George Matthew’s Great London Circus
Posted By thecircusblog on March 13, 2013
Sid Kellner was the owner of the show. He took the first names of his two sons George and Matthew to title the name of the circus. Many years before Great London Sid had The James Bros Circus. Dad and I worked our acts with Sid’s show on and off for many seasons. Never had to worry……he was and is still a stand up person. I spoke with him a few days ago, and he is still as sharp as a tack……………. at 91 years old.
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thecircusblog
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
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Hi Ivan! Just came across your blog while looking up some info on George Matthew’s Great London Circus. I worked for Sid’s circus in promotions starting in 1974 in the Kansas City Mo area until 1975. I always worked ahead of the circus but every now and then I’d still be in town for it’s arrival. That’s how I met you and all the other entertainers. Lou Ann Jacobs was with the us at the time. Oh, and the blue haired clown. Can’t remember his name but I do remember that he bugged you until you agreed to let him work with your chimps one day. It didn’t last long. You tried to tell him! Ha!
So glad to see that you’re doing well. How is Sid anyway? Goodness, he’d have to be in his 90’s. I read about George and it broke my heart. He was always so sweet to me. I never knew Matthew because he was with his mom due to his parents divorce. Doesn’t sound like things turned out very well for him either.
Love your blog!
I grew up in Martinez, CA. The James Bros. Circus and Larry Davis Carnival rented a building behind our yard to repair carnival & circus equipment, rides & bleachers. They soon learned my father was a welder who helped them whenever they needed him. We met Vonda & Chester Cable and their sons Chetty, Ralphy & Alvin (and visited them at their house in Sebastopol), me Sid & Lovie Kellner and their sons George & Matt (went to high school with the boys). One summer, Sid & Lovie asked my parents for us to move into their house in the Briones Hills of Martinez to watch their boys. It was really fun because they had a swimming pool and a baby elephant named Elly (we took such good care of her), and an old caretaker named Bill (with half his teeth missing). I remember dad being shipped pieces to weld, and whenever the circus or carnival where in the area, we’d be contacted & invited as their guests with free tickets. We met Larry Davis, and went to his winter headquarters near Sears Point. This was such a great part of my later childhood having ANYthing to with a circus or carnival. The Cables were a great family. Unfortunately, we lost touch with all of them, but was broken-hearted when I head Chester & Vonda Cable divorced. I just have such great memories of them.
My family performed with James Bros in the late 60s early 70s.We were there when they had the blow down and then changed the name to George Mathews Great London. I always wonedered what happen to George and Matt, and others on the show at the time. Any updated info would be much appreciated. There was a hand balancing act called Roland and Marcia. They were my idols at the time.
Do you have a schedule from 1975? A childhood friend worked for this show during that season.
Don’t think I met you, Ivan, but I spent the whole 1974 season with the Great London as lead trumpet and all-around helper (drove seat wagons those whole 7 months, among other things). I have a couple hundred pages of journal notes I wrote along the way, some of the most entertaining things I’ve ever written, though I’ve hardly shown them to anyone. Sid was a trip. I couldn’t help liking the guy on some level, but was relieved when I actually got all the money coming to me at the end, though, believe me. One of the great experiences of my 9 lives. Check out a short article I wrote right after, http://www.montalbano.org/Peter/Circus1.htm. Most of my own website is totally out of date, but that piece has a kind of immortality, I think.
As a French Horn player I took a year of music ed at Akron U. got involved with Delta Tau Delta fraternity there , became their Vice President , lost my VA education benefits & ended up running off to drive a truck & be a roustabout for George Matthew’s Great London Circus
http://www.thecircusblog.com/?p=40717
I signed on in September at Cuyahoga Falls , finished the season & was told they were going to leave Cuyahoga Falls after a layover & head for Winter Quarters in California but they never did & I never got my final pay.
I was the girl clown on the ’76 show, along with Pogo and Zippo. I was first of May that year. I hauled quarter poles at teardown and sold Hershey bars at intermission. That was the most memorable summer of my life!
Hey. Zippo was the blue haired clown. I traveled with the show starting in Santa Monica in 1974 for one entire season and year. I helped set up the big top, worked in the office, drove the band bus and partied like a rock star with crew and some performers. Have tons of photos from those days. Me (Diana) and Marla joined in Santa Monica.
I worked for the family in the early 70’s, I cleaned the offices in downtown Martinez and when the office staff thought I did an okay job, they had me going up Briones Rd. to clean the house. One of the boys was staying there while the parents were on tour. I washed towels for days that were used by the friends after they swam. The thing I remember the most was the closet in the living room that was filled with China dishes, glassware, etc. oh and yes the mirrored ceiling in the master bedroom. The parents had just split up and Lovie had me ship clothing, shoes, etc. to her. My aunt and uncle lived at the bottom of the road, and my uncle built various equipment for the circus, and my aunt sewed the costumes used in the show. I haven’t thought of this family for decades, sorry to see that the boys didn’t do well, but happy that Sid had a long life.
I joined in the summer of 1874 the month I just graduated from high school – Columbia mo- there was a ad looking for help on tent crew- I did it for a month – I remember guys in my crew we stayed in back of semi trailer with bunks and a bunch of junk inside – I remember bebop , jeff and some guy named squid- the girls in Cincinnati were awesome! We were all about the same age it seemed and took up for each other – there was a code word – hey rube- if someone was messing with us/ I remember s older guy that was crippled beady I think? He drove one of the trucks / the food was great they had a trailer with s kitchen in front I remember inlets I made 35 a week free food / I remember one if my friends jeff was electric man in side show and s friend also was a clown – I was out with my clown friend with 3 gurls we net at show – we were in s co vertsble in the outskirts of dc out of our minds – I looked at the folks I was hanging with that night so the next morning I walked off lit and got a bus home… June July 1974
For some reason, I was thinking about my time with GMGLC (one month} back in about Sept 73. I got on in Calgary and left in Santa Rosa. One fuzzy memory is being in the back of the elephant truck, sneaking across the US border with fake SS ID provided by the circus. I still miss the cornbread at breakfast. I wish I had taken photos then.
