 The surest harbinger of spring in Hugo was the emergence of "King Kong the Lady Killing Gorilla" and "Old Satan the Reptilian Monster" from the Ellis facility. Here we see Frank's assistant Amos Grady Harding and my dad on hand if help is needed.  |
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Congo Frank #2
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8 comments:
Nice pic of Grady. Have you got a pic of old Tom King?
Richard Reynolds asks - -
This is the same gorilla pit show pictured in Fred Pfening's and my gorilla article on p. 5 of the current Bandwagon. That photo is from the Pfening archives.
Am I correct that this was a different gorilla pit show than the one by Joe Lewis. Even so, I'm sure the animal was a chimp and not a genuine gorilla.
Did the Lewis pit show come before or after the one shown here? Any idea what years each was on the show?
You are right, it's two different pit shows and each had a pretty big chimp.
Joe Lewis was on the show in the early 50's when we were there and Ellis came later from Luke Anderson.
The big difference was, Joe had previously been an Auction-Jam pitchman and made sensational openings. Frank's were simply grind shows playing tapes.
One winter he asked my dad to make a new tape for him, so I would drop him off at Franks's and he would talk into the recorder. Maybe a week later he would ask me to drive him back again, having thought of something else to add.
He would say "Ellis keeps beefing that the tape isn't long enough. Christ, how much can you say about a snake?"
Depends on the snakes name.
Had to laugh! That was a good one Rebecca.
Harry Kingston says:
Talk about a gorilla pit show and I can remember when Oklahoma shorty Sherrer, had his pit show on Carson and Barnes. He had a real gorilla and the Tarzan chimp, and orang. and somemore.
He asked me do you want to see me feed them and dumb mesays hell yes. So we went in and he closed and locked the barred door. What the hell am I in for well it was a show. He removed the glass and they were like children but the smell, I think i carried it with me for months, ha ha.
Then when Kennedy Swain made the announcments in the big top and be sure and see the real live gooooo-rilla on the miday. I laugh till this day when I see a real live goooo-rilla.
Memories!!!!
Harry
Beaumont, Texas
Hey Whitey, When I was with my family in 44 on K-M both Oklahoma Shorty and old Tom King were in the concert. With us there were three rings of whip cracking acts in the concert. I rode for horse roping for Tom King. Seems like he was kind of an old hermit. Shorty had nice wardrobe and made me a lash hook .
Wasn't Tom King with the Ranch show? I know he went back a long ways.
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