Saturday, December 23, 2006

Steve Fannin #1



This picture by Carl "Pop" Haussman from Lansing was taken on the Cristiani Show about 1957.
I always thought Steve's name was Fanning but my dad spells it Fannin and that's good enough for me.
For those of you keeping score, I think he was dating Eloise about this time. Posted by Picasa

Posted by Buckles at 12/23/2006 06:11:00 AM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

1958 and 1959 Cristiani Bros. Circus Route books spell his name "Fanning". They however, could have been wrong.

This may well end up being another 30+ photo/comment debate, especially with Eloise now included.

23 December, 2006 07:26
Anonymous said...

All of the old Strates Shows publicity materials list the spelling as Fanning also.

Buckles, I want to remember my dad telling me that Steve got his start in the business around the Hall/Wintermute Circuses out of Wisconsin, any idea?

Bobby Fairchild

23 December, 2006 11:36
Anonymous said...

I thought I could solve this spelling mystery before it became another Georgia Buggy. I have a letter that Steve wrote to Art Doc Miller early in 1960. Unfortunately it is just signed "Steve W and wife." The wife part refers to the lady who came on Beatty-Cole with him; she was named Irene I believe and she worked in the floss joint. I recall her saying that she had once been with Cetlin & Wilson.

23 December, 2006 12:52
Anonymous said...

Buckles, Could the name spelling on your dad's photo have been written in radioactive ink, and thus fadded out through time?

23 December, 2006 13:06
Anonymous said...

Oh- I happened to remember that after Strates did away with the menagerie, Steve continued to have a pony sweep over there.

23 December, 2006 13:25
Anonymous said...

This is the year I remember most with Eloise. JC used to tease her about her MUSCLE MAN boy friend. It had to be Steve Fanning. I never met him.

23 December, 2006 15:26
Anonymous said...

It is my understanding that Irish Hill stayed on with the Strates Show after the death of Steve Fannin- working in the office. is Irish Hill still with us or has she passed? Saw them both many many times on various shows. Charles H.

23 December, 2006 15:44
Anonymous said...

What a Christmas Present- First the generators & then Steve!
I was electrician on Strates in '72-'74 & got BS'd with Steve all the time. He mentioned "Sells-Floto" to me a couple of times, but as all CIRCUS people, he may have added some puffery to his stories. Saw him last in 1975. He had 7 ponies & 1 mule on his pony sweep. Take a step towards the mule-they start, hold his hand up in front of the mule-they stop!
There was a secret to this that PETA wouldn't approve of. Always knew his name as "Fanning", too. Passed away around '82-'83 I think. Lost quite a showbiz character then. Irish stayed on & sold AB's (remember them?). I'm sure she is gone now.

23 December, 2006 17:35

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