Bandwagon, March 1954

Bandwagon, Vol. 3, March, 1954. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included. The Circus Historical Society does not guarantee the accuracy of information contained in the information in these online articles. Information should always be checked with additional sources.

Amazing Facts About Ringling

The American circus knows but two days. Today and tomorrow. It knows but two towns. Today's town and tomorrow's town. It is said that the most asked question around the lot is: "From where did you come and where are you going?"

From where did the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows and the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows come and where did it go the past seventy years. We of course know that the Ringling show came from Baraboo, Wisconsin; that the Barnum and Bailey, Greatest Show on Earth come from Bridgeport, Connecticut; that the five Ringling Bros. founded the Ringling circus and that William C. Coup of Delavan, Wisconsin, founded the Barnum and Bailey Circus and that it went to Sarasota, Florida. In between Baraboo and Bridgeport to Sarasota, however, it went to many places.

The Ringling Bros. and the Ringling Barnum Combine have gone to 1817 different cities and villages during the past seventy years and it has taken 9,107 show movements both overland and by rail as well as by barges to get the show to these cities and communities. Then, too, the show (referring to the Ringling and the Combine), has travelled well over a half million miles to make the moves to all the communities that have been played the past seventy years.

During this period of long and continuous operation this circus has come up with the grand total of 12,707 show dates and has given 25,079 performances in this country. These totals do not include the Cuban engagements nor the engagement of the Al G. Barnes Sells Floto presenting Ringling and Barnum features in 1938.

Millions of people throughout the country have no doubt worried about the weather conditions with the coming of Ringling circus day. They have wondered whether or not the show would get to town because of rain, wrecks and other enemies of the circus. With the exception of Brainerd, Minnesota, which in 1953, was billed for the first time in the history of the show and lost, because of rain and a soft lot, the chances are good you will see the show once it has billed a town. In its long history of seventy years the Ringling show has lost but 92 days and most of these because of the Hartford fire and it has had but 342 one performance dates. It is next to impossible for this great circus to give more than two shows in one day but, nevertheless, it has had six extra performances.

The show has played every state in the union as well as Canada. However, some states are more favored than others. Nevada for instance has had but four days and seven performances. Wyoming has had sixteen circus days and 24 performances. The most favorite state is New York with its Madison Square Garden and the long Garden engagements. New York state has had 1695 show dates and seen 3366 performances. Next in order are Illinois with 1245 show days and 2465 performances; Iowa, 810 days and 1612 performances; Pennsylvania, 738 days and 1468 performances; Texas, 676 days and 1330 performances, and Wisconsin, 551 days and 1090 performances.

Even though New York has had the most circus days and the most performances the State of Illinois has had the show in the most different seasons. In its seventy years of operation the show has bypassed the great state of Illinois only four times. Without taking a look at the statistics one would be inclined to believe that the home state of Wisconsin would have seen the show the most different seasons. However, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, have seen the show in 61 of the seventy years. These are followed by Iowa, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, with fifty-seven each, New York, fifty-six, and Michigan, fifty-three.

Although New York far outranks all other states so far as show dates and performances are concerned, nevertheless the great corn state of Iowa has had the show in more different communities. Two hundred ninety-two different cities and villages of Iowa have seen the show at one time or other. Most of these came during the wagon show days. Iowa is followed by Illinois with 194; Wisconsin, 139. Likewise the show has made the most moves in Iowa with 820 and followed by Illinois with 615, Texas, 603; Wisconsin, 532; Ohio, 456, and Pennsylvania, 442.

In 1953 the show played Oxnard and Panorama City, California; Oshawa, Trois Reveiers; St. Catherines and Windsor, Canada; Panama City, Florida; Biloxi, Mississippi; Bridgeton, New Jersey, and Port Arthur, Texas, for the first time. Also the show in 1953 played many cities for the first time in the past twenty-five to fifty years. The fact remains, however, that only one hundred-four cities have had the show twenty or more times. Chicago ranks first with fifty-three visits of the show. The show has come to Milwaukee forty-seven times and Detroit 46, Boston 44 and Madison, Wisconsin, and Buffalo, New York, 43 times.

The earliest closing date of the show came in 1938, on June 22nd, at Scranton, Pennsylvania, when the show was closed by the strike. The depression closed the show on September 14, 1931, at Atlanta, Georgia. The latest closing date came on November 28 at Aberdeen, Mississippi, in 1898; Sarasota, Florida, in 1946 and Miami, Florida, in 1948. The longest mileage was reeled off in 1941, with 20,030 miles. The fewest show dates came in 1938 with sixty-nine and one thirty-six performances. The most show dates come in 1953 with 219 and the greatest number of performances were given in 1946 and 1952 with 431. The most lost dates came in 1944, because of the fire, all days billed but not played being deemed lost. The fewest cities were played in 1944 with 25 as a result of the fire. The strike caused a low of 26 cities in 1938. The war kept the total low in 1943 with 57 and 62 in 1945 and the depression kept the number down in 1931 to 84. In the strike year the show played the least number of states with 10. The war, the fire, and depression also had its effect. Sixteen states were played in 1944; 18 in 1943; twenty-two in 1945, and 23 in 1931.

