Windows to the Past: Brother Juniper the Mouseketeer 1958

Brother Juniper was a long-running one panel comic strip created by Frederick Francis McCarthy.  It featured the diminutive and ever cheerful title character whose name was derived from the historical Brother Juniper, a companion of Saint Francis of Assisi.  McCarthy was a Franciscan friar who created his comic strip character in 1942.  The comic strip entered newspaper syndication in 1958 and lasted more than three decades.

Shortly after its debut at the beginning of 1958, Brother Juniper payed homage to the then stellar popularity of original Mickey Mouse Club.  This strip was published on February 19, 1958.

Windows to the Past: The Mickey Mouse Weather House

Forget about the Weather Channel and all those high-tech weather apps on your smart phones and tablets.  In 1948, people predicted the weather the good old fashioned, common sense way--they relied on cartoon characters.  "Watch for balmy days when Mickey is out--beware of rain when Donald's about."

It was as simple as this:

"There is no difficult mechanism to get out of order--nothing complicated to study.  You'll love the beloved Disney clan--Figaro the Cat, the rooster weather vane and Pluto the Pup. The Mickey Mouse Weather House is sturdy, works indoors or out, is made of brightly colored plastic all hand painted."

The Weatherman company out of Chicago sold these types of devices via mail order and advertised primarily in general interest magazines and comic books.  It appears to employ a very basic hygrometer.  For $1.49, it was likely more gimmick than science.  They must have been rather disposable.  I have never ever seen one and a quick eBay search produced no results. 

Windows to the Past: The Shaggy Dog at the Palace

This particular Window to the Past, while highlighting a classic Disney live-action feature, also serves to illustrate segregation as it existed in the late 1950s.  This photograph reflects an era when many African American audiences had their own separate movie theaters, in this case the Palace Theatre in Kannapolis, North Carolina in 1959.  The featured attraction was Walt Disney's The Shaggy Dog, and the Palace's management certainly dressed up the front of the theater for the occasion.  A copy of the original movie poster can be seen in a glass case just to the right of the box office.

Photogragh via Cinema Treasures.

Windows to the Past: Donald O Duck

 

A marquee malfunction inadvertently gives the temperamental cartoon star an Irish heritage in this vintage photograph that was likely snapped in early 1948, based on the release date of the movie Road to Rio.  The location is the Carolina Theatre in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  The theater has since evolved into the Stevens Center for the Arts and bears little physical resemblance to its original movie palace incarnation.  The image is part of the Digital Forsyth collection.

Windows to the Past: Lady at the Loew's Grand

We've looked out this particular Window to the Past before.  The view encompasses a movie theater in downtown Atlanta.  Our previous visits were during May of 1955 and June of 1956.  This photograph captures another Disney-related moment, one dating from August of 1955.

The Loew's Grand was perhaps Atlanta's best known picture palace and was frequently home to the latest Walt Disney feature.  Lady and the Tramp debuted there on August 4, 1955 and both humans and dogs were on hand to celebrate the film's release.  The image is from the Special Collections at the Georgia State University Library.

Windows to the Past: Gasoline Unsurpassed

In a post last week, we opened a window to 1939 that showcased a Standard Gasoline billboard in downtown Los Angeles.  The advertisement featured Mickey Mouse and was part of a Disney-themed campaign for the Standard Oil Company that continued through most of 1940.  Our very good friend and fellow Disney historian Paul F. Anderson very generously forwarded us this photograph that provides a better view of another billboard with the same advertisement.

Our thanks to Paul for making the photograph available to us.  Be sure to check out Paul's excellent site, the Disney History Institute.  It is a true treasure trove of Disney history and resources.

Windows to the Past: A Four-Leaf Clover from 1939

This particular Window to the Past features a timely tie-in to the upcoming Saint Patrick's Day holiday.  The above photograph dates from 1939 and showcases the 800 block of Hill Street in Los Angeles.  Our interest in the image is due to the billboard for Standard Gasoline that prominently features Mickey Mouse.  Mickey is proudly holding a four-leaf clover while the advertisement copy proclaims, "Good Picking!"

The billboard was part of an ad campaign by Standard Oil that featured Disney characters.  Walt Disney produced a commercial short entitled The Standard Parade that was shown to station operators to highlight components of the campaign.  We have previously featured a number of the campaign's Travel Tykes newspaper ads here at 2719 Hyperion.

The photograph more prominently features the RKO Hillstreet Theatre.  That venue opened as a vaudeville house in 1922 as part of the Orpheum circuit and was originally called the Hillstreet Theatre.  It became the RKO Theatre in 1929 and was eventually renamed the RKO Hillstreet.  No doubt many Disney cartoons graced its screen as RKO was the Disney Studio's distributor from 1937 to 1956.  The theatre was demolished in 1965 and replaced with a parking garage.

The image is part of the USC Digital Archive and credited to the Dick Whittington Studio.

Windows to the Past: "Walt Disney Will Love This!"

This week we open another Window to the Past that provides an additional view of the north African war theater during World War II, a location we visited in similar fashion last week.  In this photograph, dating from April 1943, the flight crew of a B-25 put the finishing touches on their Pluto-inspired insignia.

