WE THINK WE KNOW PEOPLE, BUT DO WE REALLY?

Too often we look at someone in our business and judge them for what we see now, without giving any thought to the great things they might have done in their career.
Some of us knew him & his wife, and the act they did in later years, and even then we had no idea what was behind him. Many knew him only as a booking agent. Let's see how long it takes for you to guess the name of this young man.

THE NAME IS MISSING

The name of the act was erased because it was a giveaway, he once did a one handstand on a trapeze bar, but his partner asked him to stop for fear he would get hurt.

ANY IDEA YET?

Later for some reason there was a change in wardrobe, perhaps for working in Europe's many Variety Theaters.

DO YOU GIVE UP YET

Here he is with his wife, & last partner to the end, and if you haven't guessed by now, you'll have to read the answer in my comment. Now don't peek!!!!

SNAPSHOTS: GIL GRAY CIRCUS

The first snapshot is Dave Hoover in 1961, Dave had bought the Gil Gray Cat Act, that Lou Regan had worked the year before. It consisted of the aluminum arena, the open side semi trailer, and three Lions, 2 females, Sister & Nell, and a male named Menalek(Spl?), if I remember right the male went to Pat Anthony, and wound up a terrific door cat. The bottom picture is Karli Peterson, who worked the Gil Gray animals, including Gil's elephants, Minnie, Tillie, & Jennie,(Thank You Buckles, for the names)

SNAPSHOT: GIL GRAY CIRCUS EARLY 1960's

One thing about the Gil Gray Circus, if you had a good act, were willing to make changes in the act each year, and didn't cause any heat, you had a home. If any act ever had a contract, it was unusual because it wasn't needed. If you worked 1 day you got a half weeks pay, if you worked 4 days you got a full weeks pay, and gas mileage to boot. We had several potluck BBQs a year & Gil furnished the meat, and if the water faucet was far away, the acts pooled their hoses to reach it. This is The Jim Wong Troupe, And I'm sure they had the record for the longest time on the show, they are, Eileen, & Sung on the ground, Lum doing the Backbend, & Jackie doing the Handstand. I think when this was taken Carl was in the Army. This is another Paul Creason photo.

HAMID-MORTON CIRCUS 1963

In April I ran a picture of Donna Wilson working a young elephant named Sherma, and mentioned her sister Linda was in the other end ring working another young elephant, Joyce, here they are. This photo is courtesy of Paul Creason.

SNAPSHOT: GIL WILSON

To be exact Gilbert E. Wilson, with his American Eskimo, or, Spitz, Dog Act, the uniform looks a lot like those worn on Downie Bros. so I'm going to make that guess. Gil was the father of Dime Wilson whose given name was also Gilbert, in later years he had it legally changed to Dime. He went to the Gen. Delivery window in a Post Office once to pick up the mail for Dime Wilson, the woman said, "that ain't no name", he said it was his name but she still refused to check for mail. He did convince her to look, and finally got his mail.

SNAPSHOT: DOWNIE BROS. 1929

Here is another angle of the Downie Bros elephants, I'm sure one of the men is Frank Phillips. The good looking male in the center is Teddy.

SNAPSHOT: BUD E ANDERSON

About 20 years before Bobby Gibbs came on the scene Bud Anderson was posing with Eva, on his own show, Bud E. Anderson's 3 Ring Circus.

SNAPSHOTS: WHO ARE THOSE GUYS

I know I just posted a quiz, but these just arrived in the mail and I couldn't resist posting them, besides this should be easy. They are from the Gil Gray Circus, and the best I can figure is late '50's, a hint, they are brothers. They are from the Paul Creason collection.

POST REVISITED

While surfing through the archives, I noticed one post had a new comment, so I clicked in to read it. When I finished reading it, I knew I had to do the post again, only this time let the comment be the description. So hopefully with Carin's permission!

