Thursday, December 28, 2006

RBBB 1955 "Smokey" #1



Robert "Smokey" Jones riding "Harold" on the way to the lot in 1955.
Like the story Barbara Durtche told, many years after the fact, Smokey was cleaning out the back of his Volkswagon and asked me if I wanted this picture.
He also gave me a pocket watch with the inscription "To Smokey, from the guys, RBBB 1955".
Seems that he had received a broken leg during a scuffle with the young elephants duing rehearsals in Sarasota and it was a gift from his crew. I still have it. Posted by Picasa

Posted by Buckles at 12/28/2006 06:45:00 AM

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Broken leg
Buckles,would this have been the time Smokey told me that he once fell back on the ring curb and a punk fell on top of him busting his leg?

28 December, 2006 11:27
Buckles said...

A picture of this incident appears in one of those big books "Circus in America?"
Some of the punks screwed during the outdoor rehearsals in Sarasota.
He said he was on crutches thru the Garden date.

28 December, 2006 12:41
Anonymous said...

There are a couple of photos of this baby elephant stampede in the Durants' "Pictorial History". The text said elephant men were injured, but didn't name them.

28 December, 2006 15:35
Anonymous said...

Get Bill Ballantine's great book, Wild Tigers and Tame Fleas for a delightful chapter about Smokey in those days. Its pure Smokey.

29 December, 2006 08:30
Anonymous said...

Ballantine also penned a feature article on Smokey in TRUE magazine. The WTTF chapter was almost verbatim. Both, of course, very well done.

I got to meet Smokey only twice, and am glad for the memories. I've read and heard of some colorful history about the man, and wish I could have known him better.

Anyone can tell, looking at this photo, whether you knew him or not, there is one hell of an elephant man.

29 December, 2006 12:03

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