JOIN THE CIRCUS!

August 9, 1948

Later in August 1948…

“The Greatest Show on Earth” went into full-time rehearsal today as the $2,000,000 cast of 200 Hollywood stars and socialites started work on their routines as performers in the Saint John’s Hospital Guild benefit circus premiere.

At Pan-Pacific grounds, where the premiere of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus will be held for benefit of the hospital Saturday night, John Farrow film director lent to the Guild by Paramount Studios, began putting his cut through their unusual paces. 

Things unheard of were being rehearsed. 

Said to be one of the moat hilarious acts is the one being rehearsed by William Bendix, Bob Hope, Mae West, and “Gorgeous” George. Bob Hope will be “Valet" for “Gorgeous" George when he wrestles William Bendix and Mae West will be the referee.  

TAUGHT BY CLOWNS

Headed by Felix Adler, “King of Clowns,“ stars of 40 regular clown stars of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, spent the day with the film stars who will augment them in the ring, teaching them clown tricks, routines, makeup and wardrobe.

Their pupils and hosts while In Hollywood include Bing Crosby, Van Johnson Jack Carson, Lou Costello, Bud Abbott, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Albert, Roddy McDowall and Mickey Rooney.  Walter Pidgeon was rehearsing his trapeze act while Greet Garson was hard at work on her aerial act; Ronald Reagan was doing double duty – rehearsing his work as a circus announcer and learning to ride some of the circus’ famous high-jumping horses.

Ann Sheridan was getting pointers at being an animal trainer; Harry James, who will lead the circus band, practiced some of the old tunes he used to play when he was in a circus; while Irene Dunne was taking lessons in stilt walking and pantomime from Cary Grant. 

Betty Grable, Ann Miller, and even Hedda Hopper were learning how to ride some of Frank Whitbeck’s elephants.

Dick Powell, Jane Russell, and Randolph Scott worked on an old-time western- riding and shooting act. 

CHARIOT RACES 

June Allyson, Linda Darnell and Celeste Holm will take part in the chariot races attired as Roman maids pursued by Ralph Edwards in his Red Devil’s costume.

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy will appear in the colorful pageant staged for the circus by John Murray Anderson "The Night Before Christmas” with Louella O. Parsons, Loretta Young and Ann Miller. 

Rosalind Russell will appear as a “Trilby” in a magic disappearance and hypnotism act in which Gregory Peck will be “Svengali”. 

Also set to appear in the circus are Ann Blyth, attired in a mermaid costume, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz will appear with some of the trained horses from their ranch, Ronald Colman, Alan Ladd, Burt Lancaster, Loretta Young, Marilyn Maxwell, Martha Hyer, Tim Holt, Lex Barker, Ann Sheridan, Maureen O’Sullivan and Steven Flagg.

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After the event, officials numbered the cast a 209 (one newspaper went as high as 300!) and a sell out crowd of 10,000. They raised between 20 and $25,000 for the hospital.  Other stars not mentioned above included:  

• Danny Kaye
  
• Gary O’Brien 
• Dean Stockwell
• Sabu and Nature Boy, riding elephants
• Dan Dailey 
• Gary Cooper, as Robinson Crusoe
• Edgar Bergen, getting kissed by a giraffe
• Barry Fitzgerald, riding a buggy
• Keenan Wynn, barker for Gargantua the gorilla
• Ed Wynn, as a clown 
• Dennis O’Keefe
  
• Buster Keaton 
• Van Johnson 
• Decorating floats were Virginia Bruce, Elizabeth Taylor, Dianna Lynn, Audrey Totter, Lizabeth Scott, June Havoc, Ella Raines
• Mr. and Mrs. William Powell, as Punch and Judy. 
• Virginia Mayo, bareback rider
• Esther Williams 
  
• Robert Cummings 
• Rhonda Fleming
• Carmen Miranda, with a two-foot pile of artificial fruit on her head
• Glenn Ford
• Dorothy Lamour 
  
• Loretta Young
• Peter Lawford, in a horse-drawn vehicle
• Claudette Colbert and Barbara Stanwyck riding sidesaddle
• Bob Preston and Preston Foster, selling programs
• Dennis Day, singing
• Ray Milland, horseback stunts
• Harpo Marx and Boris Karloff, clowning

A spokesman said between $200,000 and $250,000 was raised to build a 100-bed wing on St. John’s Hospital at Santa Monica.

If all this sounds eerily familiar, the idea of a circus staffed by celebrities was done on television titled “Circus of the Stars”. Lucille Ball was one of the ringmasters for the second edition in 1977.  

Lucie Aranz wrangled elephants, fulfilling her mother’s one missed opportunity to play the elephant girl in Cecil B. DeMille’s film The Greatest Show On Earth in 1952. Ball was replaced by Gloria Graham. 

Desilu later produced a television version of the film with the same title.  Lucille Ball played a horse trainer in one episode in 1963. 

For more about Lucy and the circus, click here!