SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => SDC Memories/ Park History => Topic started by: Junior on January 12, 2010, 10:22:45 AM
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In case this experiment does not work, let me apologize now. I opened a Flickr account, and have posted ten photos on it so far...all diving bell and "Deepwoods" related. I am NOT a computer literate guy, so I don't know if this will work. With that said, let's give it a try. See if you can find the photos at this address:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan
Here is a brief description of what's on there:
1) 1977 SDC Treasure Map 2) Map of Deepwoods from 77 brochure 3) Diving Bell promo from 77 brochure
4) photo of diving bell, 82 5) tintype of 1981 summer crew 6) Tintype of Mark as "Junior" 1980
7) James, Cliff, Mike, Charlie four members of the 1980 summer crew 8) Roy as "Junior" 1983
9) Lake Submersible shown in winter of 1981 when Lake Silver water level was drawn down
10) SDC 1978 postcard of diving bell
If you cannot find the photos, make a posting and let me know. I'll try to get back to the account and figure out what I have done wrong! If this does not work, and you know how to make it work, leave a posting and I'll follow your advice! Thanks and hope you enjoy my first shots. I still have photos of all sorts of SDC stuff in my scrapbooks.
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Wow! Thanks for posting those pics! You have some great stuff. :)
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Unfortunately (atleast in this situation) our firewall blocks Flickr, I'll have to wait the 3 hours until I can check it >:(
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ah....memories....wished we could all go back to the good old days!
Thanks for sharing!
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*is crying from the sheer awesomeness*
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Awesome!
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I had some extra time to load a half dozen more diving bell related photos to my Flickr account. I think you will enjoy them. Here is what you can see that's new:
1) Photo of "the Colonel" a guy who worked the line in front of the diving bell.
2) Photo of Phyllis, one of the "Ruby Dugan" gals.
3) Diving bell wharf, with a view of the lake sub in the cave.
4) Two diving bell maintenance guys. The computer banks beside them controlled the 5 diving bell capsules.
5) Two of the Juniors from summer of '83 in the entry tunnels at the diving bell.
6) A quiet moment along Lake Silver in the early '80s. The area where Geyser Gulch and Splash Harbor would be
built in the years to come are completely empty in this shot.
I'm still digging through my old photo scrapbooks. I promise more SDC shots of the 70's & '80's are to come! In a few days or so I hope to post some photos of Jim Owens' Float Trip Ride. Keep checking back, OK?
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Working off of Junior's recent postings, I have several that I hope to be posting in the next few days (My slide scanner has been on the fritz) that include 5 interior Rube Dugan's shots, 5 exterior shots, the float trip, the ferrier, and a few other defunct places around SDC from 1976. Overall I have nearly 300 slides to still go through, and 2 more boxes with late 70s/early 80s videos, and photos (probably 200-300 more here also!) that are untouched. Thanks Junior for giving me the kick in the butt to get these going!
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cant wait to see those thanks so much everyone
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Great, Rube! I can hardly wait to see what you've got on those slides!
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I've added about ten photos from my days at Hee Haw Theater in Branson to the Diving Bell Photos on Flickr. Hope you like them.
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Those are some great pics of the Diving Bell. I have a copy of the script at home, and many pictures from the archives they let me scan back in 2000 when I was playing "Rube" on park.
I'm the only one (http://www.noelgreen.com/2008/02/rube-dugans-diving-bell.html) to ever play him in the flesh on park... Slim Pickens voice and all. (I was listed on WikiPedia as being such for a while but it's not there anymore.) Now I serve Lord Vader. ;D
Here's a picture of the Rube Dugan costume I came up with.
(http://www.noelgreen.com/galleries/costumes/027.jpg)
I wore fake teeth and had dynamite on my belt with real fuses. I'd walk around "Geyser Gulch" (right by "Lake Silver") and talk to people who "knew" me from my name badge about going to get Eli Tolts and how I was still tryin' to blast that submergable out from the bottom of the lake.
Lots of people often said, "You're Rube Dugan?! Aren't you a little young to be Rube Dugan?"
And I'd answer, "No... it's still the 1880's ain't it?!" 8)
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Hmmm... You don't happen to be the guy who ran the Geyser Gulch fansite, would you? I miss that site...
