My Dad At Universal Studios - 1973

In honor of my dad, who I lost just three weeks ago, I'm rerunning this post from March 11, 2011 featuring his Universal Studios "screen test."


It was the summer of 1973 and I was eight years old. My grandmother was here visiting from out-of-state and we took her to Universal Studios. My family had been to Universal Studios once before (I've previously posted a few slides that my dad had taken in 1967), but being only two at that time, I had been left at home (hopefully not alone!), so this was my very first Universal visit.

I can recall a few things from that first visit, like the Flash Flood effect, the submarine that fired a torpedo at our tram, and the parting of the Red Sea, but the thing that I remember the most about that visit was that my dad was chosen to participate in The Stage 70 Show. This was the show where audience members were chosen to act in scenes from the television show, "Adam-12." The scenes were filmed, edited and then played back at the end of the show. Guests could also purchase a copy of the film and of course, since my dad was in it, we had to buy it.

The real stars of "Adam-12," Kent McCord and Martin Milner.

I remember my dad showing the souvenir film whenever he would get out our "home movies." I have since been given most of the family slides and home movie footage, but this is one that I did not have and had not seen in over 30 years. Well, my dad recently located this film and had it transferred to DVD, so I am posting it here. Oh, and my dad was chosen for the Martin Milner/Pete Malloy part, so he is the one behind the wheel of the police car and in the later scenes, he is the police officer wearing the white patend leather shoes. Universal provided the costumes that the policemen are wearing, but they didn't provide shoes and my dad was wearing white dress shoes that day! I've posted the film below, and here is the link for watching it in a larger format on YouTube: Universal Studios - Adam-12 Show

The thing that actually sparked my memory of this show and led me to ask my dad to look for it, was seeing this slide posted over at Gorillas Don't Blog, last July.

The slide is reposted here with permission from Major Pepperidge (thanks, Major!) You can see the set for the exterior of the bar on the far right with the telephone booth to the left of the front doors. The set of the bar's interior is visible on the left side. People chosen to be patrons in the bar can be seen sitting in the chairs and one of the policemen can even be seen standing next to them. One thing that my brother recently pointed out to me is, that they didn't try to alter the lighting for the indoor shots, so when you are watching the film, the indoor set is just as bright and sunny as the outdoor set (both sets were located outside as you can see in the photo.)

Here are two vintage postcards showing wider angles of the Adam-12 set.

This photo of the Stage 70 Show was taken from a 1974 Universal Studios brochure.

By 1975, the Stage 70 Show was re-themed to the television show, "Emergency!" Here's a postcard showing what the new sets looked like.

A few years later, the show was re-themed yet again to the movie, "Airport '77." At this time, the name of the theater was also changed from Stage 70, to the Screen Test Theater.

I remember seeing both the "Emergency!" and "Airport '77" versions of the show on multiple occasions, but I was never with anyone that was picked from the audience. The last incarnation of this show used a "Star Trek" theme, which I remember being surprised to see at Universal Studios since "Star Trek" was a Paramount television show and movie franchise.

***Post Update***: Shortly after posting this, I realized that the "Emergency!" version of the Stage 70 Show and the "Airport '77" version are both available on YouTube (unfortunately, neither of them include the audio). Here are those films:

Knott's Update: Part 1 - Totally Eighties, Mine Train Ticket Booth & More

ROCK The Ghost Town, or BURN It Down....or just BE NEAR It! During a recent visit to Knott's Berry Farm, I was surprised to see.....or should I say hear, that they have replaced the themed music for each section of the park with top 40 hits from the eighties. Why? I don't know, but it was odd walking through Ghost Town and hearing, "Rock The Casbah", "Burning Down The House" and "Be Near Me" blaring away instead of fiddles and banjos playing! Now don't get me wrong, I love music from the eighties, and it might not be that bad hearing it play in the "Boardwalk" area of the park, but in Ghost Town and Fiesta Village?



There have been some other changes made at the park recently, some good and some bad. Here's a good one.....Claude Bell's "Marilyn and Cecilia" figures are back! They have reappeared in Calico Square after a very long absence.









This is where "Marilyn and Cecilia" sat for many years. The over-sized and out-of-place Calico Stage was built in that spot back in the nineties.



The stage towers above Calico Square and covers up part of the original buildings that used to face the square.



Here's a vintage postcard of Marilyn and Cecilia years before the stage displaced them.



And here's a 1959 shot from Gorillas Don't Blog, used here with permission (thank you, Major Pepperidge!) Note the names on the trunk in front of them. This is back when they were known as "Nell and Belle."



Also note the popcorn wagon to the left of them. These wagons used to be located throughout the park, but have slowly disappeared over the years. There was also a popcorn wagon located outside the park across from the Cable Car Kitchen (I used to work in that one sometimes!) The one in Camp Snoopy is still there, but it's kind of hidden and I haven't seen it open in years. Well, I was glad to see that one of these vintage wagons has returned to Calico Square.



