This appears to have been taken during the 1956 elephant act themed “Ringling Rock N’ Roll.” Here is how the program described it: “Literally the Biggest Dance Number Ever Produced by the Circus. The Ringling herd of Pachyderms in a Rock N’ Roll Theme to the Accompaniment of an Eleven Piece Elephant Band. Dancing Boys in an Authentic Zulu Number. Hundreds of Animals, Girls, Clowns and Performers combine to Make Ringling Rock N’ Roll the Most Talked of Presentation Ever Seen.” This number appears to have been a reworking of the 1950 “Jungle Drums” elephant number. The human participants wore costumes that covered them from head to toe in black, with openings for their eyes. (These must have been most uncomfortable once the heat of summer caught up with the show.) Needless to say, these costumes would be VERY politically incorrect today. |
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
1956 RBBB Book #12
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5 comments:
The catchiest song from this awesome menage was "Jungle VooDoo, Jungle Rhythm".
That looks like the Nock's poles in the background. They were Swiss pine trees, long before fibre glass and metal.
A special train car transported them and they had to be kept damp, so that they would remain green and flexible.
I worked in the press office that year and went rodeoing in July.
Gene Lewis told me how wardrobe got sweaty and stinky, really filthy to put on show after show, but these black body stockings became damned impossible.
OK, you engineers kindly advise: In re sway poles, it was explained to me that modern poles are varying lengths and guages of Shelby tubing sleeved into one another by hydraulic press. For dis-assembly for transporting, joints are achieved by long, cold-roll steel solid rounds extending deep into the tubing. You present-day machine shop guys should know about this.
We had the Bauers on some of Castle's bigger indoor dates, and their bases were huge round tubs they filled with water. I never knew the height of their poles, but I was glad I had a ground act. All acts working at exceptional heights get my respect, but the Bauers were as sensational as they were bone-chilling.
Roger -
If I'm remembering correctly Tony and Pio, Jr. had a large square box as the base of their poles filled with water. They were probably
5'x5'x4'. ~frank
Where the Nocks the first to use water tanks as their sway pole base when they were on the early Disney on Parade show? The show was on the road in 1971 or 72. Casey Gibbs would know.
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