Disneyland ’59

Walt’s greatest frustration when Disneyland opened in 1955 was that he had to compromise severely when it came to Tomorrowland, which was filled with so many corporate exhibits with little, if any, connections to the world of the future.

When it came time to decide whether to spend money on building Liberty Street or to devote it to upgrading Tomorrowland, Walt leapt at the chance to have what he called a “second opening of Disneyland” four short years after the first one.

To launch this change in the summer of 1959, one of Walt’s long-time participants, Kodak, agreed to sponsor a 90-minute television special on ABC spotlighting Disneyland’s first three E Ticket attractions.

As film historian and author Leonard Maltin told me in 2006, when the DVD Treasures set titled Your Host, Walt Disney came out: “The set also features a show that the Disney studio considered lost for several decades: It's a kinescope of a live, 90-minute broadcast called Kodak Presents Disneyland ’59, a rededication of the Anaheim park four years after its opening.

“There are dignitaries, parades, and guest stars galore, who range from TV stars of the period (including Irish McCalla, a.k.a. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle) and such future stars as Dennis Hopper and Clint Eastwood! Meredith Willson leads 76 trombones on Main Street and Richard Nixon and his daughters attempt to cut the ribbon to open the Monorail,” Maltin said. “Disney archivist Ed Hobelman even located the original black & white negatives of the filmed segments prepared for this show, and spliced them into the kinescope for our DVD presentation.”

For today’s column, I am offering the fullest description of that milestone day that I could confirm.

Sunday June 14, 1959: Press Preview and Dedication Ceremonies

Guests visiting Disneyland that day were given a flyer that featured the following information:

“Yes, today is a special day at Disneyland…the occasion of our Press Preview and Dedication Ceremonies for Disneyland ’59 and all its new adventures.

“TODAY, all of these new adventures, including the Matterhorn Mountain and its bobsled runs; the Submarine Fleet on the Underseas Voyage; the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail Trains; the new Fantasyland Autopia, and the Motor Boat Cruise have been reserved for the press, celebrities and dignitaries who are taking part in the actual dedication ceremonies being staged for Press and Television cameras.

“Of course all of Disneyland’s other wonderful attractions will be open today for your entertainment and enjoyment.

“TOMORROW, Monday, June 15th, all of the new Disneyland ’59 attractions will officially open to the public.

“A special Disneyland ’59 Dedication parade will take place today beginning promptly at 1:30 p.m. on Main Street, and you are cordially invited to view this pageant which will start in Town Square, and follow a parade route down Main Street and around the Hub area.

“Today’s Parade and Dedication Ceremonies will all be on television tomorrow night over the ABC network in a special 90 minute program Kodak Presents—Disneyland ’59. In the Los Angeles area, this program will be shown over KABC, Channel 7 from 7:30-9 p.m.”

Walt, of course, realized that not all of his potential audience would be able to see this once-in-a-lifetime, never rerun, show. So he edited color footage of the event into a 27-minute featurette titled Gala Day at Disneyland, released to theaters on January 21, 1960.

Even people who had watched it on a small black-and-white television set loved seeing the tightly edited version on a huge screen in Technicolor. Ever the showman, Walt even included the flub when Richard Nixon’s daughters were unable to cut the ribbon for the monorail dedication and Walt had to help tear it. In the television broadcast, that segment was edited out.

Richard Nixon's flub at not being able to cut the ribbon for the monorail was edited out of the ABC broadcast of Disneyland 59, but it made it into the special Gala Day at Disneyland featurette.

Walt included footage from this featurette as the first part of his weekly television show episode “Disneyland ’61/Olympic Elk” (May 28, 1961), as well.

Schedule of Events

Walt had invited approximately 2,000 members of the press to attend.

ABC personnel arrived at 7:30 a.m. in the morning to set up and rehearse.

9:15 a.m.

Nixon and his family met Walt at the monorail station for press photos for newspapers east of the Rocky Mountains who needed them for their Monday morning editions. This is when the famous Bob Gurr “kidnapping Nixon” on the monorail incident took place. Then, Nixon left and attended church services in Whittier with his mother.

The Nixons had stayed at the Disneyland Hotel Saturday night in owner Jack Wrather’s personal suite.

Nixon and his family first visited Disneyland on August 11, 1955, where actor Fess Parker (Davy Crockett) presented Nixon with the “Key to Disneyland” on the steps of City Hall.

Noon

Parade starts forming. Lunch at Red Wagon Inn for celebrities.

12:15 p.m.

Nixon and his family have an informal luncheon at Walt’s apartment above the Firehouse.

1:15 p.m.

