Wednesday, January 19, 2011

From Dominic Yodice


Gargantua Cage @ MSG 1938, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Hi Buckles,
Just picked this photo up from ebay and thought the readers might enjoy seeing it.
It is a United Press International photo taken in Madison Square Garden on April 12, 1938.
It shows the new Gargantua cage being pulled around the arena.
This was the first year for the gorilla and his massive cage. You can see Frank Buck near the rear of the cage carrying a rifle.
It appears that the cage was pulled into the center ring at one point as you can see sections of the ring curb at the lower left.
Regards,
Dom

Posted by Buckles at 1/19/2011 06:51:00 AM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

RBBB's display of Gargantua was influenced by the public presentation of the great ape staged in the 1933 movie "King Kong."

19 January, 2011 10:40
Richard Reynolds said...

Dom - - It is great that you got hold of this photo, a most unique one. We can see the lights in the floor used to illuminate the inside of the big guy’s cage.

I do not think that is Buck in the white pith helmet on the left. Note that the guy is one of three lined up with rifles with others on the other side.

They walked along the side of the wagon as it rolled around the track - -supposedly to shoot “The Terror” should be break out. I remember my Dad saying that was going a bit overboard.

Here’s how Billboard described the gorilla’s appearance. [per Joe Bradbury’s account in W-T, N-D 1977, p. 13]

“DISPLAY 14 - -Gargantua the Great. Introduced on spiel by Frank Buck Cage is drawn around hippodrome track by 6 horses with 6men with pith helmets and rifles, 3on each side flanking cage.”

Even though I was just a wee tad I recall the number - -that was when it came to Atlanta in November 1938with the Barnes show, enhanced with RBBB features.

My recollection of Buck’s participation is that he rode into the center ring in a howdah atop an Asian elephant. This was before the dramatic entrance of Gargantua. There he gave a spiel about the great gorilla.

I recall him saying to the effect that “What you are about to see, &c, &c, &c.” Then Gargantua made his dramatic appearance. But there was no team of horses. Instead one of the new cats pulled the cage while the band played “Bolero.”

19 January, 2011 13:16
Dick Flint said...

The photo said to be taken on April 12 may, in fact, have been taken a few days earlier with the 12th being its date of release or publication. Nevertheless, it’s a great and unusual angle showing its big size and thank you Dom for sharing.

The show arrived in NYC Sunday night Apr 3 and on Thursday (7) had a long 12-hour day of rehearsals culminating in a final evening dress rehearsal. The NY Times reported that many photographers were present that day, including film star Gary Cooper, “a candid camera fan.” In looking at Dom’s photo, there are numerous folks in business attire and hats (some idly grouped on the edge of a stage platform) that certainly suggest this is not a photo taken during a formal show. Several of the men seem to have cameras and one person (possibly a woman with a cap on) appears to have a movie camera on a tripod. I suggest that this photo was taken during the day rehearsals. An opening review states that Gargy was “guarded by six rifle-bearing men as the cage was drawn around the ring by eight horses.” We see several pith-helmeted heads on both sides of the cage, with those on the near side clearly sporting rifles, and so with such documentation of six, I doubt that we necessarily see Frank Buck.

In the days before opening, it was reported also that North and general manager George W. Smith were “puzzling over the problem presented by the appearance of Gargantua” because his “rolling penitentiary will be hard to handle, especially in the Garden.” What we may see here is an attempt to maneuver the cage in and out of the ring. I could only imagine that it would be far easier and better for the viewing public to just parade it around the track rather than perhaps pause it in a ring with its long string of horses.

April 12 was also when union leader Ralph Whitehead called a strike of the working men, resulting in dozens of performers pulling Gargantua and his cage in and out of the arena. However, given all the PR about the bountiful number of animals on the show because of Frank Buck’s presence, Whitehead cleverly emphasized to the press “that enough experts would be allowed inside to take care of Gargantua,” good reason that this United Press International photo would have attracted interest on the day it is dated.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

19 January, 2011 15:49
Anonymous said...

Dick & Richard,
Thanks for all the great information.
I just zeroed in on the one guy with the helmet completely ignoring the others (LOL).
Dick you are probably correct as the back of the photo has all kinds of UPI stamps, etc. In looking at the photo again it probably was taken at rehearsal and the date was the actual publication date.
Thanks guys. That's what's so great about this blog. We all learn from each other.
Dom

19 January, 2011 17:10
Bob Cline said...

The six white dots that are inside the cage appear to be a light of some kind. Since there is no illumination on the bars from spotlights, are we to understand that there were lights inside the cage that Gargantua couldn't rip out? I know about the AC unit built in the cage. Was there a generator unit also?
Bob

19 January, 2011 20:21
Anonymous said...

This wagon had to have a generator set to run the pump for the ac system and the several sets of fans. (cooling fan or fans for the condenser and a blower fan on the evaporator), so the juice for the lights wouldn't be a problem.
p.j.

20 January, 2011 10:02
Anonymous said...

Bob, Check Mr Reynolds first paragraph above re lights in cage.

20 January, 2011 16:11
Bob Cline said...

Thanks, I hadn't caught that note the first time.
Bob

20 January, 2011 19:42

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