Thursday, May 27, 2010

Squid and Misbehaving Cast Member

I believe the first photograph is for the squid seen in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I know they did put a squid in the 20K exhibit, so this may be the planning for that. Either way it is a cool photo of the model shop employees. Can anyone identify the employees?

Next up is an image from what I believe is a Spring Fling skit. Hopefully Jason from Disneyland Nomenclature is done unpacking his house and can chime in with the cast members history. The scene looks like something out of a comedy about working in an office.

10 comments:

Connie Moreno said...

If photos could only talk, huh?

Sam Towler said...

That first photo looks more like planning for Submarine Voyage (since they had fabricate 2 new squids rather than re-use one already made for 20k). I'm unsure who the two guys are on the right, but the fellow on the left is Claude Coates.

Major Pepperidge said...

Yeah, I was thinking that the guy on the left was Claude Coates as well. Neat picture! Love the lively expressions on Wally and the woman in photo #2!

Chris Merritt said...

For sure that is Coates on the left - and i agree that this is a shot for Submarine Voyage, as that model perfectly matches the working drawings of the original squid, which were done by Coates! Great pic - wish you had more!

Chris Merritt said...

PJ - can you zoom in on the photos Coates has in his hand...?

Jason Schultz said...

Matterhorn - For the second picture, you're probably thinking of the "Spring Tonics" the employees put on as a way of poking fun at their work experience--but I don't think I have information that would specifically identify it. (Although the July 1957 Disneylander says, "The wind-up was with Wally Boag and the Golden Horseshoe girls in a special routine designed for Disneylanders." That could match the photo, but it could also match a lot of other things!)

bubbagoes2anaheim said...

Pretty sure, too, that it is Wally Boag up on the desk. The woman looks familiar...

Jason Schultz said...

Confirmed from a Disneylander that this is from Spring Tonics of 1958. The female is Lana Bacon, an Operations Cast Member.

Jason Schultz said...

The top photograph is also from a Disneylander (March 1959) and is captioned: "CLAUDE COATS, NICK RENDICH and BILL WASHO working out details of a model of the giant squid." Nick Rendich and Bill Washo worked in the Plaster Department (Staff Shop) in the 1950s; Bill's father Bud was the foreman.

Chris Merritt said...

Great info Jason! I've never seen a photo of Washo before...