as supervise the design
& construction of DCA’s entrance complex?
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Tim didn’t even think about it. He just plunged right in.
With one of his first tasks being determining how high that miniature version
of the Golden Gate Bridge should be.
“We were originally going to make those bridge supports
79-feet tall. But then when we did some balloon tests and stood at the Partners
statue at the Hub, we found that a 79-foot tall support would have stuck up
from behind the Main Street Train Station,” Delaney continued. “So we lowered
the height of those two supports to 72 feet. And that way, DCA’s entrance
complex didn’t visually intrude into Disneyland.
Determining the proper height for those enormous letters
that are used to spell “CALIFORNIA” just outside of DCA’s entrance led to one
of the funnier moments on this construction project. As senior principal
construction designer Charlie Kowalski recalled:
“(Mock-ups of the letters C and A had been constructed in
both 12-foot and 13-foot heights). It was early one Sunday morning and we had
both sets of CAs next to one another. Within half an hour, Operations comes
running over yelling ‘Quick, knock one of those letters down! Our
Spanish-speaking Guests at Disneyland are upset about the giant CACA they can
see from the Monorail! (So we quickly knocked down that second A).”
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As for the 210-foot long mural portion of this project,
Delaney decided that the left side would represent Southern California from
Mount Whitney & Yosemite Valley down to San Diego. While the west side
would depicts Northern California landmarks from San Francisco north to Mount
Shasta. Tim also included all sort of witty touches as part of his design, like
those whales & mule deer that appear to be jumping over DCA’s security fence
in order to gain entrance to this theme park.
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And to turn his design (which drew its inspiration from the
artwork that you used to see on those citrus labels that California’s fruit
packing plants used to slap on packing crates back in the early 20th century) into ceramic tiles,
Delaney turned to Theodora Kurkchiev and Dimitri Lazaroff of TND Studio, Inc. Which is this San
Pedro-based art studio that specializes in the design and production of ceramic
works of art.
In a February 2001 interview with the Los Angeles Times,
Theodora recalled what it was like when Tim initially came to TND Studio,
asking if they’d be able to pull off the mural component of the DCA entrance complex project:
“Dimitri told (Tim that) it would take at least 19 months to
do this, but Disney wanted it in half that time. We started work in February of
2000 … I worked seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day, hand-painting each and
every tile (for this project). I couldn’t take even one day off in the last six
months because I was afraid we would not make it.”
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“And why was that?,” you ask. Because translating Delaney’s
design into individual pieces of ceramic tile was a fairly labor-intensive
process. It involved taking Tim’s design (which had been broken up in this series of
8-foot-long paintings) and then blowing those images up into 16-foot-tall
posters. Which then had to be enlarged 105% (because clay shrinks
5% when it’s being fired).
After each piece of clay was baked, it was then hand-painted
and glazed (sometimes with 14-carat gold paint). Afterward all 14,500 ceramic
tiles were alphanumerically encoded so the Imagineers would then know just
where to put each piece of ceramic once it arrived on site.
And did I mention that – as Delaney, Kurkchiev and Lazaroff were
designing and then building what eventually became one of the largest
hand-crafted tile murals in the world – that they had to take the sometimes
brutal Southern California sun in account? Which is why – to prevent all of
those exquisitely painted pieces of ceramic from cracking – these two giant murals
feature expansion joints.
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Anywho … From the moment that Disney California Adventure
opened, this theme park’s 3D picture postcard entrance plaza was a hit with the
public. People immediately began using the enormous “CALIFORNIA” sign outside
of this Park as a point of reference at the Resort (i.e. “Meet me at the Letter F at 4 o’clock”). They also happily took pictures of friends & family as
they climbed on and/or posed in front of these over-sized letters.
But all of that goes away starting today. DCA’s original
entrance complex and Sunshine Plaza will be pulled down to build Buena Vista Street.
Which will be this romanticized version of the Los Angeles that Walt Disney
encountered in the 1920s after he made that fateful train trip from Kansas City
to Hollywood in 1923.
And while I’m sure that people will enjoy entering Disney
California Adventure through a recreation of the entrance of LA’s old
Pan-Pacific Auditorium (After all, WDW Guests have enjoyed Disney’s Hollywood
Studios‘ entrance for over 20 years now. Which also draws its inspiration from
the Pan-Pacific), I know that – me personally – I know that I’m going to miss
DCA’s original entrance complex as well as its Sunshine Plaza area.
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Mind you, not all aspects of this part of Disney California
Adventure worked for me. That large metal sunburst statue and fountain located
towards at the back of Sunshine Plaza were pretty ineffective icons. I don’t
know if this was because of their positioning and/or because (to be honest)
these pieces were kind of on the puny side. But that sunburst statue &
fountain never worked as weenies. At least for me. They never made me feel like
I had to go deeper into that theme park, find new things to experience and
explore.
