Thursday, August 25, 2011

From Bill Cooker #8


Posted by Picasa

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The WOW factor is certainly there with this presentation! Beautiful blanket, head-dress, Empress and train. Anyone know who the Empress was on this elephant, anyone know who the elephant is? ~frank

Buckles said...

Elephant is "Is your foot getting tired Minyak?" who remained on the show thru 1960.
The lady looks like Vickie Unus.
Dom would know.

Frank Ferrante said...

Captain -
Because of that one scene in TGSOE, Minyak is probably the best known of the Ringling performing herds - from a publi's standpoint. Performance-wise, how would you compare her with Anna May? ~frank

Buckles said...

Hugo Schmitt told me that he was at the Hagenbeck Zoo when "Minyak" was born and in fact touched the calf before her mother did.
Her life story would be a lot more compelling than "Water For Elephants".
Albert Rix said that in his youth, Hugo loved his beer and after being refused one at the Zoo's Beer Stand (on order from Herr Hagenbeck) he promptly returned with "Minyak" and had her push the stand off it's foundation.
Hugo told me of the many nights he spent with the elephants under a stone bridge during the Allied air raids.
Hagenbeck managed to send this act to neutral Sweden where Hugo's reception was less than cordial and culminated when he discovered the Swedish Governmant confiscated the herd.
He immediately took all five down town and presented his bull hook to the first Policeman he he saw and walked away, leading to an incredible traffic jam and their eventual sale to John Ringling North
"Minyak" remained with the Ringling Show thru 1960, her final year was 1961 with the So. American Unit.
In 1962 she and another German elephant "Sabu" were sold to Hoxie-Bartok Circus, in 1963 United Nations Circus and in 1964 both were sold to Jack Moore's Carson & Barnes Circus wintering in Hope, Arkansas where "Minyak" died prior to the show's opening.

dpowhitetiger said...

My guess is Shirley Combs...spelling might not be correct...I am sure it isn't Vickie Unus..I had taken a complete set of pictures at old Griffith Stadium - Wash. DC. prior to or after these were taken...

Anonymous said...

Hi Buckles & Bill,
These slides are from the 1958 edition of Ringling. The costumes and floats are from the spec "One Thousand and One Nights - An Arabian Fantasy".
The young lady on the elephant is not Vickie Unus (La Toria). She did not come on the show until 1963. Her dad, the incredible Unus was also on the show that year.
Dom