Once Upon A Time..In Anahiem V

Part V: The Grand Opening

Our Story So Far: After countless construction mishaps and budget crunching, Disneyland is now ready to open. Walt's dream of a theme park celebrating family and fun are about to become reality.

Its late Saturday night July 16th, 1955. Walt Disney, after a long day of final preperations and meetings finally retires to his apartment above Main Street, for some much needed R & R. As more problems came up during the night, he was continually having to wake up to deal with those looking for solutions to the problems. Fed up, he angirly slammed his apartment door shut and locked it. When he awoke the morning of July 17, he walked over to the door and found that the lock was stuck! After yelling out for help, workers were able to let him out and thus Walt's big day began.

The gates to Disneyland were set to open at 10 am. Much like today however, guests began arriving EARLY. Roy Disney himself, was caught in the huge traffic jam that was being caused by so many guests driving down to get to the park. As Roy arrived he was shocked to see the LLOONGG line of cars already in the parking lot. An attendant, who recoginized him, ran over and explained to Roy that the kids that were cooped up in their cars for so long, had begun to relieve themselves right there in the parking lot!! Roy's repsonse to that? "God bless em, let them pee."

The Opening Day festivities were to be broadcast live by ABC. This was the largest live broadcast of its time. There were 29 cameras set up around the park and hundreds upon hundreds of yards of tv wire everywhere. The show itself was hosted by Art Linkletter along with his friends Bob Cummings and future US President Ronald Reagan. Because live tv was so unreliable at the time, Linkletter cautioned viewers at home that they may expereince some difficulties during the course of the broadcast, but to sit tight and they would be in for a treat.

There were about 10,000 invitations made up for guests to arrive to Disneyland. But as people lined up, it was apparent that there would be FAR more people that that in the park. There were many people who jumped the perimeter fences and others who presented forged invitations. The official park tally put the number of guests at 28,154, but unofficial numbers put that number at closer to 30,000.The small park was in no way ready to handle that amount of people and the walkways were JAMMED with guests looking for something to do.

Roy Disney actually purchased the first ticket to Disneyland at a cost of $1. (Wouldnt that be nice now?) The ticket stub is locked away in the Disney archives in Burbank.

At 4:30pm, the live broadcast began and Linkletter introduced Disneyland to the viewers in front of the Main Street Railroad Station. He introduced his co-hosts for the afternoon and then attention turned to a train arriving at the station. The train was carrying Walt Disney, Governor of California Goodwin Knight and president of Santa Fe Railroads (Co-Owners of the Disneyland Railroad) Fred Gurley. After stoping to chat with Linkletter, the three proceeded to the Town Square for the dedication ceremonies.

Ronald Reagan introduced the ceremony to the viewers at home and cued Walt to walk up to the microphone to deliver his famous dedication speech. A hush fell over the crowd as he Walt spoke:

The Speech

"To all who come to this happy place...Welcome! Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the promise and challenge of the futre. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America. With the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration, to all the world."

After the ceremony, Walt and co. were wisked away in a car and drove down Main St. as part of the opening day parade. Walt himself would only be seen during the different dedications of each land. Because of this, he was completely unaware of the chaos that was taking place around Disneyland.

Dedicating Fantasyland

The first issue arouse on Main Street itself. Because of construction delays, the asphault on Main Street had been poured earlier in the morning and had not yet set when the first guests came in. Ladies who were dressed in their best clothes, soon found that their high heel shoes had actually sunk into the ground and stuck there. There many female guests forced to leave behind shoes that day. All the crowds descending on the park that day overwhelmed the few rides that were operating and many broke down. The concession stands ran out of food and beverages and Fantasyland was forced to close early because of a gas leak.

Oops

The live broadcast didnt help matters either. At one point during Walt's dedication of Tommorrowland, the director interupts Walt because the show had not come back from commerical break. "I thought I got a signal", groaned a annoyed Walt. While in Fantasyland, Art Linkletter had trouble finding his microphone as Bob Cummings was gettnig set to send the broadcast back to him. An amused Linkletter begins to laugh as he searches for his microphone while Cummings adds commentary "He's looking for his microphone, he looks all confused.." Finally the microphone was found under a pile of lumber.

