Monday, February 15, 2010

1962 Grotto Circus #2


Clyde Beatty 1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 2/15/2010 05:56:00 AM

3 comments:

Bob Cline said...

By 1962, Mr. Beatty's cats were housed in two semi's that were backed up against each other and then they used a tunnel to the arena. Is this what happened on an arena date like this?
Bob

15 February, 2010 06:33
Anonymous said...

I remember, as a kid hanging out in the backyard of the Long Island Arena in Commack during the early 60's when CBCB opened the season there. Both of Beatty's semi's were spotted outside the building back to back. The highlight each afternoon for me was not seeing the show, but watching Beatty's cats being moved thru the chutes to and from the arena located inside the building. The exit from the arena back to the semi's was the most exciting exhibition of organized chaos one youngster could stand. Animal men seemed to be running the chutes from all directions prodding the big cats along at what seemed like lightning speed while barking commands to the cats and instructions to each other was certainly, for a young kid, quite an adventure. An extra treat, which I recall happened quite often, was one of the cats backing up and creating a "cat jam" in the chutes. All hell would break loose in those chutes as cats would square off with one another and handlers would run about in a frenzy trying to restore order. Many times the cats would rear up taking the chutes, which were staked, with them. This exhibition of power and strength by the cats left a life long impression on me. The excitement and turmoil along with the possibility of one of the cats escaping was certainly all the excitement a young boy could handle for an afternoon.
Many years later during the 1980's, the show now playing the parking lot of the Arena, Fred Logan and John Pugh pointed out to me that in ground cesspools with hook ups, were put in on the east side of the building, which was the shows backyard during the indoor dates there, for waste removal. These were installed solely for the circus's use by the arena management.
Also I have heard that McCloskey and company came very close to buying the building sometime during the 60's.
Can anyone else shed any light on this?

Joe Giordano

15 February, 2010 19:56
Roger Smith said...

BOB: On dates like this, and Detroit, the Beatty-Cole semis remained in DeLand. George Scott told me the cats were in connected boxes built for these dates, and they, arena, props, and all travelled by box car. I regret to add I have never seen good photos of this arrangement, but Charlie Harris told me he was in on the construction, which was personally directed by Mr. Beatty.

JOE: You bet it was exciting. I started out on the last door before the up-and-down chute, and in two days I was mid-tunnel. On my fourth day with Mr. Beatty, his tunnel-door man showed up drunk once too often, and I was tapped. Beatty gave me concise, meaning very brief, instructions. The rule with him being, since I've seen it done, do it right like he told me the first time and never make a mistake. He emphasized his instructions with, "Watch me. I'll watch the cats, just watch me." I never took my eyes off his. At any time, he might signal a cat's entrance. Never let an animal in until he did. Once the act was in, never let a cat out until his clear signal to take him home. One side glance from watching him could spell disaster. It was a hell of a job to put a guy on in four days, but I listened and met the challenge. It was nerve-wracking for sure, but my pride was that he put me there, and I did what he said: "Just watch me."

It might be of interest to add here that Cleveland was the Boss's "home lodge" as a Shriner.

17 February, 2010 01:05

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