An entirely different aspect for Merle Evans' bandstand than was seen in Friday's 1949 photo. As recorded in many circus histories, at the outbreak of the Ringling Big Top fire of July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, Maestro Evans struck up the circus emergency march, "Stars and Stripes Forever", and continued to play it until a flaming quarter pole crashed down into the bandstand. This is the quarter pole, and this is what remained of the bandstand. Photo by Ernestine Clarke. |
Saturday, November 13, 2010
From Roger Smith
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4 comments:
Hi Buckles, love your blog, I would like to send you a few photos of my mom Thina, how would I go about doing that?
thanks
Shane Hansen
bucklesw@tampabay.rr.com
I was just speaking on the phone with Kenny Dodd. He had the luxury of spending many dinners and timne together when Bobby Johnsen would ivite Merle out and they would go to Bobby's house after and view old films while Merle talked and they recorded. Kenny asked Merle, "Did you play Stars and Stipes Forever when you noticed the circus fire?" Merle answered, "HELL NO! WE GOT THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!!!"
P.S. As you will remember the fire was coming rapidly from the front of the big top to the back where the bandstand stood, enveloping the entire canvass top as it spread. The entire tent went in just a very few short minutes.
Jackie LeClaire
By the way, I understand Buckles attened some of these visits with Bobby, Kenny and Merle as his voice questions were also recorded. Jackie LeClaire
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