SNAPSHOT: THE WILSON SISTERS
This is The Wilson sisters Rolling Globe Act on the Gil Gray Circus in 1961, that is Trudy doing the Handstand on the bar held by Linda & Joanne.
The rigging on the left is Mario Ivanov's Revolving Ladder, the Prop Boss, Max Craig gave Mario one guy to help him set up & tear down. On one occasion Mario realized he hadn't filled his truck yet so after the act on teardown day he told the boy to get the rigging ready to lower, and went to a service station across the street to gas up, otherwise he would have to do it after the show and would miss the race.(you see before there was NASCAR, there was the Gil Gray Show making jumps, but that's another story). Mario was in the station paying, & the attendant was looking out the window and said, "boy that Circus takes things down fast", Mario turned around just in time to see his rigging disappear behind the fence, the boy forgot to hook up the block that lowered the pole.
posted by 24-HOUR-MAN | 12:03 PM
7 Comments:
that was called the race for space. Laughing thinking about it.
J.W.
I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that on Kelly Miller you were asigned a spot the first day and you kept that same place all season long. Gene and I lived in the cat truck fifth wheel so we were close to the back door. Pete Smith was the lot person. Last night I was cold all night long. Thought maybe I was sick again. Put on socks and another blanket. This morning the temp out side was 39 degrees. I am now setting here looking at the snow on the other trailers on this site and thinking, NOW THAT was cold. At here I could turn the furnace on. Don't think I could survive those long ago days now. Funny, but it never seemed that cold back then.
On those Winter days when it's "snowin & blowin" up north & it's warm & sunshiny here, I do like John H., I walk outside, look up at the sky, & say "Thank You John Ringling".
Who among all the Wilson Ladies, had final say about wardrobe? Did everyone sew? I know I spent every dime I made on wardrobe. Gyetts [?] Barbara Woodcock showed me how to make leotards and shoes. I did not know you bought sequines by the yard. I was sewing them on one by one. Seems like sewing is a lost art. I always made everything by hand. No sewing machine back then. Even now it is quicker to do by hand then to drag out the Singer.
rebecca,
all the girls took part in designing & they all sewed, Trudy & Joanne still sew sequins, & beads on one at a time. Yes sewing like many other things in the business is a lost art
I still have my bugle bead needles. The only costumes I still make are for the pets.
I can remember the overnight jumps on Gil Grays Circus 33 1 day stands in a row a
nd driving 250 to 325 miles over night===talk about needing the little pink pills to stay awake==were those the days? no way
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