Tuesday, April 11, 2006

1932 Hagenbeck-Wallace Program #1


I have a lot of programs like this one with excellent pictures but you must remember that at this time Hagenbeck-Wallace was owned by John Ringling and some of the pictures might not be related strictly to this show.
Opening Spec was "Cleopatra" directed by Rex de Rosselli, Harry McFarlan equestrian director and Eddie Woeckner musical director.
The show opened with a mixed act worked by Jules Jacot in the steel arena while dog and pony acts worked in each end ring.
Then an assortment of novelty acts, a large aerial display and Cheerful did the "head carry" down the front track with "Blanche".
Display #7 was Clyde Beatty's big lion and tiger act followed by acrobats in the end rings and track while the big cage came down.
Display #10 Three rings of elephants followed by a long mount on the track then a trapeze display, Earl Shipley's funny ford and 3 rings of statuary acts.
Display #14 Hanneford Family riding act with Poodles Hanneford, followed by 3 rings of liberty horses featuring Rudy Rudynoff then Billetti's high wire act.
( a clown boxing gag lists Poodles and Adolphus as the combatants. Might this be Otto?)
Display #20 The Flying Clarkonians and The Flying Siegrists followed by chariot races and the show closed with Wilno's cannon.

Posted by Buckles at 4/11/2006 06:25:00 AM

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The illustrations of that era, generaly speaking, were always exelent as this one, heh !

11 April, 2006 07:56
Anonymous said...

Every morning when I open the Blog[usually 5am cst] I want to grab a whip and chair, climb a rope, or ride a beautiful elephant. My heart races like the devil. In real life I can not move anything but my left hand for a couple of hours. Memories no one can take away. Somehow they get better every day as old friends appear on the screen and I can relive the wonder past of my circus life. Makes it worth it to just get out of bed. Coffee even taste better with the blog.

11 April, 2006 08:44
Bob Cline said...

As Bud stated, the illustrations or artwork just lack the same quality today that they used years ago. Your Families Letterhead a couple days ago was a fine example of artistic greatness that doesn't exist today. I've got about three hundred letterheads now and simply marvel at the art work from years ago to the very simple straight lettering some have used.
Bob

11 April, 2006 09:07
Anonymous said...

Are you aware that The Cuneo Press in Chicago printed most of the circus posters in the past?

11 April, 2006 09:16
Bob Cline said...

No Rebecca I didn't. I do know they made their money printing the Bible for years.
Bob

11 April, 2006 10:50
Anonymous said...

Laura Herriott and I were just talking in the Kelly Miller cookhouse how we are on the cusp of the " generic performer". Because the generational families like ours are becoming a thing of the past as the next generation is not continuing in the business. The program you show has names of families you recognize. How many shows can you go to now and know anybody anymore?

11 April, 2006 12:58
Anonymous said...

I can see why the lineage stops here. Getting a little long in the tooth. Some performers just do not know when to hang it up. Animal Trainers can go to dooms day. They never age. Others need to let it go. Especially when there was not the talent to begin with.

11 April, 2006 14:06
Anonymous said...

Hello Anonymous!
If you had any GUTS, you would sign your name.
I hope this Blog does not get too many comments from people such as you.
So, from me to you, DO NOT have a nice day.

11 April, 2006 17:10
Anonymous said...

Mr. Woodcock,

Would you have any photographs of
JUMBO'S PALACE CAR
that you could post?
reportly it was custom made by the Pennsylvania Railway company and was 40 feet long 18 and a half feet hight
and weighed around 20 tonnes.
painted in Red and Gold with 2 massive doors in the middle.
mounted on 2 six -wheeled bogies.
It was only 6 inches high off the track.

11 April, 2006 17:19
Anonymous said...

They were probably a lousy performer. I don't know which they were talking about but they just spit on two of the greatest names in this business.

11 April, 2006 17:34
GaryHill said...

Shannon, two questions, As the webmaster can't you "see" who posts even if they do it under anonymity? Something to do with ip addresses???? Second, when I was in Cozomel, I got online at the resort I was at and read some to catch up, but it doesn't show on your world map??? I could be A DOT in the Caribbean! Thanks as always you do a Great Job for your Dad!

11 April, 2006 17:54
Buckles said...

When Shannon checks out the Blog and the globe info, it sounds like a Presidential election, "Looks like we lost Hawaii but Australia looks good!".

11 April, 2006 18:03
TheShaz said...

Gary - With another tool I can see where posters are from and even their IP addresses. The Globe does it's thing on delay of several days, then every couple of weeks it clears the board.

As for the "odd" poster. This site has been up for almost a year - and stats tell me we are getting about 300-400 visitors(using a cookie) and about 1300 hits a day.

Even with all the traffic, I am suprised that malcontents have been kept at bay. My next step would be to have everybody who does post messages, to "Register" to do so. But so far it has not reached that level.

11 April, 2006 18:12
Bob Cline said...

I have just seen the Anonymous post and feel that we are dealing with a person who feels they are informed and has a terrific opinion of what is right and wrong, but has no earthly idea of what they speak.
Experience is the greatest teacher and without the opportunity or the desire to experience what you speak of, you can't even qualify as a student.
I also believe you as an American, I'm assuming you are, are given the right to speak your mind. This right has been secured for two hundred years by the ladies, gentlemen, boys, and girls of all ages who fought for all of our freedoms to be held whether as a Military soldier, Firefighter, Police Officer, Rescue Worker, or a simple volunteer to make things happen in the absence of others.
If you are so inclined to condemn the actions of others, that is your constitutional right, however if you don't want to be a total idiot, at least know for a fact what you are talking about, and not what someone wants you to believe, before speaking out.
Bob Cline
Circus performer and Animal Trainer for over 15 years and DAMN proud of it!

