Friday, February 29, 2008

Dailey Bros. Circus 1950 #5


DB1950-5, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 2/29/2008 06:04:00 AM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The August 26, 1950, edition of Billboard reported that "as shortage of labor on Dailey Bros. Circus has caused late matinees and forced cultailment of the canvas spead in recent days (after the show re-entered the U.S. from a disastrous Canadian tour), Big Top has been reduced to three rings and menagerie is enclosed with wagons, while the tent is left on the flats...A new organ was added at Menonimee (Wisc) to replace the band, and the air calliope is used for the come-in. Staff of press agents has been cut to one, with Ray B. Dean holding the spot."
In the same edition, a story about Kelly-Miller Circus noted that "Fuzzy Lambert, formerly with Dailey, joined the band."
Another Billboard dispatch dated Sept. 23 and datelined Hope, Arkansas, reported: "Dailey Bros. Circus closed here Thursday (21) and the show train moved to winter quarters at Gonzales, Texas. The closing was the end to a turbulent season for the circus operated by B.C. Davenport and Harry Hammill. Business had been bad for the organization most of the season. Eighteen future dates were cancelled. The show arrived here at 8 a.m. Thursday and moved to a soft lot. About noon heavy rain turned the ground into a quagmire. The matinee drew a one-fourth house, and the evening show played to a half house. Small crews worked all night to load the train, which left here at noon Friday (22)."
In an even later Billboard account reported that at the last performance in Hope, "water was standing in the rings."

Lane Talburt

29 February, 2008 17:22
Anonymous said...

Can anyone offer some information on Capt. Edward James and his polar bear act?

29 February, 2008 21:15
Buckles said...

I saw this polar bear act in 1948 with the Ringling Show (Konselman's Bears) that appeared in the opening display of three arena acts.
Ben Davenport purchased but the act but after a few days in Gonzalez the man that came with it blew.
Ben ran an ad for another trainer in the Billboard and both Smokey and Rex were worried they would have to get involved consequently asked every new arrival, "Are you the bear trainer?" and one guy answered, "Hell no! Do I look like I got enough clothes to be a bear trainer?" He evidently knew that having you trousers shredded was an occupational hazard around bears."
Smokey said an assortment of people tried to work them. Someone came up with the idea of spraying a dot of different color paint on each one to tell them apart.
Capt. Edward James was probably the num de plume applied to each volunteer.

29 February, 2008 22:14

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