The Great Carmo - Revision history

Djando: /* Carmo’s Colossal Circus */

2025-06-02T19:48:20Z

‎Carmo’s Colossal Circus

Djando: /* Carmo’s Colossal Circus */

2025-06-02T19:46:53Z

‎Carmo’s Colossal Circus

Djando: /* Carmo’s Colossal Circus */

2025-06-02T19:46:06Z

‎Carmo’s Colossal Circus

Djando: /* The End Of The Great Carmo Circus */

2025-06-02T19:38:27Z

‎The End Of The Great Carmo Circus

Djando: /* The Great Carmo Circus */

2025-06-02T19:28:16Z

‎The Great Carmo Circus

Djando: /* The Great Carmo Circus */

2025-06-02T19:20:43Z

‎The Great Carmo Circus

Djando at 17:33, 31 July 2016

2016-07-31T17:33:07Z

Djando: /* Harry Carmo And Ray Stott */

2016-07-31T17:30:50Z

‎Harry Carmo And Ray Stott

Djando: /* Carmo’s Colossal Circus */

2016-07-31T17:30:36Z

‎Carmo’s Colossal Circus

Djando: /* The End Of The Great Carmo Circus */

2016-07-31T17:30:20Z

‎The End Of The Great Carmo Circus

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 Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born [[The Könyöt Family|Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt]], of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."
-The show, set up on the outskirts of Blackpool, featured [[Alfred Kaden]] and his lions; [[Ernest Milton]]’s aerial act; Emmerich Ankner with the horse display; the [[Hugony Sisters]], tumblers; Montana Frank and Louie; the Scott Riding Troupe, composed of mother, father, two daughters, and young Arthur Scott; the St. Moritz Skaters; the Ladringlos and their revolving ladder; [[Speedy Yelding]]’s comedy wire act; [[The Yeldings]]’ riding act; and Harry Coady’s whistling and musical act. Although the programme was undoubtedly an attractive one, it stood no competition to the established and famous Blackpool [[Tower Circus]], and business continued to contribute to Harry’s mounting losses.
+The show, set up on the outskirts of Blackpool, featured [[Alfred Kaden]] and his lions; [[Ernest Milton]]’s aerial act; Emmerich Ankner with the horse display; the [[Hugony Sisters]], tumblers; Montana Frank and Louie; the [[Scott Riding Troupe]], composed of mother, father, two daughters, and young Arthur Scott; the St. Moritz Skaters; the Ladringlos and their revolving ladder; [[Speedy Yelding]]’s comedy wire act; [[The Yeldings]]’ riding act; and Harry Coady’s whistling and musical act. Although the programme was undoubtedly an attractive one, it stood no competition to the established and famous Blackpool [[Tower Circus]], and business continued to contribute to Harry’s mounting losses.
 Later, in October 1931, Carmo’s Circus was presented for a short season on the stage of the enormous Dominion Theatre in London, under the direction of F.A. Lumley, with Emmerich Ankner as Equestrian Director and R.G. Wakeman as General Manager. The short circus bill featured Mona Connor’s riding act; the De Suter Brothers, musical clowns; Mme Heraldos and her sea lions; high school and of liberty horses in three displays by Captain Ankner; the [[Engandine Troupe]], springboard acrobats; [[Duncan’s Collie Dogs]]; the trio of Hungarian jockey riders, the [[Sandor Karoly Troupe|Sandor Karoly]] Brothers; and clowns Toto Brasso and the Zola Brothers. The circus fare was presented three times a day, in conjunction with the theatre’s featured film, ''Palmy Days'', which starred Eddie Cantor (and was presented only twice a day). The horses were stabled in the foyer of this fine theatre, and apparently made a good free display for the public on entering.