The wagon replaced a row of ugly outdoor vending stalls that had been built across the front of the Calico Mine Train. Good move!



However, do you notice something missing in the photo above? The original ticket booth for the Mine Train is now gone! It was recently demolished after sitting in the same spot for over 50 years! Let's move in a little closer.



And even closer.....



I had no idea that it was going to be torn down, so I'm glad I had taken a picture of it in the past. What a shame that someone didn't care enough to try and protect this structure.



This postcard dates back to when it was a functioning ticket booth.



A wooden arch went up in it's place very recently. I think I like it better with just nothing there!



In real life, aren't these kind of beams supposed to be holding up the ceiling of a mine and not just free-standing? Weird!



Meanwhile, the original Log Ride ticket booth still remains....for now anyway. It was converted into a snack shop years ago. I hope there aren't any plans to demolish it!



Check back for Part 2 of my Knott's Update and to see what vintage Knott's attraction from the seventies has made a return to the park! (No, it's not Knott's Bear-y Tales, darn it!)

New Year's Eve At Disneyland - 1996

Today we have two photos from the 1996 New Year's Eve party at Disneyland. Walt was sporting what I like to call a "trash hat." The park used to give these hats out to guests on New Year's Eve. I call them trash hats because they were made up of shrink wrapped scraps of paper and cellophane. I wonder if they still pass these out? On this particular night, someone had managed to get over to Walt and place one of the hats on his head. Funny or sacrilegious? You decide! 

The photos today were taken the year of the Disneyland New Year's Eve "Flower Trampling" incident. We were in a pretty safe situation....and so were those poinsettias seen around Walt and Mickey, because this was actually "the eye of the storm." Things stayed calm in the dead center of the Plaza where we were located while everyone was going crazy around us. I mentioned the incident in my Disneyland Millennium New Year's Eve post from two years ago. Here's the part about the flower trampling: 

"The last New Year's Eve that I spent at Disneyland was in 1996 and it was so unbelievably crowded that I haven't attempted it since. It seemed like the entire park was packed into the Plaza for the midnight countdown and fireworks. Afterward, it was complete gridlock in the Plaza and surrounding areas and it was taking forever for the crowd to dissipate. People got very impatient and eventually just started climbing over railings and trampling flowers to get out of the area. It was a little scary!"

According to the clock on the Castle, the previous photo was taken at 11:23 (and 02 seconds!) It really doesn't appear to be that crowded around us.....but it was! Oh, and you can see two people in the crowd wearing their "trash hats."

Here's a close-up of the signage on the Castle. This was actually taken earlier in the evening as shown by the clock.

Well, I will not be going to Disneyland tonight for New Year's Eve....and you can't make me! I'll be spending the evening at a much smaller-scale event. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year! (To see some Disneyland New Year's Eve ephemera from 1980 and 1981, click here.)

 

Santa's Village: Part 8 - Miscellaneous Images, Souvenirs, and Links

It's time for the final part to my Santa's Village series. Today we will be looking at some miscellaneous images from the park. First up, we have "The North Pole." Guests to Santa's Village could see, touch, lick and be photographed next to this "North Pole" that happened to be made up of real ice. I wonder if this thing was turned on 24 hours a day or if once the park closed, the plug was pulled and it was allowed to defrost? This was located just inside the entrance to the park. Santa's house can be seen in the background.



Here's a better view of Santa's house. We actually saw this building in yesterday's post. This view of it shows Rainbow Man on the far left (rockin' his rainbow bell bottoms) and the Lollipop Lady, as well as some elves and possibly Cinderella or Alice. I would say that she's Alice because of the blue dress and white pinafore, but we saw her riding on Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach a couple days ago, so who knows....they may have intended for her to be Cinderella.



Not only did Santa have a home at Santa's Village, but the Easter Bunny did as well. Or at least, he had a nursery there. I'm pretty sure he lived there too because we have seen him in plenty of Santa's Village pics....and where else would the Easter Bunny live anyway?



Here's the Mechanical Toy Factory, which is listed on the map as just "Toy Shop".....not to be confused with the Mill Wheel House/Toy Shop. I do get the names of those two locations confused. They seem to have changed names over the years. They were definitely two separate buildings. One had a waterwheel on the front of it and the other had this mechanical gear or cog on the facade.



This postcard is just labled, "Gift Shop."



There is a "Gift Shop" listed on the map, but I'm not sure if this "Pixie Flower Stand" was part of the Gift Shop or if it was located in one of the other shops on the property.



This was the Coaster Bobsled Ride. I wonder what happened to this little ride?



Visitors to Santa's Village could also ride Santa's Candy Cane Sleigh Ride.



The Candy Cane Sleighs operated year round whether there was snow on the ground or not. They were pulled by only four "not-so-tiny" reindeer.



Once again, here is that Santa's Village map from the late seventies/early eighties. I've circled the attractions and buildings that were mentioned above. It looks like over the past week, we have taken a close-up look at everything listed on the map except for the "Pebble Candy Mine", which I have yet to find vintage pics of, and the "Old 99 Train." Who knew that Santa's Village had two trains?