Many other statistics could be given but in closing we will mention that Merle Evans has had the band for thirty-five of the seventy years the show has been on the road.

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Circus Movies Past and Present

Since Cecil B. DeMille's "The Greatest Show on Earth" was such a great hit as a circus movie and with Clyde Beatty's coming movie on big top life "Ring of Fear" with star Pat O'Brien also being filmed, as well as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in "The Big Top" and Burt Lancaster in "Trapeze," the author has made a little research and compiled a list of movies. Some of these are very old and so perhaps the casts are not completely accurate.

The list follows:

"The Iron Test" with Antonio Moreno, a serial - Vitagraph Studios, 1918

"Peg O' The Ring" with Grace Cunard, serial - Universal, 1916

"Lure of the Circus" with Eddie Polo, serial - Universal, 1918

"Circus Days" with Jackie Coogan - First National Picture, 1923

"The Great Circus Mystery" with Joe Bonomo, Louise Lorraine, serial - Universal, 1920

"Sally of the Sawdust" starring W. C. Fields and Carol Dempster - Universal, 1920

"Spangles" with Marion Nixon and Pat O'Malley - Universal

"The Circus Ace" starring Tom Mix

"He Who Gets Slapped" with Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Norma Shearer - M. G. M., 1924

"The Circus" with Charles Chaplin, Merna Kennedy - United Artists, 1925

"Laugh Clown Laugh," Lon Chaney, Loretta Young - M. G. M., 1928

"Variety," Emil Jannings, Lydia De Putti - United Artists

"Polly of the Circus," Marion Davies, Clark Gable - M. G. M.

"Four Devils," Janet Gaynor, Barry Norton

"Three Ring Marriage," Mary Astor, Lloyd Hughes - First National Picture

"Freaks," with Wallace Ford, Leila Hyames, Olga Baclonova, Roscoe Ates, Harry Earles, Tiny and Grace Doll, Johnny Eck, Daisy and Violet Hilton and other side-show people - M. G. M.

"The Big Cage," Clyde Beatty, Raymond Hatton, Anita Paige, Mickey Rooney - Universal

"Chad Hanna," Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lemour, Jane Darwell, Guy Kibbee, Linda Darnell - 20th Century Fox Picture, 1940

"The Wagons Roll at Night," Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie - Warner Bros. Pic, 1940

"O'Shaunessey's Boy," Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper - M. G. M.

"Peck's Bad Boy at the Circus," Tommy Kelley, Marcia May Jones, Billy Gilbert, Poodles Hanneford Family - Universal Picture

"A Day at the Circus," Marx Bros., Eve Arden - M. G. M.

"Fearless Fagan," Carleton Carpenter, Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn - M. G. M.

"The Greatest Show on Earth," with Betty Hutton, Dorothy Lamour, Charleton Heston, Cornel Wilde, Gloria Grahame, Lyle Bettger, Lawrence Tierney, Emmett Kelly, Cucciola, Antionette Concello, and James Stewart - Paramount, 1952

"Man on the Tightrope," Frederic March, Terry Moore, Gloria Grahame, Paul Hartman - 20th Century Fox, 1952

"Story of 3 Loves," Last half of movie, features Pier Angeli and Kirk Douglas in Equilibrium about two aerialists - M. G. M.

"The Fat Man," Jack Smart, Emmett Kelly - Universal International

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Circus Chronology, This Month Last Year

KELLY-MILLER announced it would put most of its animals in a menagerie top and use standard Side Show acts this season.

PAT ANTHONY'S LIONS and the Coronas paced the new Hamid-Morton edition.

ED LEARMONT, animal trainer, died at Los Angeles.

HEINZ RUHE, animal importer, died in Germany.

BAILEY BROS., operated by Big Bob Stevens with backing from Gil Gray, prepared to open as a grandstand and ballpark unit.

HAGEN-WALLACE Circus, owned by Frank Martin and managed by Art Sturmak, opened in Florida.

NORMAN ANDERSON, owner of Wallace & Clark Circus, said Jack Turner was to be agent.

GIL GRAY CIRCUS opened at Sioux City, Ia.

R. M. HARVEY, agent; Skinny Goe, bandmaster, and Milt Robbins were signed by Diano Bros.' Circus.

CANADIAN BORDER charges and other fees for shows were hiked.

KING BROS. & CRISTIANI CIRCUS announced plans for a balloon ascension feature for 1953.

WINTER DATES at Kansas City, Wichita, St. Paul, and Chicago were among the winners.

RINGLING-BARNUM abandoned its auspices policy and announced it would play only a few sponsored stands in 1953.

MILLS BROS.' CIRCUS won another publicity break when NBC filmed winter quarters activity and showed the films on TV shows.

BILL BAILEY MINSTRELS closed and Si Rubens announced he again would take charge of Rogers Bros.' Circus.

"THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH," movie of the Ringling-Barnum show, won the Academy Award. Ringling advance sale and press work were moving smoothly in New York.

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