#5 More Polack

#6 More Polack

Parley Baer handled the Publicity and Sam Ward in charge of Promotion.

#7 More Polack

Parley called Pat "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wild Man!" .....seen here molesting the Boss!

#8 More Polack

One day while we were playing the Fair at Pomona, Parley showed up to take pictures for the following year's Program. He asked for something unusual.

#9 More Polack

Parley's daughter Dale.

#10 More Polack

#11 More Polack

#12 More Polack

#13 More Polack

#14 More Polack

#15 More Polack

I didn't recall these pictures being so bleary or is it my watery old eyes? I'll add that my wife decided it would be charming if we did the "Up And Over" side by side so I gave it a try and on the first attempt during a performance, as "Opal" came down I felt a rip and concluded the act with my bare ass hanging out..... ..... exiting I remember someone say, "You had that audience right in the palm of your hand!

#16 More Polack

#17 More Polack

.....no more pictures Please!

#18 More Polack

We'll close with a nice tub picture for Chic.

#1 Peggy and Mack

Over the years I heard my father make the remark, "In this country there are two great Elephant Trainers..... Mack MacDonald and Hugo Schmitt....and the rest are a "Pretty Sorry Lot!"

#2 Peggy and Mack

Sam Ward and Louis P. Stern the best Boss I ever had.

#3 Peggy and Mack

This of course, was a combination of the show owner's names Louis Stern and Bessie Polack.

#4 Peggy and Mack

Peggy MacDonald and "Opal" in training at Louis Goebel's place.

#5 Peggy and Mack

.....and return on her front legs.

#6 Peggy And Mack

"Mary", "Jean", "Millie", "Betty", "Kathy" and "Opal. Named after some of their friends Millie Ward, Betty Bell, Kathy Goebel and Opal Paige (Show's Chicago Office Manager).

#7 Peggy and Mack

#8 Peggy and Mack

Peggy told me this was a "Foot Print Publicity stunt for the movie "Mogambo".

#9 Peggy and Mack

#10 Peggy and Mack

.....notice the left-over slots from "Opal's hind-leg walk days.

#11 Peggy and Mack

Got a lot of mileage out of this prop, I was still using it 10 years later.

#12 Peggy and Mack

"Opal" and "Kip".

#13 Peggy and Mack

Mack called this his Masterpiece..... .....which was a little unfair, nobody else had a wife that could do a one-handstand.

#14 Peggy and Mack

We always called this the "Lay Down/Sit Up" but Mack referred it as the "Sitting Long Mount". Here he added a head stand.

#15 Peggy and Mack

Mack told me that he had seen a picture of our act with "Anna May" stretched out and the other two mounted on each side with their hind legs and came up with this.

#16 Peggy and Mack

Ran this picture especially for Chic.

#17 Peggy and Mack

Mack was an avid gun collector and like everything else he was very meticulous. After taking a few shots he would always take the target paper inside to be measured for calibration.

# 18 Peggy and Mack

#1 Cat Acts

Late this Morning! Stayed up all night watching the Clinton Drama. I'll toss in a few Cat Pix.

#2 Cat Acts

Alfred Court.

#3 Cat Acts

#4 Cat Acts

Louis Roth.

#5 Cat Acts

#6 Cat Acts

It would appear Miss Stark, seen here with Jorgen Cristiansen also presented Liberty Horses.

#7 Cat Acts

#8 Cat Acts

Roman Proske

#9 Cat Acts

#10 Cat Acts

Why is it! Those Damn Cat Guys always got he good lookin' Chicks!

#11 Cat Acts

#12 Cat Acts

#13 Cat Acts

#14 Cat Acts

I've told the story many times on the Blog of me and my Mother seeing the Ringling Show in the late 40's and they opened with three Arena Acts, Polar Bears, Lions and Prince Damoo in the center with smaller cats.

#15 Cat Acts

#16 Cat Acts

#17 Cat Acts

Extra

Strange picture! I don't recall ever seeing Cats come out of a closed vehicle like this.