I got to see Luis on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros and as a kid when they fired that cannon in the tent and he flew through all those quarter poles and the tent puffed out, it was very exciting. Luis jr. told me some stories about the cannon and in one indoor date someone put too much gun powder in the noise maker thing and it blew the stuff off the shelves in the dressing room. What a bang that must have been. Another town they got a police escort as they thought it was a military cannon enroute. Harry
On CBCB they had 6 bally broads leading Luis down the track dressed as majorettes. On Johnny Walkers last night before leaving for the 1964 New York World's Fair to work consessions, he led the girls around the track with a broom. Frank Orman happened to be in the connection that night (someone must have told him it was going to happen) and that was the first time I ever saw him laugh. Bob Kitto
I saw Luis Jr. being fired out of a cannon on Dickie Garden's Sterling & Reid in 2002 or '03 inside the Show Me arena at Cape Girardeau, MO. About three years ago, I saw his brother, Cristopher (also a former cannoneer) clowning on one of John "Gopher" Davenport's shows in St. Louis. Chris had a great voice and really attracted the kids out of the five-highs by warbling "When You Wish Upon A Star" to a recording on turntable. Luis and his cannon were no-shows. Front-end manager Charles (Termite) Davenport explained the sign canceling the free cannon shoot. Seems that Luis was away, attending to family business. Lane Talburt
3 comments:
I got to see Luis on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros and as a kid when they fired that cannon in the tent and he flew through all those quarter poles and the tent puffed out, it was very exciting.
Luis jr. told me some stories about the cannon and in one indoor date someone put too much gun powder in the noise maker thing and it blew the stuff off the shelves in the dressing room.
What a bang that must have been.
Another town they got a police escort as they thought it was a military cannon enroute.
Harry
On CBCB they had 6 bally broads leading Luis down the track dressed as majorettes. On Johnny Walkers last night before leaving for the 1964 New York World's Fair to work consessions, he led the girls around the track with a broom. Frank Orman happened to be in the connection that night (someone must have told him it was going to happen) and that was the first time I ever saw him laugh.
Bob Kitto
I saw Luis Jr. being fired out of a cannon on Dickie Garden's Sterling & Reid in 2002 or '03 inside the Show Me arena at Cape Girardeau, MO. About three years ago, I saw his brother, Cristopher (also a former cannoneer) clowning on one of John "Gopher" Davenport's shows in St. Louis. Chris had a great voice and really attracted the kids out of the five-highs by warbling "When You Wish Upon A Star" to a recording on turntable. Luis and his cannon were no-shows. Front-end manager Charles (Termite) Davenport explained the sign canceling the free cannon shoot. Seems that Luis was away, attending to family business.
Lane Talburt
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