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Welcome aboard! ;D
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Thanks Junior, for posting those photos. I especially enjoyed the one of Russ and Kevin. Russ is now manager of the Entertainment and Events Tech department, and my boss.
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Good to hear about Russ! Does he still have that "unique" sense of humor and the ability to mastermind and execute fantastic practical jokes and pranks? Ah, the stories I could tell you about this guy! But I won't. Not here, anyway. Russ does hold a special place in the history of the diving bell: a) he helped build the ride in winter of '76, b) he played Junior Dugan in the '77 season, and c) was hydraulics specialist and maintenance at the ride from '78-'84. Russ always was a great guy, a fellow all of us "Juniors" looked up to as a friend and older brother type figure. I wish him and his family well. I'd love to get up to the park in the next few weeks or months and visit with him.
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Here is a preview of what I hope to post later this evening!
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/junior.jpg)
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Great photo! Judging from things I see in the background of this shot, it is from the time period of 1981-1984. Judging only from seeing the profile of the "Junior" in the background, I could maybe narrow it down to '83 or '84. Without a clear view of the face of the "Junior" with the bandana, I cannot be 100% certain who that is. Thanks for posting this, it's wonderful to see this stuff you have got in your collection.
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Queue line...Now the exit from Lost River
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/queue.jpg)
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"we've Sprung a leak"
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/interior2.jpg)
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Entrance...
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/entrancecloseup.jpg)
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I have several more, just have to scan them, give me a day or two!
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ALRIGHT, RUBE! From what I see in your photos, they appear to be from the 1984 (and final) season of the diving bell. It appears the "Junior" in the capsule interior photos may be a guy named Hap. Since I still have not seen a clear view of the face, it's hard to tell. My guess is, these diving bell photos were taken the same time the Greedy Bro. shots you have already posted were taken. If you can pinpoint your visit to August, 1984, I can almost guarantee the shot of the "Junior" with the bandana on his face is ME! If it's not a shot from August of '84, it's somebody else, or a different season.
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For some reason I had them labeled on the box as 1985, but knowing the dates of the attractions in the park, I must have just written it incorrectly.Yes 1984 would be it then. These are from the same shots as the ones including the old riverfront playhouse, and the greedy bros excursions, as well as the shanty town.
Here's a close up of Junior Hap possibly
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/interior1-1.jpg)
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I've added Jim Owens' Float Trip Ride photos to the Flickr account. Enjoy!
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Hmmm... You don't happen to be the guy who ran the Geyser Gulch fansite, would you? I miss that site...
Yes... that's me. And I have all those files still, but the site got taken down (I think) recently when Geocities went bye-bye. I never really "RAN" it though... hahaha... just sort of put it up and let it go.
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Those are great pics rubedugans! Thanks!!
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Howdy, TD-8541! Good to have you, aboard! I'm making a last ditch, urgent attempt (publicly) to ask you to contact me! If for some reason you are having trouble doing so, SAVETHEWHALES and RUBEDUGANS can assist. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!
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I have added three unusual photos to my Flickr account related to the diving bell. One is a shot of a leather pouch and silver coins used as a "prop" when I played Junior Dugan and entertained guests waiting in line for a ride. The other two photos are of a plastic medallion that was given to kids who "Panned for Silver" in the water trough that divided the children's playground area from the waiting line at the diving bell. If you have a copy of the 1978 SDC brochure, or if you have a copy of the SDC Guidebook sold in the Ozark Marketplace or Hospitality House around 1978 and 1979, you will see some publicity shots of kids panning for silver in the trough. I may have to dig up that shot and place it on Flickr, too. The Flickr address is posted at the top of this thread. Hope you like the new photos!
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I found the copy of the Burl Ives' America which featured SDC and the Diving Bell and uploaded it to Vimeo for everyone's enjoyment.