End of a long day

It was truly a chaotic day, but at the end of the show Walt and Linketter are shown standing in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. "Walt, you've made a bum out of Barnum", Linkletter remarked, as the two men stood there. Walt quickly thanked everyone that helped make his dream a reality and both men walked towards the castle (But not before Linkletter stumbled over the microphone wire) and brought the show to a close.

What was the media's reaction to Disneyland? They hated it! While some members of the press liked it, most reviews were unfavorable. The headlines the next day screamed "Disney's Folly" and "A Hollywood Spectacular-A Spectacular Failure". The public on the other hand, LOVED the place. As word spread, Disneyland's attendance numbers swelled and on Sept 8, 1955 justseven weeks after opening day, Disneyland celebrated its one millionth guest.

Over the years Disneyland continued to grow and prosper. Walt himself once said "Disneyland will never be complete, as long as there is imagination left in the world." That promise came true, as mega attractions such as the Matterhorn, Submarines and Monorail were added within 4 years of the parks opening. Walt wanted to keep pushing the boundries of theme park entertainment and he strived to make his park the best and encouraged his design teams to push along with him. It was this determination that led to some of the most beloved attractions of all time such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and Its A Small World.

Its been 50 years since the Magic Kingdon openend its gates, but its enchantment has been timeless. Whether its walking through those train tunnles for the first time, or setting eyes on Sleeping Beauty Castle, there's always something magical about it. Here's hoping that the next 50 years are just as magical and full of joy and memories for everyone.

Coming Soon: Some Final Facts and Words from Walt

Once Upon A Time..in Anahiem IV

 

Part IV: Building the Dream

 

Our Story So Far: Now that ABC has jumped in to help cover some of the construction costs of the park, Disneyland can now jump from the drawing board and start taking shape in that Anahiem Orange Grove. In exchange for the money, Walt has agreed to produce television shows for the network. The first series, titled "Disneyland", has just premiered and has people clamoring over what Disneyland will turn out to be.

When construction crews began working on Disneyland, they faced many daunting challenges and questions. Walt wanted to find the perfect crew for the job, but according to him, none existed. Instead the crews working in that orange grove found out how to make things work, by trial and error. This way led to many interesting mishaps that occured during initial construction of the park.

Take for example the Rivers of America in Frontierland

River under construction

After the riverbed had been dug out and ready to be filled the crews opened the water pipes and let the water flow. Unfortunatley, when the water rushed into the riverbed, it was quickly soaked up by the soil! The construction crew was shocked. How would they keep a river from "runnning away?" Luckily the problem was solved when the workers lined the riverbed and shore with clay. The water was once again released and this time it stayed put. This same method was used around the park in The Jungle Cruise riverbeds and the moat outside Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Another issue arose when it came time to clear the orange groove of trees. Because landscaping was expensive, Walt wanted to save some of the older trees that were already there. Jack and Morgan Evan, who were put in charge of the landscaping of the park, went tree to tree tagging which trees were to be saved and which trees were to be bulldozed. Green tags signified the tree would stay and red tags signified the trees would go. The bulldozer operator got to work and began destroying EVERY TREE in his path, with no regards to the ribbons. When asked why he would do such a thing, the operator responded that he was colorblind.Makes you wonder why he didnt ask what the ribbons were for before he started destroying everything!

The Grove Before...

and after!!

 

When buildings first began to rise over the site, Walt learned a new lesson about building construction. He initially wanted to use exterior set type buildings for the park such as the ones you see on studio backlots. He felt that this was cheaper and would save valuable construction time. However, he was in a for a shock when he was told he would have to build complete buildings and not just facade's. Walt didnt like the idea of using more of the already limited funds to construct the buildings but he had no choice.

