Sunday, February 19, 2012

From Chris Berry #3

CIRCUS VARGAS (1976)
A tent circus in Manhattan? Even blase New Yorkers were surprised in 1976 when Cliff Vargas brought his show's big top to a vacant lot in Spanish Harlem. This window card was used to promote that six-day stand under canvas.

Posted by Buckles at 2/19/2012 12:30:00 PM

8 comments:

Bob K said...

Whoever started this free child's ticket scam should be strung up
and dropped on his or her head. I think that this is one of the reasons that we have fewer and smaller circuses today. You don't give your product away!!! Discount it sometimes, but don't ever give it away.
Bob Kitto

19 February, 2012 18:51
Lane Taburt said...

When he was still touring under Hendricks Bros. title, Bob Childress was pointing to a school bus load of kids that he had just admitted free to the matinee at Taylorville, Illinois, under a single adult ticket--the bus driver. He said he wished he had two or three more buses, because the kids came with money to spend on concessions. Of course, that was about seven years ago; the economic downturn may have changed all that.

19 February, 2012 20:27
Frank Ferrante said...

Happy to report that the current management at Circus Vargas AGREES with Mr. Kitto! They have discount tickets, but long ago did away with the Free Children's Tickets. ~frank

19 February, 2012 22:46
Bob K said...

The problem with these busloads of kids, is that many times they are from disadvantaged homes and have no money to spend.
I know that many people have only so much money to spend at the circus, but if you can get some of for the show before they get in, you don't have to split the consession money 6 ways for Sunday and the show makes more money. And yes, the consession guys don't get as much, but the show still does alright.

Lane,
Taylorville has generally been a good show town and they have money to spend, but when you get into Chicago proper, especially on the south side, the money is not there if you have busloads of kids.

(Hope you have more articles in the hopper, I have really enjoyed what you have published so far.)
Bob Kitto

20 February, 2012 08:28
Mike Naughton said...

This was a classic date.
I visited the lot, it looked like a construction site strewn with litter.
The neighborhood is a ghetto and very dangerous.
The show tore down the night I visited and the story to the local residents was that the circus was going to be in a movie and return later that week.
There must be readers of this blog that have much more information than I.

The George Matthews Great London Circus played Manhattan also, open air on the west side.

20 February, 2012 08:49
Bud said...

I stumbled upon the Vargas Circus in the early fall of 1977 around Garden City, Long Island - the First Lepard Appalousas I ever saw

20 February, 2012 09:09
Roger Smith said...

The story I got was, Cliff really didn't know what that lot meant, but quickly learned that the ghetto gangs would steal or destroy anything they chose and the cops would stand in fear and let them. Supposedly, Cliff told everyone to tear down as quietly and unobtrusively as possible, and to load out, telling the curious it was just routine rearranging of the tent, or any excuse that would work. Then, with the interior of the top stripped, they dropped the canvas, rolled it, dropped the poles and loaded them as fast as possible and lammed it off the lot just ahead of word getting out to the gangs. If the thugs knew they were departing in fear, they could have brought any havoc to the show with impunity. The show escaped unharmed, but with an urgent dose of the shakes.

22 February, 2012 01:52
VC Arivett said...

That lot will stick forever in my memory. ghetto gangs? no! Just mostly young kids in the way to start with, you couldn't move a truck without them catching a ride. Vargas was very paranoid there. Me and my crew served as security escorts for the performers. Trailer to tent and then back. Cliff had a tv interview the next morning, but kept them outside of the tent. During the night we had moved our trucks in and loaded the seating. As soon as the tv crew left we dropped the tent, loaded and was GONE.
VC Arivett canvas boss

10 December, 2017 18:03

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