In the 1950s the industry was much smaller in a way especially after the war and with the Korean War revving up.
The famous quote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", fit this era so well; there was money and hope and optimism---so much was NEW.
People were moving away from the downtown and big city areas and out into more expansive homes but not as in the farms period-this was planned communities with lathe lots, suitable for the eventual pool, 2 or 3 car garages, multiple bathrooms and a bedroom for everyone.
Very soon middle class homes would have a formal living room AND a FAMILY ROOM.
Anything was possible and moreover probable in the atomic age.
Walt Disney had originally planned his amusement park for a space near his studio in Burbank-most people agree that the land where Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills is the plot he had intended to develop.
Dad, Elmer, Don Primo and my fathers biological father and Uncle, Norman and Jack all belonged to the MOOSE Lodge I think in Bell Gardens perhaps or Maywood-that part of LA anyway.
Remember Dad had worked at Thor power tools with Norman, Jack was a salesman for them-if you are confused you should have grown up in this mish mash of a family.
My Mothers side was fairly easy because she had banned the GAUS clan from her (and my life) so there was only Mother and Grandma Hilliard (Leota) BUT on Dad's side: He was born from FRAN who was married to Norman, Fran divorced Norman and married a band leader named Bud Connet-that another whole chapter, she divorced HIM and then married ELMER-meanwhile Norman and his brother (Uncle) Jack were doing their own things-Jack had been married to Roxene and Normand married her sister ADA-Normans Mother and my fathers grandmother Nina Souard had given Norman away during the depression or earlier and kept Jack so there were all sorts of bad feelings there (luckily no witches or curses that I am aware of).
Roxene was an alcoholic so Jack dorced her and later married BEE (aka Aunt Bee-good enough for Opie good enough for me). Norman had 2 girls with ADA who are Dad;s half sisters Rosemary and Jean we called both of them AUNT...Jack had one Son Darrell----there are lots of semi-cousins who are blood relations of my sister but absolutely no connection to me other than marriage.
SO we had Grandpa Norman and Grandpa Elmer, Grandma Frances and Grandma Hillard but also Grandma Souard and Grandma GREY (Fran's Mother) and Grandma Tabbler (Aunt Mildreds Mother- remember her she's my GodMother; Aunt Jean and Uncle Larry, Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Bob, Uncle Donald (Mildred's husband) and also Mildred and Johnny Rucker who were neighbors of my folks in Lynwood and were God-parents to us-they won't play much of a part in this story because they ran away early on to escape the circus of our lives.
SO, some or all of them often went on a Saturday night to the Moose Lodge to dine, dance, DRINK and socialize....
My Uncle Jack had it in his mind that I should be a child star-I was VERY cute in a strange Alien sort of way but as far as I know other than ART I had no talent at this point-later I would play the accordion and the cleinet and the piano and perform but at this point I was a 4 or 5 year old-I don't think I had even seen Cleveland yet.
Doye Odell was a TV cowboy singer-as I remember his show was on channel 5 or 11-whatever channel Spade Cooley wasn't on----country music especially western, cowboy music was popular and had been dragged to the west coast as people moved that direction, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were big deals, Hoppalong Cassidy was my favorite TV show and I HATE westerns.
So Doye O'Dell was performing at the Moose Lodge for some special event and my Uncle Jack decided that I should perform WITH Doye O'Dell.
They made me learn the words and appropriate gestures to "put over" HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW-a song that was popular on record by Patti Page - I guess a 5 year old boy's voice is not dissimilar to Patti's so that was the choice.
Long story shorter I was a hit-Doye wanted me on his show and introduced me to Spade Cooley and some other TV types and not too long after and without any help from JACK- I was asked to come out to Disney Studios to interview and audition for an upcoming kid's TV show.
Surprisingly my Mother wanted nothing to do with it-she was not fond of child stars or show biz in general-she did not perform and the thought of public speaking-even at the PTA was enough to make her "in-swallow"
Anyway the family council got involved and Mother and Grandma Fran took me to the audition.