11 April, 2006 18:13
Anonymous said...

I saw Harold Alzana perform late in his career at a Kansas City Shrine date. On Saturday morning he was in so much back pain he was only able to walk up the wire and then back down. After a visit to a chiropractor, he perform more of his act at the afternoon show but when he came down and out of the spotlight he was still obviously in pain. In the evening he did the entire act including jumping rope and a one-arm stand on the high rigging. He told Bobby Gibbs later that he was on the same show as the Feller Boys and Dodo, a great low-wire act and he felt he owed it to his reputation to perform the full act, even though he was in pain.

True, Mr. Alzana in his 60s didn't do everything he did decades before but he was still great. I've seen much younger performers that weren't close as performers as a much older Alzana.

I'm sure many seasoned performers can tell similar stories. For me every time I have an ache or pain I remember Harold Alzana and "suck it up".

11 April, 2006 18:14
Buckles said...

Mr. Varkov,
Pictures of Jumbo in America are very rare, possibly by design, I don't have any that aren't already in general circulation.
However I read an article in the CHS magazine "Bandwagon" that included a picture of the Palace Car, well after Jumbo's death, sitting on the ground in Bridgeport and being used for storage.

11 April, 2006 18:42
Anonymous said...

Lane mentioned the Fusco family. Mr Fusco is great fun, both to watch in the ring and to ride around town with sticking circus coupons under windshield wipers. A very funny man when he's in the mood. I think in reality the Fuscos are a good example of the fact that generations of performers continue to people circus, but for economic reasons many of those families come out of Latin America and aren't well known here even if they've been in the business for decades elsewhere. Met a third generation Peruvian circus owner recently on his first trip to the US who said, "In Peru people are still happy when the circus comes to town." I wish that could always be said here.

11 April, 2006 20:13
Anonymous said...

I sure am confused. I assume ANONYMOUS was talking about me because Laura is an animal trainer and according to ANONYMOUS,they never age. And I did know when to quit, I am retired and I thought I was a good aerialist when I did perform. We were just saying that because a lot of the circus families kids are going into town life, ( mine included ) you won't see programs like the one here that has names you recognize. I didn't mean any disrespect.

11 April, 2006 23:17
Anonymous said...

Tavana,
The disrespect did not come from you, and you hold your head up, you were a damn good performer, and a credit to the Luvas Family. As far as your subject is concerned, it is so true. Our oldest son left circus life to join the Motion Picture Industry in the 80's, (recruited by Bobby Huber, son of Fritz & Betty Huber, aka The Sensational Kays, High Wire), followed by Scott Hillman,(Plunkett family),and Dennis Zoppe, Darlene Williams, Nobie Kriesch, & I'm sure others I can't think of. Our youngest son Steven followed them in the early 90's.

12 April, 2006 07:54
Anonymous said...

What's in front of your nose is always hardest to see, Ben Williams, and Delilah & Shannon Woodcock are more members of a great family missing from future programs.

12 April, 2006 08:00
Anonymous said...

I tell folks I used to get payed to be a FOOL, but now I don't get payed.( FOOL being defined by that of the TAROT - not Webster, so all is still well - by my standards ! )

I've experienced putting my foot in my mouth; - I've experenced conveighing thoughts, making statements & or expressing myself poorly, incorectly & or have been missunderstood ! " especialy via - el computor " ( with after thought & self re-evaluation after I read statements I had already made, I realized " why the hell did I say THAT ? Usualy the result was from , Shooting from the Hip; to anxious, not focused, etc. - HELLO - SHIT HAPPENS ! )
Like many, " I also want to feel a part of it! " and, I get excited, opinionated and I like attention or to be heard ! - " but " - there's a way that one must interact harmoniously in this sharing of knowledge, or it's responce, as others have stated ( Hi Karen ), with a " Joyous Fervor " that's CLEAR, PRECISE & READILY UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE & KEEPING IN TUNE WITH A TOPIC AT HAND ! ( especialy on," the " Mr. Woodcocks; GLOBAL BLOGSITE ,where many more throughbread contributers are welcome to inguage & particapate by sharing knowledge, facts and exciting stories for us to consume and revel in ) I also think many of us can be somewhat restless & disturbed, to say the least, of a so called, waning or rapidly changing " TRADITONAL CIRCUS REALMS FORMAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME & OR ITS FUTURE " ( we who mostly & regularly respond here , HAD & or HAVE, A PLACE IN ) seam to see it as evaporating right before our very eyes. Yes; it's disturbing & irritating to ones spirit & emotions ! Lets continue to talk it up and keep this realm unique, well Synchronized and Entice, Enlighten, Educate and Inspire each other & the New Blood such as the 17 yr. old young man on the other post and his peers.

Hea Buck/Shaz - How -a- bout the sounds of that ole Steam Calliope, commen outa the BLOGSITE to listen to while loged on - & - when's that " Clasic Grammy Winning CD " of Ur's commen out ? ? ?

12 April, 2006 20:53

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