The Sandow Family Circus Variety History – Part Eight

In 1960 Billy Smarts Circus was probably the largest circus in Britain seating 6000 people, and certainly, the most successful. Its management was exceptionally dynamic and could not be faulted. At the close of my season with cousin Claude Fossett I received a message from my brother Richard telling me that he was consulting with the Billy Smart administration to form a clown company for 1961 and he was with the show at this time, October 1960, and was inviting me to join with him there. He implied that all was looking good.

The circus was at its last stand of the season which was always Clapham Common in London – opposite the tube station. They always finished the season on this A1 ground and actually put into place the full programme that would tour with the show the next year – in effect running it in. They also produced a television recording at this stand for the BBC each year. I took it for granted that no payments would be likely for this would be a consultation thing. In any case some weeks in London with the largest show must be a plus and I was looking forward to it.

I was completely awe struck when seeing this huge outfit. It had one central traditional 42ft ring with a 17ft track circling around it within a 225ft wide four pole tent, it was magnificent. I don’t know the number of artistes but it could have been 50 or 60 plus a huge number of staff.
I took no part in Richard’s meetings with the Smart administration but it was clear from the onset that Richard’s plans would not come to anything. For one thing no other clowns were involved. Furthermore, Smart’s already had an abundance of clowns with the usual large professional slapstick troupe for the central ring and the number of ‘between acts’ track clowns – working outside of the ring. Plainly no progress was going to happen. At the time there was no point in making issues – to me it could only be a plus for a period of a few weeks in that I thought a holiday in London with free parking was not bad. However, I made myself known and volunteered for a number of press promotions. Billy Smarts always had one or two ‘press clowns’ who did not perform in the show, just on call for off circus promotions and various publicity calls that the Smarts pushed very hard every day somewhere or other.

 Tom, would you feed my elephants please.

One morning Mr Smart Senior was seated upon his articulated caravan steps and motioned me over. He said; ‘You are Dick Sandow’s son? (Meaning my father). I replied yes along with some chat. He said; ‘I have a small job for you. You know we have four baby elephants. I would like you to call here every morning and collect a bucket of milk for each of them. I can not trust the so and so (!) grooms to do it right.’

I was totally impressed with the vibrancy of it all. Something seemed to be going on every five minutes. The show had recently completed two major films (supplying ideas and equipment) that were on release nationwide (if not worldwide). One being a comedy Life is a Circus featuring the Crazy Gang with, of course, Flanagan and Allan. This film proved very popular in 1960 and played to full houses. It was very funny with a great cast including Lionel Jeffries, Shirley Eaton, Leo McKern and Michael Holliday. Lionel Jeffries played the Genie from the bottle.

Here is the delightful actress Maureen Moore performing a slightly risque dance of the Seven Veils!

The other very successful film was ‘Circus of Horrors’ with the great star Anton Diffring as a lunatic plastic surgeon.

The Billy Smarts show programme content was wonderful in my eyes with a huge band led by the same musical director – Bernard Weller -from the Hippodrome Great Yarmouth (1955 season) so both my mother and I knew him well. It was most exciting and this inspired me, once and for all, to practice an act! So Richard actually did me a service by opening my eyes to a large show and vast talent. Whilst there I met with Len ‘Spider’ Austin (working with the track clowns) from the 1955 season at Great Yarmouth, and he offered me a short season with the Bouglione Circus in Paris for that winter period and Christmas. This time with track clowns that actually existed! Apparently he had the annual contract with Bouglione to supply clowns (mystifying really when one would assume that an abundance of clowns would be available in France – but one is not to reason why). I was fully determined to spend a season with the Smarts and actually spent two seasons with them, one in 1962-1963 and again as the ringmaster in 1970.

Since he departed from the family in 1948 we had not seen very much of him other than one week in 1952 I think, when we appeared on the same Variety bill. I do not think he toured many theatres after 1956 and for the 1957 season he toured with Chipperfields.

Brother Richard was a fine ideas person and salesperson, a good manager in effect, for these qualities he was well liked around circus. His own family had missed these qualities! But, his character would not stick at one project, as soon as he got bored he would look for the next idea to follow. On Smart’s he was there with his second wife, a young swimmer he had met in the final Bournemouth summer season he played with his first wife during the summer of 1958. I was with Sangers that year and we were surprised and of course sad to learn of his pending divorce. The show was near to Bournemouth so mother and I visited him – he was alone looking cheerful in his large caravan. He and his wife were performing this last contract together although living apart. As previously stated, they performed a highly bookable comedy dancing acrobatic act and Richard did try to reproduce it with his second wife but I do not think she could manage it.