Certain celebrities board “horseless carriages” to take them from City Hall to the official reviewing stand in the Hub. Walt rode with his grandchildren Christopher and Joanna in a 1906 Buick driven by E.J. Antonik. Mrs. Disney who was notoriously shy did not ride with Walt but was at the ceremonies along with Ron Miller and Diane Disney Miller. Nixon rode in a 1909 Cadillac driven by Barney Rademacher;

1:30 p.m.

Disneyland ’59 Dedication Parade and Pageant begins. Special reserved grandstand for press guests located adjacent to Plaza at end of Main Street

Reviewing Stand Official Guests:

• The Honorable Richard M. Nixon, Vice-President of the United States, Mrs. Nixon and their two daughters Julie and Tricia
• Mr. and Mrs. Walt Disney
• Mr. and Mrs. Art Linkletter
• Mr. and Mrs. Roy O. Disney
• Rear Admiral Charles C. Kirkpatrick, United States Navy
• Chief Machinist Mate Stuart M. Nelson, United States Navy, Mrs. Nelson and Family
• Mr. Edward Fernet, Consul General of Switzerland and Family
• Mr. Meredith Willson

Vanguard

• Mickey Mouse, Chip’n’Dale
• Disneyland Band, “The marchingest band in America,” – Vesey Walker, director
• Armed Forces Color Guard
• Grand Marshall, Walt Disney
• Roy O. Disney with wife Edna
• Vice-President Richard Nixon and family
• Celebrities including Roberta Shore, Annette and the Shaggy Dog, Guy Williams dressed as Zorro riding a black horse, Henry Calvin (Sgt. Garcia on Zorro) in a carriage, and more, including the cast of Lassie television show (Jon Provost, June Lockhart, Lassie).

International Group

“Disneyland is dedicated to all people of all nations around the world. This section reflects that principle”—narrator “Gala Day at Disneyland” (1960)

• Massed Flags Float (a twirling globe)

Japan

• Japanese Kansuma Kai – Fugima Kansuma, director
• Japanese Float

Austria

• Austrian Mountain Dancers
  Charles Bausback, director

Mexico

• Disneyland’s Gonzales Trio
• Mexican Equestrians – Peter Martinez and Thelma Kurtt
• Corina Valdez Dancers – Corina Solis, director
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Mounted Charro Posse – Capt. Ben Oberstein, leader

China

• Los Angeles Chinese Drum and Bugle Corps – Philip Kwan, director
• Rickshaws- June Gong “Miss San Francisco Chinatown” and Jean Chew “Miss Los Angeles Chinatown”
• Chinese Dragons, one of which was 150 years old at the time.

Greece

• Greek Gandy Dancers – Dean Linscott, director
• Greek Musicians from Athens

Spain

• Spanish Equestrian – Norma Gootjes
• Lilly Aguilar Dancers and Musicians – Lilly Aguilar, director
• Spanish Ceremonial Masks
• Many Hispanic festivals include costumed figures known as gigantes y cabezudos, or roughly, “Giants and Big-Heads”
• Spanish Equestrians – Rollo Grover, Clyde and Dee Goehring, Bob Phillips and Hazel Kirkpatrick, Marjorie Wurman, Barbara Dillion and Kathleen Swift

Italy

• Italian Dancers and Sicilian Cart – Nate Moore, director

Scotland

• San Diego Highland Dancers – Mrs. Clark Sutorius, director
• San Diego Bagpipe Bands: Campbell Highlanders – John Haywood, Pipe Major and Cameron Highlanders – John Rosenberger, Pipe Major

Disneyland Division

Main Street , U.S.A.

• Firehouse Five Plus Two – Chief Ward Kimball
• Horsedrawn Firewagon
• Horseless Carriages – Courtesy of Horseless Carriage Club of Southern California
• Main Street Horsecar and Dancing Group performing the “Horsecar Ballet” as they jumped off the Horsecar when it stopped and danced along either side of it.
• Omnibus – The Elliott Brothers and “Disneyland Dateniters” Band (The Elliott Brothers played events like Disneyland’s Grad Nites for years. In 1958, they released their album “Date Nite at Disneyland with the Date Niters.” Their sister Mary was a singer who gave up her career to become the third wife of actor Bob Cummings. Both of them were in attendance at this preview.)