@@ Line 113: / Line 113: @@
 [[Image:Togare_congratulated_after_Carmo_fire.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Togare congratulated after the Birmingham fire (1930)]]Much of the livestock of the Carmo’s Circus was disposed of to help alleviate some of Carmo’s considerable debts, which were to plague him for the rest of his life. His impressive group of lions was split up, and the animals sold off to various zoos and circuses. Togare parted company and went on with his brilliant career, and created a new act with a group of ten lions from [[Circus Starssburger]].
-Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born [[The Könyöt Family|Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt, of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."
+Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born [[The Könyöt Family|Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt]], of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."
 The show, set up on the outskirts of Blackpool, featured [[Alfred Kaden]] and his lions; [[Ernest Milton]]’s aerial act; Emmerich Ankner with the horse display; the [[Hugony Sisters]], tumblers; Montana Frank and Louie; the Scott Riding Troupe, composed of mother, father, two daughters, and young Arthur Scott; the St. Moritz Skaters; the Ladringlos and their revolving ladder; [[Speedy Yelding]]’s comedy wire act; [[The Yeldings]]’ riding act; and Harry Coady’s whistling and musical act. Although the programme was undoubtedly an attractive one, it stood no competition to the established and famous Blackpool [[Tower Circus]], and business continued to contribute to Harry’s mounting losses.

@@ Line 113: / Line 113: @@
 [[Image:Togare_congratulated_after_Carmo_fire.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Togare congratulated after the Birmingham fire (1930)]]Much of the livestock of the Carmo’s Circus was disposed of to help alleviate some of Carmo’s considerable debts, which were to plague him for the rest of his life. His impressive group of lions was split up, and the animals sold off to various zoos and circuses. Togare parted company and went on with his brilliant career, and created a new act with a group of ten lions from [[Circus Starssburger]].
-Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt, of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."
+Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born [[The Könyöt Family|Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt, of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."
 The show, set up on the outskirts of Blackpool, featured [[Alfred Kaden]] and his lions; [[Ernest Milton]]’s aerial act; Emmerich Ankner with the horse display; the [[Hugony Sisters]], tumblers; Montana Frank and Louie; the Scott Riding Troupe, composed of mother, father, two daughters, and young Arthur Scott; the St. Moritz Skaters; the Ladringlos and their revolving ladder; [[Speedy Yelding]]’s comedy wire act; [[The Yeldings]]’ riding act; and Harry Coady’s whistling and musical act. Although the programme was undoubtedly an attractive one, it stood no competition to the established and famous Blackpool [[Tower Circus]], and business continued to contribute to Harry’s mounting losses.

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 ===The End Of The Great Carmo Circus===
-The Mills family and Harry Carmo parted company amicably on a Saturday night in Oxford, and Carmo planned to reopen at Wembley on Monday. "But," Cyril Mills recalled, "after a three-day struggle to get the new-type tent up [it was a then-innovative tent supported by four poles in square], he telephoned and from the sound of his voice, I suspected he was on the verge of tears. Could we lend him our tentmaster? Of course, we could […].  The tentmaster was rushed to Wembley, and within two days, tent and seating had been built up and the circus was able to open."
+The Mills family and Harry Carmo parted company amicably on a Saturday night in Oxford, and Carmo planned to reopen at Wembley on Monday. "But," Cyril Mills recalled, "after a three-day struggle to get the new-type tent up (it was a then-innovative tent supported by four poles in square), he telephoned and from the sound of his voice, I suspected he was on the verge of tears. Could we lend him our tentmaster? Of course, we could […].  The tentmaster was rushed to Wembley, and within two days, tent and seating had been built up and the circus was able to open."
 To any showman, tenting through a British winter was considered madness and fraught with difficulties. Carmo had paid £800, a large sum at that time, for a German heating apparatus to fill the tent with hot air. This had never been attempted before and was deemed a folly by the industry&mdash;always resistant to innovation brought in by outsiders. The winter season began on January 6, 1930, at the Harringay Greyhound Track in North London, and initially had some success. But the weather was unusually bad and the public jibbed at traipsing through thick mud to the heated tent. The show struggled on, often with empty houses, before reaching Birmingham in March 1930.