Also... if you're on facebook, join my Diving Bell fan page here! (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Branson-MO-1978-to-1984/Rube-Dugans-Diving-Bell/431652465143)
Here's the video... (http://www.vimeo.com/8987622) 8)
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Absolutely FANTASTIC to see this piece again for the first time since it aired in 1978! The fellow playing Rube Dugan is Rex Burdette, a versatile entertainer around the park. It's kind of strange to see how "empty" the Deepwoods area (now Riverfront) of the park was back then. When the characters are speaking to each other next to the lake and they cut away and show a different angle you will see a wagon coming down what was then called Deepwoods Lane. Notice how much green space there is around it. That area to the left of the wagon is where Dockside Theater is, the area to the right is part of the dining area to the restaurant across from Lost River, and the area leading to Wilson's Farm and the Great Swing. Other SDC personnel in the feature are Ken Holt as the Stagecoach Clerk, Bruce Grimes as the gunsmith (shooting the rifle) and Richard (pardon my spelling) Valdicht as the piano player in the saloon. Funny thing about the diving bell subplot...to my knowledge, NONE of the Junior Dugan guys were used in the production. But, then again, my Uncle Rube used to say, "why did my sister have to have a boy when she needed a hog?!" It was good to see the interior of a diving bell capsule again...brings back a whole lot of memories! (For those interested in seeing the Lake Submersible in action, there is a shot of it going down in the lake in this production.) THANKS AGAIN FOR PUTTING THIS UP FOR US TO SEE! :)
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That Video was wonderful.
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I concur, a great way to spend a cold January day-Watching old film of SDC! Every day should be so much fun! I haven't smiled this big in a while!
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;D
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Junior has been asking for this one for a while now! Sorry I haven't been able to get on to do anything in a while! Enjoy
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/belldiagram.jpg)
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^That's really cool! :) Is that a sign from the attraction itself?
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I don't remember the audience being stair-stepped like that. I thought the audience was all at floor level when the bell flooded.
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THANKS RUBE! I certainly thank you for posting the image. The diving bell capsules were "stair stepped" just like a modern day stadium seating type motion picture theater. There were five rows of benches, and each capsule had a capacity of 75 "volunteers" and one Junior. The image Rube has posted is of a painting that hung in the "scales area" of the ride. When Junior would introduce himself to a new group, he'd point to the painting of the diving bell cross section and say: "this here's a picture of what we're going to go drown in, AH, I mean GO DOWN IN! Ya see folks, we load 75 volunteers inside one of them diving bells, and before ya know it, we all begin to stink! AH, I mean SINK!" (Looking at lines from the script here does not do justice to the attraction. You had to be there folks! It was the overall experience. Believe me, not one group left the scales area without laughing out loud to those jokes.) THANKS AGAIN RUBE! Seeing that picture does bring back a lot of memories for me.
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Anything I can do to help !
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If you take another look at my Flickr account, you will see I have included a very rough drawn floor plan of a diving bell capsule. The picture shows the location of some of the main features of a capsule. Click on the drawing for a larger version to appear on your computer screen. There is also a brief description of what you're looking at in the caption. The control box is where hidden buttons were pushed by "Junior" to start, stop, or recycle the capsule. (Recycling prepped the film loop for the next ride.) Behind a door themed to look like a storage locker under Rube's portrait was a telephone so Junior could communicate with the maintenance personnel in case of an emergency or problem...just like the emergency phones in an elevator. There also was a small fire estinguisher next to the phone in case of fire. Metal grating around the engine allowed the water from the roof water leak, the geysers next to the engine, and the water from the rock coming through the wall, to drain back into a stock tank located in the basement. Two or three times a year fresh water would be placed in the stock tank, cause the water got really NASTY after a few weeks. Imagine my disgust when unloading guests from a capsule and I saw people trying to drink the water dripping down from the ceiling or the rock! YUCK! I'm surprised no one ever got sick from doing that! Sorry about the quality of the drawing...I never will be an artist, so I won't quit my day job. Ha! Ha! :)
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^Thanks for posting that diagram, Junior! It really helps people like me, who never got the chance to ride the Diving Bell, visualize the attraction.
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Want to see what Captain Rube Dugan looked like? You only heard the voice of Slim Pickens coming from the "Loft" of the diving bell, but in each of the five capsules, a portrait of Rube hung above where Junior piloted the vessel to the left of the viewing screen. Four of the five portraits depicted a "sinister" looking Rube, with a jutting lower jaw and bad teeth. But not in capsule "E," the portrait in "Epsilon" capsule depicted a friendly looking Rube, with a smile on his face. A photo of that portrait is now on my Flickr account. Check it out. I don't know which SDC artist did the work, but he paid attention to detail and the portrait looks pretty good. The flickr address is at the top of page one on this thread.
