 Received this news article from Tosca Zoppe; it is the financial report for RBBB in Pittson City, Pennsylvania in 1949. It was part of the historical newspaper section. The city of Pittson and the school district were the sponsoring groups. Ticket sales were approximately $26,000 and concessions approximately $25,000. In 2011 dollars that would be $245,695.63 and $236.234.80, respectfully, for a total of $471,941.63. I wonder if they made the nut. The inflation calculator that I used was from the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mike Naughton  |
Monday, June 06, 2011
RBBB 1949
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I consulted Dick Flint and Bob Cline on this contractual arrangement. Dick pointed out that the taxes paid were to benefit the school district which was not an actual "sponsor" as I stated.
I am still wondering if they made the nut.
http://www.timesleader.com/pittstondispatch/peeking/Ringling_Bros__Circus_in_Pittston_in_1949_06-04-2011.html
The report from 1949.
Tosca -
Thanks for sending this, give my best to your Mom! ~frank
Although Ringling-Barnum did sell all of the seats for entire performances to factories like Firestone in the 1940s, it wasn't until 1951 when the dates in Augusta, GA and Daytona Beach, FL were actually sponsored by local charitable groups. In 1952 the practice was expanded with a contract offering 20% of net proceeds over and above $20k (minus amusement taxes). While there were quite a few sponsored dates in 1952 (especially in the first half of the season), according to author/historian David Hammarstrom, at least 1/3 of the sponsors did not make money off of the deal, and those that did only received a small portion of the revenue. For example in Chicago 35,000 people attended performances under a church sponsorship - but Hammarstrom says that only $750 was given to the group after the money was divided.
Smells like the Concello era. What say You historians. tanglefoot
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