Friday, January 15, 2010

From Jim Cole


scan0013, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

The Golden Carlos Twins, Mills Bros. Circus, 1960

Posted by Buckles at 1/15/2010 08:18:00 AM

4 comments:

Jimmy Cole said...

Bobby Gibbs had apparently gotten to know the Carlos Twins, and he told me their very sad life's history.

He told me they were war ophans in Germany, and were adopted by a German circus performer who raised them and taught them their hand balancing act. All through their lives, he pocketed most of the money that was made from their performances. He would tell his adopted girls: "When you grow up there is money put aside for you in a German bank, and a house for you". When this man died, the girls may have well been in their 30's or even 40's. They soon found out that there was no money put aside for them and no house.

15 January, 2010 08:57
Anonymous said...

We only saw these ladies perform twice on a Great American date in NJ in 1994. I don't know how old they were then, but their act to us was perfection in performance, style, grace, a beautiful example of Circus artistry. We are so sorry to hear of their misfortunes;
they certainly deserved far better.

Paul Gutheil

15 January, 2010 16:51
Roger Smith said...

They were with us on Castle, but I hardly got to know them. They would smile at most of us on the lot, then exchange furtive glances with each other, and all but run back to their trailer. I found them so painfully shy, that outside of respectful courtesy, I left them alone. I think the only times I saw them in conversation, they were talking to Aurelia Hall. Mary Castle told me they had "Papa" with them, who was an Alzheimer's victim. The twins had someone stay near the trailer while they worked, to be sure he didn't wander off. Over the length of a season, I never saw the gentleman. He must be the one Bobby told of.

These were beautiful girls, and of course no one could tell them apart. Never did you see one without the other. This news is a terrible tragedy for anyone who knew them.

15 January, 2010 22:28
warren said...

I worked only briefly with these lovely ladies on the Hanneford show one summer. They were incredibly shy and but absolutely dedicated to their work. I remember one date where we painted the ring curb and they came in to practice. I pointed out that the ring top was still wet with fresh paint and they should not step on it. They did their entire act and then promptly steped up on the ring curb for that marching thing they did at the end. Of course, red paint went everywhere. Apparently my very bad German and their English did not match. But, those remarkable smiles never faded and they continued through the last style. I learned that day that you perform what you practice and in my brief time with the twins, I saw this proven. When they rehearsed, they did everything exactly as they did in front of an audience. I'm devistated to learn of such a tragic story and hope that our circus community will, as it always does, step up and help remember one of the unsung great acts of all time.

16 January, 2010 05:44

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