Saturday, July 31, 2010

1932 Al G. Barnes Program #2


Scan13085, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

7 comments:

johnny said...

Once again a wonderful blog. Would like to see the rest of the program. Note Terrel and Dolly being there.I worked for Floyd King and was responsible for his favorite Hippodrome races. Onimpossible lots I would get Harry Thomas to cut the races and invariably Floyd would seek me ou6t and say "Son, how come we didnt have the races." One time there was a big ditch right in front on the Hip. track and when I told him he quietly said, "Son, you could get some boys to lay some seat boards across it." He loked his wILD LIFE dING SHOW ON THE mdwy OPerated by "Ding Simpson", the races and the street parade where he could walk along and get the Hippo out of the tank on the deck with a yard stick.

Chic Silber said...

Wonder just how many shows

Floyd King was involved with

(great story John thanks)

Ole Whitey said...

Ding Simpson continued to live in Macon after he was off the road and we used to see him when we played there.

I may have known his first name at one time but have forgotten it. The name "Ding" must have come from working on the ding shows, which to you youngsters were shows where you requested a donation or "ding" as they came through.

Dick Flint said...

When the Ohio State Fair went pay-one-price for the first time--about 1980--Ward Hall had about ten shows on the midway including the debut of his Wondercade magic show where I worked at the fair. In addition, he had an exquisite Lord's Last Supper in wax that filled a semi. While all these shows were to be free since it was the new pay-one-price, there sat Leonard Farley at the exit dressed, as always, in his starched white shirt, black suit and black tie looking just like a Baptist preacher. On the table in front of Leonard was the standard gold church collection plate. No sign was needed as plenty of coins and bills were voluntarily offered.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

Ole Whitey said...

Leonard could pull that off with ease.

I met Leonard in about 1963 when he was at the Hertzberg in San Antonio. I had taken the daughter of Harry Willard (Willard the Wizard, whom I was booking at the time) in to see the museum.

Leonard at once commented to Frances, "Your father and Alfredo were close friends." Frances, who had grown up with her father's great magic show, knew a lot about magic but less about circus. She asked, "Who was Alfredo?" and I told her that that he was a flyer. Leonard interrupted to exclaim, "No no, Dave, Alfredo was THE flyer!!!"

Chic Silber said...

That "Last Supper" is Bobby

Snowden's & he still has it

Frank Ferrante said...

as a performing member of the Hollywood Magic Castle since the late 70's, I had met Francis Willard and her husband Glenn Falkenstein. Two of the most gracious and charming performers you would ever want to meet.

She met Glenn after her divorce from Texas newspaper editor Glenn Tucker, with whom she had three children (including Margo).

Their signature trick was the "spirit cabinet" illusion, a variation of which Willard had performed as a solo act.

They were inducted into the Society of American Magicians' Hall of Fame. Falkenstein died a few weeks ago, on 4 July 2010 of Alzheimer's disease.