HOW HIGH? #3: HIGH RIGGING ACTS

JOHNNY GIBSONS HOLLYWOOD SKY BALLET~85 FEET.
THE ORIGINAL ATENOS~90 FEET


Good Morning Bill and Trudy, Please find enclosed several of the original photos that "Fritzie" Hartzman gave me two weeks ago from her performing days with the Four Queens. This is the information she gave me about them. The girls are Sue Aulric, Alfrieda "Fritzie" Small, Marie Kirkourian, and "Boots" Strube. "Boots" husband was Tony Strube, the group's manager and ground man. These photos were taken in 1934 / 1935 on the William Glick Shows carnival where they worked as a Free Act on the midway. The girls put up and took down their own rigging with Tony on the ground tying off. In 1934, Sue Aulric died when she lost her grip on the Breakaway sway pole. After Fritzie left the group in 1937 when she met William Hartzman, the group went to Europe. They worked 110' feet in the air. One girl worked as the catcher of the cradle act while the other three all took turns doing the aerial routines with her. I still don't understand where the breakaway sway pole comes in and maybe it was taken out after Sue was killed, I'm not sure. None the less, this is still a rather unique rigging to me. Bob Cline

THE FOUR QUEENS~ 110 FEET


THE FOUR AERIAL APOLLOS~120 FEET