Disneyland Dream 1956: Library of Congress Video

[Jgooss]

I heard about this on the news last Night. This video was picked by the Library of Congress to go into its video vault. They Library of Congress picked this video because is really showed Southern California in 1956.

Trips to Knott's Berry Farm, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Universal Studios, Will Rogers' House, Santa Monica Beach, Catalina Island, and Finally Disneyland.

From the Website:

In July 1956, the five-member Barstow family of Wethersfield, Connecticut, won a free trip to newly-opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in a nationwide contest. This 30-minute amateur documentary film tells the fabulous story of their fun-filled, dream-come-true, family travel adventure, filmed on the scene at Walt Disney's "Magic Kingdom" by Robbins Barstow.

Click the Link Below to see the Video:

Disneyland Dream (1956)

[DisneyPro]

Wow, awesome find! Thanks for posting this... I love seeing videos of places in the past. Tat was funny when they all read the letter... how exciting it must of been. Everything was soooo different, especially when it came to the plane rides. First class in the back and 9 hr. flight to CA....

(A little off topic)

I especially like seeing videos from the 1950's. My Grandma tells me all the time how much fun it was being a teenager in the 1950's.

(Back on topic)

[Jgooss]

Wow, awesome find! Thanks for posting this... I love seeing videos of places in the past. Tat was funny when they all read the letter... how exciting it must of been. Everything was soooo different, especially when it came to the plane rides. First class in the back and 9 hr. flight to CA...

I think people would stop complaining about airport delays if they realized back in 1950 it took 9 hours to go coast to coast!

Disneyland Looked so young!!! I love it!

[DisneyPro]

I think people would stop complaining about airport delays if they realized back in 1950 it took 9 hours to go coast to coast!

Disneyland Looked so young!!! I love it!

Haha, agreed.

When they're in the skyway, they look over at "Sleeping Beauty's towering castle". If they thought that castle was towering, I'd love to see their expressions if they saw WDW's castle!

[Opus1guy]

I remember this video from back in April when HBG2 posted about it here on MiceChat:

http://micechat.com/forums/vintage-p...e-footage.html

Glad to now read that it has been selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress collection.

[yellow_sub]

great video! i love seeing disneyland in those first years

[Jgooss]

I remember this video from back in April when HBG2 posted about it here on MiceChat:

http://micechat.com/forums/vintage-p...e-footage.html

Glad to now read that it has been selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress collection.

Indeed... It really is a wonderful time capsule! The Library of Congress did well!

[CAspace]

Wonderful Find! ! ! ! ! !


Just a side note after watching that great blast to the past, As enjoyable as the park has always been, It sure is beautiful now with all the trees and vegetation we have! ! ! !

[Circarama]

Thanks for posting this. It's a real gem and a wondeful time capsule of a more hopeful time in our countries history.
Here's a better look at those "Disneyland hardhats" that the boys were wearing.

[TP2000]

This video surfaces every year or so, and it always makes me kind of sad.

It's such a perfect look back at what we were like as Americans 50 years ago, and it paints us current Americans with such an unflattering light. The Barstow family was a happy, comfortable, middle class family that mowed their own lawn with a clunky push-mower, cut the boys hair in the yard "to keep expenses down", used Binky the parakeet for interactive entertainment, and ate 95% of their meals with simple foods in modest amounts around the family table. Dining out was a treat, and flying in an airplane was a total luxury. And a family trip to Disneyland? Well, that was just too far beyond words to even describe!

Look at many of us now; A bunch of overweight, whiny slobs who live in the lap of luxury compared to 1956 and still we complain about not having the biggest plasma screen or the fastest computer or the latest iphone. We expect non-stop entertainment and non-stop food, and if a ride at Disneyland breaks down on our monthly visit we naturally expect to receive a front of the line pass for our horrific inconvenience. And I didn't get any free mouse ears in the Year Of A Million Dreams! I'm going to complain at City Hall!

It's just kind of sad what so many of us have become in our oppulent, affluent age compared to that happy, optimistic, and simple Barstow family of 50 years ago.

[Radiobarry]

Ehanks to the OP for sharing the video and starting this thread, Well done.

As for Disneyland - even back then, what's not to love?

And as for 1956, I was born that year - again, what's not to....y'know...

Look at many of us now; A bunch of overweight, whiny slobs who live in the lap of luxury compared to 1956 and still we complain about not having the biggest plasma screen or the fastest computer or the latest iphone. We expect non-stop entertainment and non-stop food, and if a ride at Disneyland breaks down on our monthly visit we naturally expect to receive a front of the line pass for our horrific inconvenience. And I didn't get any free mouse ears in the Year Of A Million Dreams! I'm going to complain at City Hall!

It's just kind of sad what so many of us have become in our oppulent, affluent age compared to that happy, optimistic, and simple Barstow family of 50 years ago.

A bit harsh, with over-generalization, but still fairly accurate I am afraid.

[Sorcerer's Apprentice]

I thought this was really fantastic! I actually got a little choked-up watching it.

[Mojave]

Apparently Steve Martin, who worked at Disneyland when he was young, made a sort of pre-famous cameo in this Disneyland Dream video.

You can see him right at 20:20 of the film in a black top hat at the bottom in front of the posters.

More here and here, including a quote from Steve Martin himself about it.