Monday, August 20, 2018

MIX #5


Posted by Chic Silber at 8/20/2018 11:20:00 PM

3 comments:

Chic Silber said...


By the time he got them

all in & seated it was

time to send them out

Impressive indeed

21 August, 2018 11:23
Wade G. Burck said...

I think that is one of the main difference's between cage act's of old, and modern cage act's, putting the animals in during a blackout, as opposed to the audience witnessing them coming into the cage. Modern act's consisted of more substance, while older act's were mostly letting the animals in and then getting them out. I am not saying it is wrong, either way, just what made the old and new era different. I have always thought Ringling was the first to do it, with their larger act's in the early 70's, but I may be wrong. Some one correct me if I am mistaken. I had no circus "knowledge" or experience before the early 70's so I don's have a lot of background on which to base the Ringling assumption. I think it is done now day's with small act's, just to do it. No other reason, except tradition.

When Hawthorn first started putting the animals in during a blackout with their first White tiger act, with 17 animals I used to put on sunglasses 5 min. before the blackout so that my eyes were properly adjusted when the blackout occurred. I have night vision issues, and the first time we ran them in in a blackout I was terrified because I could not see a thing. I ran to the front of the cage and held on to the mesh for about three minutes before I could start to see shadows and shapes.

Wade Burck

21 August, 2018 19:30
Roger Smith said...

The trainer seen here has been ID'd as both Herman Weedon and John Helliott. As this is an early cage used also by Clyde Beatty (see the Safety Cage @ L), I'm going with Helliott, on Hagenbeck-Wallace, for the 1930 Press Day photo-op in Kokomo, Indiana.

When you see a famed photo of Beatty in a challenge pose with Nero lion, you'll see the same arena and the same background. For Press Day, some shows moved the arena and cageline outside for better shots than could be taken in a dark Big Top. This idea generated some colorful remarks of disdain from the prop guys.

21 August, 2018 19:36

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