1954 RBBB Elephants #1

1954 RBBB Elephants #2

So the next year, Concello managed to get Hugo Schmitt back from the Mills Show to  straighten things out but with the understanding they would be brought to him at the back door then returned afterward to the menagerie where Arky ran the department. Meanwhile in Florida John Ringling North had purchased 20 more baby elephants (at 2 G's a pop) to bring back the herd to it's glory days and also the return of Louis Reed and Smokey. At season's close Arky left the show bound for Thousand Oaks Jungleland.

1954 RBBB Elephants #3

I have shown this picture on the blog several times but might explain that during these years we played a lot of fairs for Barnes & Carruthers and good friend Otto Scheiman who lived in South Bend, found an ideal place for us to lay off between dates. An enclosed area at an Automobile Dealership where the passerbys would see the elephants and pull in to check them out. As luck would have it, there was a South Shore Line Railroad Station within walking distance and after an hours ride the first Station in Chicago was Soldier Field. In this instance I stayed home to take care of the shop while my folks visited the show.

1955 RBBB Elephants #1

Now in 1955, ready to embark with a 50 elephant herd dominated mostly by babies, somebody came up with a "baby elephant" theme.

1955 RBBB Elephants #2

A runaway during a 1954-55 Sarasota rehearsal in which Smokey (seen in the center) is about to be run over and suffer a broken leg.

1955 RBBB Elephants #3

Back in business and in charge of the herd. I asked Smokey how he happened to get that job and he said that the summer before, while they were training all those little elephants in Sarasota, they asked if he could come up with an act since the Quarters was open to the public. Only ones available were three old retired cows "Jenny", "Eva" and "Jewel" so he threw an act together and worked it himself. One day Reed comes up and says, "Henry Ringling North caught your act today and said it's better than what they got on the show and wants you to take over. Simple as that.

1955 RBBB Elephants #4

I took these last two polaroid pictures of  the punks being watered between shows while visiting Smokey at Soldier Field. Menagerie in the background

1955 RBBB Elephants #5

Shortly after they were returned to the menagerie a guy comes in, unchains a number of them and heads for the big top to practice. I asked smokey who he was and he answered, "I don't know, Bob Dover brought him around saying they hired to train some to play musical instruments." I later learned it was Baptiste Schreiber. Smokey didn't make the season, blew in California. Hugo fared better, after closing he went up to the Catskill Game Farm, bought a young elephant he named "Targa" and went on to bigger and better things with Leonard Bros. Circus.

.....on the subject of RBBB

Morning Buckles, Just found this picture, are these Ringlings? Thanks Jim Stokley From Richard Reynolds: I'm sure this is the back door ramp into Boston Garden. I've seen other photos of the ramp. This would be RBBB, likely in the 1940s based on the few vehicles we can see. Buckles can say with greater certainly than I. I've never been into Boston Garden. However, it is my impression that the elephants and menagerie were set up in a separate building from the arena itself and connected thereto by a passage. The late Bob MacDougall (former RBBB General Manager and circus historian) wrote a very good article about the setup in Boston Garden. It was published in Bandwagon. .

RBBB Under Canvas #1

RBBB Under Canvas #2

RBBB Under Canvas #3

From Bob Good My Dad took this photo. Story was that Mistin kicked Casey Stengel in the shins after meeting him. I remember him trying to throw me out of one of those old beach chairs in the backyard. Charlie Morosky's son rescued me. I am pretty sure Mistin later was Ralph Heid who played all over Europe and wrote the theme for Circus Renz. It is a great piece and has been played by orchestas. It is worth a listen on You Tube. I have been trying for years to get to the bottom of this Mistin mystery. Mistin may not have gone over in the States but Heid was on many shows in Europe. He died a few years ago. goodcir@ptd.net is my email if you wish to correspond about this.

RBBB Under Canvas #4

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RBBB Under Canvas #9

These ladies were so nice to us when my wife and I first joined Showfolks Club 40 years ago.

RBBB Under Canvas #10

Jackie LeClaire, do you remember this gentleman! Arnie Honkola, only elephant guy I know of that also clowned....tho I remember a few that should have. Freddy Logan told me that if they were short handed he would work a team on the lot in the morning. Elephant is "Big Ruth" (Barnes show) despite the fact she was smaller than "Little Ruth" seen earlier in the John Robinson photos.

RBBB Under Canvas #11

RBBB Under Canvas #12

From Chic Silber

At the risk of your enduring more heat from Shannon  Here's another bare bottom view (of a grandson)

My Kindergarten Picture!

Up early this morning, while laying awake I decided I would like to see an elephant again. It's been a long time since I was around one. I saw in the paper that the Ringling Show is in rehearsal up at the Fairgrounds. Don't know anyone there but Dalilah does, I'll see if she could make me some connections. Be nice to chat with some elephant guys again for a while.

Mills Bros. Circus #1

"Break yer back.....for Jake and Jack .....and down-stake it for Harry!"

