Here is the ringleader of the Country Bear Jamboree, Henry. The bear who introduces the show and all the other bear acts. The voice for Henry was supplied by Pete Renady. These models are very impressive with the pine tree detailing on the side of the stage and the velvet curtains. That is it for the model photos, I did not get ones for the Five Bear Rugs nor for Big Al. Tomorrow souvenirs will be Country Bear related.
Posts
8 comments:
Whoever sculpted these (Blaine Gibson?) did a great job of capturing the vitality of Marc Davis' drawings. Thanks for sharing this neat set of photos!
Those Country Bear Maquettes were sculpted by WED's Ken O'brien. He also did most of the "Pirates" model figures. The Henry model was features in a recent WDW exhibit and some of the others are features at Disneyland right now.
-Mike (WEDWAY)
Those Country Bear Maquettes were sculpted by WED's Ken O'brien. He also did most of the "Pirates" model figures. The Henry model was features in a recent WDW exhibit and some of the others are features at Disneyland right now.
-Mike (WEDWAY) =DC88SPCELINER
Hey Mike -
Do you think Ken O'Brian might have sculpted these figures?
Chris- you play nice in my sandbox or I will do something....
Thanks for the information Mike. So, when does the blog start?
Harry Holt also sculpted some of the Bear Country figures. I interviewed him for an article that appeared in the now defunct "Storyboard" magazine. I met him while working at EPCOT in a one year exchange program. He let me make copies of some of his pictures from his early days at Disney's - I recall a couple of Bear Country heads as well as the organ that Grumpy plays in the Snow White attraction in Fantasyland. He worked up to and including the Tokyo park before he "retired" and did those drawings for guests at the park in Florida. He also did some sculpting for Goebbel - American kids engaged in American pastimes like baseball. Harry started at the studio in the mid-1930s. I'll have to dig out the article. David
I pulled out my copy of the Storyboard article.
Harry Holt began his career at the Disney Studio in 1936 as an in-betweener on Woodland Cafe. From there he went to work on SW, then Pinoke and Bambi. He became a full animator in '43. During the war he worked on Navy films.
Hold left Disney's for 4 years to work for Niles Communications in Chicago. He returned to California and worked for Hanna and Barbera on the Tom and Jerry series before returning to Disney's.
He worked on Jungle Book and in 1962 was transferred to WED. During my interview with him, Harry said, "Some of my sculptures were used as models for Country Bear Jamboree, the Haunted Mansion, the GE Carousel of Progress, and I designed probably fifty percent of the Mickey Mouse Revue."
Two pix that accompanied the mag article show CBJ heads that Harry created. Like I said in the last post, he also sculpted Grumpy at the organ (I have a copy of that photo) and for EPCOT I know he did some of the sculpting for architectural features found on the Mexico exhibit's pyramid.
In the 1970s Harry was an assistant to the director of art quality at Disneyland, took on the role of art director at WDW then at TDL in art direction and installation.
In 1972 he designed 32 different figurines for Goebel USA titled, "Amerikids."
If you want to see some pix, let me know.
Check out my blog: http://www.toonsatwar.blogspot.com
David
David,
I have a portrait of a Native American, signed by Harry Holt. I had relatives living in Orlando in the 1950s through the 1990s, and this painting was given to my parents, I believe, in the early 1960s. I would appreciate postings of any pictures you have, particularly if they show his early signature. Thanks.
Pope
Post a Comment