Magic in the Mail: Hippies, Yippies and Mouseketeers
Volume 2, Issue 9
It’s Going to be a Great Week
What did you do with your summer vacation this year?
Greetings Disney fans, I’m a day late sending this week’s Magic in the Mail because we took one final trip before summer vacation came to a close.
There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it…
“Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day” (Theme Song to Phineas and Ferb)
In this week’s edition of Magic in the Mail: Hippies protest the Vietnam War in Disneyland, Walt and Lillian Disney vacation in Hawaii, Disneyland hosts a Cast Preview of the Haunted Mansion, and we delve further into Disney trademarks.
…but before we do…
Whatcha *do*-in'?
When I think of summer vacation, I think of the Disney Channel cartoon Phineas and Ferb (2007) and the title song, "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day."
This year marks the Disney Channel’s 40th anniversary of being on the air. The Disney Channel has turned out several cartoon series which have achieved cult classic status with children of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
A few that come to mind are Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985), Duck Tales (1987), Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1989), TaleSpin (1990), Darkwing Duck (1991), Kim Possible (2002), and —of course— Phineas and Ferb (2007).
If you have ever seen an episode of Phineas and Ferb, the theme song in the opening title sequence will stick with you. The series features original music in almost every episode of the show, and the songs are infectious.
This Week in Disney History: August 6th-August 12th
August 6, 1970: Yippies Protest the Vietnam War Inside Disneyland
On the 25th Anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Yippies — members of the Youth International Party (YIP) — staged a protest of the Vietnam War inside Disneyland theme park. Disneyland was forced to close the park early for the second time in the park's history; the first being shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. As many as 23 of the 200-300 Yippies attending the protest were arrested.
During the course of the protest, the Yippies raised the New Nation flag over Disneyland’s City Hall and took over Tom Sawyer Island. They marched alongside the Main Street Parade in protest and threatened to roast Porky Pig, who belonged to a different studio. Riot police were staged throughout the park to maintain order. Eventually thing got out of hand and Disneyland Vice President of Operations Dick Nunis ordered the park closed.
The Youth International Party (YIP) was founded in 1968 by Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman. Known to organize pranksterish protests, the Yippies was a group of activists, primarily made up of college students, who were known for staging protests against war, capitalism, and various corporations.
Leading up to the August 6th protest, the group distributed advertisements inviting protestors to a Yippie Pow-wow at Disneyland. The ads featured Disney characters with weapons. The group promised to infiltrate Disneyland and Tom Sawyer Island.
In late July, the advertisement first appeared in the Los Angeles Free Press. The art in the advertisement played a subtle reference to the Chicago Seven.
The Yippies’ primary grievance was with the Bank of America, one of Disneyland’s sponsors, for its perceived role in financing the Vietnam War. The Yippies’ demands included (but were not limited to): establishing free admission for all to Disneyland, higher wages for the Native American dancers in Frontierland, and the liberation of Minnie Mouse.
Disneyland was aware of the protest, and roughly 100 riot police were staged in and outside of the park to keep the peace. Wooden barricades were erected outside of the park and security patrols also monitored the administrative buildings near the park.
Things finally started escalating when the Yippies attempted to gather on Tom Sawyer Island. Protestors hung the Viet Cong flag and continued chanting. But after a while, they returned to mainland Disneyland and began a march down Main Street toward the Bank of America building. Eventually, some of the protestors became aggressive and the police intervened.
In the wake of the 1970 protest, a strict dress code went into effect not only for cast members but also for guests: Males were forbidden to sport long hair or beards, and tie-dyed or slogan-bearing T-shirts were banished for all guests for several years. This dress code has loosened some over the years, but is still enforced in the parks.
The Youth International Party has survived in pop culture. There is a Yippie Museum and Cafe in New York City, and Netflix recently released the film featuring two of the Yippie founders. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) directed by Aaron Sorkin, which featured depictions of Yippie founding members Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin.
August 7, 1969: Disneyland Hosts a Cast Member Preview of the Haunted Mansion Attraction
On August 7, 1969, Disneyland hosts an exclusive Cast Member preview of the new Haunted Mansion attraction from 7:00pm to midnight. The preview was considered a soft opening, leading to the attraction’s grand opening on August 12, 1969.
“Employees were given a creep preview August 7 and 8, between the bewitching hours of 7 p. m. and Midnight, before the attraction opened to the public. Official opening of Disneyland’s 53rd major attraction was Tuesday, August 12.”
