Wednesday, January 01, 2014

From Billie Schuller



Happy New Year!

George Lerch and Lew Henderson ready to play the Rose Bowl early 1950s.

Billie

5 comments:

Buckles said...

Showed here with the Polack Show 10 years or so later on a 4th of July.
Odd experience with the audience so far away.

John Herriott said...

Fay Alexander told me this true funny story. In his days on Palck the Rose Bowl 4th celebration was a one show one day preceeding firewarks and one ringer Polack had to do a big budget show to fill the vast Rose Bowel and some hundred thousand spectators for one hour, so additional scts were hired, one of them beings Fay's mentor and great friend Ted DeWayne with his single O chimp act. There was no rehearsal but company mgr-announcer would program a line up with all animal acts appearing all together in scattered rings, cage etc. by Mr. Ross Paul.He of a smug sophistication. So Ted sees Fay in the morning set up advising him of being booked in with his chimp and asked Fay who in authority to see. Fay pointed out Mr. Ross Paul. Ted went and introduced himself and Paul in a snotty way said. "There will be a meeting at such and such time teklling everyone where to work and when" Now at this gathering he said that all animal acts and other displays as well should, when he blows his whisle, go into their finish trick. So Ted is assigned to a ring right in the middle of the field and a little put out at P_aul' cold approach. So during the performance and animal acts Paul did blow his whistle and Ted and chimp went into their finish trick with Ted styling to the chimp sitting in a chair and Threading a needle in front of one hundred thousand in the middle of the Rose Bowl.How about that.

Billie Lou Henderson said...

And I was just going for facetious.

bob good said...

Bob Good

Good to see George Lerch. Good jug and low wire walker. Went to europe in 1968 with a circus tour and George was on the tour. He loved a good act and we became good friends.

Bob Good

Paul Gutheil said...

So nice to hear some things about George Lerch. I have an album of his with photos and newspaper clippings. Haven't perused it in awhile, but as I recall he was quite an accomplished and multi talented performer.
Bob, Hope to see you Mon at Lincoln Ceneter.

Best, Paul