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Thursday, October 08, 2015
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
"Hero"
I am researching when the Norris & Rowe Circus was wintering in 1909-1910,
Evansville Indiana. They lost 2 elephants over the winter and are buried in the
park across from my house. I was trying to find out the names of the elephants.
Do you have any knowledge of this or recommendations where to look?
Kirsten S. Wilkins
"This might help a little, you may notice he finished his days with my mother's family show, Orton Bros. Circus."
Buckles
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Hero #5
My mother was a teenager and told me many times of this day, she said the train was spotted right beside the lot and she watched as he created havoc. She said he then went along side the train pushing pushing wagons off the flat cars then passing the coach he peered in the window and they briefly locked eyes before he continued on followed by a posse of armed town folk.
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Black Diamond #1
 My father said "Diamond"didn't do much of an act, he mounted a tub then both he and the boss canvasman put bracelets with sleigh bells on his ankles and he did a front leg dance. The conclusion was a number of gentlemen from the audience were invited to get up on his back then he would go into a three legged skip with their butts slamming down with each skip much to the delight of their friends and neighbors. I wonder how that would go over today? |
Black Diamond #2
He said that after the night performance he, "Diamond" and a horse named "Chub" headed off into the wilderness toward the next lot and spent many a night under his squatted down under his belly during rain storms.
In the morning peering into the distance looking for the Grain Elevator of the of the next town on the route.
On occasion he might steer into a farm yard, show the kids the big elephant and maybe get a free breakfast.
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Tuesday, October 06, 2015
To Chic
It was a TV Series about the adventures of two truck drivers.
Keenan Wynn played a hobo who somehow crawled up into their truck hauling "Anna May".
This is the Director Leo Penn.
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To Larry Louree
You are right! My wife said "Anna May" did fine in rehearsal with the empty fruit cart but when when it was done live with all that fresh fruit added she stopped short, picked out a few juicy items, then tipped it over.
This is the runaway scene prior to the incident with my wife being chased and Ben as the Officer in pursuit.
Fortunately I remained at Circus World and took care of the shop.
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Victor The Bear #1 (From Eric Beheim)
This and the following frame enlargements are from an
appearance by Victor the Bear on the Ed Sullivan show many years
ago. (Ed was even drafted into the being
Victor’s straight man!) More information
about Victor and his trainers is needed, so please share what you know with the
rest of us.
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Victor The Bear #2
 Jimmy Hall once told me that when you start training a young cub, the first thing that happens is he makes shredded wheat out of the front of your trousers. |
Monday, October 05, 2015
Bonus Picture
Here's something you don't see every day.....a food eating contest!
Looks like the Hanneford ring carpet
I remember on the Polack Show a sweet old couple would feed the elephants treats and asked if they could bring a bushel of produce. So one day while we were doing the act they went to the meticulous pain of placing an equal pile of vegetables in the spot each elephant stood. Totally oblivious I was half way back in the middle of the herd and as Anna May approached the picket line she simply swept everything down to her end and started munching away. By the time I arrived the couple were excitedly jumping up and down tying to have the atrocity explained and all I could say was, "That's Show Biz!"......they never came back. |
DC Office #1
As mentioned before, we showed Washington DC with Big Apple and Kenneth Feld would sometimes stop by the lot on his way home from the nearby Ringling Office and chat with me and Bobby Gibbs.
He invited us to stop by his new Corp. Headquarters nearby and one day I decided to take him up on it.
My wife took this picture of me with Dalilah with Granddaughters Skye and Stormy on the front lawn.
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DC Office #11
 Far cry from a high steppin' Allen Bloom Promoter. |
Sunday, October 04, 2015
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