—Disneyland Inside, vol. 4, no. 9 (September 1969)
Standing six long years in a dark mysterious corner of New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion is destined to be one of the “Magic Kingdom’s [referring to Disneyland]” most popular (and yes, most spirited) attractions.
On the drawing board at WED [Walter Elias Disney Enterprises, which would later be known as Walt Disney Imagineering] for the past 15 years, the $7 million Haunted Mansion received its final touches early last month. Construction began on the attraction last November…
—Disneyland Inside, vol. 4, no. 9 (September 1969)
A press event will take place overnight on August 11th to August 12th, and the official public grand opening will take place on the morning of August 12th.
August 8, 1925: Disney Legend Ginny Tyler is born Berkeley, California
Born '“Merrie Virginia Erlandson” in Berkeley, California, Ginny Tyler grew up in a Native-American family near Seattle, Washington. Her family passed along their storytelling craft, as well as the imitation of animal sounds and birdcalls.
A graduate of the University of Washington drama school, Tyler started out on radio before hosting a children's television show in Seattle.
By the late 1950s, she had moved to Los Angeles and was soon narrating albums for Disneyland Records.
When the original Mickey Mouse Club was re-edited and repackaged for syndication in 1962, Tyler was appointed Head Mouseketeer and would film live from Disneyland. A Mickey Mouse Club Headquarters was constructed inside the Main Street Opera House, later home to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, where Ginny hosted a live 15-minute daily segment of the program.
In Disney films, she played the two amorous female squirrels in The Sword in the Stone (1963) and sang the parts of several barnyard animals in the "Jolly Holiday" sequence of Mary Poppins (1964).
Ginny also provided the voice of Polynesia the parrot, who taught the good doctor how to talk to the animals in Doctor Dolittle. Along with frequent Disneyland Records co-star Dallas McKennon, she provided most of the other animal voices for that musical spectacular. Her parrot patois was also heard on The Jack Benny Show and The Lucy Show.
August 9, 1989: The Tower of Life is put in to place at the Wonders of Life Pavilion
The Tower of Life is put in to place at the Wonders of Life Pavilion at EPCOT. The Wonders of Life Pavilion opened on October 19, 1989, and closed on January 1, 2007.
The colorful 75-foot-tall landmark, The Tower of Life, is a replica of DNA. Weighing in at 25 metric tons, the monument features in shades of turquoise, magenta, gold and silver, representing the different proteins found in a DNA strand.
The Wonders of Life pavilion was an attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was devoted to healthcare, focusing on physical fitness, medicine and nutrition. Attractions featured in the pavilion included Body Wars and Cranium Command.
Are you interested in learning more about the Body Wars attraction? Click the link below to read our previous article about Body Wars and the attraction’s surprising link to the Star Trek franchise and Leonard Nimoy.
August 10, 1934: Walt and Lillian Disney Sail for Hawaii Aboard the S.S. Lurline
On August 10, 1934, Walt and Lillian Disney sail for Oahu from Los Angeles aboard the Matson Lines Ocean liner, the S.S. Lurline. The journey lasted six-days onboard the luxury liner, and marked the first of several visits the Disneys took to the Hawaiian Islands. The S.S. Lurline arrived in Honolulu on the morning of Thursday, August 16th and the Disneys were greeted by local dignitaries and the press.
Walt and Lillian had originally planned to go to Hawaii in 1931, after Walt suffered a nervous breakdown due to pressures from running the studio. Walt’s doctor suggested he go on a vacation. The couple later decided instead to go on vacation to Cuba. Walt and Lillian rescheduled their trip to Hawaii for the summer of 1934, and they were joined by Walt’s brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Edna Disney.
When Walt and Lillian arrived in Honolulu, the Disneys originally planned on spending just one night in Waikiki before sailing to Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, Walt and Lillian were taken by the warm reception they received in Oahu, so Walt decided to stay in Honolulu until the following Tuesday so he could attend a charity baseball game, on Saturday, August 18.
Soon after their arrival, Walt, Lillian, Roy and Edna checked into the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a week-long stay on Oahu’s Waikiki beach, overlooking Daimond head.
On August 18th, the Disneys were invited to the opening game of the Army's baseball championship series between teams from Fort Shaffer at Wheeler Field.
To publicize the event, Walt was asked by Brigadier General Robert S. Abernethy to draw a picture of Mickey Mouse. Walt drew what he often drew when asked for a quick sketch. It was a side view of Mickey Mouse's head. For the drawing, General Abernethy sent his car to the Royal Hawaiian hotel for drawing materials. On the drawing, Walt included the inscription: "See you at the Army ballgame Saturday. Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney."