Mills Bros. Circus #2

Mills Bros. Circus #3

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Mills Bros. Circus #16

Odds & Ends #1 (From Eric Beheim)

Here are some images that have almost nothing in common other than that they might be of interest to the readers of this blog. This first image shows a life-size elephant figure made of walnuts that was displayed at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce headquarters for many years. (It was probably created for one of the World’s Fairs as a California agricultural exhibit.) Does anyone know what became of it? "Aware that I am an avid Savoyard, Mr. Beheim recently sent me a set of CD's containing recordings from the 1920's that included selections of Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas sung by artists who had actually been coached by Gilbert himself and clear as a bell!" Buckles

Odds & Ends #2

This hippocampus (i.e. sea monster) carousel figure came from the carving shop of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The early PHILTOBCO carousels included “menagerie” figures (i.e. lions, tigers, bear, deer, pigs, goats, giraffes, rabbits, cats, and even sea monsters) in addition to horses.

Odds & Ends #3

This still from the feature film Powdersmoke Range (RKO 1935) shows Harry Carey (kneeling over Tom Tyler), Bob Steele (l.), Guinn “Big Boy” Williams (leaning on rifle), Hoot Gibson (cradling rifle), Wally Wales (aka Hal Taliaferro, in bandage), and Buzz Barton (crouching on rock.) Because of its all-star cast, RKO advertised it as The Barnum & Bailey of Westerns. In addition to receiving play dates in theaters that ordinarily didn’t show westerns, it even snagged some critical praise. (At least two members of the cast – Harry Carey and Hoot Gibson – appeared with circuses during their long careers.)

Odds & Ends #4

This advertisement for Castle Films’ CLYDE BEATTY’S ANIMAL THRILLS appeared in the November 8, 1943 issue of LIFE magazine. In case you missed the pictorial summary of this film that appeared on Buckles’ Blog a few years ago, it was filmed in the early 1940s at Clyde Beatty’s Zoo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and consists primarily of footage showing Beatty working his act. For many years, CLYDE BEATTY’S ANIMAL THRILLS was shown in the Ohio public schools during classes on Ohio (past and present) since Clyde Beatty was a famous Ohio son.

Odds & Ends #5

If you’re familiar with the Detroit Zoo, than you’ll immediately recognize these 10-foot-tall bronze bears as part of the historic and famed Rackham Memorial Fountain, located in the center of the Zoo. Dedicated in 1939, the fountain was a gift from Mary Rackham to honor her late husband, Horace H. Rackham, the first president of the Detroit Zoological Commission.

Odds & Ends #6

In addition to the bears, the fountain features a 75,000-gallon pool with life-sized sea lions, turtles and frogs. The fountain was designed by Frederick Schnaple and sculpted by Corrado Parducci using 20 tons of bronze. (With the City of Detroit in Chapter 9 bankruptcy, there is considerable concern over what impact the bankruptcy will have on the Zoo. The primary asset is the land, which the city owns. However, the cost of closing the zoo, clearing the land and then building something else is not likely to be financially feasible.)

Odds & Ends #7

This photo of Mrs. Butler’s morning Kindergarten class was taken in the newly opened Verda Brobst Elementary School in Cleveland, Ohio in the spring of 1952. After being taught a unit on the circus, the students had made a circus-themed bulletin board, which was preserved for posterity in this class photo. (I’m ninth from the left in the top row, wearing my black Hopalong Cassidy jacket, of which I was immensely proud and which I kept on just for this photo.)

Odds & Ends #8

This is the title page to Manly Wade Wellman’s 1953 book THE LAST MAMMOTH, which I first read when I was in the 7th grade. It was the author’s belief that the wooly mammoth did not become completely extinct in North America until some time between the 1400s and the 1700s. The story, which is set in 1755, has a young frontiersman named Sam Ward being sent west into an unexplored region of North Carolina to aid a Cherokee tribe of Native Americans that is being menaced by a beast “big like a hill, hairy like a bear, wise like a spirit” which the natives had named Giluhsti, the strong, hairy one. After its mate died, Giluhsti (who had lived in peace with the tribe for many years) turned rogue, causing the natives to rename him Giluhda, the hairy killer. In answer to the tribe’s request for help, Sam is sent with his “fire-weapon” (Kentucky long rifle) to kill Giluhda, thus setting into motion an adventure yarn worthy of James Fenimore Cooper himself.

Odds & Ends #9

This photo of the Apollo 12 Recovery Mission Band was taken on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 44 years ago at right about this time. (That’s me with my alto sax, third from the right, in the front row.) We’re posed in front of “Sea King” Helicopter #66, which had also recovered the Apollo astronauts during 4 or 5 previous missions and would do so again for Apollo 13 plus a few additional Apollo missions. (Because of its unique role in the Apollo space program, #66 was slated to be put on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it was later lost in deep water during an accident and has yet to be salvaged since the wreck site has never been located.)

Odds & Ends #10

This photo was taken at a “Golden Boot” awards ceremony in Los Angeles, probably in the early 1970s. From left to right are Ben Johnson (Academy-award winner actor, stuntman, rodeo performer and rodeo producer), Maxine Jones (Buck Jones’ daughter who, by the way, was married to Noah Beery, Jr.; “Uncle Joey” from the CIRCUS BOY TV series), Dell Jones (Buck Jones’ widow who was also a circus and wild west show performer and a stuntwoman during the early days of Hollywood), and Montie Montana (rodeo trick rider, actor, stuntman and show producer.)

On the subject of odds and ends!

Every time I run a nude picture (this one from Wade Burck) Shannon takes me to task explaining that a Blog including commercials from which you receive a slight stipend has certain restrictions. Consequently this complete photo will be sent directly to only a few of my more lecherous viewers.