Tuesday, February 20, 2018

#13 Baraboo!


11 comments:

Chic Silber said...


"Wild Man" Pat Anthony

An exciting fighting act

Fortunately no microphone

Roger Smith said...

Story I heard goes that Prof. George Keller played a date at a religious school, and guided his cats with platitudes and soothsaying. So the nuns lowered a microphone into the arena to pick up on how the gentle Captain managed the wild beasts, and everyone loved it. The next year, down came the mic again, but this time the cat act belonged to Wild Dick Clemens, who filled the air with a barrage of expletives. The nuns and crew stampeded to cut off the mic and save the innocent ears of their stunned students and teachers. Pat Anthony's name has likely been subbed for Clemens in this telling.

Cindy Potter said...

I will forever have a "soft spot" in my heart for Pat Anthony!!!
:-)
Cindy

Wade G. Burck said...

Agreed Cindy, I can never hear too many "Pat" stories or see too many "Pat" pictures. Truly unique circus personality and individual.

Wade Burck

Jim Alexander said...

Another agreement, for many of us who's circus memories are of the Polack show or other indoor Shrine dates, Pat Anthony was the big cat act we remember.

Chic Silber said...


To me he was certainly of

the very important cat acts

I enjoyed several of them

but for me there surely was

"The One & Only" CRB himself

Wade G. Burck said...

Chic,

Not denying Charly anything, but as Jambo Alexander said Pat Anthony was the poor man's GGW, for folk's that were standing on the outside looking into Ringling. The neat thing about Pat was just hanging out and BSing with him. He really dug children and young goof's like myself starting out. Most encouraging and helpful, and a fount of information and knowledge. Charly, rest his soul, fell short in that regards.

Jambo, are you going to answer my question about the union beef with Disney? I am having a hard time staying ahead in a new's censored country.

Wade Burck

Roger Smith said...

CRB translates to Clyde Raymond Beatty.

Wade G. Burck said...

Sorry,
My alibi is that Michu always called Charly "Reichsführer" so I wrongly assumed that Chic had shortened Charly Reichsfuhrer Baumann to CRB.........

Wade Burck

Chic Silber said...


Thanks Roger for the explanation

Although "Heinzdieter" was among

my very favorites & he treated me

much better than he dealt with so

many others but for me CRB was the

"One & Only" (you had to be there)

Not very important but GG is quite

a ways down on my list of cat acts

A very unique showman with charm

to spare but with cats not so much

Chic Silber said...


"The One & Only" should well

have been a registered title

As I said "you had to be there"

I had opportunity to announce

his act in Commack for a few

days from my spot booth when

Roger was ill. I can repeat it

word for word to this day