Monday, July 4, 2011

July 4, 1977 - Space Mountain & New West Magazine

Today, I have a different kind of July Fourth post for you. This is an issue of New West Magazine that came out on July 4, 1977....thirty four years ago. My mom subscribed to this magazine and I saved this issue because of the Space Mountain article inside.



Space Mountain had opened at Disneyland about a month earlier, but I had not been on it yet. My first ride on Space Mountain would come just two weeks later.



I believe this is the model of the track layout that we have seen on display in various Disney art exhibits. I remember looking at the smaller photo (inset) and wondering where the track was. This was my first time realizing how Disney will doctor photographs and film footage so that an attraction appears in a way that is much more flattering than the way it actually appears in person. Don't get me wrong, I love and have always loved Space Mountain. I'm just saying.....



The sun'll come out.....Tomorrow! The article on Space Mountain continues below:



How do you like that? Space Mountain "just is!"

I'm including this article from the magazine about "The Joys Of Summer."





Those are punching balloons being sold at Magic Mountain. Do they even still make things like that for kids today? I remember Miss Mary Ann used to have the kids on Romper Room work out with those.



The Jolly Monster ride! Why did Magic Mountain get rid of their "octopus" ride, anyway? And their Crazy Barrels? And their Metro Monorail? BRING BACK THE METRO! (That was for you, Vintage Disneyland Tickets!)



Here's footage of the Jolly Monster right before it was removed from the park in 1981. About two minutes into the video, there's some footage that was shot while actually riding in one of the cars and towards the end of the video, there's a still photo showing the ride being dismantled. This YouTube user has some other cool Magic Mountain videos including the train ride to Trollywood (which I mentioned in my last post) on it's last day of operation.





Getting back to the magazine, here's a two-page Ford advertisement. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Pinto Cruising Wagon.





And here's a perfume ad with actress, Shelley Hack. Before she was one of Charlie's Angels, she worked for another "Charlie."



Just for fun, I'm posting a couple vintage Charlie commercials that featured Shelley Hack. This first one has Bobby Short singing the product's jingle.





This next one features Mel Torme singing the Charlie song.





I hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July!

9 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

Shelly Hack! I remember the name, but I wouldn't have recognized her (it's been a while).

My favorite misleading quote: "It took twelve years and countless models and calculations to produce Space Mountain's three minutes of weightlessness". In 1977, I would have read that and thought that they somehow REALLY induced weightlessness for three minutes, and would have been dying to experience it!

I had a fun 4th, hope you did too.

Connie Moreno said...

That was fun! Wow, Charlie...used to wear it, LOL.

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, Yep....Shelly Hack...Tiffany Welles on the 1979-1980 season of Charlie's Angels. I didn't catch that quote, but now that you point it out....WOW, three whole minutes of weightlessness, yeah right!

Connie, did you buy it at Bullock's (as advertised at the end of the second commercial?) Or perhaps Buffum's? Broadway? Robinson's? May Co.? Gee, those department stores are all gone now, aren't they? I wonder if they even still make Charlie?

Snow White Archive said...

That space mountain photo inset looks as though you'd be... well... flying through space. I love space mountain, but image how much more cool it would be if this photo actually represented what the ride was like. :)

TokyoMagic! said...

SWS, I knew there had to be a track, but being a naive 12 year old, I really thought they must've come up with a way for it to not be visible while riding it. Well I was in the front seat for my very first ride and as dark as it was in there.....I could see the track! Oh well, it's still one of my favorite Disneyland attractions.

Dan Alexander said...

Groovy blast to the past, TokyoMagic!

Have you experienced the Space Fantasy ride at Universal Studios Japan yet? It looks like it has some cool space atmosphere and elements.

TokyoMagic! said...

Hey Dan, I've read aboout and seen pics of the space coaster at Universal, but that's in Osaka and I haven't made it down there yet. I really need to do that! On all of my Japan trips so far, I've limited myself to Tokyo only!

JG said...

I also rode this in the first summer, only weeks after it opened.

Long wait. My Dad and I loved it.

It was my last trip to Disneyland with him.

Good memories, thank you.

JG

peter said...

Hello,
I was trying to track down the story on Malibu in that issue. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!