Doc Capell The Wrestler

Posted By on January 31, 2010

doc-s-athletis-show

Doc Capell began his career in show business at the age of 14 with the  J.E. Henry Wagon Show and stayed with the circus 12 years. He worked with the animals and learned acrobatics. He then became a professional wrestler, stepping into the ring with Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Rudy Dusek, Joe Pesek and many others. He stayed with wrestling quite some time, then took out his own professional wrestling show. Doc also had a medicine show for awhile, that’s how he got his nick name Doc. To this day I do not know his first name.  In 1949 he started the Capell Bros Circus. In this photo are his two sons, Jack on the right Bob on the left. Bill Capell the youngest of the three boys came later.

Share

About the author

My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.

Comments

3 Responses to “Doc Capell The Wrestler”

  1. His name is Henry Nolan “Doc” Capell… His son William Dee Capell Sr… His son William D Capell Jr…. His son William D Capell III and his son (also mine) is WILLIAM HENRY DEE NOLAN CAPELL IV, named after his fore fathers <3 and Thank you so much for this. I seen alot of these photos and have copies from some but this fabulous, Seeing Bill Sr. and Dorothy, and our pride in the history. Thanks 🙂

  2. Ted Capell says:

    Doc’s son Jack was named Jack Nolan Capell, my name is Ted Nolan Capell and my son’s name is Eric Nolan Capell but he just goes by Nolan. So the Nolan name has a long history.

  3. cynthia lynn goodsen says:

    can you tell me about Blacky he was off-and on with in the circus carnival since 1949 to1970s he view doc as a father he is my dad i don’t know anything about him he did not know who he was i guess because when he got his sos number he put wd goodsen and Sarah Johnson from Arkansas he was called blaky because he either wore black or fixed rides he also ran shows climbed Farris wheels drove semis and more he worked with some show connected to capell brothers to i imagine but I think mainly with capell brothers some might have called him Jim or some might have called him James born march 1924 James c goodsen any help please he dies in San Antonio Texas helping out a homeless shelter we don’t know anything about him and don’t have many pictures please help

Leave a Reply

Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.