Golden Horseshoe Revue Questions

[Disney Wrassler]

Hey chatters, got some questions about the Golden Horseshoe Revue starring Wally Boag and Betty Davis.

So I was watching the Golden Horseshoe Revue episode on the "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories, & Magic" DVD and am curious about some things.

1) Towards the end of the episode, there is a scene where they brawl in a bar and destroy the set. Did they destroy the set in each performance or was that only done for the televised episode?

2) How many shows did they put on in total and was Wally Boag in all of them?

3) Is the Golden Horseshoe Theatre in use today? I heard that Billy Hill and the Hillbillies replaced it, but I'm not sure if that show is still going.

4) Also, were the backdrops on the stage painted on fabric or a wall? Because I know the backdrops kept changing throughout the show.

[Wendygirl]

I can answer question 3 for you.

The Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show is there 5 days a week. They were recently cut back and now perform Thursday through Monday with two different teams rather than three.

On Tuesday and Wednesday The Laughing Stock does a show in there. I have not seen it yet.

Here is a really great link about the history of the Revue.

[Aladdin]

Betty Taylor, not Betty Davis.

But it is a fun thought. Anyone want to do some photoshopping?

[Broadway Guru]

1) Towards the end of the episode, there is a scene where they brawl in a bar and destroy the set. Did they destroy the set in each performance or was that only done for the televised episode?

Only for TV. You'll notice at the beginning, Walt calls it the "Augmented Golden Horseshoe." The acts w/ Annette, Gene Sheldon, and the bar fight were added for the TV show. The rest is the original show.

2) How many shows did they put on in total and was Wally Boag in all of them?

Wally was in the original Revue, which ran from opening day to the late 80's. (It wound up in the Guinness Book of World Records for longest run of any stage show.)
The original show was tailored to the individual performers. After they retired, a new show was written. The Golden Horseshoe Jamboree was a generic "song and dance" show which could be done by any talented singers/dancers. It only ran for about 5 years. Since then, various acts have filled the stage, mostly Billy Hill.

3) Is the Golden Horseshoe Theatre in use today? I heard that Billy Hill and the Hillbillies replaced it, but I'm not sure if that show is still going.

See above.

4) Also, were the backdrops on the stage painted on fabric or a wall? Because I know the backdrops kept changing throughout the show.

I assume they were standard theatrical backdrops, which means they were made of canvas and were rolled up and down on logs attached to the bottom of the drop.

[Bruce Bergman]

I don't recall them destroying the bar in the regular shows...

But it would be simple enough to make Breakaway Prop chairs and tables that could be quickly reassembled by the stagehands and reused for every show - Don't glue the joints, build them very loose, drill little holes and hold them together with toothpicks that will shear easily. And a piece of tape to hide the hole and hold the toothpick in place.

Same thing with breakaway "glassware", they make mass-produced "sugar glass" (usually special low-strength plastic now, no ants...) glasses and plates and beer bottles and windows that look very convincing. But not cheap to buy premade and they get broken in shipping, you can mold them yourself on-site for far less - Google and you'll find sources for the resins, molds and techniques.

And of course, the "teeth" that Wally Boag (and later Dana Daniels) were spitting out all over the place after 'accidentally getting hit in the mouth' were nothing but dry white beans. You can hide quite a few in your cheeks, and even reload with a little misdirection.

--<< Bruce >>--