That said, what did work for me (at least in DCA’s Sunshine
Plaza area) was that replica of the California Zephyr. Looking at this thing,
it’s hard to believe that the Imagineers found this engine rusting in a pond
next to a rail salvage yard in Moline, IL. I’ve spent many a happy afternoon
seated right outside of this beautifully restored engine enjoying a sweet treat from Baker’s Field
Bakery or Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream. Or
looking down at DCA’s feral cats (which – for some reason or another – just
love to sleep in the sun right on those train tracks that are directly in front
of the California Zephyr. As if to say “Go ahead. I dare you. Try and run me
over.”) Or just sitting in the shade there, taking notes, chatting with
friends, smiling whenever I’d hear Al Jolson start to sing “California, Here I
Come!“
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It’s sad to think that this part of DCA is now going away. I
mean, I’m certain that Walt Disney Plaza will have its charms. And it’ll be
interesting to see what eventually winds up being installed of that recreation
of the Carthay Circle Theatre (Which was where the Imagineers had initially
hoped to install a West Coast version of “Mickey’s PhilharMagic.” Until they
realized that this show building wouldn’t actually be big enough to house that
150-foot wide seamless projection screen which Disney needs in order to properly present this 3D
film).
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But until that happens … Well, at least I’ll have those
pictures of my daughter Alice seated in the gap of the letter A in DCA’s old
“CALIFORNIA” sign to remind of what the entrance complex of this theme park
used to look like.
But what about you folks? Is there anyone else who’s going
to miss Disney California Adventure’s entrance complex after it exits? Or are
you all just focusing on what Buena Vista Street and Walt Disney Plaza will
look like once they open in 2012?
Your thoughts?
Film & Movies
How “An American Tail” Led to Disney’s “Hocus Pocus”
Over the last week, I’ve been delving into Witches Run Amok, Shannon Carlin’s oral history of the making of Disney’s Hocus Pocus. This book reveals some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the 1993 film that initially bombed at the box office but has since become a cult favorite, even spawning a sequel in 2022 that went on to become the most-watched release in Disney+ history.
But what really caught my eye in this 284-page hardcover wasn’t just the tales of Hocus Pocus’s unlikely rise to fame. Rather, it was the unexpected connections between Hocus Pocus and another beloved film—An American Tail. As it turns out, the two films share a curious origin story, one that begins in the mid-1980s, during the early days of the creative rebirth of Walt Disney Studios under Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
The Birth of An American Tail
Let’s rewind to late 1984/early 1985, a period when Eisner, Wells, and Katzenberg were just getting settled at Disney and were on the hunt for fresh projects that would signal a new era at the studio. During this time, Katzenberg—tasked with revitalizing Disney Feature Animation—began meeting with talent across Hollywood, hoping to find a project that could breathe life into the struggling division.
One such meeting was with a 29-year-old writer and illustrator named David Kirschner. At the time, Kirschner’s biggest credit was illustrating children’s books featuring Muppets and Sesame Street characters, but he had an idea for a new project: a TV special about a mouse emigrating to America, culminating in the mouse’s arrival in New York Harbor on the same day as the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
Katzenberg saw the patriotic appeal of the concept but ultimately passed on it, as he was focused on finding full-length feature projects for Disney’s animation department. Kirschner, undeterred, took his pitch elsewhere—to none other than Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg’s production partner. Kennedy was intrigued and invited Kirschner to Spielberg’s annual Fourth of July party to pitch the idea directly to the famed director.
Spielberg immediately saw the potential in Kirschner’s idea, but instead of a TV special, he envisioned a full-length animated feature film. This project would eventually become An American Tail, a tribute of sorts to Spielberg’s own grandfather, Philip Posner, who emigrated from Russia to the United States in the late 19th century. The film’s lead character, Fievel, was even named after Spielberg’s grandfather, whose Yiddish name was also Fievel.
Disney’s Loss Becomes Universal’s Gain
An American Tail went on to become a major success for Universal Pictures, which hadn’t been involved in an animated feature since the release of Pinocchio in Outer Space in 1965. Meanwhile, over at Disney, Eisner and Wells weren’t exactly thrilled that Katzenberg had let such a promising project slip through his fingers.
Not wanting to miss out on any future opportunities with Kirschner, Katzenberg quickly scheduled another meeting with him to discuss any other ideas he might have. And as fate would have it, Kirschner had just written a short story for Muppet Magazine called Halloween House, about a boy who is magically transformed into a cat by a trio of witches.
