Saturday, April 04, 2009

1969 Ringling #2


1969 Ringling-2, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

The “Garden in the Sky” aerial ballet.

Posted by Buckles at 4/04/2009 05:59:00 AM

9 comments:

Buckles said...

Dave Mullaney called this contraption a revolving "meat rack".

04 April, 2009 06:08
henry edgar said...

a true vintage dave mullaney quote. dave was always candid and to the point when offering his opinion. no bs, he always got right to the point, as he saw it, and conversations with dave are still missed!

04 April, 2009 11:17
Ole Whitey said...

I've told this story on the blog before but I enjoy telling it.

When Walter Kernan first heard Dave say a few words, he asked, "Okay, what part of Boston are you from?" and Dave replied, "Quincy- I'm Shanty Irish, same as yourself."

05 April, 2009 23:06
Anonymous said...

One of my stage managers from Epcot, Dora Franklin, talks about
this ...er, act....I think she was in it...
tim dain

05 April, 2009 23:17
Henry Schroer said...

I forgot the guys name who build this rigging but him and his wife had a act in center ring during that production and after Ringling he went to Vegas with the Circus Circus Casino and worked there with the same rigging for quite a few years.

06 April, 2009 15:41
Chic Silber said...

I believe his first name was Andre

but I can't remember his last

I think he built similar rigging

for both Circus Circus in Vegas

and in Reno

Chic

06 April, 2009 16:52
Jack Ryan said...

Henry,

It was Andre Prince and his wife, Hilda, billed as The Hildalys. She was the high-wire walker Harold Alzana's sister and appeared with him years before in the Ringling show.

Jack

06 April, 2009 16:53
Mike Naughton said...

And of course, the upside unicycle rigging was sold to John and Patsy Jordan who presented the act as THE JORDANAS.
John, doing the sponge plunge as GERONIMO, was injured at the Syracuse Shrine date and spent months hospitalized in that city.
Upon his return to the circus Bill Kay Shrine date, dozens of hospital employees (mostly nurses) came to the show to wish John the best.
Son Jody Jordan, now a producer, clowned in the alley which included Joe Vanni (Sherman) and myself. Harry Dubsky, Sr. spent his free time building model boats in the dressing room.
That dressing room was full of producers, who knew there was such talent in the basement of the Memorial Auditorium?

06 April, 2009 19:28
Anonymous said...

Johnny & Patsy Jordan also worked for Karl Wallenda in his high-wire act in the mid-1960s. She said they appeared with Beatty-Cole for two years in the act doing the seven pyramid. In those years, Patsy was top mounter in the pyramid and from photographs, I believe Johnny was the first person on the second level. Was Karl not on the second level in the rear calling all of the movements? I believe that was his position so that he could see everyone except for the person behind him on the first level, whom he must have trusted immensely! Please correct me if I am wrong!
Neil Cockerline
Minneapolis, MN

08 April, 2009 17:27

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