Tuesday, March 05, 2019

VINTAGE #10


Posted by Chic Silber at 3/05/2019 01:23:00 AM

3 comments:

Chic Silber said...


Ringling pre combine

05 March, 2019 09:39
Roger Smith said...

During the winter of '71, I was at Hubert Castle's house, at 1960 Peavy Road, in Dallas. He was a master craftsman, and had an expansive workshop. We were confirming my taking over his cat act, while he was overhauling a tuba for his elephant brass band. It became a big thing to him, and everyone smiled when he acted like this was a first.

His enthusiasm continued when he showed up at Winterquarters with his bright red tricycle for the new baby elephant. He rode it up and down the road, whooping and hollering like a kid with a new toy. I asked Bert Pettus how many elephant tricycles there had been, and Bert said he'd lost count.

05 March, 2019 15:46
Roger Smith said...

In '72, we had a stumble-bum prop boss on Castle who loaded out the show from a one-day stand on a dusty rodeo grounds in Valentine, Nebraska. When he opened the prop truck in the next town, the Elephant Brass Band props were not there. Hubert sent him back at his own expense, with the demand he return before the matinee. Just as Bert Pettus came on with the elephants, this guy hurried through the gate, with his face dead white, and the boys rushed the props to the ring. This is the same guy who once put up the Flying Valentines' net backwards--with the apron under the pedestal--but he did that just once.

06 March, 2019 14:43

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