I parted from Richard on good terms and, eventually, joined with the troupe that numbered around ten for the Paris run. The Bouglione show was, and still is a very large show and did very good business that Christmas. I knew a few gags of course but the clowns sent over by Len were fully professional track clowns with big walk-around props, like a walking bedstead, gags like the animal suit worn by Bernie Clifton – the clown being the legs. All big visual stuff. They had great experience so I thought best to push forward mostly within their routines. Track clowning might be thought lowly? But it is a major part of large circus – best known perhaps in America. They are supposed to entertain between acts not pester the audience! This seems a modern trend.

My mother was at our comfortable winter quarters (we were all in hotels in Paris) when I received a message from her that Pat Freeman of Sanger’s had written to her and wanted our services for the 1961 season. I was a little apprehensive about the proposal knowing that the show had failed to tent the previous year but the facts were most encouraging. Mr Harold Sharpe had taken over Lord George Sanger’s Circus.

Upon return from Paris I found that Pat Freeman’s letter was glowing, full of excitement and overflowing about the future Sanger prospects. He said that they now had a brand new tent and transport fleet (he did not mention anything about Mr. Sharpe). Obviously we were equally pleased so I telephoned Pat to be agreeable saying that I must clown that year and practice. He was fully agreeable and terms were settled. He requested that my mother supply the canteen facilities for the work staff. This she was pleased to do. Both salaries were good and contracted! I had told him that I had just returned from Paris for Len Austin and he surprised me again by saying that Len would be touring as well and no doubt I would clown with him. A strange coincidence that this would be the third season for or with Len. I feel sure he liked me.

Pat Freeman then sent to us the contract (a novelty in tenting circus) and invited us to proceed, at once, to their new winter quarters near Ashford in Kent to help put the show together where I would be paid to do it (yet another novelty in circus, to be paid at winter quarters)!

On arrival we found that the winter quarters were part of a business park close to Ashford. No doubt owned by Mr. Sharpe or one of his associates. Two hanger sheds plus smaller buildings, workshops, and hard standing – a perfect location. Nothing was told to us but it became obvious that Mr. Sharpe was running the venture and with the Sanger family as co-directors. The reader might be interested to learn that the original Lord George Sanger winter quarters – a farm – is now under Gatwick Airport.

The season commenced in March and I was too busy to practice. When the season started I began to concentrate on the clowning, roller balancing practice and stilt walking.

Mr. Sharpe had put in place a real gentleman as General Manager, a Major (retired) from the British army named Hill. He was absolutely typical, tall with moustache. It is true that he entered Germany in 1945 and came across the German Cirkus Hagenbeck in terrible conditions so the army took it over under his command and saved many animals. This must be pure ‘Hollywood’ surely. He made an exceptional job as Manager. I noticed on Pay Days all his caravan nicnacs were in precisely the same spots as the previous week. On enquiry he told me that they were glued to the shelves to avoid packing and unpacking! I thought this clever. Mr. Sharpe also engaged a complete ‘josser’ as Publicity Manager who engaged two attractive girls for the bill placing wearing airline type dress with caps and with ‘Sanger’s Circus’ on the brims! The accounting was immaculate and NI payments deducted from pay packets and slips.

The tent was brand new with two main poles and seating for up to 1000. The whole show was blue and white and looked exceptionally smart.
When with Sanger’s for the previous years they had not encouraged any single girls on the show at all (always trouble said Mrs. Freeman)! In contrast, for 1961 a troupe of Digger Pugh dancing acrobatic girls were engaged for various duties including rope routines around the central trapeze supplied by Gwyn Owen.

A five piece swing band occupied a bandstand with an excellent musical score – all young fellows. In fact the show that season must have been the youngest on the road for even the trapezist Gwyn Owen was just 21 years old. The youth and energy was terrific and the eagerness to practice was restored like with Harry Cody. I put a rope between the two king poles and was soon walking the stilts.

The band would play during the house coming in just for the joy of it, the best of traditional jazz (that was reborn during that year of 1961) and I can say without fear of contradiction that the audience would sometimes stand and applaud with many times a packed tent.

The show toured major resorts that season and ‘the young ones’ would often gather on the beach after the show for music playing and barbecues until 1 or 2 am. Great days.

The 1961 Sanger show was the strongest programme with Scott’s sea lions and a French act to finish – a somersaulting motor car. The show returned to the Ashford winter quarters and I was to receive a salary again to organise a couple of staff in repainting of vehicles and general. This was fine for I still did not have a bookable act so I spent this relaxed winter perfecting a roller routine.