Adventureland

• African Safari
• Elephant Hunter (Wally Boag) riding a real elephant and shooting off a trick rifle that fired coiled up covered springs.
• Watusi Warriors
• Gorilla and Chimpanzees
• Adventureland Float (a Jungle Cruise launch)
• Polynesian Women

Frontierland

• Huntington Park Youth Band – Phil Moore, director
• Stagecoach
• Western Silver Mounted Equestrians – George Putnam, George Ryan, Al Garcia, Ernest Specht, George J. Sherman, L. D. Wardle, Lyle and Grace Williams, Harold and Thelma Esseberg, Frank McCoy, Harold Dukan, Wally Blomquist, and Dr. Dale Wurman
• Columbia Float
• Disneyland Indians
• Golden Horseshoe Float (done up like an old West saloon with two can-can dancers sitting on the bar while stuntmen performed a staged fight)

Tomorrowland

• South Gate City Youth Band -Dale Eymann, director
• Super Autopia Mark V Cars (The cars held a driver and a celebrity including: Darren McGavin, Chill Wills, Lawrence Welk, Lennon Sisters, Jeffrey Hunter, Marvin Miller, Richard Crenna, Dennis Hopper, Clint Eastwood, Rex Allen and others)
• Disneyland Alweg Monorail Float – (Futuristic domed buildings with a miniature operating monorail running through the display that Linkletter called “an actual working model”.)
• Swiss Singing Society “Harmonie” – Fred Erich Bannasch, director
• Matterhorn Float – (The scale model Matterhorn featured on that float was one of three large-scale Matterhorn models built by Imagineer Harriet Burns to guide engineering, architectural, and construction teams as they worked on the attraction.)
• San Diego Naval Training Center Band – W/O F.L. Emond, director
• Submarine Voyage Float (King Neptune and four mermaids who threw treasures from Davy Jones’ Locker to the guests)

Fantasyland

• Independent Order of Foresters
• Robin Hood Band – David Baskerville, director
• Tumblers
• Walt Disney Cartoon Characters (Like Opening Day at Disneyland, these costumes were borrowed from John Harris’ Ice Capades show and included Mickey Mouse, Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, some Disney princesses and more.)
• Roy Williams, the “Big Mooseketeer”
• Horseketeers Drill Team (in the Mickey Mouse Club horse costume where it looked like they were riding a cartoon horse when they were standing up.)
• Fantasia Group (including the mushrooms from the film)
• Arabian Equestrians – Don Hudson Barnstetter and Marvin Moore
• “76 Trombones” (Meredith Willson, the composer of the Broadway hit The Music Man, which was still running on Broadway at the time, was in the reviewing stand. Apparently, this band of 76 trombone players all dressed in tuxedos with white bow ties was a surprise to him. “I’ve been saying it all afternoon, but Walt Disney, when he does anything, he does it right, doesn’t he? Listen to that!” remarked Willson to co-host Linkletter. Leading the band like a drum major was a strutting Tommy Walker, Disneyland’s director of entertainment, also in a tuxedo. He handed his cane and hat to Willson who proceeded to conduct the orchestra.)
• Silhouettes of Western High School Anaheim – Ruth Miyano, director
• Colorful balloon release near Town Square including two-toned Mickey Mouse headed balloons.

2:30 p.m.

Matterhorn Musical Pageant. Reserved grandstands for Press Guests located at base of Matterhorn Mountain adjacent to the Main Street Plaza.

• Mountain Climbers (from the Sierra Club who climbed the structure, planted both the Swiss and American flags at the pinnacle, and then rappelled down the slope)
• Swiss Singing Society “Harmonie” – Fred Erich Bannasch, director
• Swiss Alpine Horn Player
• Swiss Dancers (in red and white outfits)
• Yodelers
• Performance on raised stage by Silver Medal Olympic skating champion Ronnie Robertson who was then touring with the Ice Capades where he was nicknamed “The Human Blur” – choreography by Tommy Mahoney

3 p.m.

Following the Matterhorn Pageant, the new Matterhorn Mountain Bobsleds, Fantasyland Autopia and Motor Boat Cruise were open for the Press Guests and their family to enjoy.

4 p.m.

Dedication Ceremonies: Submarine Voyage and Disneyland-Alweg Monorail Trains. Press Guests were invited to follow the directional signs and view these activities from area surrounding the Coral Lagoon.

Submarine Voyage Dedication

Participants:

• Chief Machinist Mate, Stuart M. Nelson of the U.S.S. Nautilus and his first wife Mildred Nelson
• Rear Admiral Charles C. Kirkpatrick
• Walt Disney
• Art Linkletter

There was a Mermaid Ballet in Coral Lagoon by eight mermaids. I interviewed one of those 1959 mermaids.