MARION A. CRISTIANI

This incredibly beautiful woman... from the inside out was my mother, and my fondest wish is that in my lifetime that I will be able to achieve one tiny fraction of her beautiful outlook of life, and to be just a tiny bit of her would be a prayer answered.
Marion A. Cristiani--my mother!
Carin Cristiani

QUASSAR'S QUIZ: WHO IS THIS AERIALIST?

She did a Heel & Toe Trapeze Act in the 1950's. Notice the Kerosene can on the ground, how many of you remember turning on the kerosene heater and forgetting to light it, then have to reach in the dirty, sooty, heater with newspapers to sop up the excess, so you wouldn't burn the trailer down?!

NORMA DAVENPORT # 1 NORMA & MYRTLE

We just flipped the calendar back 57 years, this is young Norma Davenport,(at that time) with Myrtle, on Dailey Bros. Circus 1949. This photo is from the Eva Williams collection.

NORMA DAVENPORT # 2

Here's Norma with young Peggy Harrison, and if the name doesn't fit the face, try Peggy Zoppe wife of Bareback Rider Joe Zoppe, and mother of Roger, and twins Dennis, & Denise. This is also from the Eva Williams collection.

CIRCUS FARMS # 1 REVISITED

I had so much discussion with people yesterday about their memories of the farm, and some photos I received that were taken last week, it put me in a nostalgic mood. So that will be my subject today, the strange thing is that the place seems to be frozen in time, it hasn't changed in 35 years.

CIRCUS FARMS # 2 QUARTER HORSE FARM

The original purpose of buying the farm was to breed & raise registered Quarter Horses, which we did with limited success, however still being on the road, we had to depend on others to tend the horse business who were not always honest. So!!
This is our Breeding Stallion, Mike Win, the first season we showed him he was Grand Champion Stallion at the 1970 All American Quarter Congress, which is the largest Quarter Horse show in the world.

CIRCUS FARMS # 3 WORLD CHAMPION

This horse Zorba Tachi, was unsuccessful on the race track, so Trudy trained him as a jumper, this girl bought him and took him on to win the Youth Jumping Sweepstakes at the 1973 All American Quarter Horse Congress, & become American Quarter Horse Association World Champion Youth Jumping Horse.

KRONE KORNER # 1 THE FACADE

Jimmy Cole told me that when he first saw pictures of the Krone Facade he thought it was semi trailers with fold outs which is a logical conclusion because of what we are familiar with. As you can see here it is quite an intricate operation. In the top photo the out riggers are being prepared, next you see the towers raised, this is actally the second side as you can see the center swing out of the first side on the left.

KRONE KORNER # 2 HIGHER & HIGHER

The fronts, consisting of five panels on each side are raised hydraulically.

KRONE KORNER # 3 COMING TOGETHER

Here you see the importance of positioning these two wagons in the right place. By the way, because of their size & weight, when Krone traveled on rails, these wagons still traveled by highway.

KRONE KORNER # 4 AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS

Here is the finished product, front & back. The marquee you see in the center runs from just inside the gate to the facade, behind the facade is another larger one extending to the entrance of the big top.

THE RELUCTANT VOLUNTEER

David's first experience clowning came in Minneapolis when the midget failed to show up, and Jimmy Douglas needed a,volunteer Human Cannon Ball. He was about as willing to volunteer to do the character as the character was to volunteer to get into the Cannon. That is Jimmy Douglas on the left.

SHOTGUN WEDDING

David plays an anything but willing Groom to Bride Ernie "Blinko " Burch in this Wedding Gag on Paul Kaye's, Kaye Continental Circus. Left to right are Jack Healy, Albert "Flo" White, Neil Kay, Ernie, David, (behind Ernie & David is Karl Marx), J.P. Theron(?), Alfredo Landon, and the little cowboy in front of Alfredo is Sepli Bauer.

HONOLULU HAWAII 1974

Here's Albert "Flo" White, Donna Wilson, & David, at the ripe old age of 11, on Paul Kaye, & Ralph Yampuku's International 3 Ring Circus in Hawaii.