We also did not take a look at the "Barn", the "Burro Ride" or the "Animal Pen", but we certainly did see plenty of animals pictured in the vintage postcards! And speaking of Burros, here's a postcard showing "Bim, The Playful Burro." Cute!



Below, are some miscellaneous items I found for sale on eBay. The first is a group of five black and white photos from 1957. One of the pics shows a goat in a sleigh with a kid (no pun intended). Another pic shows a burro (Bim?) coming right up to some guests and trying to drink out of their cups. I thought the animals were shown out in the open on the postcards because those were publicity shots, but were some of the animals just running around loose in the park?



Vintage pics of the park often show kids wearing these buttons. This one is available on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $18.00. I wonder if these were given out or if they had to be purchased?



This S.V. magnet has a Buy It Now price of $22.00.



And here's a really interesting item. It's a record album of Christmas songs sung by the students of the Claremont High School Vocal Music Department. There doesn't appear to be a date on it, but based on the student's clothing in the cover photo, it looks like it was probably taken in the fifties or sixties. And that building in the background is Santa's Toy Shop. It originally had a Buy It Now price of $99.99, but it can now be yours for the reduced price of $49.99. Aren't these prices kind of steep? Maybe that's why the items have been listed for over a week now and have not been snapped up.





Here are some links for more information on Santa's Village:

Santa's Village History - for a fascinating history of the men behind Skyforest's Santa's Village and the world's first "theme park chain" (AND the first suspended monorail in the United States.)

Photo Essay: Santa's Village Theme Park Abandoned - for Sandy Hemmerlein's "Avoiding Regret" blog post recalling what it was like poking around the old abandoned Santa's Village site.

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California - for information about the new location of Santa's Village's Crooked Treehouse, the Guard Shack, the playhouse version of Santa's House and many of the park's concrete mushrooms. (The Flower Fields are currently closed and will be open to the public from March 1st thru May 13th of 2012.)

The Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana, California - for information about the new home of Santa's Village's Magic Train (now the Zoofari Express.)


I think we'll end this series with another pic of the spinning Christmas Tree Ride, just because it looked so cool!



So long Santa, and so long Santa's Village!

Santa's Village: Part 7 - Crooked Tree House, The Magic Train & More!

Hey, it's not all doom and gloom for Santa's Village! Some parts of it went on to have a life beyond the Skyforest park and are now entertaining the masses at other Southern California locations.



This Santa's Village is located in a children's playground at The Flower Fields of Carlsbad, California (near Legoland).



Through an auction that was held after the closing of Santa's Village, they were able to acquire many of the park's cement mushrooms and also the park's Guard Shack. I wasn't able to find any vintage images of this structure, so I'm not sure where it was originally located. The Santa's Village in Dundee, Illinois (same owner) had an almost identical structure that stood in it's parking lot.





Does this little playhouse look familiar? We saw it a couple days ago in a vintage postcard.



Here's that vintage image again. See it in the lower right corner of the pic? It's rotated around in the postcard so we're looking at the other side of it.



It was actually supposed to be a miniature version of Santa's house. The full-sized version can be seen below. The playhouse even had the clock hanging out front with the months on it instead of hours. A great vintage shot of it can be seen here on Gorillas Don't Blog.



Here's another beloved structure from Santa's Village that can also be found at The Flower Fields, The Crooked Tree House.



This is how it looked when it was at Santa's Village. If I were a kid, I would much rather go down that longer, taller, metal slide! Are there any metal slides in parks anymore? Oh well, at least the structure still exists!



I've circled the original location of The Crooked Tree House in green on the map.



And here's roughly where it would have sat in the aerial photo. I've also circled the location of The Magic Train in blue because now we're going to be taking a look at that attraction.



It was a train......and it was magic.



It was......The Magic Train!



Today.....not so magic.




....at least not at the old Santa's Village site.



HOWEVER, this little gem also continues to have a life beyond it's 43 years of service to Santa's Village. It can now be found at the Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana, California (a few miles southeast of Disneyland). This train was actually built by Bud Hurlbut of Knott's Calico Mine Train and Calico Log Ride fame....to name just two of his incredible pieces of work!



The train was acquired by the Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo in November of 1998 and brought back to the Hurlbut Amusement Company in Buena Park (across the street from Knott's Berry Farm) and completely restored. A new train station was built at the zoo and the attraction opened in 1999 with a new name, the Zoofari Express. In 2005, the 50 year old engine underwent a conversion from a gasoline powered engine to battery powered. At this time a new train was brought in to cover for the original engine while it was being refurbished. Today, both trains are running at the Santa Ana Zoo, so if you go to the zoo to see the Santa's Village train, it's the one with the #1030 on the engine. The newer train is engine #1036.



Well, I have one more part to this series and then we'll be done.



I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all my readers, commenters, lurkers and followers! (And a big "thank you" too!)