Saturday, September 22, 2012

Snakes Alive! #7


Taken at Frank Ellis place in Hugo, we see "Satan" as shown by Lee Bradley (on the business end), Bill Woodcock, Sam Price and Congo Frank himself.

Posted by Buckles at 9/22/2012 06:05:00 AM

10 comments:

Ole Whitey said...

Buckles: Do you know anything about Frank's background before he came to Kelly-Miller?

22 September, 2012 14:15
Buckles said...

In 1949 I worked as a candy butcher on Robbins Bros. (Big Bob Stevens) the concessions were operated by the A&E Concession Co. (Laura Anderson and Frank Ellis) who no doubt bank rolled the show to get it on the road.
Lots of heat, the show had grift plus Auction-Jam pitchman (Odie-Dodie).
I assume Frank's background would have been with Luke Anderson and maybe even with Bud Anderson.
Did you know he was Fixer with James Bros. in 1970 when we were there?

22 September, 2012 16:15
Roger Smith said...

BUCKLES: I was on James Bros., with the Jungleland Fighting Lions, in '69, but this was for a rather short tour--it's the one where we first met--and not a full route. Maybe Frank Ellis wasn't on those weeks, as I don't recall him.

22 September, 2012 17:12
Ole Whitey said...

It was and is still a wonder to me that Odie-Dodie didn't get drawn and quartered a couple of times a week.

No I didn't know Frank was with James Bros. Last time I saw him he was still around D R.






22 September, 2012 20:20
Buckles said...

Odie was a lot more conservative around D.R. but with Robbins Bros. he caused the show to lose the second day of a two day stand in Canada.
Everything was escorted out of town.

22 September, 2012 22:40
Ole Whitey said...

"Rule one: A strong Jam Auction should be worked only while the show's tearing down, not the first night of a two-day stand."

Pogey O'Brien

22 September, 2012 23:09
John Herriott said...

I watched Odie a few times at the back of a small crowd and could not figure out how he could get the suckers to give him any scratch. Did not make any sense. He was a very personable nice guy around the show, Worked out of his car with some kind of stand as I recall.johnny

23 September, 2012 09:20
Harry Kingston said...

Buckles,
What caused Robbins to loose a second day in Canada and escorted out of town???????
Ole Whitey,
For us folks that do not know what is a Jam Auction?????
Thanks
Harry in Texas

23 September, 2012 10:28
Bob K said...

Golly, Harry, you young guys really missed out on one the great scams of all time. The last one I saw was at the Dane County Fair (Madison, WI) in the 1908's and the guy was acutally working during the day. Often wondered who got paid off to let this guy work.
Bob Kitto

24 September, 2012 06:58
Wade G. Burck said...

Bob,
I think it is still around, only now it is called "a free child's ticket with one paid adult," instead of jam action.

Wade Burck

24 September, 2012 09:28

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