1920s GENTRY BROTHERS CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN SIDESHOWS & ELEPHANTS HARVARD-YALE CREW RACE CS10205

Year Published: 1929

Creator: PeriscopeFilm

Description: Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Website: www.PeriscopeFilm.com This silent home movie was shot by a family that lived in New York. It shows the Gentry Brothers Circus coming to town, and must pre-date 1929 as Gentry Bros. folded in that year as part of Great Depression financial woes. At the time the film was shot, the circus was a major form of American entertainment that included major players such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Gentry Brothers began as a small dog and pony show in 1885 by 17 year old Henry B. Gentry. Henry and his two brothers expanded into tent shows in 1891. By 1910, they were the largest traveling American circus. The film presents a slice of early circus history, starting with shots of the roustabouts as they set up for the show, ornate bandwagons, equestrian riders and clowns marching into the main arena for opening day. It shows the set up process as workers tend to animals and string up banners advertising various acts. The film also includes other scenes including a parade, what might be the Harvard-Yale crew races, and footage of siblings as they tend to the family pony, play pretend with an early telephone model and teach the dog tricks in the yard. 0:00 The film opens with tents, performers on the grounds (:11), a bandwagon, horses and Ford Model T’s (:13). Draft horses drive forward (:24). The Circus relied heavily on horses often employing the larger draft breeds especially the docile Percheron. Shots pan over zebras (:52). Roustabouts set up tents near the elephants (:55). Tent set up continues (1:06-1:25). A bandwagon with the Gentry Bros. name (1:30), workers pulling lumber from a wagon (1:35) and hammering stakes into the ground follow (1:42). A worker tends to elephants (2:24). A pair of zebras stand by a Gentry Bros. bandwagon (3:14). Camels follow (3:25). Elephants scoop hay with long trunks (3:36). Horses cart in hay bales (4:18). An elephant helps to raise tent material as workers follow behind with poles (4:40). Sideshow banners advertise a snake charmer (6:24) and the Museum Minstrel Annex (6:28). This indicates a portion of the show featuring archival materials related to the minstrel shows. These were at one point in American history, among the most popular forms of entertainment. Shows involved overtly racist and offensive depictions of African stereotypes. They were generally considered out of favor by the 1950’s and 1960’s. Banners advertise the Hawaiian Opera (6:53), an Illusionist (6:59), Strange People from all Parts of the World (7:02) and the Monkey Village (7:11). Decorative bandwagons (7:17), elephants (7:24) and an animal cage bandwagon follow (7:43). Horses pull another decorative bandwagon (7:56). Scenes capture a sense of excitement as set up bustles towards the start of the show. Made up clowns and performers march the grounds (8:02-8:06). A clown passes a particularly intricate calliope bandwagon (8:24). Equestrian performers (9:18), camels (9:22), zebras (9:24) and elephants (9:28) ride in. Footage switches to a parade possibly July 4th (9:58). Equestrian riders, a marching band (10:00) and motorcade (10:10) fill the thoroughfare of an unidentified town as spectators jam the sidewalks. Uneven footage follows a crew boat race, possibly the Harvard-Yale match which spectators watched from moving railroad train cars (11:01) capturing a tug boat (11:41) and the finish line (12:22). At home scenes show (13:01) the family’s home. A boy in a Gunnery School football sweater cheers at a wooden table (13:04). A younger sibling holds twigs in his mouth (13:29). Youth play pretend for the camera (13:45) with and early candlestick telephone. Shots capture playful antics (14:04). A pair sits with the family dog (14:23). The youngest smiles for the camera (15:06). They hug the pony’s head (15:10). Expressive shots of the youth follow (15:23-15:32). They play with an unhinged door (15:36) as the youngest gallops behind in an effort to keep up (15:53). The dogs learn new tricks (16:09).

Complete Record: Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Website: www.PeriscopeFilm.com This silent home movie was shot by a family that lived in New York. It shows the Gentry Brothers Circus coming to town, and must pre-date 1929 as Gentry Bros. folded in that year as part of Great Depression financial woes. At the time the film was shot, the circus was a major form of American entertainment that included major players such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Gentry Brothers began as a small dog and pony show in 1885 by 17 year old Henry B. Gentry. Henry and his two brothers expanded into tent shows in 1891. By 1910, they were the largest traveling American circus. The film presents a slice of early circus history, starting with shots of the roustabouts as they set up for the show, ornate bandwagons, equestrian riders and clowns marching into the main arena for opening day. It shows the set up process as workers tend to animals and string up banners advertising various acts. The film also includes other scenes including a parade, what might be the Harvard-Yale crew races, and footage of siblings as they tend to the family pony, play pretend with an early telephone model and teach the dog tricks in the yard. 0:00 The film opens with tents, performers on the grounds (:11), a bandwagon, horses and Ford Model T’s (:13). Draft horses drive forward (:24). The Circus relied heavily on horses often employing the larger draft breeds especially the docile Percheron. Shots pan over zebras (:52). Roustabouts set up tents near the elephants (:55). Tent set up continues (1:06-1:25). A bandwagon with the Gentry Bros. name (1:30), workers pulling lumber from a wagon (1:35) and hammering stakes into the ground follow (1:42). A worker tends to elephants (2:24). A pair of zebras stand by a Gentry Bros. bandwagon (3:14). Camels follow (3:25). Elephants scoop hay with long trunks (3:36). Horses cart in hay bales (4:18). An elephant helps to raise tent material as workers follow behind with poles (4:40). Sideshow banners advertise a snake charmer (6:24) and the Museum Minstrel Annex (6:28). This indicates a portion of the show featuring archival materials related to the minstrel shows. These were at one point in American history, among the most popular forms of entertainment. Shows involved overtly racist and offensive depictions of African stereotypes. They were generally considered out of favor by the 1950’s and 1960’s. Banners advertise the Hawaiian Opera (6:53), an Illusionist (6:59), Strange People from all Parts of the World (7:02) and the Monkey Village (7:11). Decorative bandwagons (7:17), elephants (7:24) and an animal cage bandwagon follow (7:43). Horses pull another decorative bandwagon (7:56). Scenes capture a sense of excitement as set up bustles towards the start of the show. Made up clowns and performers march the grounds (8:02-8:06). A clown passes a particularly intricate calliope bandwagon (8:24). Equestrian performers (9:18), camels (9:22), zebras (9:24) and elephants (9:28) ride in. Footage switches to a parade possibly July 4th (9:58). Equestrian riders, a marching band (10:00) and motorcade (10:10) fill the thoroughfare of an unidentified town as spectators jam the sidewalks. Uneven footage follows a crew boat race, possibly the Harvard-Yale match which spectators watched from moving railroad train cars (11:01) capturing a tug boat (11:41) and the finish line (12:22). At home scenes show (13:01) the family’s home. A boy in a Gunnery School football sweater cheers at a wooden table (13:04). A younger sibling holds twigs in his mouth (13:29). Youth play pretend for the camera (13:45) with and early candlestick telephone. Shots capture playful antics (14:04). A pair sits with the family dog (14:23). The youngest smiles for the camera (15:06). They hug the pony’s head (15:10). Expressive shots of the youth follow (15:23-15:32). They play with an unhinged door (15:36) as the youngest gallops behind in an effort to keep up (15:53). The dogs learn new tricks (16:09).

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJLwoDxR4PY

Metadata Source:YouTube