Wednesday, May 24, 2006

From Eric Beheim/ Adele Nelson Elephants #2


#2 (8/1/31) SNOOTY GUEST!
"When Fanchon and Marco's CIRCUS DAYS idea came to Oakland, Jennie, one of the ladies in the production immediately took her trunk over to one of the leading hotels. Manager Frank Newman and Publicity Director Phil Phillips of the Fox Senator Theater crashed the local papers with art of this stunt."

Again, in THE LAST WORD, no details on the show but exclaiming what a clever rascal the Press Agent, Phil Phillips was.

I might add that these elephants were later sold to Dailey Bros. Circus and in 1948 was the first act Barbara ever worked in (she was 13) but by this time "Tillie" had died the previous Fall while on the Texas Dates and had been replaced by an old Barnum & Bailey elephant named "Jap" (Japino).
The turning of Barbara into an Elephant Empress by Jean Allen and Louie Reed would make a good story in itself. The final result being an end ring act (Myrtle, Jap and Jennie) styled by Barbara Ray and worked by Smokey Jones.

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