Sunday, September 07, 2014

Elephant Acts #12


Peggy MacDonald with one of the Tom Packs elephants "Alice", "Jean", "Penny", "Mary" and "Tommie" circa 1950.

Posted by Buckles at 9/07/2014 05:41:00 AM

4 comments:

Billie Lou Henderson said...

I commented on this before, but it didn't get on. Since Chic brought up majorette boots again I'm trying again.
The boots were mine. I don't know where she got the rest of her wardrobe. She hadn't had much time to put it together.
She was in the Henderson juggling and balancing acts the first five months of 1949. Dad (Lew), Ruth, Peg and I were playing one day, 4 a day stands in theaters (Karston Show). Peg barely had time to meet the elephants before we opened with Packs in June.
The boots were mine because I had worked as a "forty miler" (singing & dancing) out of Kansas City while finishing high school. The boots were worn in a country western unit. I also had an Indian costume complete with headdress which I sold to Jerry Presley. She sometimes worked with her father, Francher Pierce, in concerts.
Some times wardrobe was the least of your worries. Remember once back in the "thirties" playing halls in the winter. One car broke down and was late. Ruth and Peg literately put some large bandanas together to open the show with a vaudeville presentation.

10 September, 2014 11:04
Chic Silber said...


Oh them good ol days Billie Lou

It's a wonder you lived to tell

I'll bet you wouldn't change a

thing after you got through it

You started a little ahead of me

but I almost caught up with the

"lure of the open road" what fun

Only those who went through it

could ever understand (thanks)

10 September, 2014 14:48
Chic Silber said...


My worst trek was the 17 weeks

of 1 nighters out of the tour

of 24 as the electrician on a

bus & truck tour of the stage

show "The Andersonville Trial"

Only 2 stagehands (a pal & me)

To make extra money I drove the

bus & my pal Ray drove the semi

We had to decide each day if we

would eat or sleep as there was

no time for both (but we were in

Show Business) quite a learning

curve but invaluable lessons

10 September, 2014 18:54
Chic Silber said...


How about some photos Billie Lou

10 September, 2014 18:56

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