The photo's caption provided the following details:

"Walt Disney will love this!"  "Pluto gets a break as Lt. John J. Privara of Lions Ill. and Capt. James T. Mckee of Picayune, Miss., Pilot of the North American B-25 along with Lt. Russel E. Wise of Arlington, Mass. co-pilot and William L. Lewis, of Mexico, Missouri admire their new insignia.

Windows to the Past: Donald Duck and the Seasweep

The Kingdom Hearts video game was not the first time Donald Duck was transformed into a mer-creature.  Witness this long-classified photograph taken during World War II at an undisclosed location somewhere in north Africa.  Emblazoned on the aircraft is a fish-tailed Donald, replete with a trident and a stern expression.  The photo's caption reads:

AN ADVANCED NORTH AFRICAN AIR BASE--The crew of "Seasweep" North American B-25 Mitchell bomber of, Major General James H. Doolittle's Bomber Command, have completed their 50th mission. Left to right are: Lt. Wm. J. Hartman, Catskill, N.Y., navigator; Lt. James T. Holey, Tuskaloosa, Alabama, pilot; Lt. Wm. M. Butterfield, Moscow, Idaho, co-pilot; S/Sgt. Alvin L. Langford, Waco, Texas, gunner; T/Sgt. John D. Glass, Biquiu, New Mexico, radio-gunner, and Lt. Marion S. Vestal, Grand Rapids, Michigan, bombardier.

The photograph was dated November 29, 1943.

Windows to the Past: Disney on Parade

Character costumes have evolved dramatically over the course of Disney history.  This particular Window to the Past showcases Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto as they appeared in the touring production of Disney on Parade in 1973.  This publicity photo showcases a distinctly leaner Donald and a Goofy with oddly overemphasized eyelashes.  The late Bill Justice was the primary creative force behind Disney on Parade costuming.  For more information on the very early versions of Disney on Parade, return tomorrow for Vintage Headlines: Disney on Parade, right here at 2719 Hyperion.

Windows to the Past: Two Deer = 10,000 Bombs

In August of 1942, Walt Disney contributed to the war effort by donating two large lawn ornaments to a scrap metal drive. The setting of the photograph is Walt's Los Feliz home that was located at 4053 Woking Way. In the background, one can see the elaborate dollhouse built for Walt's daughters, Diane and Sharon. Pictured with Walt is General Salvage Chief for California Joseph F. MacCaughtry.  An Associated Press news report from August 10, 1942 provided this background to the photograph:

Walt Disney's two iron deer are leaving his front lawn in Hollywood for the war front. The motion picture producer offered the two deer for scrap and Lessing J. Rosenwald, director of the war production board's conservation division, accepted them. The deer, which weigh a ton, contain enough scrap for one 75-mm. field piece, or 10,000 incendiary bombs.

The photograph is part of the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive at the UCLA Library.

Windows to the Past: The PT-9 Mosquito Boat

This particular Window to the Past bears a direct connection to our recently unveiled Service with Character: Disney World War II Insignia exhibit in the 2719 Hyperion Exhibition Hall.  The very first insignia featured in the presentation is that of the Mosquito Fleet and the design is prominently displayed in this Library of Congress archived photograph.

The image dates to before the United States entered the war--June 19, 1940.  The Library of Congress provided the following annotation:

New Mosquito Boat gets a tryout. Washington, D.C., June 19. The PT-9, first of the new 'Mosquito Boats' to be delivered to the U.S. Navy under the President's $15,000,000 experimental small craft program had a preview for the press today. This is the same type of boat that the government is in process of releasing to the British Navy, causing great unrest and indignation in Capitol circles. Eight other boats will be based at the naval operating base, Norfolk, Va., to undergo severe seagoing tests. The squadron will be known as the Mosquito Fleet and the insignia which was designed by Walt Disney consists of a mosquito riding on the top of a high speed torpedo. Shown in the picture is Lieutenant Earl S. Caldwell, USN, Commander of the squadron.

The Mosquito Fleet insignia was the first Disney-designed insignia used by the U.S. military.  According to an article in the May 26, 1941 issue of Life magazine, Caldwell wrote a letter to Walt Disney asking him to design an emblem for the new "Mosquito Fleet."  Within a few days, the studio returned the insignia design that soon graced the PT boats.  The article went on to say that, "As soon as word got around in the Army and Navy as to what Disney had done, the Disney office was bombarded with requests to design insignia for tanks, minesweepers, bombers and fighter planes."

A 1941 article in Readers Digest identified studio veteran Roy Williams as the artist who created the Mosquito Fleet insignia.

The story of the Mosquito Fleet insignia continues today in:

Vintage Headlines: Mosquito Master

Windows to the Past: Mrs. Claus' Candy Kitchen

This official Walt Disney World publicity photo dates from the late 1970s, and features a float from the annual holiday parade at the Magic Kingdom.  Mrs. Claus can be seen sitting outside of her Candy Kitchen; Chip and Dale accompany her, standing amidst giant candy canes and lollipops.  It appears that cast members were lax in not speaking to the two individuals who had climbed the lamppost for a better view.

