SoCal Trip: Movieland Wax Museum

9 March 1985

We took a week off from work and headed from Utah to Southern California.  The trip was before my long-letter-writing and journaling days, so I have little to no detail about the mechanics of the trip.  As a friend of ours would put it: “All’s I know is that we had fun.”  I have an entire photo album filled with pictures we took.  This was the first of many trips for which I created a dedicated album, so you know what’s coming … lots and lots of images.

Google Maps image of the places we visited from Buena Park to San Diego.
the inset shows the route we drove from Kaysville to Anaheim to San diego and back.

This post covers our day at the Movieland Wax Museum.  If, after looking at our photos, you’re inspired to go to the museum, you’re in for a disappointment — after 43 years in business, the museum in Buena Park closed its doors in 2005.  Some of the wax figures were sent to other wax museums.  Others were purchased by fans.  (Click here for more information.)

Now, aren’t you glad that we went and took pictures back in 1985!

This exact replica of Michelangelo's David once stood in front of the museum.
Like the original, it was carved from one piece of Carrera marble.

Left: Poseidon Adventure (1972) — Ernest Borgnine; Stella Stevens; Gene Hackman (on the ledge).
RIGHT: GENERAL PATTON (1970) — GEORGE C. SCOTT.

Dr Zhivago (1965) — Omar Sharif; Julie Christie; Rod Steiger.

Mui meets President Reagan in the Oval Office of the White House.

Left: Gone With the Wind (1939) — Clark Gable; Vivien Leigh.
Right: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) — Marilyn Monroe.

And God Created Woman (1957) — Brigitte Bardot.

Left: Spartacus (1960) — Kirk Douglas; Woody Strode;
Laurence Olivier & Jean Simmons (on the balcony).
Right: Superman in his fortress of solitude — Christopher Reeve.

Nutty Professor (1963) — Jerry Lewis.

African Queen (1951) — Katherine Hepburn; Humphrey Bogart.

Mary Poppins (1964) — Julie Andrews.

Left: Blood and Sand (1941) — Tyrone Power.
Right: King & I (1956) — Yul Brynner.

King & I (1956) — Deborah Kerr; Yul Brynner.
(in 1982, we had the pleasure of seeing yul brynner perform this role on stage.)

Wizard of Oz (1939) — Judy Garland; Jack Haley (Tin Man);
Ray Bolger (Scarecrow); Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion).

Guns of Navarone (1961) — Anthony Quinn; David Niven; Gregory Peck; Gia Scala.

PT-109 (1963) — Cliff Robertson.
“Dedicated to the heroic commander, Navy Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, and the
crew of PT-109, which was rammed by the japanese destroyer amagiri on 2 August 1943
in the blackett strait in the Solomon Islands.”