The Greatest Show on Earth !

The 1950's were the glorious times for Circus and Jeff Altman grandfather who filmed Disneyland in 1956, see yesterday's article below or HERE was in Chicago when the "Greatest Show on Earth", Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey circus was in town. Don't miss this home movie showing it at more or less the same time when Cecil B De Mille filmed his famous "Greatest Show on Earth" movie!























I'm adding  is a selection of great Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey vintage posters.



























Pictures and video: copyright Jeff Altman, Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey circus

Amazing Color Home Video Shows Disneyland in 1956 and Guests Meeting Walt Disney!

Jeff Altman discovered one year ago an incredible home movie shot by his grandfather on his Bell & Howell Filmo using 16mm Kodachrome film stock. Jeff says that this footage was taken a year after Disneyland opened, so in 1956. It was quite a surprise for Jeff to find this precious home movie and specially to see his grandmother ...meeting with Walt Disney himself!

Here is the video and we can't thank enough Jeff Altman for this great find and for the beautiful scan of the home movie, as well as to have share it online!





So, as you've seen, Walt appear in this great home movie, and we don't have to wait too long to see him as Walt appears from the start, right after a shot showing the Disneyland Railroad passing by.


Here is Walt, apparently directing a film crew, and Jeff grandmother is the one standing on the left with the white hat.


...she keep looking at Walt...


...until she introduce herself to Walt and have a chat with him during a few seconds.



Still holding her hand Walt apparently told her something funny...


...which makes her laugh. I like that moment as we’ll never know what Walt said! May be: ‘Don’t forget...I own the footage”!

By the way, i like how Walt keep holding her hand after they shake hands and try to charm her a bit and tell her a joke, and all this while she is filmed ...by her husband!  That's all Walt :-)


The family then went to Fantasyland...



...and had a ride in the now extinct Disneyland Skyway, providing great shots of Fantasyland attractions...




Like Dumbo the Flying Elephant...


Monstro and Casey Jr in the background...


The Mad Hatter Tea Cups...



...some closer shots of Casey Jr circus train...


...and great footage showing guests on the also extinct Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship.




The next shot is in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle on Central Plaza...


And then, after a short one showing Adventureland entrance...


And Frontierland Fort...



Jeff grandmother goes then on for a ride on one of Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules...


...and meet and greet with Frontierland Native American Indians




Back in 1956 when you were speaking with them, you ended with a feather on the head!


Came next the Indian Chief with another one playing drums...



...for a Native American dance.



The following footage was apparently shot from the train and we can see the burning cabin...


As well as the Indian chief on his horse...


It's always amazing to see the difference of size with now of the vegetation which, back in 1956, had just been planted two years before.


Another shot shows the mountain lion...



And then the now extinct Disneyland Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach and Conestoga Wagon.





The footage ends on a view of the Mark Twain river boat.



Now, don't go away as i may have found something which makes this video even more valuable: as i told you the person who posted on Youtube this home video filmed by his grandfather is named Jeff Altman. And i thought: “Altman? Would he have a link with Robert Altman, the great film director?”

So i’ve been on Wikipedia to find with whom Robert Altman was married, and between 1954 and 1957 - so when this short movie was shot in 1956 - he was married with actress Lotus Corelli. Then i went to find an image of her to see if she look the same than the woman filmed in this home movie and here below is a picture of her with her two sons ( one might be the father of Jeff Altman ) and the other is a screen capture from the DL home movie where she smile the same way, front camera.

What d’you think?  If Lotus Corelli is the woman in the movie it means that we have here a Disneyland home movie shot by Robert Altman, director of MASH ( for which he won the Palme d’Or at Cannes film festival ), Nashville, The Player, Pret à Porter, and so many others great movies… And by the way, if you have a look at the others home movies from his grandfather that Jeff has posted on Youtube there is some great ones showing New York, San Francisco, Atlantic City in the 1950’s and Las Vegas in the 1960’s, Disney World end of the 70’s AND The 1967 World Fair Expo at Montreal!  Jump HERE.

Pictures and video: copyright Jeff Altman