Video FAQ

📌  “Live television uses prerecorded segments all the time.”

That is standard practice today, but this broadcast happened 71 years ago, when television itself was still a young medium. Seeing how Disney blended live television with prerecorded film isn’t about exposing a trick. It hopefully reveals how ambitious and convincing the magic trick was in 1955.

📌  “Didn’t everyone know parts were prerecorded?”

The broadcast was presented as a live television event and is still celebrated as one of the great live broadcasts in history. Because it happened so early in television’s development, most viewers naturally assumed everything they were watching was unfolding in real time inside Disneyland.

My dad was 10 years old and went the day before on July 16, 1955 when Walt invited all the Sunday School classes from churches in the area! Actually, one of the families from his church (Anaheim First Baptist) owned the house that still sits backstage. My dad ended up working at Disneyland in security years later for his “retirement job” and stayed 21 years until he retired just 3 years ago.

Imagine how chaotic it would have been if they had not done this.  It's actually genius.      Walt was truly magical

I’d always assumed they had set up the platform, roof and crane shots ahead of time and then practiced on rehearsals being able to mix in the best takes from them if the cameras weren’t ready live or the talent wasn’t setup. I love this breakdown though as it does reveal the depth of how managed the production really was. Walt gambled everything on this dream, but was pragmatic enough to know it needed a bit of razzle dazzle to come off looking the best. It’s funny today how those chaotic mistake filled moments stand out to a modern audience used to decades of a mature medium and polished live events. Great video Brickey!

I mean, if you think about it, Disneyland was a TV show. Walt had been working with ABC for a year now on this production, so he and the team knew a lot about the park and how they wanted to present it for their TV audience. This was the grand finale of their TV show, at the time, because it was the opening of Disneyland proper, so it would make a lot of sense that they pre-recorded things to make sure that it was presented in the best light for both the TV production side of things and Disneyland since they both knew how much was actually riding on this project. They were not going to leave it up to chance. Which, apparently was the right decision considering that the description of opening day was that it was a chaotic mess!

My mom said that opening day was utter chaos. The restrooms weren't all working and women's heels were sinking into the asphalt. Lots of things weren't even finished. She worked in Hollywood and my Aunt was one of Walt's Secretary's. Parts of this were filmed days in advance. My mom said that people believed what was put in front of them so it seemed Live to the people watching it.

Disneyland’s opening was also extremely rough. Ladies’ high heels and men’s dress shoes melted into the asphalt. Rides broke down, and they ran out of soda for the soda fountains. The live broadcast was crucial to the success of the park, because the papers lamented all the opening problems. The fact they made it through the TV special with as little problems as they had is a testament to the artists, performers, and technicians responsible for bringing Disneyland to life.

It looks like Art was filmed standing in front of a screen with video projected on it, which would be consistent with techniques used in film and TV at the time. The leaf shadows would be a pretty simple practical lighting effect.

When you said “after 70 plus years,” I suddenly realized that Disneyland has now been open more years than Walt was alive.

Storyteller Walt manipulating the story… blasphemy 😂

Really enjoyed the deep dive into this!

Brickey- This is like never seeing the stain on a shirt until someone else points it out.  Now I will never be able to watch this magical day the same way again.  As a content creator for decades I should have already realized this, but I was to wrapped up in the fantasy of what I wanted this day to be, not what it really was.  Heels stuck in new asphalt, opening day problems and all the other issues we now know of.  While I love and appreciate this video, I can’t help but feel like a little bit of my own childhood has been changed forever.  Walt always knew what he was doing before and this is no different.  Like Steve Jobs, Walt gave us what we wanted before we knew what we wanted and this moment in time is no different.  Thanks as always Professor B.

I love how we're all "They fooled us? AWESOME!" And why not, it's wonderful.

Brickey your work is a masterpiece!!…always admire your insight and research…. and ideas!….Now that you mention it, Yes! Walt’s opening day production is stunning.   Happy Birthday Disneyland!..🥳👏😍

Nailed it!  Brickey you're the first to catch it.  And you're correct recognizing that it worked better this way at selling a story.

Hey Brickey!
Former projectionist here. This is also, at least partially, shot on film. A live broadcast would have been video even in 1955. At approximately 2:54+ of your video there is a reel change queue in the upper right corner. (A scratched into the film circle) Now it is possible that the entire show was converted to film for distribution back then, telecine. But if not then filmed segments were incorporated into the live broadcast back then all with the reel change markers in place. I’m enjoying your video but that immediately caught my eye and I had to find it and tell you. My iPad isn’t good at finding the exact frame but you’ll see it.
Joe

Love love love these looks back. Never noticed it before but you're brake down is spot on.  Will never see it the same way again.  Thank you Bricky so much

This video is so detailed and well documented.

A little story from a previous Disney World cast member...

I worked at the Magic Kingdom back in 1996 for the Easter season.  In the days leading up to Easter, I saw the Easter Day parade being videotaped.

It wasn't the real parade though, it was being videotaped in sections for the cameras.  And it was not an entire parade either.  Just sections of a parade in front of the cameras.

This went on for a few days...

Then on Easter Sunday morning I saw the parade on TV.  It looked like it was live, but it wasn't.

Then that same day I went to work on Main Street, and the real live parade started... AFTER I HAD ALREADY SEEN THE PARADE ON TV.  There was only one parade.  So the parade on TV could not have been live.

So it looked like the TV broadcast of the Easter parade had been completely assembled beforehand.

I just thought I'd share my firsthand experience with this sort of thing with Disney.

Amazing break down! Knowing Walt’s attention to detail this shouldn’t surprise us but it was done so well it does. You had to go and pull at our heart strings too by showing the motor coach inn picture to make us think about the Girl Scout troop.😂 Thanks!

Wow !  That was an eye opener !  Great observation there Bricky. Thanks for sharing and reminding us of what seems to be REALLY going on in Disneyland.

Brickey, this is fascinating! I was 4 years old and don’t remember this show. But your frame by frame investigation makes sense!  Thanks.