Tuesday, August 06, 2013

From Dave Price



Write-ups of the time said Charlotte Walsh was the girl who draped the leopard.
I didn't know her until many years later when she was with Baudy and I can't tell if it's Zeke or not.
Goggle won't transmit my comments on above, Buckles, but believe cover
girl is Patricia Carter, who appeared in RBBB cage act mixing leopards &
showgirls, presented by India-born Damoo Dhotre, part of Alfred Court
entourage with The Greatest Show on Earth in the 1940s. -- Bill Hall

Posted by Buckles at 8/06/2013 03:29:00 PM

11 comments:

JC Hall said...

Yes it is.Once married to Heindrich Cowalch AKA Joe Walch, later on to Robert Baudie
I believe I was told that on some winter dates, Mr. Walch had pulled over at a fuel stop and roads were icy and another truck slid into him and he was killed.

06 August, 2013 18:29
JC Hall said...

To Bill Hall you could be right on this one. However I have some old 8/10's one with I believe the last act that Heindrich and Charloete worked together AKA Joe & Zeke it was a mixed group cage act. It's home so will have to dig it up and have a look.

06 August, 2013 20:22
Ole Whitey said...

Thanks, JC.

Zeke told me about Joe working for Beatty and how Joe would try to get Beatty to work with the act prior to the Detroit date. Beatty didn't do it, the act fell apart opening night and Joe had to go in and help him get the cats out.

I did not know Joe's real name- thanks for that too. Like Damoo, Joe was one of Court's top trainers.

06 August, 2013 20:25
JACKIE said...

Bill is absolutely correct. It is Pat Walsh, and I do not know how anyone got other information on her. I remember her with pain as she was the one who plucked my eyebrows (and I had very heavy ones at that time 1946)when I was preparing to work as a woman on the trapeze 1946 season. Dahmo Doethe (now you know I do not know the spelling) had 6 girls in the Leopard cage act that year all scantly attired. I do remember asking them at one time if they were afraid. The answer was "No, but the smell was terrible". Pat was a wonderful person, loved by all.

06 August, 2013 22:42
JACKIE said...

I reread her name and if was Pat Walsh. Pat Cartier did an act with her sister, Sally. It was called the Cartier Sisters. They worked in the same aerial display that I was in. There were seven acts in what they called the "Little Aerial Display" Pat Cartier did an upside down loop walk. She fell from of all things a "Flag" and came straight down on pointed toes, really messing them up. Their mother traveled with them. The mother was British as had an accent, but not the girls. I believe this was about their first circus as in those days, even their type of act could find lots of theaters and night clubs to play.

06 August, 2013 22:51
JACKIE said...

Gad I make a lot of mistakes, but then it is past my bed time. But for one last say.

THE GIRL ON THE COVER IS, AND I AM SURE AND MAY JAME MILLER WILL BACK ME UP:

PAT WALSH

06 August, 2013 23:03
Roger Smith said...

In re the death of Joe Walch, John Cuneo told me this: He had sent Joe and Zeke out with a bear act for a string of fairs to season the bears. They stopped on the shoulder of a highway. Joe got down to go across the road for cigarettes for Zeke. He turned back and stepped up on the running board to ask what brand she wanted. Then, when he stepped back down, he took one step onto the road and a Cadillac came along and hit him, killing him instantly. I regret I do not have the date of this incident. I add my thanks to Jimmy Hall for Joe Walch's original name, which I had never known.

Let me help with 2 spellings: It's Damoo Dhotre, and Mary Jane Miller.

08 August, 2013 04:01
John Herriott said...

My Dad was in Detroit and saw the incident of Beatty and Joe Walsch. Beatty was realy having a problem with the cats and finally called for Joe to come in and help. Joe did and once the xage was cleared naturally it was a great embarrasment for Clyde to have to get help, so Beatty took Joe with nhim when he exited the cage for his bow and with him arm around Joes shoulder he then took Joes hand and gave it a big thank you shake much to the audience delight and survived both in and out of the cage. The on and only Clyde Beatty.

08 August, 2013 10:06
John Herriott said...

I heard that Joe was trying to change a flat on the traffic side of the road and was sideswiped.
Now here is how Baudy and Zeke got together. My Dad and I were on the "Texas Dates" and nBaudy wasz there with his great Greyhound and Rheusus monkey act. Zeke [Charlotte] was presenting the nmixed bear cage act of Cuneos after the deeth of Joe. It was pretty hairy and when a Grizzly [it was announced that the act contained every known specie of bear, even a sloth] so when the grizzly came in she immediately thru a ford axel at it so that it would go to its seat. She also did the revolving aerial Iron Jaw with three himalayons hanging by their teeth and she did as well and they were pulled up and all revolved around her in the midedle. [yes they did it and I saw it]. Now Baudy, recently divorced from his sexy wife was really taken by Zeke. She had a real down home country accent like a hill billy and Baudy was the sphisticat ed old world handsome charm. But he took her to dinner, etc. and that was the beginning. He would be at the cage door all throughout her act. This is where they first met and he then trained the uncaged leopard act the she presented assoisted by him. she stold her from Cuneo and then the treained the marvelous tiger bact of four bengals and thrre or four huge Siberian tigers that he prresented in boots, britches and bare torso. The women in the seats swooned. He was quite a guy. I got to know him well and we were friends over the years and worked alot of dates 0on the same bill. just for the record//// johnny





08 August, 2013 10:27
JC Hall said...

To Roger
Cuneo told me it was on some winter dates as he also stated the roads were icy. Joe pulled over at a gas or fuel/geedonk store to yes, get something, for Charlotte and yes, stepped off the running board and whim bam boom.
Sorry I did not remember the product or brand name, or possibly a flat tire. An unfortunate incident never the less. This brings to mind when Paul Kaye once called me about a gent we both knew who died suddenly. When I inquired what he died from ? Paul answered "Oh it wasn't anything serious"

08 August, 2013 16:11
Unknown said...

This is definitely Charlotte. She is my grandmother and I have copies of the photo. Most of the entry's about the accident sound pretty correct. My mom and Aunt were in the truck and still babies.

03 October, 2016 20:35

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