The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
The Circus Clippings 213/376
Alma Whitaker, Los Angeles Times, L. A., Cal., Jan. 29, 1928.
The Hanneford Family on Al G. Barnes Circus, undated, circusesandsideshows.com, detail
& Bareback Rider Poodles Hanneford‘s Act, undated, circusesandsideshows.com
& Navajo Limited Brings Animals
When the Navajo Limited arrives in Los Angeles
at 1:30 p. m. Friday on the Santa Fe, a troupe
of circus horses and a flock of educated bears probably will
have completed the fastest transcontinental trip they
ever experienced. They are traveling in two special baggage
cars, according to James Duffy, general passenger
agent of the Santa Fe, and are scheduled to make their first
appearance the same evening in the prologue at
the premiere of Charlie Chaplin‘s new picture, „The Circus.“
The horses, owned by Poodles Hanneford, famous
comedy rider, were put on board the Pennsylvania Limited
last night immediately at the close of their Hippodrome
engagement, and the Pallenberg troupe of trained bears was
to be taken on at Philadelphia. Arrangements for the
appearance of the animals were completed several weeks
ago by Sid Grauman. They will be quartered at the
Chaplin studio during their engagement at the Chinese
Theater.
(...) Los Angeles Times, Jan. 23, 1928
„Funny, but I played on the same bill with him years ago“
Editorial content. „LONG-DISTANCE CALL
BRINGS ,POODLES‘
Sid Called Him in New York and Clown Started
for Chinese Theater With White Horses and Group
of Performers
By ALMA WHITAKER
Oh, but Sid Grauman had a dazzling idea when
he long-distanced New York and secured
,Poodles‘ Hanneford, the world‘s spiffiest circus clown,
for his prologue for Charlie Chaplin‘s Circus.
It was a sumptuous impulse in the middle of last week,
and Poodles had been Hippodroming in New York
for a year, his engagement miraculously concluding last
Sunday night. ,Can you come, and how much?‘
shouted Sid from Los Angeles. ,Can do. So much...“ shouted
Poodles from New York. ,Sold‘ boomed Sid.
And Poodles, with his eight performers and his five gorgeous
white horses and their valets, boarded a train at midnight
last Sunday, with the wires sizzling all over the country to insure
the special cars being hitched on to the Navajo Limited
in Chicago. James Duffy, general passenger agent, traveled
with the horses to make dead sure they caught that
Navajo Limited, and they arrived at 7:30 Friday morning,
the very day of the grand opening.
GRAPEFRUIT AND TEA
Which is how I came to breakfast with the world-famous
Poodles opposite the Chinese Theater, rolls and butter
and tea to the fare that nourishes the funniest, cleverest clown-
rider that ever delighted circus audiences.
Poodles is a little chap whose English father ran a traveling
circus around the British Isles and Poodles was actually
born in a circus caravan at Barnsley, Yorkshire. At 5 years
of age he was doing horseback stunts with father.
He can do anything on and with horses. One of his funniest
stunts is just walking off the horse‘s back with insouciant
nonchalance – ,Just because I was too lazy to jump off,‘ grins
Poodles.“ (...)
„ALL-IRISH SHOW
,They put on an all-Irish show at the New York Hippodrome...
And people asked how I got in on that,‘ grinned Poodle.
,I told ‘em, My father took the first circus into Ireland and our
elephant hated the Irish. He wouldn‘t let us ride him
or crate him or anything. So my job was to walk that elephant
all over Ireland for twelve years. Say, I‘m more Irish
than any Irishman after that.
,One day our mean zebra got loose in Ireland,‘ chuckles
Poodles. ,It wandered in the hills and scared Ireland
stiff, an ass in a football sweater, a contraption of the Devil
for sure...‘
Poodles has never met Chaplin, ,but he‘s the greatest clown
of us all,‘ he says. ,Funny, but I played on the same bill
with him years ago, and never spoke to him. How was I to know
he was going to be the king-pin of us all some day?
Say, this Circus show of his is blocking the traffic in New York.
They stand in line for blocks for hours before every
show. It takes six cops to regulate ‘em. All the old circus people
flock. You know May Wirth, of course, the finest rider
anywhere at anytime, owns a gorgeous home on Long Island –
well, you should see her sniff the sawdust and ache
to get back in the game...‘
So Hollywood is one big circus parade these days. The
Chinese Theater has been transformed into a seeming
tent, marvelous animals and clowns adorn the big promenade
space outside the theater. It looks as though one could
crawl in under the tent... children and grownups stand around
in ardent expectancy – anything might be expected
to happen any minute. ,Gee, I wouldn‘t have missed this for
anything,‘ beams Poodles.“
Grauman‘s Chinese Theater, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., L. A.
The Circus is released by United
Artists in New York January 6, 1928.
Redaktioneller Inhalt
Grauman´s The Circus Premiere 1928, 4´27“
The supposed „time travel/cell phone“ woman walks past the
„zebra horse“ in the first 30 seconds of the clip.
The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
