| Circus Boy |
 |
| NBC/ABC Network |
| 1956 - 1958 |
| Drama |
| 30 Minutes |
Circus adventure featuring the
Burke & Walsh Circus, a band of
entertainers lead by Big Tim Champion (Robert
Lowery) who traveled the Southwest at the
turn-of-the-century.
Other members of the Burke &Walsh Circus included:
- Mickey Braddock as Corky, a 12-year-old orphan whose parents
("The Flying Falcons") were killed in
a hire-wire accident and subsequently adopted by the circus. Corky
was the
water boy for Bimbo,
the baby elephant and friend of Bobo the chimpanzee, Cleo the
lion (who dies), Nuba the
Lion (replaces Cleo) and Sultan, the tiger.
- Noah Berry, Jr. as Joey the
Clown, whom Corky called "uncle"
- Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as Pete, a roustabout/canvasman
- Anthony Caruso as Gambino, the lion tamer
- Leo Gordon as Hank Miller
- Andy Clyde as Colonel Jack
- Billy Barty as Little Tom, the circus dwarf
- Owlin Howlin as Swifty
- Eddie Barr as the circus Barker
Here is a list of some of Corky's adventures:
- When Chief Spotted Horse and his tribe are accused of horse
stealing, Corky helps prove they are innocent.
- The Burke and Walsh Circus is robbed by a masked man.
- The circus arrives in a small town of Hayfield but a
councilman who is suspicious of "Circus" people tries to prevent
them from performing at a Christmas event.
- There's an opening for a new high diving act performer and
Corky helps a man overcome his fear of heights to get the position.
- Corky and a circus employee build a hot air balloon and take
off against the wishes of Big Tim who doesn't think its safe.
- Corky investigates a theft allegedly done by an escape artist.
- Joey the clown contemplates marriage to give Corky a mother.
- Corky takes a job as junior reporter during the winter layover
but becomes disillusioned when he learns his supposedly honest
editor is doing the bidding of a dishonest town mayor.
- Corky and his inventor friend accidentally pollute a water
source when they to seed clouds to produce rain for a drought
area.
- The circus workers volunteer to lay railroad tracks to help an
old circus friend in competition with a rival company.
- Thieves on the run get a job with the circus and later try to
rob the circus of its latest profits.
- Joey and Corky help a friend get out of jail but they do so
with money that was supposed to be used to buy circus supplies.
- A forest fire threatens the life of Corky and a female member
of the Marvelous Manelli's, a hire wire act.
- To attract more business to the circus, Corky tries to
convince Buffalo Bill Cody to come out of retirement and be in
their show.
Big Tim, Corky, Joey and Pete
View Series Intro
Listen to Theme Song
Theme Song Lyrics
(Lyrics by Victor McLeod)
It's big, it's colossal, it's the best show on earth,
the circus will be in town today...
You'll wanna have a lemonade,
You'll wanna see the big parade,
You'll wanna hear the calliope play!
It's great, it's terrific, it's the best show on earth,
nothing could top it anywhere...
You'll get a chance to laugh and play,
You'll have a heart that's young and gay,
And you'll have a happy holiday!
It's great to make believe
that you're the dare devil fellow on the high trapeze...
As far above the crowd,
you'll catch your high flyin' partner with the greatest of ease.
Or you can be a clown...
a happy face pagliatchy happy circus clown,
dressed up in those silly clothes,
with a big red funny nose,
When the mighty circus comes to town!
It's grand, it's tremendous, it's the best show on earth,
so go buy a ticket right away,
You'll get a chance to laugh and play,
You'll have a heart that's young and gay,
And you'll have a happy holiday!
Memorabilia
TRIVIA NOTE: Mickey Braddock later
became drummer Mickey Dolenz (his real name), one of the four zany
pop rock musicians
on the situation comedy THE MONKEES/NBC/1966-68.
Obituaries: Guinn "Big Boy" Williams: 06/06/1962;
Noah Beery, Jr: 11/01/1994; Robert Lowery:
12/26/171; Billy Barty: 12/23/2000.
External Links
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