The Pitch That Sealed the Deal
Knowing Katzenberg could be a tough sell, Kirschner went all out to impress during his pitch. He requested access to the Disney lot 30 minutes early to set the stage for his presentation. When Katzenberg and the Disney development team walked into the conference room, they were greeted by a table covered in candy corn, a cauldron of dry ice fog, and a broom, mop, and vacuum cleaner suspended from the ceiling as if they were flying—evoking the magical world of Halloween House.
Katzenberg was reportedly unimpressed by the theatrical setup, muttering, “Oy, show-and-tell time” as he took his seat. But Kirschner knew exactly how to grab his attention. He started his pitch with the fact that Halloween was a billion-dollar business—a figure that made Katzenberg sit up and take notice. He listened attentively to Kirschner’s pitch, and by the time the meeting was over, Katzenberg was convinced. Halloween House would become Hocus Pocus, and Disney had its next big Halloween film.
A Bit of Hollywood Drama
Interestingly, Kirschner’s success with Hocus Pocus didn’t sit well with his old collaborators. About a year after the film’s release, Kirschner ran into Kathleen Kennedy at an Amblin holiday party, and she wasted no time in expressing her disappointment. According to Kirschner, Kennedy said, “You really hurt Steven.” When Kirschner asked how, she explained that Spielberg and Kennedy had given him his big break with An American Tail, but when he came up with the idea for his next film, he brought it to Disney rather than to them.
Hollywood can be a place where loyalty is valued—or, at least, perceived loyalty. At the same time, this was happening just as Katzenberg was leaving Disney and partnering with Spielberg and David Geffen to launch DreamWorks SKG, which only added to the tension. Loyalty, as Kirschner found out, can be an abstract concept in the entertainment industry.
A Halloween Favorite is Born
Despite its rocky start at the box office in 1993, Hocus Pocus has gone on to become a beloved part of Halloween pop culture. And, as Carlin’s book details, its success helped pave the way for more Disney Halloween-themed projects in the years that followed.
As for why Hocus Pocus was released in July of 1993 instead of during Halloween? That’s a story for another time, but it has something to do with another Halloween-themed project Disney was working on that year—Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—and Katzenberg finding himself in the awkward position of having to choose between keeping Bette Midler or Tim Burton happy.
For more behind-the-scenes stories about Hocus Pocus and other Disney films, be sure to check out Witches Run Amok by Shannon Carlin. It’s a fascinating read for any Disney fan!
And if you love hearing these kinds of behind-the-scenes stories about animation and film history, be sure to check out Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor, where Drew and I dive deep into all things movies, animation, and the creative decisions that shape the films we love. You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms or right here on JimHillMedia.com.
Film & Movies
How Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear
When people talk about Disney’s “Bambi,” the scene that they typically cite as being the one from this 1942 film which then scarred them for life is – of course – the moment in this movie where Bambi’s mother gets shot by hunters.
Which is kind of ironic. Given that – if you watch this animated feature today – you’ll see that a lot of this ruined-my-childhood scene actually happens off-camera. I mean, you hear the rifle shot that takes down Bambi’s Mom. But you don’t actually see that Mama Deer get clipped.
Now for the scariest part of that movie that you actually see on-camera … Hands down, that has to be the forest fire sequence in “Bambi.” As the grown-up Bambi & his bride, Faline, desperately race through those woods, trying to find a path to safety as literally everything around them is ablaze … That sequence is literally nightmare fuel.
Mind you, the artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios had lots of inspiration for the forest fire sequence in “Bambi.” You see, in a typical year, the United States experiences – due to either natural phenomenon like lightning strikes or human carelessness – 100 forest fires. Whereas in 1940 (i.e., the year that Disney Studios began working in earnest of a movie version of Felix Salten’s best-selling movie), America found itself battling a record 360 forest fires.
Which greatly concerned the U.S. Forest Service. But not for the reason you might think.
Protecting the Forest for World War II
I mean, yes. Sure. Officials over in the Agricultural Department (That’s the arm of the U.S. government that manages the Forest Service) were obviously concerned about the impact that this record number of forest fires in 1940 had had on citizens. Not to mention all of the wildlife habitat that was now lost.
But to be honest, what really concerned government officials was those hundreds of thousands of acres of raw timber that had been consumed by these blazes. You see, by 1940, the world was on the cusp of the next world war. A conflict that the U.S. would inevitably be pulled into. And all that now-lost timber? It could have been used to fuel the U.S. war machine.
So with this in mind (and U.S. government officials now seeing an urgent need to preserve & protect this precious resource) … Which is why – in 1942 (just a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor) – the U.S. Forest Service rolls out its first-ever forest fire prevention program.
