Rex told me that when they took the Howard Suesz job, Tony Smaha remained quite a while to help with the transition, going over every detail even showing how to hold the whip.
I might add that their first season was concluded with the animals being booked at the Tom Packs Havana date that was abruptly interrupted by the Castro Revolution.
Barbara has many stories about that exciting event.
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Monday, June 16, 2014
More On The Smahas! #1
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8 comments:
Barbars,
Please tell us what went on in Cuba and all the details, please.
Harry in Texas
My favorite was when Jack Leontini yelled at a hysterical Lola Dobritch,"For Christ Sakes settle down! after all you were in Russia when the Tsar was executed!"
Cuba was very scary. That was our third winter show for Tom Packs Circus. The first two we had Norma Davenport's elephants, and we were working for the government Baptista, all three years. The first two years I took Ben's birth certificate. I didn't need it. So the last year I didn't take it......During the performance Baptista's brother in law was in our show. Right near the end of the show there was a lot of confusion in the seats. then the word spread that Castro had entered the City of Havana....The brother in law took off to board an airplane out of Havana. We had troops of showgirls from Tropicana and the other main night clubs. Their choreographer at the beginning of the date came to me all excited, and had a little box, the size of a tie box with a costume in it. The costume was 24 carat gold. And really it fit in a tie box. Pasties and a thong. All the dancers wanted that little costume. Also a performer named "Trudy" wanted it. (she had red hair also) .....I DID NOT WANT IT. ....It was not in my contract to do any dance numbers.So I was saved by the bell. The reason I mention all this is they did a bump & grind dance to "Rudolf The Red Nose Rain Deer." And when all the excitement happened these same showgirls came out with "Castros" army clothes on. three fourths of the show girls were "Rebels." They had big guns on their hips. It was crazy. They had hotel rooms in the building for the animal people. The rest stayed at the hotel downtown. Rex made me change clothes six times, and cover my hair. We didn't know that the rebels had their girl friends & wives with them. On top of it all we were sleeping across the hall from an arsenal. They had the showers full of guns rifles and ammunition. When the rebels broke into that room, my big dog "Robert" growled at them. And was not going to let them into the hall. They had their pistol aimed at his head. I begged them not to shoot him......Barbara.....
No they didn't shoot "Robert.".....The building we were working in was the same one that they held all the trials in. The Sports Palace. They would bring in the largest dump truck that we use here to haul dirt for our roads, full of people old young, wounded, bleeding. Squeezed in as tight as they could get them in that truck....And there would be another truck waiting, just the same, and another after that. I ask a rebel what they were doing with them. He said that they were taking them into the building (the one we performed in ) for their trial. ( there were 30 to 50 people) They came out 30 minutes later. I ask the rebel again. What were they doing now. He said they had their trial...Now they were going to take them out and shoot & bury them. He said they dug a big grave with heavy equipment. And put them all in a few big graves like that. They were guilty of talking against the new government. The Rebels were upset that no one had a proper trial. But they couldn't say anything about it. They said that they had fought for justice. The worst thing for us was we had to wait for Castro's Rebels to eat first. Then we could eat once a day. And then we had to crawl on our bellies to get around the building to the restaurant. There was a 12ft. fence around the huge grounds (as it was supposed to have been where they were going to hold the next Olympics) The last of "Baptista's army fighting. They were always shooting at the building where we were. And there was less than a foot crawl space for us. Rex had Ben under him crawling....I was crawling a little ahead of Rex and he reached up and hit me on my rear side and hollered get your a'' down they will shoot it off. ( I didn't learn to crawl in the marines like he did.) Ben was very happy with the eating arrangement. I had some cookies that I saved for him. There was only a little rice after the first day. I had some meat but Robert got into that. The Rebels brought Ben milk I thought it might be a little romantic, kind of like the movies, that Rex would protect me. Ha! Ha! He read a book.Sorry folks it seems I am writing a book again...to be continued.......Barbara.....
We finally got word that we could go to the airport to leave. We had to drive to the hotel first. On the way there, we were in a taxi, ( Beverly & her daughter,I think the last name was Steel. They had the bears.) were with us. Her daughter & Ben thought they were watching a movie. I was trying to keep Ben under my body, and Beverly was trying to do the same as we drove through town they were throwing slot machines out of the Casinos and fighting over the money. And breaking the parking meters and fighting over it too. All this was on the news. Shooting and waving red & black flags. Then we got to the hotel. The Rebels had thrown all the slot machines & furniture out of the hotel lobby. This was the hotel where the performers were staying. So the cab driver said we go back to the building. Then they shot a guy he grabbed his stomach leaving a huge bloody trail behind him as he got around the corner and fell. They had set fire to the things in the street....We had to go back through all the flag waving and shooting. Same thing with the kids. Trying to cover them with our bodies. They thought it was great fun. Then we had to wait at the gate for two hours, as they were questioning some prisoners in the building, and they got loose and shot two guards. They were loose in the building. After they killed them they let us back in the building....Just after we got back into the building there was a hearse that drove by shooting at the building. (we were just outside for 2 hours where the hearse drove by.)The Rebels shot it with heavy guns and killed them. It was bad..They told us the next day we could go to the airport where the Rebels are on top of the airport pointing their guns at us. Very bad feeling. We went in the airport, they wanted proof that Ben was my son. No birth certificate. They said I could be smuggling out some of Baptistas people. They said I could leave the country and get him later. NO WAY. So back to the building. I have a mental block on just how long it took us to get out. But it wasn't much longer. We found Ben's A.G.V.A. union card. And they let us use that for his ID....Rex was fearless through out all that. I was scared for my son.....Barbara.....
Hi Barbara,
A million thanks for your unvarnished story of being in Cuba at a bad time in history and how you handled it.
Thanks for all the details.
Harry in Texas
This is the best accounting I've seen for what happened to the showfolks when Castro broke through and took Havana. Bill Johnston told me there were extremely threatening hours when he thought he wouldn't get Pat Anthony's cat act off the island. Bullets were flying from all directions,and Bill went sick wondering when those guys might begin shooting the animals just for sport. As some of us know, Bill was dedicated and resourceful, and by sheer luck he developed a contact that got him and the act space on a departing, if very decrepit, ship. Bill leapt at the chance, and paid the first mate off with his last few dollars. Those 90 nautical miles provided a rough crossing, and Bill doubted any chance of safety until he saw the coast of Key West.
BARBARA: The Beverly and her daughter you write of may have been Beverly and Kaye Allen, Charlie's wife and daughter, who had bears. Charlie was a half-brother to Bucky Steele, and they may have used that name at the time.
Barbara,
My name is Jane Williams, and I would love to speak with you. I spoke several yrs ago with Kay Allen, daughter of Charlie and Beverly Allen (who are both deceased). Kay lives in Pixley, CA (I had a hard time finding her), but wanted to get some clarification for my elderly uncle who was a child trick-rider w/ the Allen Bro Wild West Show in the 1930s. Kay shared some v. interesting tidbits with me, regarding the incident in Havana; I realized she would have been just shy of 6 yrs old, so I wasn't sure how much was true. I was working on a book abt my Uncle, at the time, but I always thought Kay's story should be told. Would you be willing to talk w/ me? I have lost touch w/ Kay (she doesn't have a listing, & I remember I had to call a local restaurant (after several leads) & leave my # with the owner to pass on to Kay.)
I was so excited to read your account of the turmoil, as I had no luck doing any research on the details, regarding things from the view of the Tom Packs performers. Please, could we speak on the phone?
Jane Williams
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