Monday, October 31, 2011

The Mural on the Penthouse Wall

(c) The Disney Co.

For forty-plus years, there was a wood-paneled eatery on top of the Disney Animation Building (the building up above, not the structure on Riverside Drive.) And in that eatery was a mural, blown up from an art piece by Fred Moore ...

Mega Collector has a framed memorial of the art, which he generously shares.

Where the above visual might be at the present time, I know not. The small rectangle at the bottom? That's a membership card for the PH Club. Here's a closer view:

17 comments:

Floyd Norman said...

My heartfelt thanks to Mega Collector for restoring a dream.

Never a member of Disney's prestigious Penthouse Club, I did sneak upstairs on occasion to see Freddy's fantastic mural. Oh, the good old days before PC, HR and other corporate nonsense.

Scott said...

Ah yes, the good old days.

Women were excluded from membership in the "Penthouse Club." After women decided to stop being doormats, Disney was offered a choice: open up membership to women, or close it down.

Disney chose to close it down, rather than allow the skirts in.

I'm guessing there probably weren't too many blacks in the Penthouse Club either (as in: none).

Ah, the good old days. Right, Floyd?

Floyd Norman said...

If you'd prefer to list what was wrong with Disney in the old days you'd likely need a book.

We're discussing a fun Freddy Moore mural in a popular cartoon studio. Don't make more of this than it is.

Anonymous said...

"We're discussing a fun Freddy Moore mural in a popular cartoon studio. Don't make more of this than it is."

You're the one who brought up PC and HR Mr. Norman.

Anonymous said...

Is the penthouse space still extant, and if so, what's in it/replaced it? Wasn't it actually sticking out from the shape of the Animation building, atop the top floor?

Anonymous said...

"We're discussing a fun Freddy Moore mural in a popular cartoon studio. Don't make more of this than it is."

If he agrees to do that, will you please try to restrain from somehow inserting yourself into every single discussion of the Disney or Pixar studios?

Oh, never mind. Carry on!

Scott said...

The kitchen part of it is still in use for special company events. The barbershop in there was still going until about 2 years ago. Not sure what's in there now.

Steve Hulett said...

Is the penthouse space still extant, and if so, what's in it/replaced it? Wasn't it actually sticking out from the shape of the Animation building, atop the top floor?

No idea. The building now houses executives and production companies tied to Disney.

In my time, the "Penthouse Club" was a restaurant where employees sometimes ate. (This was the seventies and eighties.)

Chris Sobieniak said...

"We're discussing a fun Freddy Moore mural in a popular cartoon studio. Don't make more of this than it is."

Certainly the problem with anything having to do with those 'good ol' days'. It's hard for those of us to get it out of our minds the politics that were in play then despite the work that came out of things like this little effort. I say this is a great drawing, 'nuff said!

Anonymous said...

Lots of nude sunbathing going on there, too (seriously!). And since Floyd barely worked at Disney, I doubt he'd have made it up there anyway.

Anonymous said...

That's where Frank and Ollie would oil up each other.

Anonymous said...

I came for the cool Fred Moore art and I stayed for the Floyd-bashing. Oh, you guys...!

Anonymous said...

Ignoring the weir Floyd bashing and such, it is a very interesting piece of history that the club was hut down rather than allow women up there. And if it never allowed minorities up there THAT also is interesting and important history.
Of course, why they thought it was appropriate to have a mural of naked underage girls (Freddy Moore or not) probably should also be discussed.

Anonymous said...

I like how the guy who brought up PC and HR then turns around and says "hey you guys, stop making more of this than it is."

LOLZ.

Ever the troll, Floyd.

Steve Hulett said...

Always a good idea to put people and events within the context of their times. And try not to judge too harshly.

Look at films from the thirties and forties. Racial and sexual stereotypes in many of them can today be cringe-inducing, but it was then considered "normal."

Nothing is constant and forever.

Anonymous said...

Steve-

That's true.

But calling them "the good old days" is itself a value judgment.

If we are not to judge them "too harshly," then we should probably not judge them "too highly" either.

Steve Hulett said...

I don't believe in good old days.

All we have is the present. And memories of the past.

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