The Sandow Family Circus Variety History – Part Fourteen.

The request was for a replacement ringmaster, and I was subsequently engaged for this. Sheila, having worked in a financial capacity, preferred a sales managing situation, in this case ice cream. One must remember the number of patrons could (and did!) reach 12,000 to 18,000 in one day. She was just 19 years of age and did an excellent job. The total sales and merchandising of Smarts was tremendous. The show would do one week or two week stands and the biggest business that year was in Liverpool with the tent packed twice daily for two weeks. I might add also, that the big box lorries that were emptied would be full of balloons that staff would spend hours inflating each day!

David Smart specifically requested that I should be a more correct liaison officer between the management and the artistes – please see thread Circus Administration- because, as he explained, the previous ringmaster would take upon himself tasks not always sanctioned by the front office like the delivery of the morning post to various caravans that, according to Mr. David (as he wished to be known)  would allow the excuse for ‘coffees’ here and there and he could not always be located. No mobile phones in those days!  He made it clear that it was show policy to request a certain job well done – no more and no less. No additions to the job. Everything was settled agreeably. I might add that indeed everyone was alloted a set task including myself for build ups and pull downs.

The first show was well covered by our trade journals of course and one review of the programme at the first stand said: ‘Tom Sandow is the ringmaster this season but made few announcements.’ Actually I made no announcements! I did not do so for two or three performances. It was not realised by the writer but had he spoken with me, I could have told him that the management of 60 or 70 artistes and the ring staff would demand much organising behind the ring doors and for myself to gain experience attempting a job new to me was the priority.

It was a question of, move this, cut that, extend something else, who might be missing, send a runner, inform the band of changes. We were both obviously pleased to be acceptable in the jobs because later we were invited to tour for the next season 1971 but our plans were to develop a credible and bookable speciality act for top summer shows and in this we did succeed in doing.

Assisting the Francesco (Cairoli family) with a televised clown entrée.

Manchester to coincide with the General Election. Press photocall to post our postal votes. Amazingly the postman arrived at the precise time to empty the box and found himself in the Manchester Evening News!

The Billy Smart’s system of management was not always liked. Moaners said it was a moving factory but I would not agree with this. However, to move such a vast enterprise would need a strict ‘code book’ and one could never question the precise logic that ran this show or indeed the brilliance of the Smart families.

One specific ‘brilliance’ that could be attributed to the great Billy Smart himself (books are written about his showmanship) was the fact that he purchased, in 1946 when the show started, 16 huge American MAC ex-army tractor lorries but used only eight of them so that the remaining eight might replace the ones disposed of or parts used. The same lorries were on the field in 1970!

Billy Smart senior was no longer with us having died during the 1960s but he was the master of public relations, regularly seated himself at the main entrance to welcome the ‘punters’ in his broad Cockney accent and large Stetson; ‘Hello my love’ he would greet some woman, ‘you will have a great time today, we have some great acts this year.’

The tent was as before, 225ft in diameter, with two sets of four king poles that would ‘leap frog’ each other from town to town along with the advance unit and booking office so when the circus arrived the site was already half developed. One or even more booking offices were located in shops in each town. The advance staff numbered up to 12 persons.
Perhaps it has been well documented but nonetheless, I feel their system should be listed here. ‘Corner People’ was indeed the system and operated like this on the ground under various members of the family who also had key jobs.

General Manager – Captain ‘Tiny’ Fayre
Then in no particular order
The Stable Manager
The Tent Master
The Transport Manager
The Ringmaster
The Front of House Manager (the front of show Box Office and advance bookings may have been yet another manager).

David Smart had a specific and separate front office – I only visited his large articulated living trailer once – for all show running issues and this was open from 9 am to 1 pm daily.

Complainers would say it was ‘touring socialism’ which in fact was nonsense but certainly all acts and artistes were treated equally with no personal favourites. If one bothered the front office it had to be for a good reason!

