Silent Movie Hits from the Pit Piano LP

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Movie Night was a highlight for anyone in the early 1900s. Things might start with a cartoon or two, perhaps a live comedy act, and then it was into the black and white world of the moving pictures!

They were crude. Poorly shot. And short on plot. But one thing they didn’t lack was adventure and suspense! Now, the suspense largely came from the pianist. So we have the Silent Movie Hits from the Pit Piano LP:

Every Silent Film of this era had pretty much the same plot. First you introduce the cast with the heroine (playful music), then the villain (slow music), next came the danger (lively music), to conclude with the hero saving the day (rousing music) and the happy ending (uplifting music).

This was the pattern for (insert film name here) and many other films.

Side A contains The Seduction of Little Nell eight parts. Side B has three other types of music that might be used for various adventure films. The Shipwreck would be nautical. The Sheik more exotic, as you can hear below:

The third track on Side B is Cowboys and Indians, and you can likely imagine the kind of music that would be used for such adventures.

The back of the album cover has a synopsis of the Little Nell film. It’s worth a read!

This was an Alshire Production distributed in Canada by Arc Sound Limited. It’s a fun look back at how things were before theaters could blast you out the back doors with a wall of realistic sound while some CGI monster seamlessly rips up the screen.

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In the Wild: Mickey Mouse Break Time Glass Mug

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Is it break time yet? No? I have to keep posting then? Okay. But could you at least fill this Mickey Mouse Break Time glass mug with some coffee please:

When thrifting, sometimes you find a little, sometimes you find a lot. Lately, I’ve been virtually tripping over Disney items in my local Charity Shops! So much to see, not so much to buy. But I can always, and do, photograph them for you.

For just a few dollars, items like this can make a nice addition to any collection when space is limited. Also, it can be practical if you actually use it for what it was intended!

Did you hear that? The alarm went off to tell me break time was over. Sigh.

Posted in Characters, Collectibles, Food, Glassware, In the Wild, Kitchen, Mugs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Schmid “Arabian Nights” Aladdin Snow Globe

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Schmid and Disney do it again with this beautiful “Arabian Nights” Aladdin snow globe. Or should I say it is a Sand Globe? You’ll see why I ask in one of the images below.

But before we get to that, let’s start with a shot of the globe with the specks at rest:

As is the case with many older snow globes, the water partially evaporates, leaving an empty bubble at the top of the glass. What caught my eye was the rocky base, and that’s what sold me on buying it. I don’t know why!

It’s always hard to get a good picture of any item that has a glass element to it. So I’m including a close up image of Aladdin and Abu below so you can see clearly how they look:

I picked this up for just under seven dollars at a Charity Shop because the mechanism was overwound. This is unfortunately quite common and something any collector should be very careful about if they want to preserve the value of the piece. I’m hoping to be able to fix it.

If it was working it would play the “Arabian Nights” theme from the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin.

And now it’s time to let the desert winds blow the sands of time around our fearless hero:

This was the second thing that sold me on buying this sand globe. The way it seems to turn the interior to a glowing golden sand storm! I love it!

I believe the scene depicted here is Aladdin and Abu escaping from the Cave of Wonders.

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Photo Spot: Disneyland Hotel Signage

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Dis-LEE

I love the look of 1950/1960 retro signage! Even without neon, they manage to invoke a feeling of whimsy that no other advertising can quite match. Even thought Disneyland has added more electronic elements to its entrance signage now, this throwback to an earlier time is most welcome:

This stands over the renovated swimming pool at the Disneyland Hotel in California.

The overcast sky in the background served to give this shot a subdued, old-time feel, even though the colours of the flags and the ‘D’ still shine through!

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Golden Records The Ballad of Davy Crockett Disc

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Golden Records was a Simon & Schuster record label based in New York City. It was conceived and founded in 1948 by the Grammy Award-winning children’s music producer, Arthur Shimkin.

Davy Crockett was a five-part serial which aired on ABC from 1954–1955 in one-hour episodes as produced by Walt Disney. The series starred Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend, George Russel. It spawned a nationwide craze and millions of dollars in merchandise revenue!

And along the way came the Golden Records The Ballad of Davy Crockett disc:

Can you guess why the label is called Golden Records? It’s a puzzler. I believe this is an original release as it is in the 33 1/3 format. Later rereleases would have been standard 45 rpm speeds and branded under the Little Golden Record label. As such, the sound quality is terrible! Have a listen:

At least you can recognize the tune.

Old items like this are nice little additions to a collection for display purposes only. With digital recordings on the smart phone, there is little reason to suffer through the awful quality recordings that these little pieces of plastic offer!

Or you could go high up on a Tennessee mountain top and throw it off like a frisbee.

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In the Wild: Disney’s FROZEN Anna Funko Plush

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Love the Disney movie Frozen? I don’t. But I did think that Anna was a standout character and the true heroine of the movie. I wish more little girls would want to be like her instead of Elsa! But I’ve had to accept that I’m almost alone on that.

But my soft spot for the spunky younger sister made me stop and take pics of this Anna Funko Plush:

Like all of this type of plush, she has a weighted bottom. I didn’t say that! But she does have beans in her butt. Oh my, that’s worse!

In the past, I used to ‘rescue’ just about everything Disney that I saw in Charity Shops. But over the years, those two, three, and four dollars purchases added up! So I had to create the In the Wild series so that I could still feature items that caught my interest without having to shell out for them.

So if you see an In the Wild post, it will feature a item that I would like to add to my collection if I had the spare cash or the room to display it. Otherwise, at least 95% of the items on this site are from my personal collection.

