Tuesday, August 23, 2011

From Engesser Collection #1


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Posted by Buckles at 8/23/2011 05:37:00 AM

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

this photo is from the cole brothers 1946 program book.

my dad was the center ring tight wire performer that year and the next.

mom and dad were married on the cole bros. circus

in later years i asked my mom why she married dad and her response "he was such a cute little guy".....guess that says it all !

bill powell jr.

23 August, 2011 20:33
john engesser herriott said...

For many years RBBB, Cole, would always have a somersault wire performer as a feature of their program. Even with the great riding acts, flying acts, etc. Seems like that was a great dramatic moment in the show. From Harold Barnes, Colleano. Castle and then Bill Powell. It is common knowledge that they were among the highest paid act-performers in the program. Later followed by Tonito, Santos, Christoper James Plunkett and a few more.

Albert Powell Sr. had the marvelous ability of taking young fellows and teaching them the art of wire wlking [low wire, not high wire] The great Walter Powell, Danny Powell, Marvin Case Powell, [later would manage Hunt Bros. circus for many years] plus his son Albert Powell Jr. arguably the greatest contortion single trapeze of all time and featured with Ringling for multiple years into the Forties. Mr. Powell would train these young fellows and the would be part of his 'Powell troupe of wire performers' in vaude, circus, etc. each young man would eventually branch out on his own. Bill entered the service during the WW2 and following was signed by Cole where his act consisted of a back and forward somersault. From Cole he would go to Beatty, King-Cristiani, etc. and join that exclusive fraternity of grat somersault wire performers. I write this because I have always been a fan of these performers and being A Engesser myself was pleased when Bill became part of our huge family and a personal friend. He is not the only wire performer in-law in our Engesser-Herriott family as my daughter Weiner has been married to the great Christopher James [James Plunkett] for some 20 years giving us three great grandchildren. Just thought you out there might enjoy this little circus family history. My cousin Gee Gee was more like a sister to me and Bill Jr. more lije a nephew. We are pleased and proud of his highly successful years as an important cog in Feld Ent.[Rbbb]. You can be sure that there is alot of pride among us generational circus families with our In-laws and Out-laws. Johnny Engesser Herriott. P.S. In 1942-43 we were on Mills Bros. Circus. My dad as eques. Dir. horse trainer and also there was the Powell troupe-family. Elderly people were Albert and his wife but she walked the wire along with Walter. They also had a dog act and Mr. Poell cflowned. He had kind of a hump back I believe from a serious fall in his acrobatic years. Very nice people. I remember tem well. Nice memories and shows the interesting ties of circus people over the years. Nothing like the circus.

24 August, 2011 09:42
Richard White said...

I worked in a men's clothing store in Burlington NJ in the late 1960s with a man named Marvin Case. He and his wife Helen had been high wire artists with Hunt Brother's Circus. Not sure why he went by Marvin Case and dropped the Powell. I'd like to know more about him, and to get a picture of him if at all possible.

I also went to school with Marsha Hunt in Florence when I was in the 2nd or third grade.

Thanks!

Richard White

16 January, 2012 00:39
Richard White said...

Marvin Case's wifes name was hazel, not Helen. Sorry. I've been able to find bits and pieces about him in Billboard Magazine, but not much, and all in the 1950s.

16 January, 2012 08:08
John Herriott said...

He did not change his legitamate name of Case as one of the young wire performers of the Powell Troupe. His wife was related to the Hunt Family but her maiden name was Williams.

23 May, 2012 08:32
Richard White said...

Charles Hunt Sr. used the name Marvin Case-Powell when he referred to Marvin joining the Hunt Circus and marrying his niece. I have found one picture (a bad newspaper picture) of Marvin and Hazel - obviously a professional studio picture. Would love to find a good print!

12 May, 2015 01:49
Richard White said...

Still looking for pictures of Marin and Hazel Case.

06 November, 2016 22:04

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