Which – given that this was the early days of World War II – the slogan that the U.S. Forest Service initially chose for its forest fire prevention program is very in that era’s we’re-all-in-this-together / so-let’s-do-what-we-can-to-help-America’s war-effort esthetic – made a direct appeal to all those folks who were taking part in scrap metal drives: “Forest Defense is National Defense.”
And the poster that the U.S. Forest Service had created to support this campaign? … Well, it was well-meaning as well. It was done in the WPA style and showed men out in the forest, wielding shovels to ditch a ditch. They were trying to construct a fire break, which would then supposedly slow the forest fire that was directly behind them.
But the downside was … That “Forest Defense is National Defense” slogan – along with that poster which the U.S. Forest Service had created to support their new forest fire prevention program didn’t exactly capture America’s attention.
I mean, it was the War Years after all. A lot was going in the country at that time. But long story short: the U.S. Forest Service’s first attempt at launching a successful forest fire prevention program sank without a trace.
So what do you do in a situation like this? You regroup. You try something different.
Disney & Bambi to the Rescue
And within the U.S. government, the thinking now was “Well, what if we got a celebrity to serve as the spokesman for our new forest fire prevention program? Maybe that would then grab the public’s attention.”
The only problem was … Well, again, these are the War Years. And a lot of that era’s A-listers (people like Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, even Mel Brooks) had already enlisted. So there weren’t really a lot of big-name celebrities to choose from.
But then some enterprising official at the U.S. Forest Service came up with an interesting idea. He supposedly said “Hey, have you seen that new Disney movie? You know, the one with the deer? That movie has a forest fire in it. Maybe we should go talk with Walt Disney? Maybe he has some ideas about how we can better capture the public’s attention when it comes to our new forest fire prevention program?”
And it turns Walt did have an idea. Which was to use this government initiative as a way to cross-promote Disney Studio’s latest full-length animated feature, “Bambi.” Which been first released to theaters in August of 1942.
So Walt had artists at Disney Studio work up a poster that featured the grown-up versions of Bambi the Deer, Thumper the Rabbit & Flower the Skunk. As this trio stood in some tall grasses, they looked imploring out at whoever was standing in front of this poster. Above them was a piece of text that read “Please Mister, Don’t Be Careless.” And below these three cartoon characters was an additional line that read “Prevent Forest Fires. Greater Danger Than Ever!”
According to folks I’ve spoken with at Disney’s Corporate Archives, this “Bambi” -based promotional campaign for the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention campaign was a huge success. So much so that – as 1943 drew to a close – this division of the Department of Agriculture reportedly reached out to Walt to see if he’d be willing to let the U.S. Forest Service continue to use these cartoon characters to help raise the public’s awareness of fire safety.
Walt – for reasons known only to Mr. Disney – declined. Some have suggested that — because “Bambi” had actually lost money during its initial theatrical release in North America – that Walt was now looking to put that project behind him. And if there were posters plastered all over the place that then used the “Bambi” characters that then promoted the U.S.’s forest fire prevention efforts … Well, it would then be far harder for Mr. Disney to put this particular animated feature in the rear view mirror.
Introducing Smokey Bear
Long story short: Walt said “No” when it came to reusing the “Bambi” characters to promote the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program. But given how successful the previous cartoon-based promotional campaign had been … Well, some enterprising employee at the Department of Agriculture reportedly said “Why don’t we come up with a cartoon character of our own?”
So – for the Summer of 1944 – the U.S. Forest Service (with the help of the Ad Council and the National Association of State Foresters) came up with a character to help promote the prevention of forest fires. And his name is Smokey Bear.
Now a lot of thought had gone into Smokey’s creation. Right from the get-go, it was decided that he would be an American black bear (NOT a brown bear or a grizzly). To make this character seem approachable, Smokey was outfitted with a ranger’s hat. He also wore a pair of blue jeans & carried a bucket.
As for his debut poster, Smokey was depicted as pouring water over a still-smoldering campfire. And below this cartoon character was printed Smokey’s initial catchphrase. Which was “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!”
Which makes me think that this slogan was written by the very advertising executive who wrote “Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.”
Anyway … By the Summer of 1947, Smokey got a brand-new slogan. The one that he uses even today. Which is “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”
The Real Smokey Bear
Now where this gets interesting is – in the Summer of 1950 – there was a terrible forest fire up in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. And over the course of this blaze, a bear cub climbed high up into a tree to try & escape those flames.
Firefighters were finally able to rescue that cub. But he was so badly injured in that fire that he was shipped off to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and nursed back to health. And since this bear really couldn’t be released back in the wild at this point, he was then put on exhibit.
