King Bros. Circus

By Homer C. Walton. Bandwagon, Vol. 7, No. 6 (Nov-Dec), 1963, pp. 23-25.

Photo: An early photo of Allen King with a hippo on the Sells-Floto Circus in 1924.. Photo taken by Toby Tyler, from the Bert Wilson Collection.

Allen King, who later became a well known wild animal trainer, had little experience when he joined the Al G. Barnes Circus at Dallas, Texas, in 1922. He was 25 years old at the time and went to work under Louis Roth, chief trainer of the Barnes Show.

Roth gave Allen an act with a group of twelve lionesses which he had been working with other animal acts on the show. Roth gave a rehearsal of the act to show King what was to be done, while Allen stood by. The act had hardly gotten underway before three of the lionesses were in a fight. No sooner had the trouble started than King was fighting beside Roth. After fifteen minutes of savage battling with the jungle beasts, Allen King had helped save the life of the Barnes chief.

King worked on the Barnes show for some time before he started an animal act of his own working on eastern shows, where he met with great success.

During the World's Fair at Chicago in 1934, the late Zack Terrill operated a circus for The Standard Oil Co. Allen King presented the cat act, that was known as The Red Crown Cage of Fury. Spencer Huntley had the elephant act of The Standard Oil attraction, called the Live Power Show.

This was the start of The Cole Brothers Circus as the above animals and steel arena were used on that show in 1935 and Allen King was featured as Sensation of World's Fair Live Power Exhibit.

King left the Cole show early in the 1935 season, joining with Ray Marsh Bryden to reopen the Bays Bros. motorized circus. This was the former Gentry truck equipment. This show was called Rice Bros.

While the Cole Show acts and animals were being used at the Detroit Shrine Circus, Allen King made connections which were later to place him in the employ of the Ford Motor Car Co. as chief of police at the Ford Factory.

After being away from show life for a time he became restless and decided to take out a show of his own. In the spring of 1942, King framed a small truck show to take out that season. He contracted for the use of the Haag elephants or Fisher elephants as they were known at that time. Mr. Fisher, father-in-law of Harry Haag, financed the elephant act after the death of Earnest Haag and the Mighty Haag Show went off the road.

The original Haag elephants were "Tip" and "Alice." For more than 30 years they tramped the roads of this country from Florida to Maine via any and all roads east of the Mississippi and back south for the winter. Tip died in 1937 and the Haag Show bought "Judy" to replace "Tip" that same year. She was very small at that time, maybe three years old. These two, Alice and Judy, were the elephants on the King Show in 1942.

The Billboard Magazine for Jan. 3 announced the winter quarters at 121 Selden Ave., Detroit, Mich., and the opening date as May 1. It also stated the show would carry 25 truck units and about 25 additional units belonging to individual acts, etc. Big top was a 110 ft. round with one 50 ft. middle. Ten trucks and trailer units have been completed. (I believe that is as many units as were ever carried by the show). The color scheme was red, white and blue. It stated the show would use a single ring and hippodrome track.

On Feb. 14 Billboard said Allen King had announced C. W. (Clint) Finney as general agent. All canvas had arrived except big top and menagerie which will be delivered by U.S. Tent and Awning in April. Seats completed with grandstand on both sides.

April 18 it was announced staff of show as follows: Allen King, owner and general manager; Walter Baird, assistant manager; C. W. Finney, general agent and traffic manager; Chester Espy, treasurer; W. Parello, auditor; Claude Myers, director of music; Frank Stout, equestrian director; Harry Haag, assistant director; Frank Heistond, mgr. annex; E. B. Crawford, concessions mgr.; Jackie Andrews, announcer; Willard Holt, chief electrician; Broxton Grady, chief of property dept.; Cliff Monnetl, charge of front door; Harry Gordon, general press representative; Fred Crowthiers, adv. mgr.; C. R. Regor, adv. and program mgr.

The program as follows: Grand entry, comedy ocelots, head balancing, Zavatta Troupe (5 people), Clowns, Shorty Sylvester & Co., dog act presented by Harry Haag, swinging ladders, menage horses, presented by Frank Stout, Jinks Hooglan and Tye McChesney, clown number, single traps, Caroline Hodgson, riding dogs, monkeys and goats, presented by Frank Stout, contortion, Erny Stewart, Zoppes, unsupported ladders (9 people), Margoret Pettis and Co., iron jaw, football mule, rings, Earnest Stewart. Pickout horse, presented by Frank Stout, elephant act, Zoppes riding act (9 people), cloud swing Margoret Pettis, clown number, wire act, presented by the Hodgsons, high jumping horses, presented by Jinks Hoogland, Tye McChesney and Frank Murphey, clown number, Mickey King, featured aerialist, riding school, exit march by L. Myers and his band.

The Billboard Magazine of May 23 stated that the show had a fair matinee and capacity night at Plymouth, Mich., opening stand. Then a week of rain and cold had a bad effect on business. At Adrian, Mich., May 11, weather cleared and gave show fair matinee and full house at night.

The June 20 issue of Billboard said King doing excellent business in Ohio with straw houses the rule. Show seats 2700 but was not enough at Nelsonville, Ohio. Then in the June 27 issue stated, Ohio business spotty for King. Only fair business at Newcomerstown, picked up at New Philadelphia, big at Uhrichsville and Carrollton gave light matinee and heavy rain resulted in poor night house. Semi hauling canvas wrecked at Ira, Ohio, June 18, killing 1 and injuring 4, truck badly damaged. Jack Raum, rodeo and thrill show operator, in Akron, loaned show a semi truck.

On Aug. 1 it was announced that King Show, which ran into unfavorable weather during its first two months on the road, was heading south after a number of stands in Michigan. Reports that the show was closing was branded as false. The show had laid off for 5 days in Indiana during the latter part of July to reorganize and the show was cut down and was being transported on 7 trucks. They had an ad in Aug. 15 Billboard (on account of reorganizing) for sideshow people, two dancers, ticket sellers, colored musicians, clowns for big show, etc. Guy Smuck was then manager of the sideshow. It was announced on Aug. 22 that he had built up the sideshow since taking over. Clint Finney closed Aug. 16 as general agent.

Different acts closed during the season and I have been told that before the show closed some of the people were buying their own meals.

This was the first and last season for this show. They closed at Jonesboro, Arkansas, cancelling an entire week. This was a very disastrous season for this disorganized show. It was too small and had too weak a performance to play two days in a town. The towns selected at the latter part of the season were too small to support the show.

(I want to thank Joseph T. Bradbury and Donald R. Carson for their help on this story).

(Ed. Note: The King title was first used in 1937 on a show owned by the Snake King of Brownsville, Texas. It featured his son, Manual King, the boy lion trainer. The most famous King show started in 1946. It was operated until 1956 by Floyd King, later by Benny and Remo Cristiani and finally as currently used by Bob Snowden and Frank McClosky.)

King Bros. Circus Route for 1942 Season

Season opens: