Monday, October 15, 2018

STAKES #5


Posted by Chic Silber at 10/15/2018 12:49:00 AM

5 comments:

Chic Silber said...


In hard enough ground or asphalt

iron (steel) stakes can be used

15 October, 2018 01:24
Roger Smith said...

A young Tommy Clarke oversees @ R. In this shot, he is either still top man to Prop Boss Bob Reynolds, or has taken over upon Reynolds's passing.

In the annus horribilus 1956, when Clyde Beatty's bankruptcy was re-organized by the Gang of Four--McClosky, Kiernan, Calhoun, and Collins, an important contingent of former RBB staffers moved over with them. Bob Reynolds had bossed props for Ringling, and Tommy Clarke's name appears also in their Route Books.

In 1964, when Canvas Boss George Werner was stricken with liver disease, he returned home to Milstead, Illinois, where he soon died. Tommy Clarke, by then established as Prop Boss, immediately took over Big Top, and became the hardest working man on the lot. The whole show stood in awe at how he bore up to it, day by day.

15 October, 2018 18:06
Chic Silber said...


That's not Tommy but 1 of his crew

I remember him but not his name Roger

Bob Reynolds had been Boss Props on

RBBB & Tommy was the ring 2 boss

When they came to the Beatty Show

Reynolds became General Superintendant

& Tommy became Boss Props & was given

the #1 inside ticket box & the Blue Room

He also had the X on "litle lights" in

Commack with his guys butchering tham

I use to store his merch year to year

He became friends with some stagehands

in the NY Coliseum which led to his

semi retirement occupation & Maria

& Tommy moved to NY for a few years

when he became a member of the IA

Little Maria "Mardi" married 1 of the

Rawls brothers & they both got sent

away for "personal" problems

Carlos who had been my sidekick for

several seasons married the daughter

of the owner of the Transformer Co

that owned the lot in DeLand where

the show opened many seasons

I stayed in touch with Carlos many

years & he showed some interest in

taking over Sunshine Studios but

his wife refused to move down

That's more than enough for now

16 October, 2018 10:49
Roger Smith said...

I remember when Tommy had the Blue Room. About once a week, Tommy created great excitement in the back yard when he'd spring for a round. He knew how to inspire and keep his loyalty, but the trick was to be there when Tommy shelled out.

In an interesting division of privileges, the hard stuff in pints, half-pints, and mickey bottles, was quietly distributed by Curry the Water Wagon man.

16 October, 2018 18:57
Chic Silber said...


Tommy was also 2nd only to Arnold Maley

in "making change" at his ticket box's

high shelf above the line of sight

They were both masters of illusion

I was fascinated watching each of them

16 October, 2018 19:35

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