Boy do I remember the 1956 Polack show. They played Nashville for two days in the middle of February 1956, my senior year in high school. Naturally I skipped school and spent the day "on the lot" which of course meant a cold and windy old building at the fair grounds. |
Monday, October 12, 2009
From Dave Price
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
In 1956 the elephants traveled by baggage car and Soldier would gilly extra equipment and props down to the car. So there never was much to see in the back yard unless you caught the show on a fairgrounds infield.
When I was there 10 years later they had a bull truck and a prop truck that was about it. When the season ended, Soldier would park the truck at my place and then a month later return, jump in the truck and head for Flint.
The Polack show always had a class performance and powerful promotions and therefore wasn't concession driven.
I don't recall much about that end of it.
I would have been a sophomore at Hammond High School in 1956. Hammond was the second date on the Polack tour in late, cold, usually snowy January. The date was at the same time as final exams so if I had a break of a few hours I watch someone unload. As Dave mentioned, once everyone was inside the party was over.
Jim:
I didn't know that you were so much younger than I am.
But it's still okay to call me Dave, son.
Forgot who told me this, maybe Bill Kay, when I was working the Albany (NY) Shrine date.
Mrs. Polack would be seen picking up a spent candy floss paper cones to examine the printing to make certain that it was stamped "Polack Bros. Circus". These cones were printed at extra expense but it was insurance that only official Polack Brothers cones were used thus eliminating private stock from being sold.
This I know for sure -- Bill Kay said that it used to be "Cyprus Shrine presents POLACK BROTHERS CIRCUS". The show was so well known that it was proudly proclaimed, not hidden behind the generic (and geriatric) Shrine Circus title.
New email: Michael@NaughtonAttractions.com
Man would I love to have that station wagon.
Post a Comment