Bert Lancaster
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2018
Bert in his younger years, before his acting career was a circus performer, it is said good one at that. He and Nick Cravatt was life long friends. Nick was a pretty good tumbler so they say. Bert did single Traps and worked in a Perch act also horizonal bars. This was told to me by Shelby Jackson an old friend from years ago. Shelbe and Babe his wife did a horizonal bar act. Shelbe had worked with Bert on some little circus……as he put it. Some how the name Sam Catchume rings in my head that he Sam owned this circus. I wish I could remember more of Shelbes and my conversation. It has been to many years.
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thecircusblog
My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.Comments
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Burt Lancaster’s intricate circus history, and his intriguing life in total, is ideally covered by Kate Buford in her dynamic bio of the man, titled “Burt Lancaster – An American Life”, published by Alfred A. Knopf, in 2000.
Burt and Nick Cravat began their bar act on Kay Bros. He was listed in 1934 as Prop Boss on Russell Bros., as B. Lancaster. He married June Ernst, daughter of Ora Ernst of the aerial Loretta Twins. They were on Gorman Bros. in 1935, with the Clarke and Hanneford families. Then, his film career began, and his last time as a true circus performer was between studio commitments, when he and Cravat went out with Cole Bros., in 1948. Buford’s book, therefore, is a must-read for fans of Lancaster and circus historians.