Charlie's nickname "Tiger" came from his working around the Beatty act. Mr. Beatty put me to manning a door on the back end of the tunnel, while Charlie ran the tunnel door, letting the cats in and out for the act. Alas, 5 days after I joined out, Charlie showed up drunk for the last time. Beatty took me by the arm, marched me down to the tunnel door, and intensely schooled me on how to run it. "Don't watch the cats. I'll watch the cats. Just watch me, watch me."
This was a baptism by fire. Beatty was a very good guy, but all business around the act, and a man of few words. I was immediately expected to work a job I'd barely seen from a distance, to learn it all right now, never forget a word he said, and never make a mistake. I took "Watch me" as Another Commandment, and never broke my contact with his eyes. That was how you worked around Clyde Beatty.
Charlie's departure from the post moved me into a learning experience that could only come once. And to the credit of all concerned, another reason I respected being around Beatty, Charlie was never scolded, or dressed down. He was quietly told I was taking the door, and the moment was settled.
5 comments:
During the era of the downtown
Winter Park combined Acme office
with inhouse printing facilities
not far from the McClosky home
on Via Tuscany with Lake Maitland
waterfront behind the backyard
I believe Frank's brother
Walter ran the print shop
At 1 point Tiger Charlie Gore
was the estate's caretaker
& he lived in the boathouse
I attended a few parties at
that gorgeous house
My late cousin Mike Bourbon
who clowned in Kenny Dodd's
Clown Alley gained support
of Brenda McClosky by his
attending to her hair
Charlie's nickname "Tiger" came from his working around the Beatty act. Mr. Beatty put me to manning a door on the back end of the tunnel, while Charlie ran the tunnel door, letting the cats in and out for the act. Alas, 5 days after I joined out, Charlie showed up drunk for the last time. Beatty took me by the arm, marched me down to the tunnel door, and intensely schooled me on how to run it. "Don't watch the cats. I'll watch the cats. Just watch me, watch me."
This was a baptism by fire. Beatty was a very good guy, but all business around the act, and a man of few words. I was immediately expected to work a job I'd barely seen from a distance, to learn it all right now, never forget a word he said, and never make a mistake. I took "Watch me" as Another Commandment, and never broke my contact with his eyes. That was how you worked around Clyde Beatty.
Charlie's departure from the post moved me into a learning experience that could only come once. And to the credit of all concerned, another reason I respected being around Beatty, Charlie was never scolded, or dressed down. He was quietly told I was taking the door, and the moment was settled.
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