Friday, September 16, 2016

#8 Baraboo

The daily parade around the grounds at Circus World Museum.
Looks like Shannon at the brake.

8 comments:

Patricia said...

If this wagon is from Howe's Great London Circus, it's the one my young liger and I rode in during the Milwaukee Circus Parade 1985. Or 1986. Can't remember. Anyway, it was really fun and quite an honor!

Roger Smith said...

Howes was Clyde Beatty's first show. He joined out in Washington Court House, Ohio, on August 16, 1921. He was luckily assigned to cages, under the command of Louis Roth.

Patricia said...

I didn't know that, Roger. This wagon had a divider in the middle with a swing door, I assumed it was original to the wagon. So in 1921 would Mabel have been with Louis Roth?

Roger Smith said...

No. Mabel divorced Louie back in Portland, Oregon, in the winter of 1920. On May 18, 1921, aspiring to marry up, Mabel had wed the Barnes show auditor, Al Ewing (born Clarence A. Irwin), in Seattle. Their honeymoon was abbreviated when Barnes discovered Al had embezzled over ten grand. Roth was on loan from Barnes to straighten out a tiger act on Howes, and was there long enough to be posted in the Route Book as the boss on cages. Among his cagehands was a First of May named Clyde Beatty.

Patricia said...

Thank you, Roger. So very interesting. I can't wait to see Leslie's documentary, I have no doubt you were her most valuable resource. You have always been so meticulous with details. Let's hope her film wins some big awards! That would be a fitting tribute to Leslie and you, and importantly to Mabel as well.

Roger Smith said...

Leslie Zemeckis is currently bringing this documentary on Mabel Stark to picture lock. Release has been spoken of as possibly this month.

Patricia said...

I don't know what "picture lock" is...

Roger Smith said...

It's the end of post-production, when the last frame is edited to the director's approval. The film is not to be touched again, and its release print is sent into distribution.