I finally found another photo of the clown, on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk web site's Boardwalk Memories section. It's dated 1947, but notice how the teeth, at least the visible uppers, are in the same condition, so it's a feature rather than a defect. Also, the clown looks much smaller. What a shrimp I was at 7.

We were at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk last night to listen to Herman's Hermits on the beach. Peter Noone is still in fine voice. They keep favorites around still like the carousel (with steel ring grab and toss), the loose wooden coaster, and the cave train. Our kids are building their fond memories...

Judging by the clown's bad teeth, little boys in funny shirts don't seem to make a very healthy diet.

Why was it that vacationing in the 50s seemed so much more fun! We stopped to look at every roadside marker and we would go through all the small towns (before superhighways).

That's why it was probably better. Slower pace, much more personal travel through small towns, plenty of opportunities to stop and "tourist traps" pretty much everywhere -- some of which were actually entertaining. Or at least to a small child.

Kodacolor was *amazing* film - this picture looks like it could have been taken yesterday!

So, I'm pretty glad I never had a chance to go there or I'd be afraid of clowns big time. That thing is more than a little scary.

tterrace,

I just happened upon a similar shirt on ebay (I’m not affiliated with the vendor in any way).

And still I here from "It" - "We all float down here..."

The Wikipedia article linked in the caption says it was indeed "Sudden Impact."

Some vague memory says that place was a backdrop of sorts of a Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry" movie. Sondra Locke was in it, I recall. Maybe Sudden Impact. Kind of took the family fun aspect out of it.

I have some really happy memories of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk from about 1960. What a fantastic place. We lived over in San Jose and the best day was when my friend's dad took us and dropped us off for the day with TWO DOLLARS in our pockets. Life couldn't get any sweeter than that for two 10-year-old boys.

By the way, remember the giant slide in the Fun House? Grab your gunnysack and go. Now that was a slide! And of course the spinning disk, the "Wild Mouse" ride, and the wooden roller coaster that could strike fear in you with just the sound of the cars roaring by.

Why was it that vacationing in the 50s seemed so much more fun! We stopped to look at every roadside marker and we would go through all the small towns (before superhighways). My brother and I did not need any electronic games to keep us busy. When we got bored in the car, we would play some "car games" or fight! The fighting caused my Dad to say (every year), "I'm not taking you two anywhere in the car again!" Ah, fun times!