I HAD THE ELEPHANTS ON THE SHOW IN 1967 LAZY MARY AND ADDIE. I THEN GOT A CALL FROM THE B.A. IN OMAHA WHO ASK IF I WOULD LIKE TOO JOIN THE ICE FOLLIES AS A ASSISTANT CARPENTER I SAID SURE BUT I DID NOT HAVE A UNION CARD. HE SAID BE HERE IN 6 DAYS AND YOU WILL HAVE ONE. THE START OF MY STAGE HANDING DAYS.
I had been out here at Jungleland for a year, when I got my assignment to work on the 20th Century-Fox film, DR. DOLITTLE, in October of 1966. As it was then, I had a 30-day waiver, then had to join the union, or not work in the Southern California picture business. Our parent title was Studio Transportation Drivers, of Teamsters Local 399. Obviously, this included anyone who drove a vehicle of any kind, but also covered all DATs, or Domestic Animal Trainers, like those who trained the Lassie dogs, or the Rin-Tin-Tin kennels, or Roy Rogers' Trigger horses, etc. Anyone in those vast scenes of horse- or cattle-drives, or who drove stagecoaches, all were in 399. We were WATs, or Wild Animal Trainers, since 99% of our movie stock was exotic. 399 remains an expansive Local. I got my card that November, but had hell paying my dues when others at the Compound had seniority that usually got me bumped from studio calls. I got my share, but some of our guys on DOLITTLE bought homes and cars. When Jungleland closed, in '69, there was a film production slow-down, and I had to take a "withdrawal in good standing". That how I missed my 20-year eligibility for benefits for the Motion Picture Hospital and Country Home, in Woodland Hills.
I DID A TRANSFER TO 720 WHEN I MOVED HERE IN 1976. I HAD THE PROPS FOR GRACIE AND CHUCK DATES AND OMAHA WAS ALWAYS RIGHT AT THE TIME OF YEAR THAT ALL THE GOOD PROP GUYS HAD THERE SEASON LONG JOBS SO IT WAS ALWAYS TOUGH TO PUT TO GATHER A CREW. SO I GOT TOO OMAHA AND TALKED TO THE SHRINE COMMITTEE AND ASK THEM TO LET ME USE 6 LOCAL 42 ON THE FLOOR AS THEY WERE ALREADY ON SPOTS. SO THEY DID AND THE B.A. MEL HARGRESS REMEMBERED THAT WHEN FOLLIES CALLED LOOKING FOR A CARPENTER .
7 comments:
This is where it all began for me !
Although it was also known
as an "Acme Show" the real
corporate title was the
"General Circus Operating Co"
Managers I knew included
Floyd King Arnold Maley
& Bobby Snowden
I HAD THE ELEPHANTS ON THE SHOW IN 1967 LAZY MARY AND ADDIE. I THEN GOT A CALL FROM THE B.A. IN OMAHA WHO ASK IF I WOULD LIKE TOO JOIN THE ICE FOLLIES AS A ASSISTANT CARPENTER I SAID SURE BUT I DID NOT HAVE A UNION CARD. HE SAID BE HERE IN 6 DAYS AND YOU WILL HAVE ONE. THE START OF MY STAGE HANDING DAYS.
Do you still hold that
Omaha card Casey or did
you transfer to Vegas
I had been out here at Jungleland for a year, when I got my assignment to work on the 20th Century-Fox film, DR. DOLITTLE, in October of 1966. As it was then, I had a 30-day waiver, then had to join the union, or not work in the Southern California picture business. Our parent title was Studio Transportation Drivers, of Teamsters Local 399. Obviously, this included anyone who drove a vehicle of any kind, but also covered all DATs, or Domestic Animal Trainers, like those who trained the Lassie dogs, or the Rin-Tin-Tin kennels, or Roy Rogers' Trigger horses, etc. Anyone in those vast scenes of horse- or cattle-drives, or who drove stagecoaches, all were in 399. We were WATs, or Wild Animal Trainers, since 99% of our movie stock was exotic. 399 remains an expansive Local. I got my card that November, but had hell paying my dues when others at the Compound had seniority that usually got me bumped from studio calls. I got my share, but some of our guys on DOLITTLE bought homes and cars. When Jungleland closed, in '69, there was a film production slow-down, and I had to take a "withdrawal in good standing". That how I missed my 20-year eligibility for benefits for the Motion Picture Hospital and Country Home, in Woodland Hills.
I DID A TRANSFER TO 720 WHEN I MOVED HERE IN 1976. I HAD THE PROPS FOR GRACIE AND CHUCK DATES AND OMAHA WAS ALWAYS RIGHT AT THE TIME OF YEAR THAT ALL THE GOOD PROP GUYS HAD THERE SEASON LONG JOBS SO IT WAS ALWAYS TOUGH TO PUT TO GATHER A CREW. SO I GOT TOO OMAHA AND TALKED TO THE SHRINE COMMITTEE AND ASK THEM TO LET ME USE 6 LOCAL 42 ON THE FLOOR AS THEY WERE ALREADY ON SPOTS. SO THEY DID AND THE B.A. MEL HARGRESS REMEMBERED THAT WHEN FOLLIES CALLED LOOKING FOR A CARPENTER .
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