I could not dance, I could sorta warble a tune near the notes but what I had was personality-I could talk to ANYONE of any age about anything-and after all I had gone from the Moose Lodge to TV and now to the "big Time" in a matter of months...I didn't even have a professional Head shot.
So after the various interviews etc they asked me to come back and my Mother remembered she had a spine and said NO-took me by the hand and marched me out of there.
I revolted, pitched the only tantrum of my life, plunked myself down on a curb outside the soundstage and di some very theatrical crying (sobbing, screaming etc)-I wasn't sure exactky WHY I was so upset but I intended to work it and work it I did.
Almost immediately there was this nice man with a moustache sitting next to me-I heard him say to my Mother that he thought she was making a terrible mistake but he understood her feelings and then he started to talk to me-he was a very good soother .
Walt Disney, sat on a curb in the hot California sun in his slacks and sport coat and explained to me that we don't always get what we want and that my Mother (and absent Dad) knew what was best for me and there would be other chances later on and a bunch of other stuff that has faded into history HOWEVER he took a $100.00 bill out of his wallet and across the tope he wrote "This will buy you a job at my studio anytime, Best Wishes" he signed it Uncle Walt I think but maybe Walt Disney and with that he literally patted me on the head and went away.
Many years later I asked my Mother for my Walt Disney $100.00 because I was intending to go get myself a job and it had miraculously disappeared...my guess is that at some point when times were tough and they were often tough-she needed that money and away it went-after all it was just $100.00 bill with a signature on it which was more important-an expensive souvenir or a house payment?
During the time Grandmas Frances had been married to Bud Connet she was a Ukulele girl with his band-she sat on the front of the stage and tried to look like Clara Bow as a matter of fact she looked more like Coleen Moore) dad somehow got into Vaudeville with a specialty act where he tap danced on roller skates :ya gotta have a gimmick. I think the stories surrounding that period and some of my Mothers own demons contributed to the rejection of showbiz and Hollywood.
Later she would be very supportive of my theatrical endeavors and bot she and my Dad worked for me as assistant designs; her on costumes, he on sets-even my poor sister was recruited occasionally and was the dresser for Fannie Brice in a production of Funny Girl we were involved with-she also helped on some of my operas and there are some amusing stories for later about that.
In July of 1955 not long before my birthday an envelope arrived from Disney Studios with passes to a new amusement park they were promoting out in Anaheim which would open just after my birthday on the 17th-we could bring ME and my parents.
I got the measles.
Every kid on our block had the measles.
I had to miss the opening but was promised a trip very soon after I got better.
My Mother and I and a friend of hers (AUNT Shirley who was part of a trio that included AUNT BONNIE and Lois) went out there on a school day-back then they were open Wednesday through Sunday and the park had been crowded.
I don't remember a lot of that day-I do remember Dumbo, an Indian Village with Teepees a mine train and glowing water, the Peter Pan Ride and Snow White (which scared me a lot).
Tomorrow land was very dedicated to science and had displays almost like a museum-my favorite were giant test tubes wihich held crystalline abstract scuptires of people representing varios elements or chemicals-the rocket ship was there but that's about it-we didn't stay long-it was a long drive from there to Pico Rivera and we wnted to get home before my Dad was off work.
There are pictures-mostly black and white, taken with an old Kodak camera.
That was the first of so many times-you could say that I grew up at Disneyland.
Over the years there were annual trips-my dad would always say "I hate that damn placed, it always costs me $25 bucks to go there, not to mention gas"
You can barely park there now for $25.00.
In the late 50's early 60s you could get in for a couple books of trading stamps, S and H Green stamps I think-my Mother always kept Blue Chip stamps but she went to a different gas station or something that gave green stamps,
It was then the most well kept. beautiful amusement park I had ever seen-they had lousey food, it was often hot and smoggy but it was magical and despite the corporate greed and bad press Mr Disney had received over the years it remained a special place where memories were made over the years.
I have lots more to say about it but for now lets leave it as it was-an amazing idea that bloomed in the middle of Dairy farms and orchards in Anaheim and those of us in Southern California had it in our backyards.
Life was Disneyland in those years, every day full of fantasy and adventure and always with the promise of a great big beautiful tomorrow-just a dream away.
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