Ringling Red 1987 #1 (From Eric Beheim)

RBBB87-1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. These photos were all taken in the back yard of the San Diego Sports Arena in 1987. This was, of course, the first year that "King Tusk" appeared with the show, and to introduced him with a flourish, the entire spec was built around him. (Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he was the entire spec! After he made his entrance early on in the number, it was just him being walked around the arena.) By the time this edition appeared, the cost cutting had started to become quite obvious. There were no payoff elephants used in this spec, and the money saved on all those expensive blankets probably went a long way towards paying Tommy's purchase price. And this was the first Red Unit spec where Gunther was conspicuous by his absence. The cost-cutting even extended to the music used for this number. Instead of an entirely new score, much of it was recycled from the Woodcock Family's elephant number from 9 years earlier. As Tommy was being led around the arena, the music was "March of the Mogul Emperors" by Edward Elgar, which was quite effective. One of my favorite photos from this series is the truck lettered in the same style as the old Mack trucks that Ringling used to use during 1930s and 40s. Eric