Coming Soon to a Theatre or Tablet Near You: PBS on American Circus History --- Warner Bros. on Leitzel & Codona -- Disney on a New Dumbo ... And There's More on the Inside! ...

Still waiting-praying for a great  new movie on the  circus, might PBS have the ticket? Come October 8,  American Experience to present a two-part, four-hour documentary. The Circus.    I can’t wait.  I keep telling myself that somewhere, somehow, a film maker is bound to stumble upon big top gold.  It’s  loaded with triumph and tragedy, skullduggery and betrayal and spangled glory.  Too much of this is too often ignored (The Greatest Showman) or grossly overdone (Water for Elephants).

Also come October, comes the return of Big Apple Circus to Lincoln Center — IF BAC returns.  My projection is devoid of solid evidence, although a very nice lady who answered the phone when I called (she sounded like the member of an Old World circus family) told me, yes, they are coming back, she thinks, or I am the one thinking?  She just does not know when. Anybody out there know what kind of business they have been doing?  Anybody out there still reading this? (Update: Show opens at Lincoln Center October 20)

Hollywood is on a sawdust roll:  Just when I was about to give up on the once-touted new film in the making about the tumultuous lives of Leitzel and Codona, Queen in the Air,  I googled up good news: Indeed, according to Deadline, as of April 12 last, the producer  “is sticking with Warner Bros. and the theme” It's the WB name that fuels my enthusiasm   Dream along with me for an epic set starring the  mammoth six-pole Ringling-Barnum  big top of the 1920s. Take a look up there ... Can ... you ... imagine? ..

 When elephants flew: Disney is remaking its celebrated 1941 animation,  Dumbo. This will be a live action, directed by Tim Burton.  Due out March 29.   Wonder if Dumbo will fly?  Hard to tell by the charming tease.  There are images of a real baby elephant.   Dumbo airborne is likely to be a puppet or robot.  Regards to which, people in high tech places are talking up robotic acrobats, jugglers and peanut vendors (I added the vendors)  soon to be stiff-executing your way.  I just can’t wait.  No, I CAN wait. 

In the meantime, back here in real time:  CBS Sunday Morning did a sweet little segment on Kevin Venardos, he once of Ringling red with whistle, then for a time a “homeless ringmaster.”   He’s now fronting his own one man,  one very long truck show.  He sets up outdoors, acts coming and going over various dates, ringmasters them with humble joy, and seems to love seeing even a few dozen people in the seats.  His fate is a poignant sign of our trembling times, and you gotta respect Kevin's infectious dedication.  For CBS, he revealed a warm,  sincere passion for the Big top that I hadn’t felt from him when he ringmastered for Big Apple and later Vargas.  I feel for this guy and wish him grateful crowds.
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SIDE SHOW STOPPERS: Sir Harry of Kingston writing up Kelly Miller in Circus Report: “It has no animals, but many great acts. It is not a circus without animals, but a circus according to Jim Judkins.”  I feel your let down, Harry. . I have argued for a few dogs, etc.  And yet, I can see the smartness in what Jim has done.  He has made it impossible for the animal rights activists to muck up the midway. They are anointing his tent for this fact alone.  I hope, assuming Jim can come home a few pennies richer,  that he will relent in time and let the dogs in the tent.  Hey, they are stealing the stage on America’s Got Talent. ...... Tim Tegge,  spinning out a persuasive review in Circus Report of  the Nellie Hanneford  Shrine show in Oklahoma city, for which he ringmastered.  I so enjoyed Tim’s deliciously detailed write-up, that it felt like the best damn circus I have been to in some time!  Oh, wait, I haven’t been to any circus in some time ... Kenneth Feld, remember him?   Broadway producer? Wondering what he is up to these post-Ringling daze,  I googled his name and was mighty impressed to find that he and wife Bonnie produced the big New York hit, Dear Evian Hansen.   Really?  When you report, you are supposed to dig, so dig I did, all the way to the Broadway database. Turns out the Feld names appear among literally dozens of other names, all  listed as “producer."  Once upon a season, there were backers, sometimes called angels. Now called "producers".

END RINGERS: Sad to see that France's long-venerated Pinder Circus sliding into bankruptcy.  It’s not as easy over there as some over there would have us believe ... The ever precarious Garden Bros. Circus  rated F by the Ohio Central Better Business Bureau.  Reason being, beyond free tickets, adults complain of having to fork over  too much money for concessions. Well, at least the show showed up before  proceeding to piss them off.  That’s a Garden bonus ....

Back to Queen of the Air:   Here is how the producers can make the film --- an imperative these daze --- PC-certified. And shut down feminist rage against women not getting stardom in a sexist circus back then.  Give cameos to a few of them who did:  Bird Millman, May Wirth, Mable Stark, Ella Bradna,Winnie Colleano,  Luicita Leers (surprised?)  I could go on....If I am asked to name the greatest stars of the golden age, I would come up with more women than men.


Oh, what glory Winnie Colleano brought to the big tops. Behold and believe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DEBzkC3cnE

 

 

Photos: Lillian Leitzel, May Wirth, Bird Millman, Mabel Stark

 

PBS -- Warner Bros. --  Disney.  Heck, we've got some heavy weights on our side, and I'm waiting to NOT be disappointed again, with regards and regrets to the P.T. Barnum who never made it to the screen.

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