• Top Hollywood, Television Stars Flying Here For Pleasure Island Opening, DAILY ITEM WAKEFIELD JUN 16, 1959

• Pepsi Cola's Diamond Lil Show with Champ Butler, Charmane Harma, and Buddy Farnan

• Old Prospector: Could this be the Armand Davis that Joan Pond remembers? 1959 Photo from Dave Yetman of Seegull Productions, Temple, NH

• Antics of Three Stooges to Open Pleasure Island's Season June 18 A.M. GLOBE MAY 25 1960
• Publicity photos of Three Stooges used by Boston Globe in 1962

• Pleasure Island Jazz Festival

• In 1960 I was Ricardo, King of the Pirates and took people to Treasure Island. I also did swordfights with Captain Kidd (Herb Sauve) on the pirate cove dock and rooftop fist fights/swordfights/gunfights in Western City. Cy Milano was the sheriff. Billy O'Brien, then of Wakefield, worked at the Indian Village and subsequently became Sergeant Billy, Rex Trailer's sidekick after Pablo.

I remember the Glenn Miller Band coming to the park. It was then led by Tex Beneke, probably most famous for his rendition of Chattanooga Choo Choo. After the band and singers (Paula Kelley, Ray Eberly, the Modernaires --I think I have the names right) finished "work," they would play for us until the wee hours, or at least what were the wee hours for us in those days.

Do you remember the beach parties at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester? Dion, of Dion and the Belmonts came to one. I remember him at a the party wearing his eyeglasses, talking about how he couldn't really sing all that well, couldn't really play the guitar all that well, wasn't really all that good looking, and couldn't figure out why all this had happened to him. He was kind of what you hope for in a celeb.

Will Buddenhagen

In 1960 my future wife and I went to a jazz concert at Pleasure Island. The highlight of the evening was a performance by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. For many years we had a signed program of that evening by Mr. Ellington but unfortunately it ws lost in the many moves around the country. I can't believe there was anyone more famous than Duke to perform there. My wife and I will always remember that evening. I am sure you know about all this but just thought I would mention it as I came across your web site. For a couple of years back in the mid '80s I worked in the office complex on the site of the old Pleasure Island. On lunch hours we would go for walk and find remnants of the park which can still be found in the words there.

will_buddenhagen@email.msn.com

• Popeye'll Be Star Again At Pleasure Island Park A.M. GLOBE JUN 23 1961
• With Morrocos

• Cy Milano

• Hurdy Gurdy Man with Sandy Crane of Saugus

• Chuck Connors, The Rifleman (from Gail Rivers)

• Ricky Nelson Stars At Pleasure Island A.M. GLOBE JUN 24 1962
• Rick Nelson Photos and Program from Marilyn Peters
• Totty and Muldoun (Joe Ross & Fred Gwynne) from "Car 54 where are you?"
• Robert Horton Star of TV's "Wagon Train"
• WHDH TV's Bozo's International Circus
• Prince Hara's International Magic Revue
• Gene Jones "Community Auditions" Featuring New England's Greatest Amateur Talent
• Danny White's International "Aquarama"
• Don Ameche with his "International Showtime" Featuring the World's Greatest Circus Acts from Barbara Holloway's scrapbook
• Hugh O'Brien, Star of TV's "Wyatt Earp"
• Jimmy Dean from Barbara Holloway's scrapbook
• Dion, of "Dion and the Belmont's" fame (song "Run around Sue")
• Modernnaires from Barbara Holloway's scrapbook
• Mordernnaires from Steve Garfield

• Girl Pipers P.M. GLOBE MAY 25, 1963

• Rocket Man

• Captain Kidd, Herb Sauve
• with Ronnie Keshishian

• Michael Landon

• Tumbleweed Jumper Oatis Stephens | on the roof | with Lady Nell

• The Agony Trio -- Gia, The Gypsy, Hobo The Clown and me, Dirty Sidney. We sang at the Bowl and all over the Park. collecting about $500 for the Jimmy Fund. (from Hank McGonagle)

• Lady Nell Sings

• Bob Jeronimo as Capt. Bob The Pirate

• Lone Ranger

• Lassie

• "Dirty Sydney" meanest cowpoke north of the Saugus — a walk-around character — Hank McGonagle

• Lady Nell Sings
• "Lady Nell" Priscilla DiDonato, Sheriff Rick, Al Valletta, "Hobo" Brendan Hanlon
• On-stage at Show Bowl
• "Who Will Save the Villain," performed in the saloon with Brendan, Priscilla, Al, and Rich
• Rex Trailer doing bullwhip tricks with Pablo (from The Boomtown Years)
• Rex Trailer: more rope tricks while Pablo and Homer Corntassle (Dallas Trailer) look on (from The Boomtown Years)
• Sgt. Billy: A Sergeant and a Gentleman (from The Boomtown Years)

• Frank Gorsham, Riddler in the Batman series | at the show bowl | with Kelleys (from the Kelleys)

• The Sensational Leighs
• Postcard from Nancy
• Offstage
• When is a Wheel Not a Wheel?
• There's Something New in the Air
• And see all the pictures from Walter Sherman, starting here.

• Professor Offtop
• Bang!

1967

Johnnie Crawford — 1967?
Click for larger version

from Rob Sears, Burlington

• Lone Ranger

• Character Players
• Western City Gang 1
• Western City Gang 2 Art Minklein turns up in white hat
• Priscilla as Clown
• Sam, Priscilla & Larry
• Gunslingers

• Keller's Wild Animals

• Water Ski Show

• George Hanneford Circus

• Bob Weatherwax & Lassie
• World's Most Famous Dog
• Lassie Photos from James Repucci: Showbowl, On Stage, Close Up
• The Sensational Leighs in 1967 (also from James Repucci)

  "There are several of Lassie at the Show Bowl. We were lucky to get very close at one point. The acrobats performed during the Lassie show. All pictures were taken by my father in 1967 when Lassie visited Pleasure Island....I don't remember how many times we went to Pleasure Island (it might have been only once) but the memory of actually seeing Lassie for real was to a 12 year old boy something special. This is the main reason I will never forget Pleasure Island!" voyager-2@mediaone.net

• "Lady Nell" Priscilla DiDonato and Sam Donato
• The Baron and The Witch
• Dave and Priscilla at Party in Saloon
• Larry Bugden
• Priscilla, Larry & Sam
• Pleasure Island Band: "Thought you'd like to add this picture from '68 taken just behind the main gate - Yes even in those last days, the park had its own band! top left to right: Whit Browne, Sam Donato, Wendell Purrington, Mike Corbin, bottom left to right: Andy DiDonato, Tom Worthley, Russ Berube" Andy DiDonato

• The Burgesses

A hand drawn poster of the 1969 Pleasure Island Dixieland Band drawn by Priscilla DiDonato Hendrick from Russ Berube.