Of all the lands, Adventureland was the one that had little to no issues in the construction process. Because of this, Walt would showcase this land mroe than others during future broadcasts of "Disneyland".

The jungle cruise..by car!

Because it was being completed so quickly, Walt was able to show an almost completey built Jungle Cruise ride and took viewers on a "dry run" of the ride during a later broadcast of the show.

 

One of the lands that proved to be the most difficult was "Fantasyland". The most challenging rides proved to be the dark rides (Peter Pan, Snow White, Mr Toad). The track layouts proved simple enough, but because of labor shortages, some of the same animators that worked on the cartoons that inspired the rides, were forced to work on the rides themselves! The animators became painters and setbuilders! Some would argue though that having workers so closely attatched to the products, helped the overall quality of the finished ride. I mean anyone can draw Peter Pan, but someone who actually worked on Peter Pan the movie, is going to do a better job overall.

Dumbo also had its share of problems. The original motor was not powerful enough to make the fiberglass elephants go round and round. They were simply too heavy for the machine to take. After some reworking, the ride opened one month after the grand opening.

Disneyland under construction

But by far the most troubled land was "Tommorrowland". Construction on that part of the park didnt begin until six months before opening!! It was part of the original plan to have Tommorrowland in the park, but as the money for the park grew tighter and tighter, Tommorrowland was scratched off the list. The original plan was to build Tommorrowland AFTER the park had opened and became profitable. However, Walt and his team soon realized that the concept of Disneyland, would not work without Tommorrowland there, so after more budget slashing it was rescued and put on the fast track for opening day.

Besides the different construction issues with the lands, there were other issues that sprang up as well. Take for instance that in 1955 Anahiem was going through one of its wettest rainy seasons ever. With the rain pouring constantly, there were fears that construction would be delayed and the opening pushed further back.

Another pressing issue was the strike involving local plumbers. With so few plumbers available, Walt would have to decide whether or not to have more water fountains or more bathrooms. He choose bathrooms and at opening was accused of trying to get more Pepsi and Coke sales out of the paying public by offerring less water fountains.

But as Walt explained, "People can buy Pepsi, but they cant pee in the street!"

Despite all these issues and many more, Disneyland's construction sped along. Walt was almost always seen walking around the construction site and making sure things were being built to his satisfaction. When he wasnt in Anahiem, he was at the Disney Studio Lot in Burbank, checking out the construction of the trains, ride vehicles and the Mark Twain Riverboat. After the ride vehicles and trains and yes even the Mark Twain were completed, they were all driven down the I-5 to Disneyland. (Which I'm sure freaked out the SoCal drivers of that era!)

Finally, on July 13, 1955 after many a mishap and running through $17 million a nearly complete Disneyland opened for its first special event. On this day, Walt and Lillian Disney would celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary inside the park. After taking their guests on a trip around the Rivers of America in the just completed Mark Twain, they were all ushered into the Frontierland Theater for a dinner and reception. Afterwards, Walt stood up on stage and was just beaming. He couldnt believe that his dream had finally become a reality. Disneyland was set to open in two days and he couldnt wait. With all the issues and problems that arouse during its construction, opening day would be a breeze right? Right???

Coming Up Next: Showtime At Disneyland

Once Upon A Time...In Anahiem III

 

Part III: TV Saves Disneyland

Our Story So Far: A site has been selected for Disneyland and we now know what the place is going to look like. Depsite his best efforts, Walt Disney has been unable to secure enough financing to begin serious construction of Disneyland. Now, help will come from an unlikely source.

Walt Disney was in trouble. His funds for the building of Disneyland were quickly dwindiling away. Unless he came up with some serious backing, his park would never see the light of day. The banks had all refused to help Walt so where was he going to get it? Luckily for him there was one company that was just dying to get into business with Disney and would do just about anything to do it.

