| In 1938 Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell decided to field two circuses, Mr. Terrell remained with Cole Bros. and Mr. Adkins would frame a second unit called Robbins Bros. I believe The Cole Show was reduced to something like 25 cars but would continue to feature Clyde Beatty. The new show went out on 15 cars. Someone can correct me if these numbers are inaccurate. |
Friday, December 28, 2007
Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #1
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Didn't somebody in Hugo try to use the Robbins title in the 1960's? I think I have some paper from the show, which I believe I was told never actually went out.
We had a contract with them in 1966maybe. It never went out but cannot remember who was using the title. That was the spring I had a crash course in booking a small tent show.cc
In early 1965 I had just settled up with D.R. he got "Lydia" and "Sadie" and the truck and I was in the process of borrowing an old bull truck to take "Anna May" to Florida, my wife had already left with the trailer.
Robbins Bros. had set up at the Fairgrounds. I was having breakfast down town when a man approached me and asked if there was any work in town and I told him that a circus was opening that day and might be looking for help.
Later in the day I was back at the restaurant and the same guy walks in and I asked, "Did you get a job with the circus?" and he said "Yes, I am in charge of putting up and taking down the big top."
I caught the show that evening and afterward all the showmen were out watching this bail ring top come down, quite a novelty for Hugo.
My man from the restaurant was doing a credible job, all that remained to be done was to lower the center poles. As the first one got about half way down someone yelled, "Hold it until I can find the jack!" the new boss canvas man got directly under the pole, held up his arms and yelled back, "Godammit, I'm in charge here
LET ME HAVE IT!"
Can you imagine how much even a small wooden center pole would weigh? The guy must have been crazy or really strong.
I think the guy that put out Robbins Bros. in the 1960's out of Hugo was Jack S. Smith.
He was account for Al G. Kelly and Miller Bros. in their later years.
I bought some letterheads from him and paid good money for them and when they got here they were Xerox copies. Needless to say I sent them all back and got my money back from him.
Harry
The show was originally framed to play shopping centers. Had a blue big top from O'Henry with orange and blue sidewall. About 6 trucks all nicely lettered. Did not make the first season. In 1966, it came out again until June. Managed by Paul Cristiani. Playing the Western Pa, Va and West Va route for the Cristiani-Wallace show which was merged with Von Bros. for the eastern dates. Show was rather short, not many workingmen and played my home town spot only to be partially abandoned there. Big top and seats on 2 semis were sold at a sheriffs sale in Dec. Some of the equipment showed up on Hoxie later but I never saw the big top again. Charlie Moyer had the band and was out front booking. A chimp and 2 ponies were the only animals. Denny Gilli
Back to the 1938 Robbins show. I just re-read a fascinating Bandwagon piece on Floyd King (written in the 60s by the great Tom Parkinson). King served as general agent for both A&T shows that year. When the Cole show stumbled in early August, King was told to secretly route the show back to Rochester. Apparently King was so good at it that when Cole tore down in Bloomington, IL nobody, including A&T, knew that it was going back to winterquarters the next day.
As mentioned, the Beatty act and some other people, animals and equipment went to Robbins for the balance of the season. Under Floyd King's routing through the South, the show ended up having a pretty decent run.
Thanks Denny, for the great info about Criistiani-Wallace's last days in Pennsylvania. A few years ago I did an extensive interview with Pete Cristiani. I'd have to go back to my four-hour video, but as a I recall, Pete Cristiani still owned the show until it merged with Von Bros. I believe Pete's wife, Norma Davenport, continued to perform on that show right through its combining with Henry Vonderheid's show. Did Paul (Mogador) have his elephants with the Cristiani-Wallace show when you saw it? I wonder whether Charlie Moyer continued with Von Bros. that season. King Charles Weathersby brought his band on Von Bros. the following year.
One of the major values to me of your blog, Buckles, is that it enables folks who have "been there and seen it or done it" to fill in the gaps of circus history.
Lane Talburt
Can someone tell me the name of the Circus that showed in Kinston, N.C. sometime between 1953 & 1956.
There was only one Circus that came to Kinston during this time period.
I know that this is a crazy question, but this name has bugged me for several years.
Harold G. Brown
CMB
To Harold Brown,
I'm not sure if you live near Kinston or not. You best answer would be to go to the local library and scroll through the newspapers ( usually on microfilm ). Depending on if it was a daily or weekly neswpaper as to how much there is to go through.
You could get an interlibrary loan from your local Library for the Billboard on microfilm. In the southeast here, it would come from the University og Georgia or the University of Tennessee.
Perhaps even the local historical society might have a some information but I wouldn't get your hopes up unless something newsworthy happened such as a blowdown or wreck.
Hope that helps you a little bit.
Bob Cline
Cheraw, SC
Post a Comment