This is the season I joined out, and this is the lot. And, indeed, I took that trolley from the Greyhound bus station to the lot. I had applied to Mr. Beatty by letter, and it's a long story, but he replied that he'd hire me. When I found his Airstream, on May 24th, and shook his hand, I began work for my boyhood hero. No one at the time knew his cancer had already begun, or that he'd have to leave for his first cancer surgery and not return that season. But in the time I had with him, he conducted an intense apprenticeship that got me on my way with lessons fresh on my mind to this day. I wrote up some of these for Cheri Valentine's BACK YARD.
14 comments:
Front and Erie - along with Lu Lu Shrine - tell us this was a Philadelphia date.
Philadelphia Inquirer shows this was 1964.
A fantastic 10 day stand that
included Memorial Day on the
lot shared with James E Strates
The Shrine only sponsered the
weekdays & Saturdays leaving
Sundays to make more money
Not the best part of town but
on a trolley line that made
it very easy to get downtown
I would bring extra lighting
& audio equipment for this
date for many years starting
in 63 & the show changed lots
a few times over those years
We played Liberty Bell Park
that was great but then went
to Street Road which was a
farmer's field near Croyden
A dreadful dust bowl that
became the gloppiest mud
Elephants really had the
worst of work details
There were several versions
of this Philly window card
Slop shoes were of little
help on that lot as they
got bogged down in the mud
so you needed rubber boots
"Rainy Day" wardrobe was
used many of the days there
This year as in recent past years the LuLu Shrine date was produced by Hamid on the LuLu property in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
The "Beatty Show" (Cole Bros Circus of the Stars)
Played that Plymouth Meeting lot for many years
also Paul
Thank you gents. This kind of information sharing is what makes this blog special!
This is the season I joined out, and this is the lot. And, indeed, I took that trolley from the Greyhound bus station to the lot. I had applied to Mr. Beatty by letter, and it's a long story, but he replied that he'd hire me. When I found his Airstream, on May 24th, and shook his hand, I began work for my boyhood hero. No one at the time knew his cancer had already begun, or that he'd have to leave for his first cancer surgery and not return that season. But in the time I had with him, he conducted an intense apprenticeship that got me on my way with lessons fresh on my mind to this day. I wrote up some of these for Cheri Valentine's BACK YARD.
Forgive me, window card fans, but this horrible clown face is my most un-favorite of all circus ads.
Yes Roger this is the worst
of those Philly cards but I
was assembling clown paper
Another day I'll post the
Roland Butler artwork card
for Philly more traditional
By 64 I felt as if I were
a seasoned showbum having
been a 1st of may spotlight
operator in Commack in 61
How these years have rolled
on by leaving the memories
Roger take a look at
the Philly card that
I just found for you
This illustration explains
why some kids are scared
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