The Circus Blog

Posted By thecircusblog on October 4, 2012

This is the scene where I am forcing Vic Morrow into the back of the haft track. Working on Combat along with some other top shows gave me some serious exposure and I was approached by many agents who wanted to handle me…..Michael North being one of them. I didn’t start this acting thing, it just happened. In the mid 1950’s Dad was involved in a movie helping in the production called “Ace In The Hole.” I happened to be on the set and asked if I would do a walk on. To be paid just to walk though a scene, why that’s fantastic. From that time on I did bit parts, then into bit parts with lines. Being already in the business and having friends in the movie industry made it easy for me to get a job and sometimes it came at the expense of my family acts and the circus. I was torn between the two and I had to make a decision on what was most important…my acts or the movies. The responsibility of the chimp act was most important, this was my family and my livelihood. Bit parts in the movies were few and far between and the money, well it was chicken one day and feathers the next.  I decided to put the circus and all other theatrical work first and then the television and movie work second unless it coincided with our season. Though the 1960’s the chimp act became very strong with the circuses and fairs, there was little time for anything else but rest. Then I began getting calls to do the Steve Allen show and another and then another. It was every other week a different television show…… Joey Bishop, Danny Thomas, Greatest Show On Earth, Nite Train. Mike Douglas show, Game shows as well. Everyone wanted the actor that came from the circus. My Father was concerned by a call from Polack Bros. as they wanted the chimp act and Dad did not know how to answer Louie Stern. We had a talk, it lasted about 4 seconds. We were on our way to Polack Bros Circus. Somehow I felt free….. I was back in my world, my first love …..the circus. The movies and the circus together continued on but the circus always came first even after the success of 30 or more movies and television shows. Being a movie star was not important to me. Being a good showmen was and still is to this day.

Categories: Movie and TV
Tags: