"Circus Boy" (1956) TV series 1956-1958

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

23 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Western

Plot:

12-year-old Corky has been adopted by a traveling circus owned by Big Tim Champion. He is water boy to baby elephant Bimbo and otherwise participates in the behind-the-scenes life of the circus.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Orphan

Cast

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Pete (49 episodes, 1956-1957)
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Uncle Joey (49 episodes, 1956-1957)
Micky Dolenz	...	Corky (49 episodes, 1956-1957)
Robert Lowery	...	Big Tim Champion (49 episodes, 1956-1957)
Bimbo the Elephant	...	Bimbo (25 episodes, 1956-1957)

Runtime:

30 min (49 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Norbert Productions

Trivia:

During the show's run, the producers decided to send Micky Dolenz on a promotional tour (together with the show's baby elephant), and that an added attraction would be to have him play guitar and sing. Dolenz was sent for a round of guitar lessons, and alternated between music and tricks with the elephant for the tour.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Heart and Soul (1988)

Soundtrack:

Circus Boy

A Little Boy Living With The Circus

The Circus Boy series bore no small resemblance to Rin Tin Tin and that's not surprising since they both came from Columbia Studio's television unit. In Rin Tin Tin small boy Rusty and a German Shepherd puppy who grew up to be Rinty was found after a wagon train massacre and the soldiers at Fort Apache made him an official mascot.

And that's what happened with Mickey Dolenz here who was then known as Mickey Braddock. He was an orphan who lived and traveled with the circus owned by Big Tim Champion as played by Robert Lowery during the gaslight era. They did the western circuit so a lot of western type plot situations could be used.

It was not a bad series and what a life for Mickey. He lived with Noah Beery, Jr. who was a clown. His other good friend and fourth and last series regular was Guinn Williams who was the head roustabout for the show.

It wasn't a Barnum&Bailey type show, but it was a small circus and life really seemed good. And unlike Rin Tin Tin you didn't have the Indians to contend with.

Too bad it only lasted two seasons, but it was only when The Monkees debuted in the Middle Sixties that I learned that our Circus Boy was not a real blond.

It must have been just as devastating for nineties fans to learn that Mark-Paul Gosselaar was not a California blond either.