Friday, June 01, 2007

Polack Bros. Circus 1966 #6


SAVE2908, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This is the stage of the great Medina Temple in Chicago where we showed for over a month in those days.
Notice the "circus drop" in the background with the band seated in a "bandwagon" immediately behind the ring.

Posted by Buckles at 6/01/2007 06:08:00 AM

6 comments:

Pat Cashin said...

If I'm not mistaken, that looks like the backdrop from the TV series SUPERCIRCUS, which was shot in Chicago for most of it's run.

~P

02 June, 2007 05:30
Buckles said...

We did Super Circus several times when my dad still worked our act.
I don't remember the backdrop very well.
Maybe it's the same one.

02 June, 2007 08:42
Buckles said...

Wasn't Sandy Dobritch one of the regulars on Super Circus?
Claude Kirshner was the ringmaster and a blond lady named Mary Heart Throb?

02 June, 2007 09:00
Pat Cashin said...

The Super Circus cast was:

Claude Kirchner ... Ringmaster (1952-1955)Mary Hartline ... Assistant (1952-1955)
Nicky Francis ... Nicky
Clifford Soubier ... Cliffy
Mike Wallace ... Barker (in commercials)
Bardy Patton ... Scampy (I)
Sandy Dobritsch ... Scampy (II)

Al Dobritsch's son Sandy took over as Scampy the Clown when Bardy Patton got too old.

Nicky Francis was supposed to have some experience as a circus clown but I've never seen him mentioned anywhere.

Cliff "Cliffy" Soubier was the clown who opened the show and had was a mascot for some of the Kellogg's cereals before the show got "restructured" and the Chicago cast was let go in favor of a New York produced show featuring Bob Hope's sidekick Jerry Collona as the ringmaster.

Claude Kirshner did such a good job as pitchman for Marx toys as ringmaster that he was the announcer for all of the Marx Toys commercials well into the 70s.

~P

03 June, 2007 06:07
Anonymous said...

I plyed "SUper Circus" with three big cole show elephants from Peru," Little Babe, Big Jennt and Tessie" We had to park on the curb in downtown Chicago [police harrased us all day] Had to do thru a long corrider and crawl under some arches and then you were immediately in the ring. I just about iped out Mary Hartline and her band on the waltz routine Band was that close. Bert Pettus had just joined us in Bunker Hill to be the Captain, but was not yet acquainted with the elephants, but his lovely wife Marie was my elephant empress for the show. Was glad to get back to Peru.w

03 June, 2007 09:35
Anonymous said...

After Sandy Dobritch got on as a clown on "Super Circus" his father Al, who had a ground bar-casting act talked himself in to be the "talent coord.-agent' for the show. It was the beginning of a fantastic career. He came out after we did the elephant act and on the sidewalk gave me the 'check'. I believe it was $1500.oo. That was the first time I would meet Mr. Dobritch, but not the last.

03 June, 2007 09:57

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