This is interesting!!
Did you know that the Emmy-winning Davy Crockett TV series starring Fess Parker, that was a national craze in the late 1950’s, consisted of only five total episodes?
Spencer Tracy and Walt Disney visit between chukkers at a Motion Picture Relief Fund Polo Match fund raiser, ca. 1945.
Walt Disney was so determined to see the Mark Twain afloat that when corporate completion money ran out, he paid the difference himself.
Story from Kevin Kidney
With the Muppets’ recent comeback for a new generation, I was reminded of my brief brush with Muppetdom in early 1990. “Here Come The Muppets” was the title for a proposed Disneyland parade that would have featured giant inflatable characters rolling down Main Street on floats, similar to the balloons in the Pardi Gras parade (also 1990). Disney had just purchased the Muppets from Jim Henson for an estimated 150 million dollars, and the company was speedily making big (and wild) plans for Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Disneyland President Jack Lindquist had an idea of sending Mickey and the other Disney characters away on a year-long “vacation” while the Muppets took over the park for the duration. Some of the concept sketches we saw at the time included draping the Disneyland marquee on Harbor Blvd with a big banner reading “Muppetland”, painting the Matterhorn green, and replacing the Mickey flower bed in front of the Train Station with Kermit’s face.
Thankfully, none of this came to pass, but the Disneyland Art Department certainly enjoyed working on several Muppet parade models. In the photo above, Kermit, Sweetums, Dr. Teeth, and Animal were all sculpted by Rich Collins. I did Fozzie and Beaker. Miss Piggy was done by Scott Sinclair, and Jackie Perreault sculpted Swedish Chef. One other model I’d started but never completed: Gonzo in his super-hero cape and red tennis shoes.
On May 16th, 1990, Jim Henson died unexpectedly of pneumonia. I heard the news on KCRW while driving to work that morning. It was a terrible shock, made even more surreal because of the project we had been immersed in for months. With Henson gone, Disneyland’s Muppet deal immediately floundered, and we were told to stop working on the parade. Any artwork that we had done featuring Muppets was packed onto a truck and taken away (possibly to the Henson company?) Maybe there’s a warehouse somewhere with all our models packed away in crates. At any rate, I’m glad we snapped a few photos while we had the chance!
Anticipating the impending release of Cinderella, Gus and Jaq join Mickey for some traditional holiday caroling.
Fireworks at Disneyland was the centerpiece of the Studio’s 1959 Christmas card.
The characters from The Sword in the Stone join Mickey and the gang for some holiday fun from 1963.