The ABC Network had long been after Walt Disney to produce programs for its network. Desperate to win ratings, ABC offered to help with the costs of the park in exchange for a weekly program. Keep in mind that in this era, TV was still a relatively new technology.The networks were all looking for some sort of outstanding content and programs to keep people watching. Many Hollywood filmmakers were strongly opposed to television because they feared it would keep people from going out to the movies and watching their films. However, Walt was the first producer to see the possiblities in television as far as adverstising and creating public awareness. Walt quickly agreed to the deal and he would soon have some serious funds at his disposal.

In exchange for the weekly program, ABC agreed to invest $500,000 for a 34.5% interest in the park. The company also agreed to loan Walt up to $4.5 million to cover costs of the park. Each television show would be one hour and would be hosted by Walt Disney himself. The first show put out was all about creating awareness for Disneyland. The episodes would be built around providing a different story from one of the themed lands in Disneyland (Adventureland,Tommorrowland, Fantasyland and Frontierland). Naturally the show was titled "Walt Disney's Disneyland".

The Premier Episode

The premier episode of "Disneyland" debuted on ABC Sunday, October 27, 1954. This was the public's first real look at Disneyland the place. People around Southern California had been hearing for months how Walt Disney was planning on building an "amusment park" in Anahiem, but now they would actually get to see the place. Walt was about to take them on a little journey.

The show opened with Walt in the "Disneyland Planning Room" at the Disney Studio's in Burbank. After a brief intro, Walt Disney unvieled Disneyland to the American public. Using a beautifly drawn map of Disneyland by Disney artist Peter Ellenshaw, Walt described what the park was to be.

Walt Disney presents Disneyland to the world

Aerial footage of the Anahiem site was shown along with a huge model of Disneyland that Walt used to describe the layouts of the park.

Walt describes the different lands in Disneyland

The show also included a promise by Walt that the park would be open in approximatley one year. Pretty bold statement, considering that much of the park was still just orange groves.

Reaction to the show was overwhelmingly positive and the public wanted more.

Meanwhile, down in Anahiem, construction of the park was proving to be more difficult and costly than they thought it would. No one had ever attempted anything quite like Disneyland before and crews were begining to realize why. Would Walt's team of construction men and artists be able to pull this project off? The story continues..

Up Next: Building the Dream

Delayed

Hello out there

For those of you tuning in to see Part III of the "Once Upon A Time..In Anahiem" series, I'm sorry to say I've been having some problems uploading. I will have it up either later today or tommorrow. My apologies for the delay

 

DQ

BREAKING NEWS: July 17th info

Hope you are all enjoying the "Once Upon A Time..In Anahiem" series. The best is yet to come.

Disney has finally spilled the beans as to what is going to happen the morning of July 17th before Disneyland opens for its big 50th bash. So for those of you planning to attend, here it is:

1. DCA will open at 2:00 am 7/17 for the purpose of holding guests waiting to get into Disneyland. - valid 7/17 DL admission will be required to enter DCA and ticket booths will be open. When guests queue up they will get their commemorative ears and whatever other gifts will be given out on the 17th. The commemorative ears are not the regular ones currently sold in the park, and they can not be embroidered. Limited refreshments will be available for sale inside DCA - Smoozies, Award Wieners (limited menu), ODV. Restrooms will be open. NO entertainment. It's a line, not a party. When guests enter the park they will receive a wristband. If they leave for whatever reason, they will lose that wristband. If they return, they will have to rejoin the line wherever it currently is at that time.
2. The Timon lot will be open, with tram service, for those who wish to camp out in DCA the morning of 7/17. The Mickey & Friends parking lot will open at 6:00 a.m.
3. DCA will stop admitting people around 6 a.m. Guests who arrive after that will queue outside of the security checkpoints at either end of the Esplanade.
4. Disneyland will open at 7:00 a.m. for an "unpublished opening." The DCA crowd will be escorted into Disneyland at that time. The security checkpints will re-open once the DCA crowd is inside Disneyland, bag check's will resume and people will be allowed to go right into Disneyland. It is estimated that it may take as long as an hour to get all of the DCA crowd into Disneyland, so the 8:00 announced opening time might be accurate for those who do not camp inside DCA.
5. They probably will not do the softer, staggered closes we're familiar with as attendance increases. There is a maximum capacity number, which has not been disclosed, and the park will close when that number is reached. When the gates close, it will be a hard close - NOBODY gets, regardless of their story.

