The Flying Alexanders
Posted By thecircusblog on June 4, 2009
Fay Alexander appeared on the Ed Sullivan “Entertainer of the Year” award show where he accepted the award of “Circus Act of the Year”. Here is what I know about Fay Alexander. I first met Fay while doing a motion picture called Jumbo. Both Fay and I were doubling for the stars Martha Rae, Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, and Jimmy Durante. I as well played myself doing Iron Jaw and Trapeze. There were many other circus performers in the production of Jumbo. It was quite common for the studios to hire circus performers for the movies that pertained to our business, rather than other stunt men. Fay did many motion pictures including The Greatest Show on Earth in which he doubled for Cornel Wilde in 1951 and Trapeze, doubling for Tony Curtis in 1955. InThe Big Circus he did stunts for Gilbert Roland in 1959. Dad and I did a few shows with Fay when he was doing his comedy “Funny Ford”. “Lemon Zene”an old Model T was used in the act. I have to say, the act was filled with comedy. I only saw one other act such as this and that was with George Perkins in “Perkie’s Perk Up Ford”. It is said that Fay got his first start in the circus with Ted Dewayne. Ted helped many circus performers in his time. Read Comment.
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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
7 Responses to “The Flying Alexanders”
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One of our teachers was taught flying by Fay Alexander. I’m sure he will emjoy seeing this.
Jessica Hentoff
Circus Harmony
St. Louis
http://www.circusharmony.org
Fay indeed started out with Ted DeWayne, doing teeterboard, tumbling and anything else called for. But his heart was with the flying act, and in time all young flyers became in awe of him. He was a great guy, friendly and open to all hopefuls.
Fay also broke in Bobby Yerkes, a friend of ours out here, who is still going strong as a stuntman and flying act teacher himself.
I met him a few times and Ted Dewayne and Bill Snyder often talked about him. I believe I was probably the last topmounter for Ted that may have began with Fay. I know during the ww2 Ted, Bill and Fay did USO shows with their risley act. Ted originally did risley with the “Belfords”. When Ted was I think 48 years old and I weighed 160 pounds we accomplished a “spotter full-feet to feet”. I promise Ivan to get you more stuff from 60s 70s and west coast shows of that time. You and I worked together and Ted and your dad were old friends.
Look on right side of blog on tne first page you will find Yahoo, or Google that will be your RSS feed.
I do miss Uncle Fay and Aunt rose so very much.
Rose and Fay Alexander was my Aunt and Uncle by marriage. But now Rose’s
sister and my wife have all pass away. I really miss Aunt Rose and Uncle Fay and all the good times that we had.
Fay Alexander was my uncle. His sister, Dorothy (Alexander) Tubbs was my mother. She died six years after Uncle Fay. Fay is my middle name. Very proud of my uncle and enjoyed a visit to his home in Sarasota in the ’80s. And now Ringling Brothers is history…