ON A TIP FROM MIKE NAUGHTON HERE IS A SPECIAL TREAT

From the 1960's, when it was still truly the "Greatest Show on Earth", The incomparable, Miss Vickie Unus.

LA TORIA

Posted on You Tube by "anorev99", who obviously has a great eye for real Circus talent, Thank You!

THE SUNDAY MOVIE, TRAVELOGUE: OLYMPIC PARK

For the "Sunday Movie" today, we're going back down the road over 50 years, and a lot of miles, ending up north of the border at The Canadian National Exhibition. But first we're going to see if we can make it to Irvington, New Jersey in time to catch the afternoon Free Circus at Olympic Park.



The line up is, The Jeffreys,(Portable Cradle); Dime Wilson,(Table Rock); The Wazzan Troupe,(Arab Tumblers); Pedro & Pedro, aka The Miamians,(Head to Head); the closing act is the LaBlonde Trio,(Comedy Aerial Bar Act), but we just saw them, so we'll give them the afternoon off.

TRAVELOGUE #2: HELL DRIVERS

The opening in this clip is one of the beautiful structures on the beautiful Canadian National Exhibition grounds.

I have heard that there are no longer any Automobile Thrill Shows left in the United States, what a shame! For those of you who remember them this will tease your memory just a little.



Fast moving cars, precision bumper to bumper manuvers, and a fast talking MC made for thrills that filled the grandstands at least one day of almost every County, & State Fair in the country. And when the show was over they weren't done driving, the next performance was 900 miles away the following night, Circus performers began referring to any long overnighter as a, "Thrill Show Jump".
If we were working a bigger fair date for a week, and we knew the Jack Kochman Thrill Show was coming for more than one day, we also knew it was "party time", one particular driver,Jake Plumsted, would buy the meat & liquid refreshments, rent a trailer mounted BBQ grill and a cook, & the acts wives would fix the side dishes, and I'm gettin' hungry!

HI SKIS AROUND THE TRACK


MOTORCYCLE FIREWALL CRASH


THE T-BONE CRASH
Up the ramps, through the air crashing broadside into a parked car.

TRAVELOGUE #3: THE CNE GRANDSTAND MATINEE

This film was a long so I had to split it in half, I'm not familiar with any of the acts except for the two balancing acts. The first is Pedro Morales Jr. working with his father's understander, Durand(sp?), & the Head to Head, is Pedro & Durand.

Take a good look at the Barrel Jumping Act, it was already on the "endangered" list in the early 1950's, and I'm certain will not be seen again.



There seems to be two seperate Trampoline Acts, my guess is the first one in Red, White, & Blue, are The All American Boys.

CLYDE BEATTY-COLE BROS. CIRCUS 1960

THE FRONT END

BEATTY-COLE #2: BEFORE THE SHOW

BILL ENGLISH SIDE SHOW


OUTLAW POSTER
This poster set off a legal battle between Beatty-Cole & RBBB when Ringling filed suit over infrigement of their logo, & motto. I'm not sure if it went to court or settled out of court, but the poster was never used again. (Come to think of it, there are a few of these in "The Dime's Store")

BEATTY-COLE #3: CLYDE BEATTY THRU THE YEARS

COLE BROS. 1940's


HAGENBACK-WALLACE 1920's

BEATTY-COLE #4: THE SOUNDS

COUNT NICHOLAS
Who do you suppose the little guy is?

BILL "BOOM BOOM" BROWNING, & COMPANY

BEATTY-COLE #5: THE PERFORMANCE

BEATTY-COLE #6: THE CLOWNS & ELEPHANTS

BECAUSE IT'S NOT A CIRCUS NOT A CIRCUS WITHOUT THEM!!!!

BEATTY COLE #7: GETTING IT TO THE NEXT TOWN

ROLLING STOCK

SATURDAY MATINEE #2: SHORT SUBJECT

Pat first rolled a Tiger & Lioness over together, then as you see here, he eventually had to do them seperately.

Gee, I wish we had video cameras back then.

SATURDAY MATINEE #3: MAIN FEATURE

I finally found how to enhance the video clips and this one is much better than it was,but still not as good

When on the subject of Gee Gee, I always think of the time a performer walked into the wardrobe room where Jimmy Douglas was sewing on a costume. He said, "my wife is going to do a Husky Dog Act like Gee Gee's", Jimmy didn't look up, & never missed a stitch, replying, "young man, your wife may do a husky act, but NOBODY, will ever do one like Gee Gee"!

BARNUM & BAILEY IN THE OLD WORLD 1897-1901

This is the route book, for Barnum & Bailey's four year tour of the British Isles , & Europe.



THE ADVANCE

BARNUM&BAILEY #2: GETTING THERE

THE ARRIVAL & UNLOADING

BARNUM&BAILEY #3: AT HOME & AWAY FROM HOME

NEW YORK'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN


LONDON'S OLYMPIA



THE RECEPTION


VIENNA, AUSTRIA


MAPS
There are four fold out maps in the book, one for each year with the route traced. This particular one is for Germany & Eastern Europe.

BARNUM&BAILEY #4: THE BIG SHOW BAND, & SIDESHOW ATTRACTIONS

THE BAND


THE SIDESHOW

BARNUM&BAILEY #5: MUSICAL ACTS, ANIMAL ACTS, ACROBATS, & DAREDEVILS

I'm sure there were many more acts than are pictured,(as usual).

BARNUM&BAILEY #6: NANAKUSA JAPANESE TROUPE

Maybe one of our historians can enlighten us on what type act this troupe did.

BARNUM&BAILEY #7: CLOWNS

BARNUM&BAILEY #8: EQUESTRIANS & EQUESTRIENNES