Sunday, May 19, 2013

Well, when I was on the Big Show.... #12

Posted by Buckles at 5/19/2013 05:51:00 AM

1 comments:

Richard Reynolds said...

This is 1940 in Madison Square Garden. The spec is “The Return of Marco Polo.” Note the elephant on the left with a gold chest of treasures on his back. I well recall seeing that. Following the elephant along the track is a two wheeled cage that housed a hyena.

Toward the end of the procession came a big headed long dragon made of cloth, green as I recall. It undulated as it went by. Looking closely at its underneath, one could see the legs of a lot of shuffling workers pressed into service to give the “monster” mobility.

1940 was the last time the spec would open the show.

The steel arenas are ready for Alfred Court’s three simultaneously presented wild animal acts. His was the 3rd number on the bill.

You can see the small wheeled crate-cages for the animals lined up along the base of the grandstand.

The animals would not be put into their larger cage wagons until the first under-canvas date. They would be spotted just outside the big top. That arrangement could not be accommodated in the spacial confines of the two Gardens.

20 May, 2013 13:11

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