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 Carmo’s lions were at first shown by a trainer named Frederick Guise, but he was soon dismissed for drinking, and Carmo acquired the services of [[Togare]] (Georg Kulovits) at the suggestion of Bertram Mills. Togare came from [[Circus Krone]] in Germany, and was a remarkable showman in the ring, a fine and courageous performer with good looks and an outstanding physique; he was on his way to becoming one of the most celebrated animal trainers of his era.
-Frederick Martin, a publicity specialist and a circus fan, had recommended that Carmo use Lady Eleanor Smith, another fan and the daughter of Lord Birkenhead, to write the publicity material for the show. It was she whose publicity genius turned Togare into a matinee idol and christened him "The Valentino of the Ring"&mdash;for his stage resemblance with the late movie star and pop icon, who was still, two years after his death, an extraordinary box-office draw. (Eleanor Smith became closely involved with the Carmo and Mills circuses, and wrote a novel on circus life, ''Red Wagon'' [1930], which was made into a film starring Charles Bickford, Anthony Bushell and Greta Nissen in 1933.)
+Frederick Martin, a publicity specialist and a circus fan, had recommended that Carmo use the writer Lady Eleanor Smith (1902-1945), another fan and the daughter of Lord Birkenhead, to write the publicity material for the show. It was she whose publicity genius turned Togare into a matinee idol and christened him "The Valentino of the Ring"&mdash;for his stage resemblance with the late movie star and pop icon, who was still, two years after his death, an extraordinary box-office draw. (Eleanor Smith became closely involved with the Carmo and Mills circuses, and wrote a novel on circus life, ''Red Wagon'' [1930], which was made into a film starring Charles Bickford, Anthony Bushell and Greta Nissen in 1933.)
 For his 1928-1929 season at Olympia, Bertram Mills featured two acts of the Great Carmo Circus, Togare with his lions, and "Captain" Ankner with the horses Carmo had purchased from Mills. Both the Carmo horses and Togare’s lions were announced as appearing for the first time in England, and ''Carmo’s Gallery of Illusions'' and his ''Australian Menagerie'' were also featured in the Fun Fair next to the circus.

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 Carmo displayed these static illusions for the 1927-1928 winter season at the ''Fun Fair'' [[Bertram Mills|Bertram W. Mills]] staged in the big hall at the [[Olympia of Kensington]] in London, and which was adjacent to his circus. The Mills programme also featured for the first time an act from the newly formed Carmo’s Circus, Baby June, the cycling elephant, claimed to be the youngest and smallest performing elephant in the world. (The elephant, which rode a heavy-built tricycle, later became known as Baby Carmo.)
-[[Image:Carmo_%26_Barry's_Show_Ireland.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Carmo & Barry big top in Ireland (1928)]]''The Great Carmo Circus and Menagerie'' finally opened at the Balmoral Gardens, Belfast for the 1928 summer season with what was considered a large big top, and a good fleet of vehicles and living wagons. Carmo billed it as "the finest touring circus that has ever been seen in Ireland." Certainly, the programme featured a number of very strong attractions, including [[Emmerich Ankner]], an important horse trainer of the time, who handled the horses with his stepson, Charles Barth, and Ruth Owen. There were also [[Conrad’s Bears]]; the Japanese juggler, [[Togo]]; Mirzah; Stella & Partner; the elephant Baby June; and a group of twelve lions.
+[[Image:Carmo_%26_Barry's_Show_Ireland.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Carmo & Barry big top in Ireland (1928)]]''The Great Carmo Circus and Menagerie'' finally opened at the Balmoral Gardens in Belfast for the 1928 summer season with what was considered a large big top, and a good fleet of vehicles and living wagons. Carmo billed it as "the finest touring circus that has ever been seen in Ireland." Certainly, the programme featured a number of very strong attractions, including [[Emmerich Ankner]], an important horse trainer of the time, who handled the horses with his stepson, Charles Barth, and Ruth Owen. There were also [[Conrad’s Bears]]; the Japanese juggler, [[Togo]]; Mirzah; Stella & Partner; the elephant Baby June; and a group of twelve lions.
 Carmo’s lions were at first shown by a trainer named Frederick Guise, but he was soon dismissed for drinking, and Carmo acquired the services of [[Togare]] (Georg Kulovits) at the suggestion of Bertram Mills. Togare came from [[Circus Krone]] in Germany, and was a remarkable showman in the ring, a fine and courageous performer with good looks and an outstanding physique; he was on his way to becoming one of the most celebrated animal trainers of his era.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:33, 31 July 2016
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−	[[Image:Carmo_portrait.jpg~~\|thumb~~\|right\|~~180px~~\|Harry Carmo]]	+	[[Image:Carmo_portrait.jpg\|right\|200px\|Harry Carmo]]
	==Juggler, Magician, Circus Owner==		==Juggler, Magician, Circus Owner==