A very special thank you to mouseplanet.com for providing the info.

 

DQ

Once Upon A Time..In Anahiem II

Part II: Financing a Dream

Our Story So Far: Walt Disney is planning on building a theme park dedicated to family fun and Disney. When the original site in Burbank, CA proved too small for the project, Walt began looking at other parcels of land that would be able to hold his vision. After searching all of Southern California, his research team has finally settled on a orange grove in the sleepy farming town of Anahiem, CA. Now comes the challenging part: Making this dream..a reality.

Walt knew that there was NO WAY his dream would get off the ground without money. His brother, Roy O. Disney who basically took care of the money side of the Disney Empire, had only allowed Walt to use $10,000 for the development and construction of Mickey Mouse Park. Of course, that amount was nowhere near the amount he would need to build and complete the newly dubbed "Disneyland" project in Anahiem. Roy however, was not convinced that Walt's theme park would prove to be financially feasible, and refused to allow Walt to use anymore of the company's funds. Walt would have to look elsewhere for money.

One group that initially helped Walt out was the "Disneyland Backers and Boosters". This group, made up entirely of Disney Studio employees, chipped in money to help Walt with start up costs. As more and more employee's started contributing, Roy began to take notice and the more people began to take Walt's project seriously, the more he began to reconsider his original opinion of the park being a failure.

Even with his modest employee only fund, Walt knew that the details he wanted to include in his park-that would make it different from other parks-wouldnt come cheap. The problem was he needed some sort of visual refrence to show the accountants that his park was feasible and unique.

On the morning of Saturday, September 26, 1953 Walt Disney placed a call to noted artist (And former Disney employee) Herb Ryman. Ryman, who at the time was working at 20th Century Fox, was surprised to be getting a call from Walt Disney himself. Walt asked Ryman if he would come down to the Disney lot and discuss a project with him. Ryman agreed and headed down to meet Walt.

Once he arrived and settled in, Walt began talking to Ryman about his vision for Disneyland. As Herb recalls, "I asked 'So what does this have to do with me?' and he said 'Well Herbie, my brother Roy is going to New York on Monday morning. He's meeting with the bankers for financing of this park. Roy's got to take this stuff back and show them what this is going to look like. You know bankers, no imagination whatsoever. They have to see something before they back it.' and so I got excited and said 'Well gee, I'd like to see it too.' and he said 'You're going to do it." Ryman's first reaction was "No I'm not." But after Walt agreed to stay with him the entire weekend to help him out, Ryman relented and agreed.

With Walt describing what the park was to look like, Ryman set to work sketching out Walt's ideas. "It should have a castle and a railroad track circling the park." Walt said to Ryman. Walt wanted each area of the park to have a theme. The castle itself would be the icon of the park and the orienting point for guests. Many people wonder why the original castle is much smaller than the castles that have followed Disneyland's construction. There are two stories as to why that is. The first is that Walt didnt want the castle to be large and imposing like most castles of the middle ages. While the second story is that their simply wasnt enough money to make the castle any bigger. We may never know for sure.

So after working through the weekend and throwing idea's around the first official plan for Disneyland was created

 

Walt literally took the finished plan off the drawing board, rolled it up in a shipping tube and handed it to Roy to take with him to New York.

Walt also had a booklet describing the park written for the presentation of the plan. The introduction read:

 

The idea of Disneyland is a simple one. It will be a place for people to find happiness and knowledge.

It will be a place for parents and children to share pleasant times in one another's company: a place for teacher and pupils to discover greater ways of understanding and education. Here the older generation can recapture the nostalgia of days gone by, and the younger generation can savor the challenge of the future. Here will be the wonders of Nature and Man for all to see and understand.

