Wednesday, April 20, 2011

COLE BROS. MRS. CLYDE BEATTY (c_1935) One Sheet Upright


From Chris Berry

A few days ago there was some discussion about Harriet Beatty's act on the Cole Bros Circus in the late 1930s. This litho is a terrific representation of what those attending "America's Favorite Show" would have seen (a tiger AND a lion astride the elephant). A reworked version of this image was used on the Clyde Beatty Circus (and later for Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros). I believe that Ole Whitey may know more about the artwork on that later poster -- along with several others that were used during the early days of the Clyde Beatty Railroad Circus.

Posted by Buckles at 4/20/2011 06:33:00 AM

7 comments:

Ole Whitey said...

Buckles: I am sending you two photos of posters that you may wish to post later on.

There were actually two window-size posters of Harriet and the tiger-on-elephant that the Beatty show used.

Forrest Freeland made up a terrific half-sheet upright in the late forties and then Majestic came up with a second design during the fifties. This second one was later given the Beatty-Cole title and as such we used it long after the act had ceased to exist.

In addition to these, Colorcraft made up an 8-sheet largely inspired by Chris' Cole Bros bill; it was only used a few years in the early fifties.

Mary Jane and I both saw Harriet perform this act in our childhoods. It was a very fast act- The tiger jumped through a fire hoop and then onto the elephant's back, a couple of turns around the arena and out. But very impressive.

By the way Anna May was nervous during this act and a second elephant was always brought in to stand outside the arena just to calm her a bit.

20 April, 2011 09:51
Anonymous said...

Dave,
Who owned Majestic? I have some stock half-sheets with no title, so I assume that they were a regular show poster company. When I find them, I'll send them in.
Bob Kitto

20 April, 2011 18:04
Harry Kingston said...

Bob,
Majestic was the West coast version of Enquirer.
The Beatty railroad used them alot.
Harry in Texas

20 April, 2011 21:15
Ole Whitey said...

Majestic was owned by Abe Rabin and then his son-in-law Sam Horn took it over when Abe died. They were on West Washington in Los Angeles. They would often use a zinc "master" plate for the black or dark blue and then the colors would be from wood blocks.

20 April, 2011 21:43
johnny tanglefoot said...

A little known fact. Either after her death [harriet] or during illness the great Dorothy Herbert presented this act. johnny

21 April, 2011 07:41
Ole Whitey said...

I mentioned that the other day when Chris submitted the Barnes poster of the tiger on the elephant. Both Dorothy Herbert and Albina Beatty worked the act after Harriet's death and during her illness- possibly there were others as well.

Does anyone know if Bobby Peck might have worked it for a while?

21 April, 2011 10:34
Unknown said...

Bobby Peck was with the Clyde Beatty Circus. She was a friend of my parents. I have a fabulous ( I'm assuming publicity) photo of her in costume, on a horse named Tony, taken in 1947.

21 September, 2013 22:02

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