Sunday, November 14, 2021

CLOWNS #9

9 comments:

Chic Silber said...


BiLly McCabe

Another desciple of Harry Dann

Roger Smith said...

In '64, when legendary Cookhouse Steward John Staley suddenly departed, Billy immediately packed away the clown white and took over. He drew raves from those at the Staff and Performers tables, but the old caste system was still very much the case, and those of us at the workingmen's Long Table did not fare so well.

We had 2 loaves of sliced bread, a rancid stick of margarine, and one jar of peanut butter per meal. Once quickly gone, they were not replaced. For hot food, we'd get an 8-ounce ladle of ravioli or soup from some kind of mix. No crackers, and the salt and pepper shakers were generally empty. This wasn't Billy's fault. It was the edict of the Front End, and the segregated Cookhouse was the rule.

Tony Greiner said...

Did you have to make do with going to diners? That certainly isn't enough to sustain a working man for days on end.

Tony Greiner said...

Or the pie car? Perhaps a way to make sure your payroll never left the lot?

Roger Smith said...

TONY: For a time, I was lucky being Mr. Beatty's driver. Unlike many stars who leave their chauffeurs at the curb, he had no such attitude, and I always sat with him in diners along the route. I think back on the times show trucks crowded a diner parking lot, and after we ate, Mr. Beatty went to each table or down the counter, easily chatting with all the showguys, and quiety picking up their tabs.

I was on the truck show, so there was no Pie Car. Even in 1964, old-timers were still sorrowing for the bygone train, and the conversion to trucks for '57. As for our payroll staying on the lot, I once asked for a drink of water and was charged 50 cents. And it was $2 a week to visit Donnicker Mike's sanitary wagon. As a $2-a-day cageboy, I only scraped by with Mr. Beatty's weekly tip.

Charles Hanson said...

Roger: Would you elaborate on Donnicker Mike...I am assuming that would be Mike Martin who later sold videos and other circus related items. Just not clear on how he was involved with the donnickers??? I understand that he is now deceased. I had some E-Mails from him and at one time he was doing PR for a female singer (Forgot her name). I believe he also did some performing....Any info you can share on Mike Martin??? Thanks....

Chic Silber said...


Nope Charles a very different Mike indeed

After Doniker Duty he drove the water truck

A few winters he was grounds help for Frank

McClosky bunking in the lake boathouse that

was at the water end of the great back lawn

I was invited a couple of times to parties

at 1511 Via Tuscany in Winter Park

Charles Hanson said...

Thanks Chic....I thought Mike Marin was known as the Donniker Man...which is why I asked the question. Many thanks for the clarification....

VC Arivett said...

Roger Smith, I joined up in '66. The cookhouse was a little better at that time. there was a couple running it at that time. I don't recall their names. a couple of years down the road they started fixing canned Spanish rice as the main course a little to often. I think Johnny got a little tired of me complaining about it too often. One time he even reached into his pocket for about 4 of us prop hands to go buy our meal.