Disneyland will be based upon and dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and hard facts that have created America. And it will be uniquely equipped to dramatize those dreams and facts and send them forth as a source of courage and inspiration to all the world.

Disneyland will be something of a fair, an exhibition, a playground, a community center, a museum of living facts, and a showplace of beauty and magic.

It will be filled with the accomplishments, the joys and hopes of the world we live in. And it will remind us and show us how to make these wonders part of our own lives.

This description was the basis for the opening day dedication (Which we'll talk about later).

So with Herb Ryman's drawing and Walt's booklet describing the park in hand would it be enough for the bankers to front Walt the money? Unfortunately, despite Walt's success with movies and his reputation as a showman, the banks simply weren't convinced of the possibilities of a true theme park.

This should have put an end to Walt's plans, but he was determined to see his dream through. He sold one of his vacation homes and cashed in his life insurance. Even with this though, he still didnt have enough to cover the costs of the park. Luckily for Walt, one company DID have faith in his idea. And agreed to kick money into the park. What company was crazy (according to industry experts) enough to throw money away on a theme park?

You'll find out in part III

DQ

Once Upon A Time..In Anahiem

(NOTE: Hello all! I jumped the gun a bit, but here is the first part of my multi-part history of Disneyland. I had some trouble's adding pics to this first chapter, but I will be posting them soon. Enjoy!)

Fifty years ago, a magical place called Disneyland, was born in a orange grove in the farming town of Anahiem. They didnt know it then, but this place would grow to become one of the most beloved places to visit of all time. Disneyland is many things to many people. For some its a place to go on rides not offered at traditional amusement parks. For others, its a place that holds special memories and moments shared with loved ones. For others, it's the only place to see Mickey Mouse and other favorite Disney characters. Disneyland's history is as rich and colorful as the place itself. Over the next serveral days, I will be sharing with you the story behind the Magic Kingdom. You'll learn what spurred Walt Disney to take such a risky venture and how the park came to be. So sit back and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Over the years I have read tons of stories concerning Disneyland and its history. This is the first time I will attempt to cram all the tidbits and stories into one cohesive story. So if I tend to lose my train of thought or not make sense, please bear with me. On with the show:

IT ALL STARTED WITH A MOUSE

The year is 1953. Walt Disney and Walt Disney Productions (Now known as The Walt Disney Co.) is flying high as the number one family studio in town. One Sunday afternoon, Walt took his two daughters down to Griffith Park to ride the carousel there as he always did. As he sat down at a nearby bench and watched other parents watch their kids go round and round he thought to himself, "There should be a place built, where the kids and grownups can have fun together." Keep in mind, there were amusement parks around at this time. But he felt that those places were too shady and run by individuals that were more interested in making money than providing wholesome entertainment for a family. Walt began thinking that maybe he should be the one to solve this dilema. He rounded up a research team and set them out to interview various amusement park operatorson their opinions about running a family friendly park without the traditional carnival rides and midway games and such. They of course all told him that such a park would fail.

Undaunted, Walt pressed on with his idea. He and some of his artists began sketching out ideas for a small theme park that would be built adjacent to the Disney Studio lot in Burbank. Walt dubbed the park "Mickey Mouse Park". The reason Walt wanted the park built next to the studio was to also incorporate a lot tour into the total experience. Walt felt that people could come see how their favorite cartoon characters are brought to life and then go next door to the park and visit the real life version of them.

This building stands where Disneyland was originally planned to be built.

Walt wanted his theme park to be different from other parks in the area. The original idea's included a train, a steamboat ride, a petting zoo and an island for children to run around and play. Walt wanted the park to be broken up into different themed "lands". These included a western style town and tribue to midwestern main streets.

As his ideas and dreams grew, it became apparent that the parcel of land across from the studio would be too small to accomodate this ambitious undertaking.