SNAPSHOT: GIL GRAY CIRCUS 1963

Jumping 38 years back down the road to the Clowns dressing room on the Gil Gray show, this is Lawrence Cross and David Strong, less than a year old. Our life is full of ironies, who would guess that 10 years later David would be working in Clown Alley, with legends like Lawrence, Blinko, Abe Goldstein, Karl Marx, & Gene Randow.

SNAPSHOTS: THE GIBTOWN SHOWMAN'S CLUB CIRCUS 2001

The Unofficial Gibtown Greeters Club, this is,(former Clown, the late)Diamond Jim Parker, (former Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Ringmaster & Clown)Jimmy James, & (the former everything)Tommy Bently!!!!

GIBTOWN # 2 IN THE BAR

This round table discussion includes, Trudy Strong, Elsa Watkins, Penny Rodriguez, Walter Patterson, & Hugo Zacchini.

GIBTOWN # 3 ON THE MIDWAY

I guess Norma must be doing the talking because Ward Hall & Dale Longmire are sure doing the listening.

GIBTOWN # 4 LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR A TRAIN

This conversation looks like these guys are planning something pretty serious, might call for an extra guard on the ticket wagon. Buckles Woodcock, & John Herriott!

TOM MIX SELLS-FLOTO 1929

It's just a short 20 year hop back in time, in the top photo is Sells-Floto star Tom Mix, in the bottom photo is Mable Pelke, Mrs. Tom Mix.

QUASSAR'S QUIZ: THE DISWASHER

Today's quiz comes from Eva Williams. Can anyone identify her,,,,,,or the Circus she was on????

SNAPSHOT: IAN GARDEN, EVANSVILLE,1999

Act is pretty good, "could use a little color"!!!!

MEMORIES: HAMID-MORTON 1952, FOR BERTHA

I received a nice long email from Bertha Nonnenmacher Campisi telling me how many memories "Yesterday's Towns" stirred up, so here are some more. on top are one of The Georgetti Bros. with rigger Raymond Miranda, & Tony Peterson, of The Amandis Teeterboard Act; next The "Whirling Wizards", Skating Act,(Cecil & Shirley Brewton); and finally Mrs Rudy Rudynoff,(High School Horse Act).

MEMORIES: HAMID-MORTON 1952, BALLET

Bertha had a full career in the Circus, after being a Roxyette, she joined Peaches Sky Review, and when that troupe disbanded she joined The Wallendas, doing productions, & did a Wire Act with Gene Mendez. She later became a member of the Wilford Mae Trio, Hoop Juggling Act, the hoops used in that act were actually oak bicycle wheels, and juggling them was no easy task. Bertha married Frank Campisi who was a Diver in The Flushing Meadows Aqua show, and did a trampoline Act. Appearing with Bertha, (left rear) are, Helen Amandis, Terry Nachamkin Abbot, Joannie Letty Valentine, & Joyce Bridenbach Canestralli, (Pietro's wife). In the front row are Eslsbeth Cosmo, Eva Corona Williams, Gracie Hanneford, Annie Edleson,(Robbins), & Joyce Vidbel

EXTRA-EXTRA:: DARLENE WILLIAMS

I really enjoy seeing so many Circus Kids, (who are no longer kids) who have stepped out of this business and made a name for themselves in other fields, especially in the film industry. Darlene Williams has made herself well known as a Hollywood Stunt Woman, she is pictured here with Pamela Anderson,(left). From the Eva Williams collection.

DIME WILSON & THE DOILE SISTERS

Some people are familiar with the story of the Dime Wilson Family, for those who do not know, here it is. In 1936 Dime at the age of 23 & his parents went to work on Bud Anderson's Seal Bros Circus.

THE DOILE SISTERS # 2

It was there Dime met Bud's nieces Maxine & Constance Doile, who were on the show for the summer.

THE DOILE SISTERS # 3

Dime and Maxine fell in love & were married and soon had a baby girl, whom they named Penny.When Penny was about 18 months old tragedy struck, and Maxine was killed in an auto accident.