Friday, December 11, 2009

From Jack Ryan


gerry, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Buckles,

I am sure that many of your blog readers will remember Gerry Kreml, a prominent advance publicist for Ringling in the early Feld days.

Gerry passed away on December 4 of Alzheimer's disease complications at her home in Catonsville, Maryland. She was 91.

She was a great favorite of Irvin Feld's and worked publicity with his Super Shows organization for a number of years prior to their acquisition of the circus. For many years, she headed publicity for both the Washington, DC and Baltimore dates, plus other engagements around the county when a seasoned, professional touch was needed.

I had the pleasure of working with Gerry for a number of years. She was tough, funny and an excellent publicist, always quick with a laugh or a pertinent comment. She will be missed.

The photo is of Gerry and me welcoming Milton Berle to the circus in Houston, circa 1970..

Jack

Posted by Buckles at 12/11/2009 07:28:00 PM

6 comments:

Henry Schroer said...

I remember her very well, she was always friendly and very helpful.Very nice person.

12 December, 2009 04:58
art ricker said...

Worked with Gerry, always friendly, helpful and willing to help new people. Great publicist, she got some big stories and knew how to smooze the press.
Art Ricker

12 December, 2009 06:22
jerry digney said...

thanks for the note--i often wondered what happened to Gerry. 91, wow! we worked on many dates together...Boston was also one of her regular dates, too. she was an old school press agent of which the circus has no more. of course, Baltimore was her base, but she trouble shooted for various dates over the years, including I believe Cleveland when we opened the new building in Richmond and possibly New Orleans when we played the new Superdome.

12 December, 2009 13:11
Sue Lenz said...

I remember Gerry Kreml very well from our Ringling days,
She was a real classy and lovely lady.

Jerry Digney is correct about Gerry being at the Superdome in New Orleans, I had done some press for her with a baby chimp on our day off and later that day she insisted on taking Rudi & I out to dinner in one of the quaint restaurants New Orleans has to offer.

How fortunate we are to have known so many great people in the press business as well as other performers.

Sue.

12 December, 2009 19:21
Dick Flint said...

Her obituary here in the Baltimore Sun described how, “Attired in a leopard-print coat, Mrs. Kreml swept into Baltimore newspaper offices, television and radio stations with handfuls of circus passes in the 1970s. She would typically begin her greeting with, ‘Darling. How have you been? It's so-o-o-o good to see you. Wait 'til you see the circus this year.’” Other highlights from the obit, which noted she retired about 30 years ago, follow:

She broke gender barriers as a circus promoter who drummed up business weeks ahead of the greatest show. Her arrival in the business made the term "advance man" obsolete.

"Loquacious Gerry Kreml, tall and ample figure, dyes her hair platinum-blond and wears it in a feather cut," said a 1969 Evening Sun story headlined 'Baltimore Woman Is First Advance Man for Circus.' "She is about as bashful as a buzz saw." ...

One news story described her as "a self-made woman who has parlayed her attributes - native intelligence, garrulousness, enthusiasm, and a considerable amount of gall - into a job that uniquely suits her." She began working for an ad agency and wound up writing copy for a bird-watching radio show. She was later hired by another agency to help promote Feld Brothers Super Attractions. She handled 1960s pop stars Andy Williams; Peter, Paul and Mary; Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass; and the Beatles. "Once I had to work on two Beatles' shows in one day - which I think was the ultimate insanity of my life. I mean, after you've done that, nothing can ever throw you," she said.

In late 1962, shortly after what was then called the Civic Center opened, a friend asked if she would be interested in doing advance publicity for Ringling Bros., which was booked the following March for a Baltimore engagement after an absence of several years. She agreed and wound up doing the same job across the country after Feld Brothers bought the circus.

Kreml tackled her new assignment "with her usual zest" and went on the road with it, several weeks ahead of the clowns, wagons and animal acts. Asked what she did on the road, she replied, "What do I do? I talk, constantly."...

Dick Flint
Baltimore

12 December, 2009 23:45
Jack Ryan said...

Dick Flint,

Thanks for posting those quotes from the Sun's obit of Gerry.

The writer really nailed her exuberant and terrific personality.

Jack

13 December, 2009 10:08

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)