And what does this bear’s keepers decide to call him? You guessed it: Smokey.
And due to all the news coverage that this orphaned bear got, he eventually became the living symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program. Which then meant that this particular Smokey Bear got hit with a ton of fan mail. So much so that the National Zoo in Washington D.C. wound up with its own Zip Code.
“Smokey the Bear” Hit Song
And on the heels of a really-for-real Smokey Bear taking up residence in our nation’s capital, Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins decide to write a song that shined a spotlight on this fire-fightin’ bruin. Here’s the opening stanza:
With a ranger’s hat and shovel and a pair of dungarees,
You will find him in the forest always sniffin’ at the breeze,
People stop and pay attention when he tells them to beware
Because everybody knows that he’s the fire-preventin’ bear
Believe or not, even with lyrics like these, “Smokey the Bear” briefly topped the Country charts in the Summer of 1950. Thanks to a version of this song that was recorded by Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy.
By the way, it was this song that started all of the confusion in regards to Smokey Bear’s now. You see, Nelson & Rollins – because they need the lyrics of their song to scan properly – opted to call this fire-fightin’-bruin Smokey THE Bear. Rather than Smokey Bear. Which has been this cartoon character’s official name since the U.S. Forest Service first introduced him back in 1944.
“The Ballad of Smokey the Bear”
Further complicating this issue was “The Ballad of Smokey the Bear,” which was a stop-motion animated special that debuted on NBC in late November of 1966. Produced by Rankin-Bass as a follow-up to their hugely popular “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (which premiered on the Peacock Network in December of 1964) … This hour-long TV show also put a “THE” in the middle of Smokey Bear’s name because the folks at Rankin-Bass thought his name sounded better that way.
And speaking of animation … Disney’s “Bambi” made a brief return to the promotional campaign for the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program in the late 1980s. This was because the Company’s home entertainment division had decided to release this full-length animated feature on VHS.
What’s kind of interesting, though, is the language used on the “Bambi” poster is a wee different than the language that’s used on Smokey’s poster. It reads “Protect Our Forest Friends. Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” NOT “Forest Fires.”
Anyway, that’s how Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear. Thanks for bearin’ with me as I clawed my way through this grizzly tale.
Film & Movies
“Indiana Jones and the Search for Indiana Jones”
News came late last week that NBC was cancelling the “Magnum PI” remake. This series (which obviously took its inspiration from the Tom Selleck show that originally debuted on CBS back in December of 1980 and then went on run on that network for 8 seasons. With its final episode airing on May 8, 1988).
Anyway … Over 30 years later, CBS decided to remake “Magnum.” This version of the action drama debuted on September 24, 2018 and ran for four seasons before then being cancelled. NBC picked up the “Magnum” remake where it ran for one more season before word came down on June 23rd that this action drama was being cancelled yet again.
FYI: The second half of Season 5 of “Magnum” (10 episodes) has yet to air on NBC. It will be interesting to see when that final set of shows / the series finale gets scheduled.
This all comes to mind this week – out ahead of the theatrical release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” because … Well, if CBS execs had been a bit more flexible back in 1980, the star of the original version of “Magnum PI” (Tom Selleck) would have played the lead in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Which was released to theaters back on June 12, 1981.
That’s the part of the Indiana Jones story that the folks at Lucasfilm often opt to skim over.
That Harrison Ford wasn’t George Lucas’ first choice to play Doctor Jones.
Auditions for Indiana Jones – Harrison’s Not on the List
Mind you, Steven Spielberg – right from the get-go – had pushed for Ford to play this part. The way I hear it, Lucas showed Spielberg a work-in-progress cut of “The Empire Strikes Back.” And Steven was so taken with Harrison’s performance as Han Solo in that Irwin Kershner film that he immediately began pushing for Ford to be cast as Doctor Jones.
Whereas Mr. Lucas … I mean, it wasn’t that George had anything against Harrison. What with Ford’s performances first in “American Grafitti” and then in “A New Hope,” these two already had a comfortable working relationship.
But that said, Lucas was genuinely leery of … Well, the sort of creative collaboration that Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro. Where one actor & one director repeatedly worked together. To George’s way of thinking, that was a risky path to follow. Hitching your wagon to a single star.
Which is why – when auditions got underway for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1979 — Mike Fenton basically brought in every big performer of that era to read for Dr. Jones except Harrison Ford. We’re talking:
- Steve Martin
- Chevy Chase
- Bill Murray
- Jack Nicholson
- Peter Coyote
- Nick Nolte
- Sam Elliot
- Tim Matheson
- and Harry Hamlin
Casting a Comedian for Indiana Jones
Please note that there are a lot of comedians on this list. That’s because – while “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was in development — Spielberg was directed his epic WWII comedy, “1941.” And for a while there, Steve & George were genuinely uncertain about whether the movie that they were about to make would be a sincere valentine to the movie serials of the 1930s & the 1940s or more of a spoof.
