Saturday, November 25, 2006

Marsha Hunt



Received a phone call today from Miss Hunt who mentioned that she had just come across our Blog Site and was very complimentary.
She pointed out that there were only three baby elephants added to Hunt Bros. Circus in 1949, "Chandre", "Sita" and "Rahnee". She added that they were accompanied by two Mahouts as dictated by Indian Law and that neither had so much as seen a Television set.
Louis Reed was indeed their trainer and that "Muna" and "Dinnu" arrived the following year.
She further mentioned that their names were given to them in India. Posted by Picasa

Posted by Buckles at 11/25/2006 02:30:00 PM

10 comments:

Buckles said...

Come to think of it, in 1949 I hadn't seen a TV set either.

25 November, 2006 18:03
Anonymous said...

Any chance of some photos of the Franzen show in the 70s or 80s

25 November, 2006 19:58
Anonymous said...

Buckles I went to the Shrine Circus in Hammond Indiana today. A X Polack Bros date. How I long for the old day. Now a George Carden production.Only what I would call 4 top acts the rest so so or bad. They did have a 45 min Intermission for poney rides elephant rides and moon jump. Toy sales and colorbooks and programs. It was a dud and cost 65.50 to take the wife and kids. 4 people total. And the Shrine club cannot understand why each year the crowds get smaller . Just a note show had 4 elephants and used one in the show, the others were used for rides.

25 November, 2006 20:20
24-HOUR-MAN said...

When I was in the 9th grade of Jr. High School I was so TV ignorant, I thought Kukla,Fran, & Ollie were a "Hillbilly" singing group. I kid you not!

25 November, 2006 21:19
Anonymous said...

I grew up visiting the Polack Show in Hammond, I remember shows in the late 40s into the 60s. I enjoyed the shows then but now really appreciate the great acts I saw. You did get to see, "Spangleland's Choicest Talent" and the intermission was just enough time to get to the rest room.

The date use to be in late January until a surprise 24' snow storm in 1967. I couldn't get anywhere and had to enjoy "jungling up" and visiting with Casey Gibbs, Bill Johnston, Buckles and more -- great memory.

26 November, 2006 06:45
Anonymous said...

The Carden show sounds like an indoor carnival that has circus acts as a draw. At least Ken & Nicole keep intermission down to 15 min.

26 November, 2006 08:11
Anonymous said...

The name of the Shrine game, then as now, is "budget." The Shriners ask "What can I get for this amount of money?" Typically, the solo-location shows, like Hammond and St. Charles, MO (where I saw Hanneford present a quality but thin line-up earlier this year), don't offer up as much talent as the Temples who scatter performances over a week in four or five towns where their related clubs are located. George Carden presents a superior line-up (sure there are a few marginal acts) in multi-community engagements originating in Temple cities such as Springfield, MO (Carden's hometown), Muskogee, OK, and Belleville, IL. The size of the Shrine organization--and the active or passive roles of the Shriners in promoting and staging the circus--also plays a role, as, of course, can the size of the city or of the performance arena.

The same economics--ie, "show me the money"--affect Jordan, Hamid and other Shrine circus producers in a similar manner. At the same time, the element of competition among producers is still evident, which tends to keep producers from taking for granted their long-standing relationships with Shrine presidents and circus chairmen. Regardless of the budget, most producers still try to present a well-balanced mix of human and animal perforers.

The economics also drives the lengh of intermission, when both the Shriners and the producers benefit. And if you venture down to the arena floor or outside the stadium where concessions are located, note the lengthy lines of circus fans waiting for their turn to pay $5-$8 to ride an elephant, camel or pony or to have their photos taken with a snake, bird, bear or alligator. You don't hear them chanting "Start the second half!" Matter of fact, they're actually enjoying mingling among the crowds.

Finally, for all the foibles of the Shrine circus--lengthy parades of fume-belching old cars and motorcycles, and "I-can't-believe-they're-still-doing-that" Shine clown routines, and the introductions of all the impotentates and occasional off-key rendition of the National Anthem by the circus chairman's granddaughter--it's a 100-year-old American reality show which still connects to hometowners everywhere--all because the Shriners are an integral part of every community.

So lean back and enjoy not just the performance but the entire hometown atmosphere. And say a silent prayer that good, clean, low-cost entertainment like this will continue to be available for another 100 years to come.

Lane Talburt

27 November, 2006 11:23
Anonymous said...

I saw Carden's show in Minneapolis. and it was just intermission is no different than when Jordan's in Dulutnh, or when Hamid is in La Crosse, or Migley in Fargo, intermission is always 1/2 hour to an hour and thats okay. Thats part of the circus. As far as show quality goes, Carden's show surpasses any shrine producer that I've seen. I have to agree with anonymous, on the elephants. 7 elephants in Minneapolis elephant display was 2 rings 1 with 3 and 1 with 4 and they didn't even do Bo. But a very good show

27 November, 2006 14:22
Anonymous said...

Sorry guys, there were 5 baby with 2 Indian handlers who stayed with the babys for aroun 3 months.
Chandra, Dinu and Rahnee were the babys that made it, the other 2 babys died shortly after they arrived in this country I was very young and do not remember the details. Sita came in about a year ou to later, I remember her being a mean fiesty sucker who knocked 3 men out of the truck just trying to unload her. Muna came later, I will have to check back with better info on dates.

27 November, 2006 23:20
Anonymous said...

To Anonymous and Dan H; / The Carden show. When a show transports seven elephants to a town and only uses one in the show, and the rest on rides it has all the smells of a "who cares" attitude. Recently saw Carden show in Ft Worth .Quoting Churchhill " I never saw so few with so little do not quite enough". In all the shows done recently in Ft Worth, this was staged better than I have ever seen it, If you wanted to see dancing girls. Thirteen in the web number .The girls were used three times in the show and unlike clown gags, one does not get tired of them. In regards to the Shrine vehicles, on shows like this,at least it gives it some bulk.The only large display in the rings came at intermission ; two pony rides ,and the elephant ride. Oh yes ,let's don't forget the cost of transporting ????????????? The mentioning of the Jordan show also Migley Fargo date, a little inside info here, The floor mat or mats are literally Carden spin offs . Reminds me of that old saying, "Look at that guy, He's gone bananas" or "He's gone ape dung" One must realize that ape dung is bananas!

29 November, 2006 12:22

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