Tuesday, January 29, 2013

1982 Big Apple Circus #11


"Anna May" bringing the leopard cage up to the back door.

Posted by Buckles at 1/29/2013 05:11:00 AM

4 comments:

MIKE CECERE said...

BEN WILLIAMS! What a wonderful fellow, top Elephant Man , and without doubt one of the GREATEST Wild Animal SHOWMEN in the modern history of the circus. When you saw Benny Williams , you saw a SHOW! Real Circus, "With It and For It" Thanks for the memories Ben. MIKE CECERE.

29 January, 2013 05:43
MIKE CECERE said...

Funny Ben Williams story. My old friend Jack Gobble , stepfather of the Davenport Bros, husband of Jeannie Jacobs/Davenport, (widow of both Terrell Jacobs and Ben Davenport) was Supt, of Ford Bros. when I was around there in 84' and 85' a top man, nice felllow. Jack came up on the Dailey Bros. rail show in the 40,s, and was the Trainmaster at a very young age. He used to help Louie Reed after his train chores in the Gonzalez, Texas WQ, and was approx. the same age as young, future Elephant greats Rex Williams and Smokey Jones and learned from the master trainer Reed how to break baby Elephants as they had a pile of them, in there after WWII think 1947 (Buckles please help me on the dates and Elephant names.) And he stayed close to Smokey and Rex for life. So one week the big Vargas tent tour (under Cliff Vargas ownership) played nearby Jack's "Circus Animal Farm' WQ
(Jack had hats and all madeup, I gave mine to my dear friend Harry Lea Kingston.) and he went to visit Rex and family. This is when was doing three rings of fast Elephants in all three rings on horseback , and Ben was presenting Anna Mae in a seperate act with I believe David Polk's wife (Vargas tiger act) who if graying memory serves me right was on the petite size and he held her with one hand over his head while standing on Anna Mae's head. REAL Showbiz! Anyway Rex and Jack were watching by the backdoor and Rex was standing there shaking his head with aa smirk on his face. Jack said "The boy's got one hell of an act" in his distinctive "Texas Ranger " drawl. To which Rex replied," Yep.. but one day he'll fat like the rest of us". GREAT Memories, Thanks Buckles. MIKE CECERE.

29 January, 2013 06:23
Chic Silber said...


Absolutely correct about Ben's style

charisma & capabilities folks but if

you think about it with his pedigree

he really didn't have much choice

A flame snuffed out far too early

29 January, 2013 09:06
GaryHill said...

Well said Chic!

29 January, 2013 19:17

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