It’s worth noting here that three of the more ridiculous set pieces found in “Temple of Doom” …
- the shoot-out at Club Obi Wan in Shanghai
- Indy, Willie & Short Round surviving that plane crash by throwing an inflatable life raft out of the cargo hatch
- and that film’s mine cart chase (which was not only inspired by Disney theme park favorites the Matterhorn Bobsleds & Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but some of the sound effects that you hear in this portion of “Temple of Doom” were actually recorded after hours at Disneyland inside of these very same attractions)
… all originally supposed to be in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” I’ve actually got a copy of the very first version of the screenplay that Lawrence Kasdan wrote for the first “Indy” movie where all three of these big action set pieces were supposed to be part of the story that “Raiders” told. And I have to tell you that this early iteration of the “Raiders” screenplay really does read more like a spoof of serials than a sincere, loving salute to this specific style of cinema.
Casting Indiana Jones – Jeff or Tom
Anyway … Back now to the casting of the male lead for “Raiders” … After seeing virtually every actor out in LA while looking for just the right performer to portray Indiana Jones, it all came down to two guys:
- Jeff Bridges
- and Tom Selleck
Jeff Bridges as Indiana Jones
Mike Fenton was heavily pushing for Jeff Bridges. Having already appeared with Clint Eastwood in 1974’s “Thunderbolt & Lightfoot” (Not to mention that “King Kong” remake from 1976), Bridges was a known quantity. But what Fenton liked especially liked about Bridges when it came to “Raiders” was … Well, at that time, Jeff was just coming off “Heaven’s Gate.”
Mind you, nowadays, because we’ve all now had the luxury of seeing the director’s cut of this Michael Cimino movie, we recognize “Heaven’s Gate” for the cinematic masterpiece that it is. But 40+ years ago, that honestly wasn’t the case. All audiences had to judge this movie by was the severely truncated version that United Artists sent out into theaters. Which – because “Heaven’s Gate” had cost $44 million to make and only sold $3.5 million of tickets – then became the textbook example of Hollywood excess.
Long story short: Given that being associated with “Heaven’s Gate” had somewhat dinged Bridges’ reputation for being a marketable star (i.e., a performer that people would pay good money to see up on the big screen), Jeff was now looking to appear in something highly commercial. And the idea of playing the lead in a film directed by Steven Spielberg (the “Jaws” & “Close Encounter” guy) and produced by George Lucas (Mr. “Star Wars”) was very, very appealing at that time. Bridges was even willing to sign a contract with Spielberg & Lucas that would have then roped him into not only playing Indiana Jones in “Raider of the Lost Ark” but also to appear as this very same character in two yet-to-be-written sequels.
Better yet, because “Heaven’s Gate” had temporarily dimmed Bridges’ star status, Jeff was also willing to sign on to do the first “Indy” film for well below his usual quote. With the understanding that – should “Raiders of the Lost Ark” succeed at the box office – Bridges would then be paid far more to appear in this film’s two sequels.
That seemed like a very solid plan for “Raiders.” Landing a known movie star to play the lead in this action-adventure at a bargain price.
Ah, but standing in Mike Fenton’s way was Marcia Lucas.
Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones
Marcia Lucas, who had seen Tom Selleck’s audition for “Raiders” (And you can see it as well. Just go to Google and type in “Tom Selleck” and “Indiana Jones.” And if you dig around for a bit, you’ll then see a feature that Lucas & Spielberg shot for “Entertainment Tonight” back in 2008 [This story was done in support of the theatrical release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”]. And as part of this piece, George and Steve share Tom’s original audition for “Raiders.” And what’s genuinely fascinating about this footage is that Selleck’s scene partner is Sean Young. Who – at that time, anyway – was up for the role of Marion Ravenwood) and kept telling her husband, “You should cast this guy. He’s going to be a big star someday.”
And given that George was smart enough to regularly heed Marcia Lucas’ advice (She had made invaluable suggestions when it came to the editing of “American Graffiti” and the original “Star Wars.” Not to downplay George Lucas’ cinematic legacy, but Marcia Lucas was a world-class storyteller in and of her own right), Lucas then reached out to Spielberg and persuaded him that they should cast relative unknown Tom Selleck as Doctor Jones over the already well-known Jeff Bridges.