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 Rita Rogers, who was still with the Carmo magic show and had become his close companion, suggested he take on a country house near her family’s home in Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex. The new house had grounds enough to take the remaining animals, and outbuildings to store the magic props and scenery. Carmo continued to tour his big magic show with a reduced cast and collection of animals, and he also put on some sideshows at seaside resort towns to make extra money.
-[[Image:Carmo_in_Hull_Fair_1936.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Great Carmo on the fairgrounds]]An attempt to tour a magic show in a portable theatre with the formerly famous illusionist David Devant as a "sleeping partner" proved another money-loser. In 1935, with the showman Tom Norman, Harry played the big fun fairs (Nottingham, Mitcham, etc.) with a travelling fit-up show, his big illusions reduced to appearing in relatively humble surroundings, with Carmo and his faithful Rita presenting them. With varying success, they also worked in the fast-vanishing variety theatres.
+[[Image:Carmo_in_Hull_Fair_1936.jpg|thumb|left|400px|The Great Carmo on the fairgrounds]]An attempt to tour a magic show in a portable theatre with the formerly famous illusionist David Devant as a "sleeping partner" proved another money-loser. In 1935, with the showman Tom Norman, Harry played the big fun fairs (Nottingham, Mitcham, etc.) with a travelling fit-up show, his big illusions reduced to appearing in relatively humble surroundings, with Carmo and his faithful Rita presenting them. With varying success, they also worked in the fast-vanishing variety theatres.
 The Great Carmo Circus made a final appearance in the summer season of 1937. For this venture, Harry Carmo teamed up with a young journalist and circus lover, Ray Stott. Stott, whose full name was Raymond Toole-Stott (1904-1982), later became famous as the dedicated compiler of the most remarkable circus bibliography, ''Circus and Allied Arts'', which ran to five volumes and began publication in 1958, the final volume being published in 1992&mdash;ten years after Stott’s death. Toole-Stott also compiled ''A Bibliography of English Conjuring'', in two volumes in 1976 and 1978, and a bibliography of the works of W. Somerset Maugham. A member of the Magic Circle in England, Ray Stott was also at one time press agent for the Bertram Mills Circus.