Hi All, I remember playing trombone in the circus band. Cliff Moresi was the band leader and accordion player. I joined the James Brothers circus, the George Matthews Great London Circus and then the Hubert Castle Shriner show. Mike Mead played trumpet, Jack Walcott played drums, Gary played sax and Darcy was on Tuba for awhile. We had tent shows, open air dates and augmented the band with union members. I drove my own car and after my first wife came along and then my first daughter. I recall the layover in Illinois – sold circus tickets in Cook county. And the winter tour through Canada. I remember the Hernandez family. And winter quarters on the elephant farm outside Houston Texas. I guess i still have a little sawdust in my veins.
Hello All,
After watching a special on Netflix on the history of the circus (great 3 hr movie) I was hit with a flood of memories and just had to reach out .
I joined the GMGLC in 1973 in Martinez and helped get all the equipment ready, even learned to paint the signs on the side of the trucks, helped take care of Cain the new young lion .
We hit the road and it was the best adventure a kid 2 months out of high school could have, I was one of the few folks that made the whole trip and came back to Martinez a better man.
I still remember getting that bonus for completing the show, $700. I thought I was rich. pay was $35 a week and Lee’s good cooking.
My job was to set up the rings and help with the rigging for Herbie the wire act, even got to join his act some packed nights when he was slip of the wire and I would help him back to the wire for the big finale.
It was hard work but it was a fantastic journey and education. I will never forget those days.
I am looking for any info on the 73″ tour, Thanks
Just came across your blog. I toured with the George-Matthews Great London Circus late 1973 as part of the band. Caught up with them where they ended their summer tour in Grand Forks, North Dakota after two days on a greyhound bus out of Oakland, California.
Began the fall tour in Brandon, Manitoba and continued west. Our last show in Canada was at Cranbrook, British Columbia before crossing back into the states in Idaho. Down the west coast and our last show was in Pleasant Hill, California. Interesting times as I was 18 and my first real job out of high school. Lived in an old school bus that had the seats removed and plywood beds installed. The engine blew coming into Regina so they put a fifth wheel hitch on it and towed it with a semi for the rest of the tour.
Had trouble with the local musicians union in Calgary. After a private meeting with owner, the union rep left with a rather sizeable donation.
Setup for a show in Federal Way, Washington. The local police won the right to sponsor us and the local fire department lost. Lots of hard feelings because the fire marshall came out and refused to issue a permit. Had to cancel the show, pack up and head to Olympia, Washington.
Drove truck for extra cash. Mine was the crew bunk house. Always the last to leave because all of the big top rigging was in the truck.
I traveled with GMGLC in 1975
Joined in Martinez Ca
I was homeless at the time so 3 squares and a bunk sounded really good to me
I lucked out and ended up in concessions
For the first couple of months I had hotdogs and peanuts then switched to snowcones
I’ve read in other post that something happened to Matt
He and I were the same age and became friends
I ran into him several years later at the Aladdin Casino in Vegas
Would like to hear what became of my old friend
I just saw some pictures from my time with the show posted by (Penny Candy Days)
I would sure like to get in touch with her
I remember Sid, Matt, Lee in the cookhouse, Ivan and his chimps, Bill first trumpet in the band, Ed the ringmaster and had the sideshow, Dave Day the bigtop Forman, Herbie and Marcella, puncho and cindy, and zippo the clown
I’m retired in Florida now and would love to hear from anyone from that time
TJ (Tim) Lyons
I worked for Six back in the early 70’s. I started as kitchen help. My mate as an electrician. I also worked as Freda Yohanson from Oslo Norway . I remember I met the father of my only Son while I was there. He and I were blessed to meet a clown who helped us get work at the 1972 Detroit auto show. To this day I thank The Creator for Six.
I DROVE TRUCK AND HELPED RAISE TENT FOR JAMES BROS IN FALL 0F 1968 (FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO OAKLAND). DOES ANYONE HAVE A LIST WITH LOCATION OF PERFORMANCES?
Replying to Kim Anderson about GMGLC in Fall of ’73.
I was trombone player and truck driver for that tour – sept thru Oct ending in Marin.
I would love to touch base and compare notes if you have the time/inclination. I remember sneaking people across from Canada, next stop Couerd’alene ID. That was a nice long stop after Calgary and the Rockies.
Please let me know if you are still out there. Love to share notes!
Jim
I played saxophone in the band and what a blast that was.. I still relish those memories.. we had a great band
I was a propman on the 74 season!
I work the GLC and Vargas shows during the 70s. I started as a roustabout on GLC, rose to canvas boss and eventually the lion tamer. ended up touring SA for a year after Sid farmed me out to Ceasere Togni circus. I still have sawdust in my veins and lament a bygone era. Big shout out to ZZ, Eric Jeager, Chester, Bebop, Monkey, and the rest of the crew! All the way with GLC!!!
Hey! My dad worked for the GMGLC in 76. His name is Jason Blackard! I was wondering if anyone of you guys remember him. He did all the moving and setting up with his team and drove one a few of the trucks!