The Circus Blog

Ezra Table Skating

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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In 1950 the Siebrand stage was very small….10 by 30 long and was used only by such acts like Ezra’s. In front of the stage were two rings. It was called a side wall circus and had stringer seating. Ezra is jumping from the platform with his skates on—-unreal ! He would hit the stage with a deliberate loud thud holding his back making out like he was in pain and yell out to the audience, Oh.. Oh send me a politician no–no, I mean a physician . He then would go into his fancy rope spinning all the while cracking one liners. He said that the hardest trick for him was the “Texas Skip”. Ezra was 60 or so years old at this time of his life. He said if I stop doing the skip I might as well just stop it all. His total act was done on skates he bolted to a pair of laced up boots.

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Ezhra and Mule

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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Mule—- was Ezra’s mules name. He said that he was going to name his mule after his first wife, but he changed his mind because he didn’t want to offend his Mule. His act was filled with tricks jokes and funny one liners and the audience enjoyed the simple humor. My Dad and Ezra were good friends and they were always talking about the old circus days. At the tender young age 10 Ezra ran away from the family farm and joined Ringling Bros Circus. “They hired me right away because I could handle any team 4, 6 or 10 horses…it didn’t matter to me, I am a farm boy”. Ezra’s first job was loading and unloading wagons from the flat cars. He said, I would be up on the wagon seat boot while other men would be braking the wheels with rolling chock blocks and with the heavier wagon’s pulley blocks.That was my job for a long time and I got food and found and 25 cents a day. Sometimes the wagon master would give me a tip if he thought I was getting ready to blow the show. If I needed extra money I would talk to my friends about going back to the farm just loud enough to be overheard by the train and wagon masters to hear. Boy would the tips come in… I was that good as a teamster. “Everything I learned and do today as a person and a actor, I learned in the circus”. There were many more stories between Dad and Ezra I always made it a point to listen in, I am greatfull that I can pass them on. 1950.

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Two of The Greats……. Barnum & Bailey

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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This is one of my favorite posters.

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Harry Froboess

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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Now here was a character……. Harry Froboess. This guy was a practical joker and was always up to something. He was even worse than Frenchy Manning. Harry did several different aerial acts from high pole to casting. Harry was in the Olympics and was a movie stunt man before he became a circus performer. In this photo he is reminiscing with a picture of himself as a stunt man. 1950 Siebrand Bros Circus.

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George Fest

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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In 1950 George Fest was the total band on the Siebrand circus. He sure could play the organ. In his younger years he played in churches and theaters back east. No matter, he could play it or fake it.

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Arturo Gutierrez

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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Arturo Gutierrez ….what a performer! He did bounding rope as seen here, tight wire and slack wire pulse and about five other acts. The Gutierrez family were from Mexico and between his brother and sisters they could do 15 different acts. Our family and theirs worked many seasons together on the Siebrand Circus and the 101 Wild West Circus. I remember that every morning Mama Gutierrez would call me over for breakfast, beans eggs and tortillas, my favorite then as it is now.

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Johnny Gutierrez

Posted By thecircusblog on May 4, 2010

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Johnny Gutierrez, like his brother Arturo, was a skilled performer. This is called “The Drunk”. Johnny got a lot of laughs in this part of his act. He would do a series of very difficult tricks all the while acting as a person that had just a little to much to drink. Photo taken in the early 1950’s.

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