The Circus Blog

Posted By thecircusblog on August 28, 2009

After the circus was over came the blow off. Each side show on  the midway would take turns doing their bally to build their own tip. Some midways had 4 or 5 different shows…could be a Ten in One, a Ding show, a giant “whatever”, snake’ show etc. The most popular, but only with the men, was the girl show. When the bally started the midway stopped. The ladies would try to usher their husbands away from this dazzling sight of six or seven women on a platform bumping and grinding to the rhythm of a bass drum. Some were successful with a lot of  arm pulling while others left their men there hoping that they would make a fool out of themselves as their eyes tried to see though the costumes while they watched the undulating, dancing girls. The drum stopped as the girls left the bally platform. The caller cried out the show starts right now…. don’t miss it. Get your tickets right here, right now. It’s worth every penny you’ll spend. Most of the customers were single men and the others went off mumblings to themselves and to each other……………I think I’ll come back later, MAYBE. The problem with this kind of show was on the back side of the show tent, there were those men who wished to get in free by slipping under the side wall. They were always met with two or three gentlemen that had a friendly smile and a helping hand who pointed their way off the lot…………If you know what I mean. When you look back at the shows it seems provocative until you go out to a beach or a local swimming pool today. The clothes of today are far more risque than they were then. This advertisement flyer was used in the mid 1940’s. Grace brought her show from the east and played the west for a few seasons, two of which were with Siebrand Bros.1949 and 1950.

Categories: Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival
Tags: Add new tag, Burlesque, Girl Show