Photo courtesy of the Bill Cotter archives.

Windows to the Past: The Ugly Dachshund and the Fur Rondy

Sure, you could look at this picture and assume that a team of sled dogs has arrived in town to see one of their own on the big screen.  A whimsical scenario certainly, but alas not an accurate one.

The location is Anchorage, Alaska.  The time is late February of 1966.  The occasion is the annual Fur Rendezvous, or the Fur Rondy, as it has come to be known in recent years.  The Rondy is a 75-year tradition; it began in 1935 and quickly became an annual celebration of Alaskan history and heritage.  The festival originated at a time of the year when miners and fur trappers would return to Anchorage with their winter yields.  Sled Team 14, seen in the above image, is preparing to line up for the World Championship Sled Dog Race, a Rondy tradition that began in 1946.  Coincidentally, Walt Disney's feature film The Ugly Dachshund is the top-billed attraction at the nearby 4th Avenue Theatre.  The film's original release date was February 2, 1966.

Ah, but the Walt Disney's connection to the 1966 Rondy extended beyond the 4th Avenue Theatre.  Standing at a place of honor on the race's trophy table?  Why none other than Nikki, star of the 1961 Disney feature Nikki, Wild Dog of the North.

Photographs are from the Alaska Digital Archives.

Windows to the Past: Walt Disney and Fess Parker in Atlanta

Just over five decades ago, the city of Atlanta played host to both Walt Disney and Fess Parker, as the marquee of the Loew's Grand indicates in this photograph from June of 1956.  The occasion was the world premiere of the movie The Great Locomotive Chase, which starred Parker, who was fresh with fame from the Davy Crockett episodes of the Disneyland television program.  The Loew's Grand was the subject of a prior Windows to the Past post where it had a more direct Davy Crockett connection.

Windows to the Past: Walt Disney - Baseball Fan

Like many of his Hollywood contemporaries, Walt Disney was a fan of the local minor league baseball team, the Hollywood Stars, as evidenced by this photograph from 1940.  Disney's name is featured on a metal plaque in the bleachers of Gilmore Stadium, where the Stars played from 1939 until 1957.  The baseball team's owners actively solicited investments from Hollywood celebrities and a number of sources have indicated that Walt Disney was among the team's stockholders.

The ballpark, located near Beverly Boulevard and Genesse Avenue, was built by oil tycoon Earl Gilmore who was also responsible for the nearby Pan Pacific Auditorium. That structure's iconic designs inspired the entrance plaza at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.

Windows to the Past: Nixon Shakes Hands with the Future

Then Vice-President Richard Nixon greeted two celebrated residents of Tomorrowland in this photograph from June 15, 1959.  Nixon's 1959 visit to Disneyland has been widely documented and footage was included in an episode of the Disneyland television program.  This photograph was originally published in the Los Angeles Times and is part of the UCLA Digital Library collection Changing Times: Los Angeles in Photographs 1920-1990.

The photo's caption:

SPACE GREETINGS-A spaceman and spacegirl get a smile and handshake from Vice-President Nixon as he tours the ultra-modern attractions on display.

Windows to the Past: The PeopleMover Arrives - 1967

The PeopleMover at Disneyland is the focus of this press photograph from June 29, 1967.  It appears that the photographer was part of press event surrounding the unveiling of the new Tomorrowland that debuted that summer.  The published caption:

TRAFFIC RELIEF?--Goodyear's new transportation system, the PeopleMover, goes through preview run at Disneyland's new Tomorrowland section. Concept is said to offer applications which may ease traffic in downtown areas. Cars are propelled by series of stationary, electric motor-driven rubber wheels between rails. It opens to public next week.

The photo was originally published in the Los Angeles Times and is part of the UCLA Digital Library collection Changing Times: Los Angeles in Photographs 1920-1990.

Windows to the Past: King-Size Latex Toys

Kids today with their high-tech games and gadgets have no appreciation for minimalism in toy design.  Case in point--wonderful king-size latex toys from the height of the baby boom.  Remember!  If it was advertised on the back page of a comic book, you could be guaranteed it was a quality product.  At least that was the argument we made to our parents when attempting to cajole the $1.25 needed for the order.

Oh, and by the way-- King-Size Latex Toys = (a bag of balloons).

Windows to the Past: Picketing the Reluctant Dragon

Most images we have discovered relating to the 1941 strike against the Walt Disney Studios feature picket lines outside the studio's Burbank location.  This particular photograph from the archives of the Los Angeles Examiner shows about a half a dozen members of the Screen Cartoonist Guild picketing in front of the RKO Palace Theatre in Los Angeles.  Ironically, the film playing at the theater was The Reluctant Dragon, which featured an inside look at a very happy, productive Burbank studio.

Two of the picketers wear masks--one is Mickey Mouse, the other is a Snow White dwarf.

The photograph is part of the Los Angeles Examiner Negatives Collection of the USC Digital Library.