A puppeteers dream-come-true could have been found in the space of San Diego dealer Richard Strell at the recent Del Mar Show. He offered 30 vintage marionettes from the 1940s and ’50s; all were in excellent condition and came in their original boxes. The collection included Buckaroo Bob, clearly based on the more popular Howdy Doody, a politically incorrect Tomboy doll, Indians, cowboys and clowns. He priced the stringed dolls at $75 to $150 each, but offered a discount to buyers who bought multiple marionettes. Marionettes are sometimes referred to as “puppets,” but the term “marionettes” is more precise, distinguishing it from other forms of puppetry, such as finger, glove, rod and shadow puppetry. With the rise in popularity of television and film, marionettes found a surge in popularity especially in children’s programming. The story of Pinocchio and its Disney adaptation, which was released in 1940, is a story about a marionette that comes to life. In 1947, Howdy Doody introduced marionettes to Saturday morning television, with Howdy Doody (the main character) being a marionette, as well as other characters on the show.
Category Archives: Disney
Disneyland Board games, mickey Memorabilia expected to rake in big bucks
A 1950s Tomorrowland board game rocketed for $30 at a past All-American Show. Disney memorabilia is expected to soar even higher at the upcoming January 16th and 17th Show because of Roy Disney’s recent death.Although he was not as as well known as his uncle, Walt, Roy was a consultant for The Walt Disney Company, owned 16 million shares of stock in the company, and was Director Emeritus for the Board of Directors. He was perhaps best known for organizing the ousting of two top Disney executives: first, Ron Miller in 1984, and then Michael Eisner in 2005. The board game was offered by the wife of an All-American Show dealer named Arthur, who was both a Disney fan and a former employee. He died a few years ago of lung cancer. ”He was a ride operator,” she said. “He worked at the [now defunct] submarine ride from 1957 to 1967.” He was more than just another employee, she claimed. He and founder Walt Disney actually had a friendship that actually caused them both more harm than good. ”Walt would come down in his little cart, pick him up and they would go outside the gate, away from the other employees, to smoke,” she said. Although Walt ended up offering him a job on the inside of the company, Arthur had plans that did not involve Disney. After a decade, he left Disneyland and worked as a building coordinator at Fullerton College and then ended up as a tax assessor for Riverside County. Walt Disney, a chain smoker, died in 1966 after having his left lung removed. He had scheduled to undergo neck surgery for an old polo injury, and doctors found an enormous tumor on his left lung. They removed his lung and despite several chemotherapy sessions, doctors only gave him six months to live. He died ten days after his 65th birthday. Even though the bulldog that was exhibited at the December Rose Bowl was chain smoking, since he was made out of pot metal, it is unlikely that he will die from cancer. His greatest enemy is rust. Dealer Pete Torres offered the canine cigarette collectible for $80. Similar automatons will be offered at the All-American Show. The All-American Show is from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Glendale Civic Auditorium is located at 1401 N. Verdugo Road in Glendale. Admission is $7 for adults and $2 for children.
Rare submarine poster makes voyage for $3,200
Elizabeth Norris offered three rare circa 1955 Disneyland posters at the recent Los Angeles Modernism Show. And, these were no average posters. They were modern in style, bold in color and from a time when Disneyland had sponsors! The first, showcasing the now-defunct Submarine Voyage in Tomorrowland revealed that the trip through liquid space was sponsored by General Dynamics. ”The design is all about future and it’s all about modernism,” explained Norris, who hoped the poster would explore for $3,200. “I don’t think you’ll ever see this poster again. It is super, super rare.” It is not just the design that is hard to find. It is the short-lived technique used to make the poster. ”Most of the time, when you’re looking at old posters, you are looking at stone lithography,” she explained. The Submarine Voyage poster was done using the offset silkscreen process, which was shortlived in the world of posters. ”Silkscreen is very beautiful because you get very dense ink, but the ink cracks over time,” she said. Most silkscreened posters don’t survive because they require special care. ”Never fold or roll a silkscreened poster because the ink will come off,” said Norris. “Frame and hang it immediately.” One Disneyland poster, for the Tiki Room, didn’t even make it past the Gala. Its colorful parrots talked an interested shopper into making the purchase. United Airlines teamed up with Disneyland on a mid-1950s poster for the Jungle Cruise Ride, $3,600. With lime green background, dark grey hippos and a red and white striped barge, the poster was designed by Stan Galli, United Airlines signature poster artist for close to 30 years. According to Norris, at the time United Airlines called itself the airline to Disneyland.
