| Regarding today’s photos of Ringling’s 1944 appearance at Soldiers’ Field: according to Joe Bradbury, the politically-controlled Chicago Park Board caused the show much grief during that engagement. A locally produced program was substituted, and Ringling concessions could only work outside the field. Circus ushers were not allowed to work the seats, and a 55 cent charge (which went to the Park Board) was put on all reserved seat passes. |
Sunday, February 17, 2008
1944 Ringling program (From Eric Beheim)
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12 comments:
Nothing has changed in Chicago, it is still a "deep pockets" city. It cost Barnum's Kaleidoscape approximately $15,000 to have the water connected at Soldier's Field in 2000, and our tent and seating engineering, which had been accepted in all other cities of the tour, was refused until we payed a Chicago firm to "fix-it". I know the Big Apple experienced difficulties with their engagements there also.
Erik Jaeger
Question for Erik, or anyone with the 1944 RBBB program: I've been told I saw this show at Soldier Field, would have been three and a half. I think I remember a bear act and some side show bally tamborine players. Was there a bear act for am I hallucinating?
In the "old" days, they spoke of grifting showman and the grafting city officials.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
most apropos verbiage, mr flint. kudos to you.
George Washington Plunkett, a New York politician who was my great-grandfather's second cousin spoke frequently on the theme of why "honest graft" -- essentially bribery in the front office instead of the back room -- was good. I recall that one chapter of his collected wisdom was entitled 'Why Reformers Are Like Hayseeds,' a notion now applicable to several animal rights groups. My grandfather used to tell of how they left the Irish Channel in New Orleans and moved to New York because Senator Plunkett could find patronage jobs for his relatives and would rather share the graft with family instead of laying it on some grifter.
Jim a,
We will have to pass the bear question on to some of the more knowledgeable bloggers.
Erik Jaeger
Beloit, WI had a guy who took care of the parks and when Ringling showed Beloit ont time, he told the lot manager that he was the local bleacher inspector. The manager asked him how many passes he expected and he said 25. He was told that 25, was 25 more than they gave to any bleacher inspector and he should get away before he got in trouble.
Bob Kitto
I don't see any bear act listed in the '44 program.
Thanks Buckles. Probably being high up in the cheap seats and definately being three and a half, I don't know what I saw.
Roland Tiebor was there however and possibly with a three ring display of seals.
This is a special Chicago program noted thereon for this date. The original full-season 1944 program featured a famed photo of Lou Jacobs, kneeling and offering a bouquet of flowers to Ernestine Clarke, seated on her great steed, Stranger.
We have to recall that this was in the dreadful aftermath of the Hartford fire of July 6th, when the show worked devoid of canvas, and thus labored under the demands of many changes.
Roger Smith
On October 8,1944 saw this Edition in New Orleans showing at Pelican Baseball Stadium. I distinctly recall THREE steel- arenas of Court's mixed-cat acts, which included bears. Perhaps this late in the Season the damaged arena had been replaced. Seals and un-caged bears I dont recall.
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