A new site would have to be found and soon. In July 1953, Walt commissioned the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to help choose a location. One location Walt DIDNT want for his park is by the beach. He wanted his park to have nothing to do with the image of boardwalks and ferris wheels and such. Things like freeway access, smog, future population growth and local government support were all factors in deciding a spot. The SRI searched all of Southern California looking for the ideal locationa and sites as varied as Chatsworth, Tustin and Balboa were all considered, but passed on for various reasons.

Finally, they settled on four locations: An Orange grove in Anahiem, Santa Ana, La Mirada and an area that is now where Valley View Ave and the I-5 South meet.

Anahiem was selected due to is future population growth potential and the fact that newly constructed Santa Ana Freeway stood just blocks from where the main entrance of Disneyland would be. Keep in mind that at this time, Anahiem is nothing but orange groves and country roads. Why in the world would anyone want to build a theme park out here in the middle of nowhere? How would Walt convince people to drive from Los Angeles to farmland in Anahiem? Walt's dream may just turn out to be that. A dream.

(Coming Up Next: The Saga Begins)

Mid-Week Update

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the drill!! Yes, its been along time coming, but finally an update!

Space Mountan is bbaacckk

Visitors to the Disneyland resort this past weekend got a special treat for braving the 4th of July crowds. Space Mountain opened for previews and while reviews have been mixed thus far, everyone seems to agree that its just good to have this Disneyland classic back.

Below are some shots of the ride

Its not Space Mountain. Its Space STATION

the new ride vehicles (I hope those speakers work now!)

The "Launch" tunnel

What ride would be complete without a gift store?

 

The plan is to have soft openings up until July 11. The grand re-opening of this ride is set to take place July 15th.

Still no hard details as to what exactly is going to happen the 17th of July but once they are released I'll post them here.

Profiles in History, an auction site specializing in the auctions of movie and tv memorablia is set to auction the lightsabre's used by Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films.

The COA for Luke's sabre

So if you've got an extra 60,000 dollars and you're a Star Wars fan, then by all means go for it!

OK, sorry to cut it so short, but I'm still working on my multi part series for next week. Til the next time we meet.

DQ

 

TGIF!!!

Wow, back to back updates!! Do you believe in miracles?!

Long weekend ahead, hope its fun and full of good times. On with the show

Aruba Drama

Natalee Holloway has been missing since May

Holloway has been missing since May 30

So after weeks and weeks of shady investigations and what not, the government in Aruba has released a statement saying that the 3 teens that are being held in connection with the disappearance of an 18yr old high school student, have been charged with her murder. This whole case has seemed strange from the begining. First they arrest two guards who apparently had NOTHING to do with the case. Then after a few weeks, they finally arrest the 3 people who last saw her alive. Throw in a party DJ and a former guard and you've got quite a cover up going. The government has refused to release any information beyond what the media is allowed to report. There is no evidence to suspect that Natalie Holloway is dead, but she has been missing for more than a month now. The possiblity of her being alive are remote. But you just never know. Lets see where this case goes next.

Los Angeles Today, Tommorrow..THE WORLD

Earlier today, the first Latino Mayor of Los Angeles in over 100 years, was sworn in. Antonio Villaraigosa took the oath of office and pledged to unite the city and help re-establish itself as the premier city in the U.S. Villaraigosa not only carries the weight of Los Angeles on his shoulders, but also the weight of the entire latino community that see his election as proof that Latino's will soon wield more politcal clout than ever before. .

In theatres this weekend is Tom Cruise's "War of The Worlds" and the Martin Lawarence comdey "Rebound". Two guesses as to which film does better. Industry insiders are hoping that "War" can pull the box office out of its rut. The movie itself looks promising. It no doubt will have a HUGE box office take.

Land of the Lame

In case you dont know already, DO NOT watch George A Romero's Land of the Dead. This was by far the worst film I have seen this year. It has SOME scares and yes there's lots of zombie gore...But the ending TOTALLY ruins the movie. When the movie ended everyone in the theatre shuffled out in stunned silence. Oh well, live and learn.

OK, that will do it for now. Hope you all have a fun and safe 4th of July Weekend. Til next time

DQ