Sunday Morning with Don Marcks: A three Dotter from 1963

Here, for the dot dot dot fun of it, is my adaptation featuring excerpts from Don’s letter to me dated June 8, 1963.  I was living abroad at the time.

Sid Kellner and Son, On the Rise in the 1960s

Ringling show was forming a permanent European unit, it will be called Ringling-Barnm & Bailey.  All acts will be those which are now or have appeared with the Ringling show in this country ... [Holiday on Ice] fellow has now successfully arranged to get a Russian circus to come over here.  Russia in exchanged wanted an American show, and so Ringling will provide ...Guess that things were ironed out with the unions, for it was the AGVA that halted the Russian show from coming into this country when they were in Canada last yer ...

Was able to see James Bros. Circus, and I think they are about ready to equal anything that might appear here on the coast ... Still carried that Christiansen riding act, which also give them the whip and gun act as well. as the aerial duo number.  Then they have Ron Henon, Chester Cable, Henry’s Chimps, Toni Madison and her dogs, a girl working horses, 4 clowns, table rock, Dwight More and his dogs, Flying Hartzells, 7 Tangier Bros. tumblers.  In Oakland when I caught them, a 17 piece band ...

James Conquers Oakland: “In Oakland auditorium, they pulled a turnaway in the afternoon, not once did the lines ever get shorter than completely around the building.  In fact it was like Polack used to do in the old days.  They did that twice a day then.... James Bros. beat Polack into most of the local spots. ...might prove to take the edge off attendance for the Polack show

I’m sure that Kelly Miller isn’t going to be here for they have chartered a freighter and will play the Canadian ports along the sea edge.  They’ll move like a train show in that everything will be on the ship.  No one seems to know where Carson & Barnes is going to go, they are in the Midwest ...

Heard that Roy Bible has sold his small show to a fellow who was partly partners with him.  Now I have just heard that Stan Kramien has bought the show

Come next month, the model builders in Los Angeles are to put on a weekend show.I would like to take along say my dressing room tent, but I need many more figures, etc., to make it complete..

Oh, oh. Got to get over to the store and so I’d best wind this up.  Hope all is well with you and hope that I’ve not confused you too much this time.

Next Time with Don:: Angry circus owner demands a better review.