Friday, December 23, 2005

Sparks Circus 1920's #4


This is the show's wrestler Tommy Mullins that appeared in the concert or aftershow.
To those of you who don't know, it occurred to someone years ago that after the performance had concluded and the show was being dismantled, if you started removing the general admissions seats first the front grandstand would be available for another half hour and if you had something really unique you might be able to sell tickets for an after show.
At first it was like Vaudeville with singers, dancers, comic numbers, etc. and was actually a concert and the name stuck. How it turned into a Wild West Show I couldn't say and why a wrestling match was added is equally a mystery other than the fact that it's uncomplicated and quick since after all the tent was coming down.
With the Cole Show the Wild West people would thunder into the tent and line up on the front track and tip his or her hat when being introduced by Col. Thomas. Then entered Jimmy Ray who looked about like Mr. Mullins above and a cash prize would be offered to anyone who dared to try to last X number of rounds with him.
Also on the show was a nice looking young guy, seems to me his name was Red Robinson who would always be the volunteer and when asked if he had ever wrestled before would answer no but being an ex Marine and just back from the war he was familiar with ju-jitsu. this piece of information was enthusiastically received by the audience but violently opposed by Jimmy Ray. Being ever the sportsman, Col. Thomas would leave it up to the audience to decide.
By the time the match occurred, Otto Griebling, now in civilian clothes and for a few bucks, served as the referee.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When my dad was growing up next door to the Strates family in the 20's and 30's James E States was running his show -- called Southern Tier Amusements back then -- and wrestling under the name Strangler Young. The Strates show carried some good animal acts in those days. My dad used to talk about the bears in particular, and a gorilla they carried, but the wrestler were world class.

Anonymous said...

I had an uncle who traveled with carnivals as a "professional boxer" who would take on the local lads. Actually he was pretty much a street fighter and used to get wipped quite a bit. Probably the reason he kept getting fired from the carnival.

Anonymous said...

The first tented show I ever saw was Floyd King and Arnold Mailey's King Bros-Cole Bros Combined in 1955 It was a very large show and the after show you described sounds like the same one I saw. Particularly the wrestler and the"ex marine volunteer".

Buckles said...

It might have even been the same wrestlers. Jimmy Ray was in the business for a long time and was even became a General Agent.