Our tent at that time was Italian design, very elaborate, One of the
first Italian style tents in north America. Inside lining the sidewall
was an inner sidewall made of blue and gold metallic eyelash material.
None of the tents sidewall was visible inside the tent. Over the main
stage, and the blade box stage were canopy (awnings) made of the same
material in red and gold.
The blowoff percenium was the same in red and gold. Spot lights were
used to augment the lights to illuminate the acts and when Lady Patricia
(Patty Zerm) swallowed the neon and
when Mephisto did the fire the stage lights and spot lights backed out.
The show in those years included: Mephisto, Fire and Blockhead; Patricia
Zerm, Swords; Bobo (Duggan) Rubber Man. Cill and Mamie King, "Worlds
smallest married couple" electric Act, Glen Newman, Dwarf Snake
Wrestler: Chris Christ and Teresa Knife Throwing, Impalement, Ward
Hall, Ventriloquist and Magic, also Juggling Act; Emmett Blackwelder
"Turtle Man"; Bill Cole "Quarter Man" Linda Clark, Contortionist; Dick
Brisben. Penguin Boy; Artoria, Tattooed Lady; Gladia,"Frog Girl"; John
Kampmier, "The Lumberjack Giant''; Willie Norman, "Dancing Fat Man",
Inside Lecturers was Doc Hankins and Cliff King: Blowoff was Bill Fitch
"Dr Frankenstein, Human Pincushion", Front Talkers were Jerry Ross, Jack
Woods. Plus four ticket sellers and working man.
Cliff King was the boss canvas man. In those years we were operating
four ten in one sideshows, a ten in one illusion show and about nine
large grind shows, including a 100 foot bannerline front tented torture
show, and an 80 foot bannerline front freak baby show, two portable
celebrity wax museums, Midget and The Monsters; Fat Show; Barbara
Bennett Worlds Smallest Woman 60 ft front trailer mounted; Nora
Hillburns' Frog Boy, 50 foot trailer mounted; 60 foot front 25 ft high
semi trailer Two Headed Girl Illusion show; Headless Girl 40 foot solid
front; Snake Girl Illusion, forty foot ; plus rat show , snake show, and
a fifty foot front trailer mounted shark show, Chriss' sideshow was a
165 foot front thirty feet high with elaborate marquee and lighting
package. His ambition in life was to have the finest sideshow ever, and
I really believe it was.
In
those years other acts we had different seasons were Francis Doran
Swords, Emmet Bejano Alligator man, Percilla Bejano Monkey Girl, Bill
Durks with Three Eyes, Two Noses, giants including Johann Peturson and
Abdul the Arabian Giant, both 1973 and so many more.
It
would be impossible to tour a show like that again for several reasons:
fuel etc to expensive to have tow semis and five other vehicles on the
road with one sideshow. Excessive trailer space rent by fairs and
carnivals. No fair or carnival will allow that much space for one show
and if you couldn't afford the high rent usually by the foot, Mainly
their are no longer the quality of human oddities as attractions readily
available today.
That show was all alive and real, there were no museum attractions in
it.
The payroll (if you could get the people) would be prohibitive. But I am
pleased that Chris attained his goal. He would have done it without me,
but I hope perhaps I helped him to pave the way. Then as now he did the
work, while I took the bows. Our #2 sideshow was very well managed for
12 years by Dick Johnson it had a 140 foot bannerline front, #3 show was
the former Pete Kortes show with a 150 foot bannerline and was well
managed by Jon Friday and then Henry Valentine, #4 was the sideshow on
"Circus Vargus" Managed by Jim and Sandra Windland with a 130 foot
bannerline. All these shows had first class equipment and star studded
casts of acts. One other show that was a package sideshow produced by us
for the "Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus World" park at
Haines City Fl. was in their main building. We presented five
acts, That unit was managed by Milt Robbins. We had a one year contract
that was extended for six months, after that they had no organized
sideshow but hired a few acts that were part of the parks pay roll.
In
addition to all this in 1976 we had four permanent museums at the Jersey
shore, "Magic On Parade" a huge revue with seventeen major illusions
four production numbers and seven specify acts, (total 46 performers on
stage in a thirty two hundred seat big top tent theatre. Opened an 18
month tour in Mexico April 5, 1976. Also had a live variety show in a
tent theatre in Canada for the summer season.
In
1975 Chris built a theatre, in a former ballroom, at Crystal Beach
Ontario for the "Wondercade Magic Revue" which played there for 17
weeks.
Now in 2008 we have one show, "World Of Wonders" a combined sideshow,
illusion show, to go on tour.
Our summer tour will open at "New Jersey State Fair, Meadowlands" our
26th year at this big fair.
Life is simpler now, But it is fun to reminisce about the history. It
pleases me that some others remember it so vividly.
So
many of those wonderful people are gone now.
May God bless all of them and all of you who remember.
Ward Hall
Photographs
1973 Hall & Christ Show -
Chippewa Falls WI
1975 With Circus Varga
2006 World of Wonders at
Medowland
