Tag Archives: shippage

It’s crunch time for the SS United States

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The SS United States Conservancy is raising funds to save the Big U from the scrappers.  Their SSUSPlankOwner.org fundraiser site reads:

Friends of American Maritime History: our national flagship, the legendary ocean liner SS United States is in grave danger of being sold for scrap — an unacceptable fate for this great symbol of American achievement. From 1952 to 1969 the ship was the fastest, greatest ship in the world, transporting American presidents, movie stars, business and military leaders, and foreign heads of state. Sadly, she has fallen out of the limelight and has passed through the hands of a variety of owners, all unable to restore her to a rightful place of dignity.

The SS United States Conservancy, a national non-profit organization, has been working hard to “Save Our Ship” for the past five years. We are rapidly running out of time, however. We have been in touch with the ship’s current owners, The Genting Group/Norwegian Cruise Line, and know they are unable to maintain the ship in her current berth in Philadelphia. Please help us establish a public-private partnership to re-purpose the ship as a stationary attraction while we continue working with government officials to homeport the ship in a large U.S. city.

Here’s the Conservancy’s latest fundraiser commercial – please pass along the good word, even if you don’t have money to contribute.  If you loved “Bon Voyage” with Fred MacMurray…if you think Hotel Queen Mary was a great idea…if you give a crap about human history and technological milestones and all that is good and right about civilization…help the Big U!

Fortuosity, that’s me byword!

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This weekend, I partook of two Disney classics from the 1960s: The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and Bon Voyage (1962). Both star Fred MacMurray.  The latter also stars the S.S. United States, upon which the fictional Willard family of Terre Haute travels to France! There’s a cute scene during which MacMurray’s character remarks about five carefree days at sea, which spurred this immediate response from me: “But she could do it in three-and-a-half!”

Speaking of the Big U, the SSUS Conservancy blog linked us for linking them.  :D

But I digress!

According to Disneyland lore, some of the stained glass from the “Let’s Have a Drink on It” set of Millionaire found its way into Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square.  This makes sense, as the film and the cafe opened around the same time.  Further, the glass in situ at Cafe O appears to be a match!

For the sake of completeness, I should also mention that Mr. Drexel Biddle’s home phone booth – also featured in the film – is now located in Club 33.  If it’s not the original from the Millionaire set, then it’s a very good copy!