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I might add that the costuming and overall "look" that Noel Green had when playing Rube Dugan at Geyser Gulch in the 2000 season was based on the Capt. Rube portraits that hung in the other four diving bell capsules. Of course, Noel didn't have that jutting lower jaw or bad teeth, but, I think he did wear some false teeth that altered his look somewhat. Noel captured the overall look of those other portraits pretty well. I don't have a photo of the "jutting jaw" portraits, but perhaps Noel does. He was able to access the company archive when researching how Rube was supposed to look.
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^He also didn't have an eye patch - at least in the photo (also on the first page of this thread). I'm guessing not too many people knew who he was in GG. Is that the case?
Questions:
Is the name Rube Dugan completely made up, or does it have any significance to real life?
Since James Eads is credited with the invention of the diving bell, were there any references to him in the ride or the queue?
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Eon't know where they came up with the Rube Dugan name, it was never explained to us employees. We were just given the basic story line of the ride and a brief back story on the characters of Rube, Junior, Eli, and Grandpappy. About James Eads...no reference to him at all. Not that I'm aware of.
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One of my favorite childhood memories of SDC took place in the Diving Bell, probably about 1979 or so. There was a problem with the film partway through, but almost without missing a beat the characters, with the help of audience "volunteers" , provided hilarious entertainment until the film was working again. They turned a technical difficulty into one of the highlights of our day! I remember my parents talking about how impressed they were by that, and how well trained the staff must be to be able to pull something like that off. I wish my kids could have experienced the Diving Bell!
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I wish I had the chance to experience the Diving Bell as well! Thanks to the pictures, and videos, and the many memories shared here, this attraction has truly been brought back to life.
However, I have always been curious to know if any piece of the Diving Bell set still exist on a storage lot somewhere today, or has it been completely destroyed?
This attraction proved that do you not need modern, high tech, sophisticated equipment to experience pure excitement, and fun. Rider imagination, and simple ingenuity made the Diving Bell a success. :)
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Believe it or not, at the time, the diving bell WAS the most modern, up to date, high tech thing to do on park! I admit though, if you look at the picture on Flickr of the diving bell control room, today that that WHOLE ROOM FULL of computers would be reduced to a lap top, probably. I remember the company that supplied computers to SDC went out of business about a year later, making it hard for the park to find some replacement parts. Remember, in the late 70s there were dozens of computer companies that opened and closed. simulation rides were a new application for technology.
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One of the current park insiders will have to answer the question about if any of the old diving bell ride pieces were saved or not. I have been to the park as a guest several times since 1984, and have NEVER seen anything that was on display on park from the diving bell days, other than the Lost River itself. If you look closely, you can see parts of the building have been left close to the same from the diving bell days. Remains of the Wharf area, children's playground, the old maintainance area, and some of the old diving bell "tunnels" used to take guests to and from capsules are visible.
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I do remember someone telling me that when Lost River was built, they pretty much gutted the diving bell and most of it wound up in a dumpster. They may have saved some atmosphere pieces and put them in storage. When I worked there the park had a big metal building called "The atmosphere barn" where antiques, props, and other pieces used to dress and decorate locations on the park were kept. I only got to go in there a few times around 1981 or 82 but there was a lot of interesting stuff inside. Just across from the atmosphere barn was a deep gully...filled with junk stripped from the park and tossed away. I remember a full flooded mine dummy in convict uniform was tossed in there. I bet they have had to clean that gully up. It would be illegal to dump like that now. How I wish I could have been given permission to dig through there and pull stuff out! But, as a 20 something year old kid, I was more interested in chasing girls and cracking open a cold one.
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That kind of stuff would do well on eBay. Especially with some of your guys bidding.
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History Buff: Regarding Noel: "I'm guessing not too many people knew who whe was in GG. Is that the case?"
