The Wallendas eventually revived the
7-person chair pyramid for a single 1963 engagement, just to show that they
could still do it. One of the major TV
networks (I believe it was CBS) produced a documentary showing the troupe
rehearsing and later performing. During
production, the film crew captured two dramatic events that were retained and
used in the documentary: while the pyramid was rehearsing on a 15-foot high
practice wire, the rigging collapsed.
There were some injuries and at least one member of the troupe decided to
call it quits. Then, during a rehearsal
aloft just prior to their first performance, all of the house lights went off,
leaving the troupe in total darkness for a few seconds. I understand that a later generation of
Wallendas revived the 7-person chair pyramid for a 1998 performance at the
Detroit Shrine Circus.
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Monday, April 06, 2015
The Wallendas #12
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4 comments:
You could fill Yankee Stadium today with all the people who claim to have been there that fateful day.
Logan and I were back by the elephants and after hearing the audience reaction, hurried in.
Circus people seem to have a way of coping and adjusting to these situations with amazing efficiency.
The pyramid was brought back for the filming of the story of the Wallendas with Lloyd Bridges playing the part of Karl. It was performed for the Showfolks of Sarasota Circus where the filming was done.
Kenny Dodd has told me the most accurately detailed account of the Wallenda's fall. He was standing at the end of the dead-end guy, looking directly at the act when Dieter Schepp first began to collapse. He saw the entire incident.
As for the 15-foot "fall", one account at the time had it at 12 feet, and carefully planned by Karl. If you see his documentary, look for the guy within frame who throws the rigging on cue. Everyone went down, balancing poles and the shoulder frames scattering at odd angles. Those present knew this fall was staged so Karl could lament the "curse on the Wallendas". As he rose from the ground, he asked, "Did the cameras catch it?' The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, offended by his capitalizing on the Detroit tragedy, ran a reply, titled, "Yes, Karl, the cameras caught it."
This was a Wallenda photo from the 1962 Cleveland Grotto Circus souvenir program and, we must assume, includes some or all of the people who were there at Detroit.
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