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 Apparently, Carmo went into some kind of association with Lumley and his partners. The programme still included The Bentos, Togare and his lions, Emmerich Ankner with the horses, and The Hansens’ perch pole act, as well as new attractions such as the [[Scott Riding Troupe|Scott Girls]], bareback riders; the Five Mounters, equilibrists; [[Montana Frank and Louie]], whip and rope manipulators; [[The Ladringlos]], aerial revolving ladder; the [[St. Moritz Skaters]], a roller-skating duo whose male partner was claimed to have trained Charlie Chaplin in skating; and [[George Durant]]’s wire act. (Durant was the brother of Jimmy Nervo, a celebrated comedian who gained fame as part of the comic duo Nervo & Knox&mdash;both of whom were later members of the legendary Crazy Gang comedy group.)
-[[Image:Togare_congratulated_after_Carmo_fire.jpg|thumb|right|330px|Togare congratulated after the Birmingham fire (1930)]]Much of the livestock of the Carmo’s Circus was disposed of to help alleviate some of Carmo’s considerable debts, which were to plague him for the rest of his life. His impressive group of lions was split up, and the animals sold off to various zoos and circuses. Togare parted company and went on with his brilliant career, and created a new act with a group of ten lions from [[Circus Starssburger]].
+[[Image:Togare_congratulated_after_Carmo_fire.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Togare congratulated after the Birmingham fire (1930)]]Much of the livestock of the Carmo’s Circus was disposed of to help alleviate some of Carmo’s considerable debts, which were to plague him for the rest of his life. His impressive group of lions was split up, and the animals sold off to various zoos and circuses. Togare parted company and went on with his brilliant career, and created a new act with a group of ten lions from [[Circus Starssburger]].
 Harry Carmo and his new partners had formed a limited company, The Great Carmo Circus Ltd., and during the summer of 1931, they put on ''Carmo’s Colossal Circus'' under a tent at South Shore, Blackpool. Hungarian-born Alexander (Sandor) Könyöt, of the famous equestrian family allied to the great Blumenfeld and [[Goldkette Family|Goldkette]] Jewish circus dynasties, was listed in the programme as General Superintendant of the Tents (Tentmaster we would have called him). The son of Harry Carmo’s late wife, Alma, was the Manager (after leaving school, he had been articled to an auctioneer and estate agent in Wakefield); most assumed he was Harry’s son, and he was popularly known in the circus as "Young Harry."

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 Although he was losing a lot of money, Carmo continued to pay his staff and artistes on full salary. But the weather deteriorated further and on the night of March 14, a heavy snowfall brought down his supposedly super-strong and especially low-pitched big top. The canvas in shreds and the seating wrecked, it was the first of a series of disasters that befell the Great Carmo that winter. Ever the optimist, Carmo purchased&mdash;at great expense&mdash;a new big top and obtained a new seating. Miraculously, the show re-opened, initially to large crowds since the destruction of the first tent had attracted great publicity.
-[[Image:Carmo_Circus_after_the_1930_fire.jpg|thumb|left|350px|the Great Carmo Circus after the fire (1930)]]But on March 20 in the morning, another disaster befell this decidedly jinxed circus. Apparently, as the Carolis’ riding act was practising in the ring, a fire broke out in the accommodation of George Baker, Togare’s assistant. Panicking, Baker threw out the Primus stove that had started the fire; it was alight, and in seconds, the fire caught the walling of the main tent and quickly destroyed it. Carmo, resting at his home following the trauma of the snow catastrophe, hasted to Birmingham to find the entire outfit destroyed. Although there was no loss of human life, some of the show’s livestock suffered.
+[[Image:Carmo_Circus_after_the_1930_fire.jpg|thumb|left|400px|the Great Carmo Circus after the fire (1930)]]But on March 20 in the morning, another disaster befell this decidedly jinxed circus. Apparently, as the Carolis’ riding act was practising in the ring, a fire broke out in the accommodation of George Baker, Togare’s assistant. Panicking, Baker threw out the Primus stove that had started the fire; it was alight, and in seconds, the fire caught the walling of the main tent and quickly destroyed it. Carmo, resting at his home following the trauma of the snow catastrophe, hasted to Birmingham to find the entire outfit destroyed. Although there was no loss of human life, some of the show’s livestock suffered.
 The valiant Togare did a splendid job getting the lion’s wagons out of a burning tent and putting the badly burnt animals to relative safety. Togare and his assistants worked day and night to save the animals’ lives, putting raw eggs and olive oil on their wounds. The local RSPCA inspector lauded Togare’s gallant action, and he received awards from the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and from the Society of Our Dumb Friends’ League. The majority of the show’s animals, horses camels and the elephants, were saved too.