Tuesday, February 22, 2011

From Don Curtis #1

Hello Buckles, I have come across a few photos that I took around the back yard of Beatty-Cole in 1978 & 1979. I thought that some of your readers might recognize a familiar face or similar muddy condition. Best regards,Don Curtis
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Posted by Buckles at 2/22/2011 06:00:00 AM

11 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

Don,
Thanks for your fantastic photos and a trip down memory lane with the good old Beatty Cole.
That Count Nicholas photo is a classic.
Here in Texas we call that mud just Texas dew.
Real mud is at least a foot deep and takes 3 to 5 elephants to move a truck.
Great photos and Mr. Atwill would be proud of you.
Harry in Texas

22 February, 2011 06:48
john herriott said...

To Harry, Maybe tou will recall the lot in San Marcus during thand got away just in timee last years of Jerry Collins owner and an ill-fated Texas tour. One of the worst Muddy lots I was ever on and Mac and Peggy MacDonald visited and got away just in time. No biz. in little towns but show made the payroll. Very depressing tour. john herriott

22 February, 2011 09:07
Chic Silber said...

Is that Stu Miller

22 February, 2011 10:03
Harry Kingston said...

John H,
I was not there but heard all about it.
I was on Carson and Barnes and they played Kileen and day and dated the Bill Hames shows.
Dorey had 3 elephants trying to pull the trucks around. Kileen mud was like a brother that sticks to you.
Finally Dorey got a very large cat and it tried to pull the trucks and the tread was just spinning.
So Dorey hooked the 5 elelphants and John Carroll in charge in front of the cat and the cat driver just shook his head but they moved heaven and hell the trucks moved.
Another time in Bay City, Texas out in a rice field and it rained which it does in March they were all good and stuck.
The ruts were as deep as the truck tires as it all was burried to the bellies of the trailers.
They broke the chain on the spool truck trying to spool up the wet tent.
They had mud for 3 miles down the road pulling out of that field.
The show must go on and Dorey side walled it in Alvin to full houses.
Harry in Texas

22 February, 2011 10:57
dpowhitetiger@aol.com said...

PHOTO ID's: How about Dave Hoover's son holding the rabbit, Dick Stuart,Talker, far right Cherie Valentine.....

22 February, 2011 12:43
Anonymous said...

Dr Don, My hat is off to you and my gratitude great for sending in these magnificent photos. Don't stop now...KEEP 'EM COMING. Harry (Atwell)and Edward (Kelty) among others are smiling.
You should do a display in Altoona, Newburgh, and Tampa next year to start.

Best, Paul Gutheil

22 February, 2011 18:33
Petey Pachyderm Poo said...

DON,
Thanks for taking the time to post these photos, they are gems. I hope you will share all of the old photos you have, especially of CBCB. If you are interested, I have taken all of the available photos of CBCB and put them in three photo albums on my Facebook page under PETER ROSA. I have received Beatty photos from all over the world. The albums are done in chronological order. For all of you reading this post, a large percentage of showfolks are on facebook and their photo albums are filled with circus photos. Hope all is well. Pete Rosa

23 February, 2011 10:07
Cherie Valentine said...

Thanks for the great photo! Kay Pittenger is on the left; George Hoover with magic bunny; Can't remember her name; Dick Stuart; Paul Acker (Shandor Kaliph-laid on bed of nails), and me, Cherie Valentine, Miss Serpentina. More photos please!

23 February, 2011 13:46
Roger Smith said...

I believe Col. Herriott refers to the 1981 tour. The Texas swing was so bad, Jerry Collins flew into Brownsville with a rumored million dollars in cash in his briefcase, to bail us out. I wish I had known the show was booking Waco for 3 days, so I could have advised them against the worst show town in the state. We died sitting there. That needed influx of cash saw us on our way across the Deep South towards home, but the season on the whole was no salvation from the demoralizing Winter Tour of 1980. It was understandable that Collins became disenchanted with owning a circus.

Among others, I am thankful for this visit with Mac. It was my last time to pay respects to him.

23 February, 2011 19:07
Dick Flint said...

I believe Cristiani Bros. died in Texas in the fall of 1960 and that was their last season out.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

23 February, 2011 20:36
Chic Silber said...

I believe that some of the family

took out the "Cristiani-Wallace"

tent show for a couple of years

in the early 60s & a few of them

took out the "United Nations"

circus after that but didn't get

to finish the season

After that was when Lucio went

to the Beatty show with Gilda

& did an act titled "The Riding

Franconis" with Raphael Franconi

23 February, 2011 21:59

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