(July 17, 1955–Present) BACKSTORY: A special performance for Walt’s 30th Anniversary occurred July 13th. Saloon interior designed by Harper Goff (already working on designing Main Street when asked to work on GH). First show was Slue Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Revue, a 45 min. show which ran 50,000+ times and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running musical of all time. In the early 1950’s, while appearing in revues in Australia, Wally Boag met tenor Donald Novis, who got Walt Disney to audition Wally for the Golden Horseshoe Revue, written by its first pianist Charles LaVere and lyricist Tom Adair. Novis was the show's first tenor (later replaced by Fulton Burley when he retired in 1962). Boag’s Pecos Bill/Traveling Salesman character specialized in slapstick humor, squirt guns, an endless supply of broken teeth (which he’d spit out), and his signature balloon animals (Boagaloons). Boag began his stint at the Horseshoe with a 2-week contract signed with Walt Disney. One of the features of the show was to have children in the audience sing & dance on stage; “Davy Crockett” was a favorite. The role of Slue Foot Sue originated with Judy Marsh, and then by Betty Taylor in 1956 (giving over 45,000 performances). Betty retired from the Revue in 1987. The Revue closed October 12, 1986 and was replaced by the Golden Horseshoe Variety Show, a similar production that closed in 1994. Outside on the front balcony, there is a periodic, comedic wild west shoot-em' up show. In 1963, Julie Andrews performed with Boag on the Golden Horseshoe stage along with the Dapper Dans, at a special media event promoting “Mary Poppins.” Andrews and Boag sang "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." Boag also voiced José for the Enchanted Tiki Room and wrote much of the script for the attraction as well as participating in the development of “The Haunted Mansion.” 1971 took Boag to Orlando, where he opened the Diamond Horseshoe Revue at Walt Disney World. In 1974, Boag returned to Disneyland, where the original act was featured in a 1980 Danny Kaye television special celebrating the park's 25th Anniversary. Wally retired in 1982, after having performed approximately 40,000 productions of the Revue. The Golden Horseshoe Revue closed in 1986 and was replaced by The Golden Horseshoe Jamboree. The Jamboree show was conceived and directed by Marilyn Magness.
In 1995, Wally was inducted into the ranks of the Disney Legends and has his own window on Main Street above the Carnation Company. The inscription reads “Golden Vaudeville Routines - Wally Boag - Prop.” Currently, The Golden Horse Shoe saloon features Billy Hill & The Hillbillies.
) Original Attraction Poster |
For photos from March 29, 2008’s Golden Horseshoe Event, click here.
Special thanks to Gene Sands for his assistance in verifying information for this page.
Most photos available for purchase as enlargements; email your request. To view photos, allow popups in your web browser & click thumbnails below.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
