Disney Family Museum

We arrived here an hour before closing so couldn't get into see the current exhibition "Disney & Dali" which sounds intriguing but I'm sure we'll return because the whole place is so interesting.

It tracks Disney's life and work from his earliest days in silent film.

A series of films about a little girl named Alice ran three years with several different child actresses. It combined live action with animation and eventually it was the animation that held Disney's interest.

 

An elevator ride takes us through Walt's Midwest childhood.

The paints that color Mickey and Donald et al

During WW2, the studio devoted itself to propaganda films, while the animators turned out nudie drawings of pin up girls for the troops.

Most fascinating were the photos of fully staged live action scenes from which animators then created full length cartoons such as PETER PAN. Above, Hans Conreid as Captain Hook.

Palace of Fine Arts

This looks like something from ancient Greece plonked down in the middle of San Francisco.

Built as part of an Exposition early last century, it was kept by popular demand but fell into disrepair as it had been created with plaster and wood. In 1964 it was rebuilt with reinforced concrete and can be seen from miles around.

Berkeley

Berkeley Rep is producing the world premiere of AMELIE so this where we also live and rehearse.
It is a university town with many many homeless people on the street and one could get stoned from the fumes just by crossing the street to buy milk.

The university grounds are quite beautiful

and we were surprised to find a strong Deco influence in the city's architecture. In fact, a lot of the buildings resemble Art Deco cinemas.

A walk along College Street uncovered a couple of sensational record & dvd stores and TT fell in love with a well appointed hat shop.

There is interesting art for sale

A mural telling the bloody and violent political history of Telegraph Street

And an innovation new to me, the rather unsettling 3D photo ornament.

There is a large white circular studio that looks like a teleporter from STAR TREK inside the building where the pictures are taken. I guess these are the results.

Just the tiniest bit creepy...

S.F.

We got to cross the bay from Berkeley on my first day off from rehearsal.

A stroll through downtown San Francisco was the first order of the day.

A blend of the old and new

And a temple to Armani

A quick trip down to the Wharf which appears to be turning 100 this year

The local artwork seems unimpressed

Downright stony faced

But the trams are as jolly as ever

We ambled to the end of Fisherman's Wharf

Then....a fabulously scenic trip right across town to the Presidio area and the Disney Museum!