Now don’t feel too bad for Jeff Bridges. When he lost out on playing the lead in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Jeff then accepted a role in the very next, high profile, sure-to-be-commercial project that came along. Which turned out to be Disney’s very first “TRON” movie. Which was eventually released to theaters on July 9, 1982.
Back to Tom Selleck now … You have to remember that – back then – Selleck was the handsome guy who’d already shot pilots for six different shows that then hadn’t gone to series. Which was why Tom was stuck being the guest star on shows like “The Fall Guy” and “Taxi.” Whereas once word got out around town that Selleck was supposed to play the lead in a project that Spielberg was directed & Lucas was producing … Well, this is when CBS decided that they’d now take the most recent pilot that Tom had shot and then go to series with this show.
That program was – of course – the original “Magnum PI.” And it’s at this point where our story started to get complicated.
“Magnum PI” – Two Out of Three Say “Yes”
Okay. During the first season of a TV show, it’s traditionally the network – rather than the production company (which – in this case – was Glen A. Larson Productions. The company behind the original versions of “Battlestar Galactica” & “Knight Rider”) or the studio where this series is actually being shot (which – in this case – was Universal Television) that has all the power. And in this particular case, the network execs who were pulling all the strings behind-the-scenes worked for CBS.
And when it came to the first season of “Magnum PI,” CBS had a deal with Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Television which stated that the talent which had been contracted to appear in this new action drama would then be available for the production of at least 13 episodes with an option to shoot an additional 9 episodes (This is known in the industry as the back nine. As in: the last nine holes of a golf course).
Anyway, if you take those initial 13 episodes and then tack on the back nine, you then get 22 episodes total. Which – back in the late 1970s / early 1980s, anyway – was what a full season of a network television show typically consisted of.
Anyway … The contract that Selleck had signed with Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal Television & CBS stated that he had to be available when production of Season One of “Magnum PI” began in March of 1980. More to the point, Tom also had to be available should CBS exercise its option to air 22 episodes of this new series on that television network over the course of “Magnum PI” ‘s first season.
Which then made things complicated for George Lucas & Steven Spielberg because … Well, in order for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to make its June 12, 1981 release date, that then meant that production of the first “Indy” movie would have to get underway no later than June 23, 1980.
But here’s the thing: Production of Season One of “Magnum PI” was scheduled to run through the first week of July of that same year (1980). So in order for Tom Selleck to play Indiana Jones in “Raiders,” he was going to need to be wrapped on production of “Magnum PI” by June 22, 1980 at the absolute latest.
So Spielberg & Lucas went to Glen A. Larsons Productions and asked if Selleck could please be sprung from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligations by June 22nd. And they said “Yes.” Then Steven & George went to Universal Television and asked executives there for their help in clearing Tom’s schedule so that he’d then be available to start work on “Raiders.” And they say “Yes” as well.
Spielberg & Lucas now go to CBS. But instead of the quick “Yeses” that they got from officials at Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Television, it takes those suits at the Tiffany Network weeks before they then decided to say “No, they couldn’t release Tom Selleck early to go work on ‘Raiders’ “ because …
I’ve never really been able to get a straight answer here as to why CBS execs dug in their heels here. Why they flat-out refused to release Selleck early from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligation and allow him to go shoot “Raiders.”
Payback from “The Star Wars Holiday Special” Trash Talk
That said, it is worth noting that “The Star Wars Holiday Special” aired on CBS back in November of 1978. And given that – in the years that followed — Lucas wasn’t exactly shy when it came to saying how much he hated that two hour-long presentation (Or – for that matter – how George really regretted caving into the requests of CBS execs. Who had insisted that television stars long associated with the Tiffany Network – people like Art Carney, Harvey Korman & Bea Arthur – be given prominent guest starring roles in “The Star Wars Holiday Special”). And I’ve heard whispers over the years that CBS executives preventing Tom Selleck from appearing in “Raiders” could be interpreted as the Tiffany Network getting some payback for what George had said publicly about the “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
Harrison Ford Comes to Rescue “Indiana Jones”
Anyway … It’s now literally just weeks before production of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is supposed to begin and Spielberg & Lucas have just learned that that they’ve lost their film’s star. CBS is flat-out refusing to release Tom Selleck early from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligation. So Steven & George now have to find someone else to play Indy … and fast.
The real irony here is … The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists would go on strike in the Summer of 1980. Which then shut prematurely shut down production of the first season of “Magnum PI.” (As a direct result, the first full season of this action drama to air on CBS only had 18 episodes, rather than the usual 22). And because this job action lasted ‘til October 23rd of that same year … Well, this meant that Tom Selleck would have actually been free to start shooting “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on June 23, 1980 because production of Season One of “Magnum PI” was already shut down by then due to that AFTRA strike.