For more Frozen fun, check out my Disney’s Frozen Zanai Chocolate Eggs, two of my Frozen Books, or indulge me as I rant about Why Disney’s Let It Go Is a Bad Song. I’ll warn you ahead of time, if you just LOVE Frozen, you probably won’t like it! How’s that for self-promotion?

Posted in Animation, Characters, Collectibles, Dolls, In the Wild, Movies, Plush, Princesses, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels – Mickey Magical Wonderland Playset

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Dis-LEE

Educational toys are big business nowadays. When I was a kid, my parents threw me outside and told me to play with a stick. And I turned out fine! But alright then, let’s try harder with today’s youth.

The VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels – Mickey Magical Wonderland playset is ready to take your child to where the magic never ends:

The playset consists of multiple pieces that make up a town through which Mickey and his car can drive, with help, of course! You can help Mickey ride on a Ferris Wheel, to slide down a ramp, spin some gears, and there’s a boat. Peek-a-boo windows also help young minds develop motor skills. I think that means dexterity and stuff, not engines.

The key feature of this playset is Mickey and his magical car that I just happened to find at a local Charity Shop without knowing just what it was:

When you place the SmartPoint Mickey Mouse Car on the five SmartPoint locations, it triggers phrases, sounds, and melodies, that play through the cars tiny speaker.

In total, the car plays Mickey’s voice, fun sounds, phrases, and three sing-along songs with six melodies. I’ve heard them, and while none of them will top the Hit Parade, they should amuse the littluns. And while the car is doing all of this, the headlights flash:

Are you ready to jump in the passenger seat and drive along with Mickey? Then start the engine and click away:

You can tell that at the end of the audio clip, I was frantically trying to get the car to ‘do’ more, but it was mic shy, I guess. Obviously it would work better if I was using it with the playset. Apparently, somewhere along the road, this car is supposed to teach the kids about the letter ‘C’ and the name of the vehicle. Um. Would that be… CAR?

There are many playsets to choose from, one has Mickey in a train for example, and you can interchange the vehicles and join the sets all together to make a bigger town.

Toys-R-Us are presently selling these playsets for $69.99 US.

If you want to go all Old School on your children and force them to… GASP: Read(!), then check out the printed option of The Wonderful Worlds of Walt Disney book set. Each volume is a page-turner. Hey, that should develop motor skills!

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The Canadian Home Fitness Test LP

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Dis-LEE

You can’t get more retro than the 1970s. I mean, just look at that artwork! Health and Welfare Canada was trying to be so hip it probably hurt. But the goal was to get the men and women of Canada physically fit even if it killed them!

Well, that’s not really true. Often with this product it is recommended to check your fitness level before and during the exercises. So if you have your spandex tights and Adidas running shoes, lets put our stereophonic needles on The Canadian Home Fitness Test LP:

You open the record album cover to reveal two page spreads giving you the instructions and a Physical Fitness Evaluation Chart. Utilizing both correctly will ensure you don’t die of a heart attack while stepping your way to a leaner and meaner you.

First you use the chart to find your age. You then place the needle on the record in the grove that corresponds to the number next to your age. Both my wife and I are in our 50s, so as a woman she would start with Exercises for Females No. 1. As a man I would start with Exercises for Men No. 2 on the opposite side of the record. Then you step up and step down until the music stops.

Being as we are technically visiting the 1970s, I can be sexist and say “Ladies first!”

Obviously this is a gradated exercise routine. As you progress, perhaps starting with the slow No. 1 level and working your way up to the fastest No. 6 level for your gender. The audio clip above is the No. 6 level for ladies.

And now it’s time for the men to sweat it out to the techno oldies:

This audio clip was the No. 2 level for men.

The music doesn’t vary much from level to level, and not much between the men and the ladies. After a time it does become pretty annoying! Perhaps it was planned that way to make you work harder to finish sooner?

The back of the record cover explains the results of the fitness test. You might be at an undesirable fitness level or the recommended fitness level. Or dead. It doesn’t say what to do in that eventuality.

Released in 1975 and still making us smile almost 50 years later.

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DIY Disney Pattern Decorative Cushion

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Dis-LEE

The gangs all here on this DIY Disney pattern decorative cushion! My sister-in-law just made this for my wife.

The cushion is about 12″ square and has a slip cover that can be removed for cleaning:

The back of the cushion has a red square that contains a message from one sister to another, which I have covered to keep it personal between them.

Sometimes the best gifts are spontaneous (as in, not linked to an obligatory holiday or occasion) and handmade.

A little love goes a long way!

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In the Wild: Disney on Ice Mickey Popcorn Bucket

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Dis-LEE

For an in depth look at this type of Disney attraction, please check out my earlier post entitled The Great Ice Odyssey Souvenir Program – Part One. There is a link at the bottom for Part Two, which has a link to Part Three. It’s a fun read!

But other than souvenir programs, these wonderful ice shows usually sell some pretty fun keepsakes. Eventually, they tend to make their way to Charity Shops as youngsters outgrow them. So it was that I came across this Disney on Ice Mickey Popcorn Bucket:

I’ve never been able to attend one of these shows. I believe I am missing out on a great event if the pictures in the programs are any indication!

To be honest, this popcorn bucket isn’t the most imaginative piece of merchandise. But a very young child would likely enjoy it. And it could be used after the show to carry other things.

Whatever show this was from was produced by Ringling Bros. – Barnum & Bailey Int’l. Inc., which you may recognize more for their involvement in the circus industry. But a show is a show, and these two entertainment companies combined must have cooked up quite an extravaganza!

If you are enjoying this winter season, and love icy things, maybe you would like an article that will show you the Top 5 Ways to Chill Out at Disney. But even though it focuses on Florida, you really should wear a sweater while reading it!

Posted in Characters, Collectibles, In the Wild, Souvenirs, Special Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment