Mr. Zoppe
Posted By thecircusblog on September 24, 2009
Geno and Monte Zavatta’s uncle. This obituary was given to me by Geno Zavatta.
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Irma and Rio Zavatta
Posted By thecircusblog on September 24, 2009
The Zavattas were quite diversified as are many circus performers. The unsupported ladder was one of many acts of Olgie and Irma.
The Royal Rockets
Posted By thecircusblog on September 24, 2009
What a great act, I remember them well. They were on the Siebrand Bros Circus in the early 1960’s. I spoke with Dorothy a few weeks ago and she is fine and doing well in her late 80’s. John Carson, her brother on the right is also retired from the road and for several years John was the Treasurer/ Secretary for the Stage Hands Union Local 336, Phoenix, AZ. Paul, Dorothy’s husband on the left passed away many years ago.
The Friedanis
Posted By thecircusblog on September 24, 2009
Photo supplied by Gene Zavatta. We are hoping to get more information on this act.
Trapeze
Posted By thecircusblog on September 21, 2009
The motion picture Trapeze was shot in 1956. It was an instant success. Just a year or two before the movie came out, my family and I were on the Siebrand Bros Circus and this is where I met my dear friend Shelby Jackson. Shelby and his wife Babe did a Horizontal Bar act on the show. During the season Shelby started teaching me the bars. While practicing Shelby said to me you remind me of Burt……….. Oh Burt who?………Lancaster…. Shelby said. He use to do bars, pretty good too, He had to bend his knee up like you do on the giant swing to keep from hitting his feet. He was a good acrobat and did a pretty good perch act. Shelby told me that he worked with Burt and Nick Cravat back in the 1930’s. They were on Kay Bros and King Bros Circuses. Shelby mentioned that he was not a trapeze performer but he was in a casting act for awhile…. somewhat similar and that he could do just about everything else when it came to acrobatics. Most of the trapeze doubling in the movie Trapeze was done by Fay Alezander. However if you see the movie, Burt does some of his own stunt work.
Photo source
www.amazon.comtrapezeburtlancaster
Burt and Nick…in the movie “Crimson Pirate”
Posted By thecircusblog on September 21, 2009
Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat had been friends for years.Their friendship started when they were kids and they remained friends thoughout their lives. Both were born in New York city and met when they were around the age of ten. They were both interested in gymnastics and later a circus man by the name of Curly Brent taught them acrobatics, There was also one other circus performer by the name of Sam Catchume who was responsible for teaching them horizontal bars while on the road with Kay Bros Circus….this is according to the late Shelby Jackson, a bar performer himself and friend of Burt’s. Burt and Nick took to the road in the early 1930’s and traveled with Kay Bros, King Bros and later the Cole Bros Circus under the name of Lang and Cravat. When the second world war broke out, that finished the acts. After the war Burt went to Hollywood and it did not take long before he was staring in many motion pictures and Burt remembered his old friend Nick. They became a team once again. Nick starred with Burt in several motion pictures one of which is Crimson Pirate. Do you remember the Twilight Zone?…. there was an episode in 1963 called “Nightmare at 20,ooo feet…..Nick Cravat was the gremlin on the wing of the plane ripping it away.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nickcravat
Burt Lancaster
Posted By thecircusblog on September 21, 2009
I don’t think there was a motion picture that Burt Lancaster did that I didn’t like. He was bigger than life and no matter who stared with him in a picture, he took their thunder, That’s only my opinion of course. In his action movies where he had to be athletic, the circus acrobat came out in him. He was very capable doing many of his own stunts. In the 60’s I had the pleasure of meeting Burt Lancaster while I was doing some motion picture work. I had mentioned to him that I was born and raised in the circus. For about an hour we sat on the movie set and talked circus.
Photo source: http://www.angelfire.com/0h2/writer/burtlancaster.html
What is going on!!!!!
Posted By thecircusblog on September 19, 2009
Moscow circus presents monkeys as Jews
Israeli living in Russia shocked to find anti-Semitism in capital’s most popular circus as four monkeys enter ring for ‘Jewish Wedding’ skit. Embassy spokesman says heads of Jewish community in Russia found skit ‘bad taste at worst’. Monkeys’ trainer: Representatives of Jewish cultural center approved everything
Yael Levy
| Published: | 07.13.09, 13:50 / Israel News |
Micky Saidov, an Israeli businessman living in Russia never would have imagined that a trip with his daughter to one of the most talked about circuses in Moscow would go from an entertaining experience to a full-blown anti-Semitic one.
During one of the Nikulin Circus skits, the performers simulated a “Jewish Wedding”, with the leading roles being filled by four monkeys, acting as the bride, groom and their parents.
“It was humiliating, embarrassing and even spine-chilling. My 14-year-old daughter Linoy was shocked, with her mouth wide open. She was so upset she wanted to throw trash into the ring to make it stop,” Saidov told Ynet.
Following the incident, he decided to send a letter to the Israeli embassy in Moscow to inform them of the show’s content. “I wanted to bring their attention to this very anti-Semitic, offensive, strident and chilling point with regards to Jewish feelings,” he said.
Carmen Hall on Ringling
Posted By thecircusblog on September 16, 2009
News article on Carmen Hall 1988 while performing with Ringling Bros.
My thanks to Geno Zavata, cousin of Carmen, for the ad and photos.
Carmen Hall and Her Baboons
Posted By thecircusblog on September 16, 2009
In these photos I really cannot tell what kind of Baboons these are but they look like the Ginny Baboons. In her newspaper ad the baboon has a Mandarin face?
I just got a comment on the different Kinds of Baboons they are. Thanks
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