At 10:00 a.m. on the day of the ball game, Walt also agreed to appear in person at the Honolulu's Princess theater for a regular meeting of a local Mickey Mouse Club. So many children and their parents showed up, attendance spilled over to a second theater, the Liberty, and Walt made an appearance there as well.
He asked the attentive audience, "Would you like Mickey to come to Honolulu on a surfboard?" It was greeted by yells and applause.
Walt said, "I am pleased and happy to be here. I am glad to see this enthusiasm for Mickey. When I go back, I will make a 'Mickey' on a surfboard as I have been on and off one since coming here, and I know just how he feels."
Walt made good on his promise with a Hawaii inspired cartoon short, Hawaiian Holiday, which was released a few years later in 1937.
The Disneys returned to Los Angeles on the Matson liner S.S. Malolo on Saturday August 25. They arrived in California on September 1, 1934.
Later in the year, on December 27, 1934, Aviator Amelia Earhart was also carried by S.S. Lurline from Los Angeles to Honolulu with her Lockheed Vega airplane. The voyage prepared her for the record-breaking Honolulu-to-Oakland solo flight she made in January 1935.
August 11, 1925: Actor Mike Douglas, the singing voice of Prince Charming in Cinderella, is born in Chicago, Illinois
Actor, singer and television host Mike Douglas — the singing voice of Prince Charming for the Disney animated classic Cinderella (1950) — is born Michael Delaney Dowd in Chicago, Illinois.
Mike Douglas also hosted, along with Joan Lunden, the very first live broadcast of Walt Disney's Christmas Parade in 1983.
Originally a big-band singer, Douglas was best known for his Emmy-award winning daytime talk show, which was popular throughout the 1960s and 70s. The successful afternoon show went into national syndication two years later.
In January 1976, The Mike Douglas Show filmed five episodes at Walt Disney World. The daily 90-minute programs were aired the week of February 9-13. This was a first for The Walt Disney Company, as this was the first time an outside company produced a television show about Walt Disney World for the American television audience.
August 12, 1929: Walt Disney is Granted a Trademark for the Use of the Image of Mickey Mouse in Motion Pictures
On this day in 1929, the United States Patent office granted Walt Disney Enterprises a trademark for “Mickey Mouse” for the purpose of using his name and likeness in films and for film distribution. This particular trademark is for both Mickey’s name and the title logo.
The title page of Mickey Mouse cartoon has a stylized logo (as seen in the Mickey Mouse shorts of the ’20s and ’30s). This trademark is also a word mark filed for the name Mickey Mouse.
The trademark on Mickey’s name protects against confusingly similar names. It means if someone came up with Nickey Mouse or Trickey Mouse, something that wasn’t Mickey Mouse but was confusingly similar, then they would be infringing on Disney’s rights.
Copyrights and trademarks are types of intellectual property protection. A copyright protects original works such as music, books, or films and is generated automatically upon creation of the work.
A trademark protects the unique identification of a brand or product such as a logo or a name. Examples of trademarks include words, phrases, symbols or designs that indicate the source of goods and distinguishes them from others.
Another good example of a trademark is the Pixar Ball, also known as the Luxo Ball, which was originally seen in the Pixar short film, Luxo, Jr. (1995). The Luxo Ball has made several cameos in Pixar films and is a recognizable Pixar symbol.
Thanks to the Copyright Term Extension Act of the United States (sometimes called the 'Mickey Mouse Protection Act' or the ‘Sonny Bono Term Extension Act’), works such as the original Mickey Mouse cartoons will remain under copyright until at least 2024. However, some copyright scholars argue that Disney's copyright on the earliest version of the character may be invalid due to ambiguity in the copyright notice for Steamboat Willie.
The legal question of Mickey Mouse becoming public domain has been hotly contested for years, but whether or not a particular Disney cartoon goes into the public domain, the characters themselves may not be used as trademarks without authorization.
It’s Going to be a Great Day
At the beginning of the article, we asked which band sings the opening theme song to the television series Phineas and Ferb. If you guessed Bowling for Soup, then you guessed correctly!
For those wanting to celebrate the final days of summer vacation, check out Phineas and Ferb.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We are in the process of growing our community and we appreciate your readership.
If you haven’t taken the opportunity to do so, hit the subscribe button below to receive magic in your inbox.
Stay optimistic and see you real soon!
Sincerely,
Harper
Love those pictures of the Yippies, especially the one of the pirate ship. What a crazy piece of Disneyland history!