The management would sign all notifications ‘The Direction.’ These ‘Directives’ took the form of ‘yellow perils;’ printed messages on yellow paper sent to each of the Managers for each to attend to. No other Manager would know what another was about unless there was a need to know. I would receive notes addressed ‘To the Ringmaster’ and signed ‘The Direction’ always before the office closed so the system encouraged afternoons off that I used for practice. Some notes I would hang on the artiste’s entrance notice board if about press calls or publicity calls, for all artistes were contracted to take part when required. Some might be very critical. One note said; ‘Some artistes taking part in our spectaculars are not smiling – please do so and make sure that we keep the programme festive.’

Another said: ‘We do expect your best costumes at all times.’ Another was quite harsh; at the start of the season it said; ‘It is noted that certain caravans and vehicles are not painted in the show colours, if this is not done before our next stand these units will not be allowed onto the site.’ One may deduce that the act was not being sacked but would be expected to find an alternative parking situation!

During the season the show usually made three television recordings for the BBC – one being a specific show for children, with another one for Easter and another for the Christmas special. These were very busy times with a constant liaison between the office, the BBC producers and the artistes. Many new acts were brought in just for the TV shows and well known celebrity people. Yellow messages would be in abundance for they would never use word of mouth (unless it was really serious). Every message would be logged and duplicated, noted and timed. During each performance during the season, to the front of the lighting console, were placed four chairs and each performance would have seated one, two or more members of the ‘Direction’ in critical analysis of the ongoing programme. One felt a drilling of eyes! They missed absolutely nothing.

The 1970 season started (after the build up) with ‘The Direction’ seated in the front box and with the total number of acts, artistes and key personnel seated in the ring facing them. Each person or persons were then allocated one set job for the season so that every other person seated there would also know what it would be. The large Francescos (Cairoli) family were given the ring setting and sawdust job. One particular morning with the sun shining and all seeming cheerful I helped them with it, more for social reasons than any other but I was subsequently summoned to the front office to be told by David Smart that I must not do this again as this was not part of my engagement!

More Practice!

The choice of Billy Smarts to accomplish this aim proved a wise one. After around 11 am the day might be clear for practice and with so many of the best artistes in the world there, ideas and help would be put forward and good friendships made. The Continental artistes – who seem to make up the bulk of our shows – was always helpful and constructive, and for the first time I did not feel negative vibes from others.

The 1970 circus programme consisted of the following acts:
Charles Illeneb’s Magnificent Royal Bengal Tigers
Gwyn Owen (solo trapeze) with the Aerial Ballet (Note: Sanger’s 1961 season)
Li Suang – Hair raising Chinese Devil dancer on the bouncing rope
Holiday with Horses – presented by Yasmine Smart and John Gindl
The fabulous Francescos (Italian clowning company)
The Magnificent Markus (German strong man)
The Scheherazade (Magic – Carpet fantasy – all the cast)
Interval
The Mighty Hassani Troupe (of Arab Tumblers)
Phyllis Allan’s Wonderful Troupe of Poodles
The Francescos
Billy Smarts troupe of Indian Elephants (numbering 15) presented by Billy Smart Junior
The Seven Sensational Flying Oscas
Legend of the Old Prairie – Wild West Spectacular
Grand Finale.

The elephants would travel by train and here we see the troupe arriving at Lime Street Station Liverpool in 1970 for the  walk to the circus – this would attract huge crowds. The showgirls are seated on the top. Note the minimal care staff.

There is no doubt that the demands of this large show was hard and strict; the build ups and the pull downs were hard work. Even so I managed a vast improvement on the roller boards and we invested into good props and costumes. We had produced a good portfolio of photographs so by the season’s close we had bookings for the Festival Theatre in Paignton Devon, in a quality pantomime starring Donald Peers (a very popular veteran Variety stage and recording vocalist) and the same agency booked us for the following summer season (1971) in top hotels and cabarets around the Devonshire resorts plus a season at the Exmouth Pavilion. We had finally made it with a speciality act! It is certain that without our rewarding and very professional experience with Billy Smarts we would never have made it further than a basic level. The show closed in the autumn of 1972 but carried on for some years with annual television shows. One will see the huge number of fabulous photographs listed on this website for the past Gala Charity shows to benefit the Variety Club, photos supplied with appreciation by Gary Smart.

This photograph would be from the 1960s with a flying act appearing for a television rehearsal. Note the large band. The touring Big Top was all blue.

The same company receiving an award at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival.