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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Fred Bradna
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11 comments:
You see the dates 1916 to 1946 and think my gahd, that is forever - then realize it was only 30 yrs cc
I have a copy of Mr. Bradna's biography but I havn't read it in years.
In a nutshell, he was an officer in the Prussian Army and while attending the circus, the beautiful bareback rider fell from her horse right into his lap. A romance and marriage ensued.
Miss Bradna was hired to come to B&B in the States and was accompanied by her husband, no longer in the service.
Once here he was referred to as Mr. Bradna, a natural mistake.
I wonder if Nicole Feld's husband suffers the same fate.
I can consider Mr.Bradna's book one of the 10 best circus book ever in any language of any time.
It is a pleasure to re-read it time by time before to sleep to dream about magic times we haven't known.
www.rafffaelederitis.blogspot.com
As usual Buckles is right on. I had the great fortune recently that a friend gave me the biography Buckles speaks of. It is out of print, but if you can find it in a library, or used book store it is well worth the read. Title, "The Big Top" by Fred Bradna and Hartzell Spence. Published by Simon & Schuster.
Carl
She...has a husband...?
According to is book, Mr. Bradna hated to e called "Ringmaster". He was the "Equestrian director".
I had the good fortune to work with Buddy Watkins at the St. Louis Zoo in the mid 60s. Buddy's father, Ira, along with Buddy had one of the first chimp acts. Buddy would talk of evenings when Merle Evans and Fred Bradna would come over. I'd buy a ticket just to listen to the conversation.
Nicole Feld's husband is commonly refered to as "dude".
Fred Bradna's book is among the most elegantly rendered of all circus books, thanks to the fine styling of the English language by Hartzell Spence. His THE BIG TOP is nothing less than a primer for students of the circus. As a youngster, I read it through twice a year. Another deep insight,which we need more of, is Connie Clausen's I LOVE YOU, HONEY, BUT THE SEASON'S OVER. And one many fans didn't like is nonetheless a must, for those who want to know what circus life is like minus the usual froth and frills of circus print--Edward Hoagland's CAT MAN. All highly recommended for the truth of life on the lot.
I was given this book to study for the role of the Loyal Whistler in The Cirque Du Soleil production of Corteo. This was a great book to see how the circus really worked Mr. Bradna was an inspiration to me though I never had the pleasure of meeting him.
Sir, I know not the answer to your question. Please forgive me. I simply wanted to state that my grandfather worked under Mr. Bradna for 27 years. Mr. Bradna and his wife treated my grandfather as if he were their own son. My grandfather started with Ringling Bros when he was 15 years old. He started out as a roustabout and then moved to wardrobe as a sail maker. From there he went to being the circus mail carrier to running the red ticket booth, and as an accountant in the office. And he served as the paymaster until the day he passed away.
I have personal letters expressing personal emotion on behalf of the Bradnas. They are truly wonderful people.
The circus has always been one big family.
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