But no one knew – in May of 1980, anyway – that this job action was going to happen in just a few weeks. All that Steven Spielberg & George Lucas knew was that they now needed a new lead actor for “Raiders.” And circling back on Jeff Bridges was no longer an option. As I mentioned earlier, Jeff had agreed to do “TRON” for Disney. And – in the interim – Bridges gone off to shoot “Cutter’s Way” for MGM / UA.
So this is where Harrison Ford enters the equation. As he recalls:
In May of 1980, I get a call from George Lucas. Who says ‘I’m messaging a script over to you this morning. As soon as it gets there, I need you to immediately read this script. Then – as soon as you’re done – I need you to call.
So the script arrives and it’s for ‘Raiders.’ I read it and it’s good. So I call George back and say ‘It’s good.’ And he then says ‘Would you be interested in playing Indy?’ I say that it looks like it would be a fun part to play.
George then says ‘ That’s great to hear. Because we start shooting in four weeks. Now I need you to meet with Steven Spielberg today and convince him that you’re the right guy to play Indy.’
Of course, given that Spielberg had been pushing for Ford to pay Indy ever since he had first seen that work-in-progress version of “The Empire Strikes Back” … Well, Harrison’s meeting with Steven was very, very short. And just a few weeks later, Spielberg, Lucas & Ford were all at the Port de la Pallice in La Rochelle. Where – on the very first day of shooting on “Raiders” (which – again – was June 23, 1980)– the scene that was shot was the one where that Nazi sub (the one that Indy had lashed himself to its periscope by using his bullwhip as a rope) was arriving at its secret base.
And all of this happened because Harrison immediately agreed to do “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when the part of Indy was first offered to him in mid-May of 1980.
Before “Star Wars” was “Star Wars”
So why such a quick yes? Well, you have to remember that “Empire Strikes Back” wouldn’t be released to theaters ‘til May 21, 1980. And no one knew at that time whether this sequel to the original “Star Wars” would do as well at the box office as “A New Hope” had back in 1977 (FYI: “Empire” would eventually sell over $500 million worth of tickets worldwide. Which is roughly two thirds of what the original “Star Wars” earned three years earlier).
More to the point, the four films that Harrison had shot right after “A New Hope” / prior to “Empire Strikes Back” (i.e., “Heroes” AND “Force 10 from Navarone” AND “Hanover Street” AND “The Frisco Kid”) had all under-performed at the box office. So to Ford’s way of thinking, taking on a role that Tom Selleck was no longer available to play – one that had the potential of spawning two sequels – seemed like a very smart thing to do. Especially after three years of cinematic stumbles.
By the way, whenever this topic ever comes up, Harrison Ford is very gracious. He always makes a point of saying that he’s grateful to have gotten this career opportunity. More to the point, that he still feels kind of bad that Tom Selleck never got the chance to play this part.
Tom Selleck After “Indiana Jones”
That said, we shouldn’t feel too bad for Tom Selleck. After all, the original “Magnum PI” proved to be a long running hit for CBS. And in an effort to smooth over any residual bad feelings that may have resulted from Tom being forced to give up “Raiders” back in May of 1980, Selleck was eventually allowed to create his own production company (i.e., T.W.S. Productions, Inc. As in Thomas William Selleck Productions). Which – after the fact – was then cut in on some of those “Magnum PI” -related revenue streams.
More to the point, while “Magnum PI” was on hiatus following its second year in production, Selleck flew off to Yugoslavia. Where he then shot his own Indiana Jones-esque film for theatrical release. Which was called “High Road to China” in the States, but – overseas – was promoted as “Raiders of the End of the World.”
FYI: Warner Bros. released “High Road to China” stateside 40 years ago this year. On March 18, 1983, to be exact. It didn’t do all that great at the box office. $28 million in ticket sales versus $15 million in production costs.
And over the years, there’s even been some talk of finding a way to maybe set things right here. By that I mean: Finally finding a way to officially fold Tom Selleck into the world of Indiana Jones.
Could Tom Selleck Work with Indiana Jones?
The way I hear it, between the time when “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” was theatrically released in May of 1989 and when “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” debuted in May of 2008, there were a number of ideas for Indiana Jones sequels tossed around. And from what I’ve been told, there was at least one treatment for a fourth Indiana Jones film written that proposed pairing up Harrison Ford & Tom Selleck. With the idea here being that Selleck was supposed to have played Ford’s brother.
Obviously that film was never made. And – no – I don’t know what state Indiana Jones’ brother was supposed to be named after.
This article is based on research for Looking at Lucasfilm “Episode 80”, published on June 29, 2023. Looking at Lucasfilm is part of the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network.
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