Mrs. Nelson christened the Disneyland Submarine D-301 shouting “I christen thee Nautilus.” Walt had handed her a ribbon-decorated bottle of champagne that was sitting on the top of the submarine and she smashed it with such vigor that she almost lost her balance and Walt had to steady her. Walt accompanied her, her children, Nelson and Kirkpatrick aboard for the first maiden voyage of the Nautilus.

Nelson died on February 12, 2007 in Gainesville, Florida at the age of 79.

Nelson was one of the pioneers of the U.S. Navy nuclear submarine service. He served aboard the first U.S. nuclear submarine, the Nautilus, (SSN 571) which is why he and his family were selected for this christening.

By 1957 he was chief machinist mate aboard the Nautilus, where he was in charge of the propulsion plant during the first submerged trans-polar trip in 1958. In 1960 he was commissioned an officer and remained aboard the Nautilus until 1961.

The Gala Day at Disneyland poster advertised the opening of the new park attractions with the peg “a news program.”

Admiral Kirkpatrick, who had been persuaded to participate in this christening at the urging of Nixon, said that Nelson was “a man who does what other men can only imagine” and that Nelson was “officially commended for outstanding leadership, technical competence and devotion to duty in the first transpolar cruise in history under the sea in submarine”.

Kirkpatrick turned to Walt and said, “Walt, this is a real Navy family [referring to Nelson, his wife and their three young sons who were standing nearby]. I don’t believe you can put the christening of a ship in better hands or better company.”

Disneyland–Alweg Monorail System Dedication

Participants

• Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, Mrs. Nixon
• The Vice-President’s daughters, Patricia and Julie
• Walt Disney
• Art Linkletter

Press guests were invited to view these activities from the area surrounding the Coral Lagoon.

Walt: To open the first operating monorail system in America, it is our good fortune to have our friend and fellow Californian, the Vice-President of the United States, Mr. Richard Nixon and his charming family, Mrs. Pat Nixon, “Julia” (actually her name was Julie) and Patricia, his daughters. (Julie was roughly 10 years old and Tricia about 13.)

Richard Nixon: Thank you very much, Walt. I want to say this has really been one of the most exciting and interesting days that I’ve ever had in my life and I’m sure that’s true of all the others who are here at Disneyland to participate in these various ceremonies opening these wonderful new exhibits which we have here.

I think you will be interested to know, Walt, and I know our television and radio listeners will be interested to know when my wife and I were planning this trip and talking it over with our two daughters and we asked them what they wanted to do most when they came to California, they said, “We want to see our grandmother and go to Disneyland.”

Now, I can tell you, however, that is not just the case with regard to young people all over the country but it’s true of the dignitaries who come to Washington from other lands. I remember President Sukarno [of Indonesia] also wanted to come to Disneyland and he has been here as you know.

The king of Belgium, the king of Morocco…from all over the world people whether they are adults or children want to come to Disneyland…to see America, the past, the present and the future and so consequently, I just want to take this opportunity to say what a fine job we think Disneyland has been doing in letting all of us for a brief few hours have an interlude in our rather busy life and participate in a feeling about the traditions, the dreams, the hopes of this great country of ours.

Now, of course, comes the time for the dedication although you and I, the adults up here, are probably just as interested in riding this as the children. Since this first monorail system is a system for the future and since Disneyland is a place which children love above everything else, I think it would be nice if our two daughters Patricia and Julie cut the ribbon.

4:30 p.m.

Press Guests and their family were allowed to ride the Submarine Voyage and the Monorail.

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Informal Buffet Dinner and Entertainment in Holidayland. Special Santa Fe and Disneyland Trains departed from Fantasyland Station at five-minute intervals beginning at 5:30 p.m. and drop off at the Frontierland Station.  Nixon and his family then went to Knott’s Beery Farm for a family reunion and received special attention from Walter Knott.

8 p.m.-Midnight

Dancing at the Plaza Gardens

9 p.m.

Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. Reportedly, there was also a fireworks display around 6:15 p.m., but I have been unable to confirm it.

At the end of the televised show, Linkletter was in one of the Skyway buckets in Tomorrowland:

Linkletter: “My happy job as co-host is just about wrapped up. I’m going to have some fun on these rides we’ve been talking about. Where’s Walt? [pointing down] There he is down there with some children naturally. So for one last bit of official business, I give you the happiest kid in the park…Walt Disney!”

Walt: Disneyland was made possible by all of you…the millions who have already been here, the people here today…and those we hope to see some day. I think it is appropriate for the occasion to ask these children of the visitors here today to help me officially open Disneyland ’59 for its only purpose…the pursuit of happiness for all.

Ropes were then opened allowing a mass of children to enter the Tomorrowland area with the new attractions.