On page one of this thread he responds: I'd walk around "Geyser Gulch" (right by "Lake Silver") and talk to people who "knew" me from may name badge about going to get Eli Tolts and and how I was still tryin' to blast that submergable out from the bottom of the lake." Lots of people often said, "you're Rube Dugan?! Aren't you a little young to be Rube Dugan?" and I'd answer, "No...it's still the 1880s ain't it?"
Sixmnms: About problems with the film and guests being entertained. This happened from time to time. Usually, since I was the Junior who led the group from the waiting line all the way to the capsule, I knew what kind of line entertainment they had been exposed to, and while waiting for the film loop to recue, I'd just go over jokes and line activities about the diving bell that they were not exposed to, so it all was new to the group. However, since we had to inform maintanence about what was going on, we had to break character to some degree as we accessed a phone hidden behind a panel by the control area and call them. We would tell them what was going on, then recycle the film. It took about ten minutes for the "recycle" so we Juniors had plenty of time to do ad-lib entertainment. Sometimes we would do a pass the lifering drill...one or two liferings to be shared by 75 people! Terry Sanders was very creative in entertaining people ad-lib in these situations...he was in his first year at SDC and had just graduated from SMS (Now Missouri State) in Springfield. Terry had gone through the drama department there...some of the same professors that taught him had about five or six years earlier taught John Goodman, Kathleen Turner, and Tess Harper. So Terry was pretty good at coming up with stuff in these situations. One fellow we worked with was a singer, and totally broke character and sang Broadway show tunes for the group. Our Maintenance guy, Kerry Chester, said that the guy, (his name was John) did a fabulous job, and in fact, the show tunes were better than the ride!
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HB: Regarding this stuff would do well on e-bay...You're probably right! But the few items I have are things I will never part with. I don't know if anyone else connected to the ride was as sentimental about it as me. Like I said earlier in this thread, most of the diving bell (unfortunately) probably wound up in the dumpster. Being in our late teens and early 20s, most of us Juniors were interested in chasing girls and drinking a cold one after work. Although I really didn't realize at the time that the diving bell was an unusual and special attraction for it's time, I did realize working at SDC was not the average summer job that kids in most areas of the country had. When I lived in my early teens in southeast Missouri, most kids worked at a fast food place, the city swimming pool as a lifeguard, at their mom and dad's small businesses, or, since it was a farming community, as a farmhand or at a farm supply or feed store. The first two summers at SDC I ran into some teachers and some kids I went to school with in southeast Missouri, and they were really taken back that it was really me! I was VERY SHY in my early teens, never did any extra-curricular activities in school. So when they showed up on park and it was me that entertained them at the one-mule swing, or as the loud mouthed, know it all Junior Dugan at the diving bell, they didn't know what to say! They acted as if they had been hit with a stun gun!
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The Burl Ives' America TV special may be found under this thread on page two under Noel Green's postings...He's the fellow with the Star Wars Stormtrooper on his postings...well worth the half hour the special length, the diving bell is comic subplot to the show, shot in spring 1978 at SDC!
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As I announced on my "flashback" threads, I plan to "purge" my Flickr site in about two weeks of most of the material posted from the 2010 season. However, due to the ongoing interest in the diving bell and float trip attractions I worked at way back then, I will leave most of that material on the site. Thanks, all!
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Junior, thanks for all the pics.. looking forward to this year. I'm not going to post on all your flashbacks. Just wanted to make sure you saw this,...
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Hey, as always, I appreciate everyone's comments about the old stuff I've posted. I kept that stuff locked up in a filing cabinet for over 25 years. The 50th anniversary year was the perfect time to share my memories with everyone. I'm glad to see there are many SDC fans out there crazy about the place as I have always been!
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Thank you for the pics, I hope you dig out some more and are as willing to share as you have been this year.
I love your trips down memory lane.
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I went ahead and "purged" my Flickr site today of much of the stuff posted during the 2010 season, but kept the diving bell and float trip stuff on it, as well as the Hee Haw Theater photos. I look forward to presenting new photos and other items on the Flickr site in the coming 2011 season that is about to start. :)
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And as always we will patiently wait for you to let us know when something has been added.
THANKS again for all the pics, the info and the time it takes to post and respond to our comments/questions.