Carnivale

Carnivale

     I do not remember the first time I worked on “Carnivale.” My friend John, who was a regular, on the show, told me, that production was having a hard time, getting people to work the show, because the working conditions, were sometimes difficult. The show was usually shot outside, in the Santa Monica mountains, northeast of Los Angeles. We also worked in Lancaster, CA, and Santa Clarita, CA. If you lived in Long Beach, CA, and you were booked on the show, you had a long drive ahead of you. Hope your car is not a gas guzzler! I had a Toyota Corolla, so I was not worried about gas. I was worried about getting lost, or my car breaking down. Especially at night. 

     The mountains can be hot in the daytime, and cold at night. Sometimes the wind can knock you down, or cut you in half, or both. The Santa Monica mountains are not as large as the Rockies, but they will still kill you, if you do not respect them. Poisonous snakes, landslides, fires, flash floods, etc. The mountains have one thing in common, with the freeway, and the ocean. People die there, all the time. I was always careful to remember, where I was.

     I started out as “Townsfolk.” The show was set in “Dustbowl USA, circa 1930 something.” During our great depression. Production went out of their way, to make us look dirty. Both townsfolk, and carnival workers alike, were none to clean. This created an impression that water was a precious commodity, or that the carnival workers were nasty, dirty people, who could not be trusted. Take your pick. I actually worked as a “Ride Jock,” in a traveling carnival, for several years in the 1980’s. I operated a “Classic Traditional, cable drive, number 5,” Big Eli, Ferris wheel. So named by the Eli Bridge Co., that built them. I once tore it down, during a thunderstorm, because the show must go on! In the eighties, not only were we cleaner, we wore uniforms, of a sort. Company T-shirts. This, however, is another story. I only mention it, because I told casting, I had previous experience, with a traveling carnival, when I submitted, for the job. I even told them, I had a “Mouse Key.” They were clueless, but I got the job.

     They told us it was 1934-ish,  and dressed us accordingly. Most of us were dirt-poor, and I loved it. Whenever I get to wear “period” clothing, I do not need to bring any of my clothes, to set. One less thing to worry about. I have a picture of myself, and my friend John, with our mutual friend Shirley. We are all dressed in our “Carnivale” garb. I look out of place though, because of my modern day eyeglasses, and the designer coffee, in my hand. I would need to lose both of these, before going to set. I have another photo, of myself, taken after I became a regular, on the show. Production also cut my hair in the high, and tight fashion, but it was not as drastic as our Marine Corps haircut. I did not care. It was a free hair cut, by a professional hair stylist. Call it a perk of my job. Not everyone felt that way. I knew a guy, back then, who could have easily played a live-action, “Mr. Clean.” He got a lot of work, with that look. I first met him on “Waterworld.” We called him, “Big Mike.” There are all kinds of us, out there. 

     Extras holding was usually pretty good. There were some times when it was pretty cold, at night. We also got sand-blasted, by the wind, and dirt. Dust bowl indeed! I did not hold production responsible, for this. S**t happens, in the mountains. Period. Production has no control, anymore than you do, about what might happen, so stop your bitching. It is not their fault, you are freezing. I’m burning up, in this nice winter coat, my sister gave me. I know my sister. If it is a choice between ruining the coat, and freezing to death, the coat is expendable. The bad thing for me, was usually the shoes, I had to wear. Often, my feet did not like them. On cold nights there was coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, for us, and the smart extras, brought all kinds of things, from home, like winter coats, etc. 

     The show flirted with things supernatural, so one night, a bunch of us played ghosts. We had to do the “zombie walk,” down a mountainside, at night. The sky was so clear, and it seemed like you could reach out, and touch, the stars. This did not alter the fact that we were staggering down a mountainside, at night. I cannot remember if we carried lanterns, or not, so I will say we did. We made it down the mountain ok. It was the second, and final time, I was booked, as a ghost. I think we all died together, so we stayed together, and one night, we all decided to visit the “Carnivale.”

     Most of the time, I worked inside the “Carnivale” lot. The lot was the area of land, covered by us, and our show. It was pretty ragged, but considering the time it was set, production did a great job. The lot was basically a large square, that had different attractions around the perimeter. All the attractions faced inward, so visitors would have to be inside the square, to see them. There was a main entrance, but the square was not fenced in, so you could enter the lot, wherever you wanted. There were attractions inside the square too. This particular traveling carnival, was a good one.

     We had a side-show, popcorn, and peanut vendors, and games for kids, as well as adults. We had shows for kids, and adults too. There was, of course,  the centerpiece of the show, the Ferris wheel. The “Big Eli.“ These wheels could be 60 feet high, or more, depending on the model, and whether or not it was setting on the ground. More modern wheels, can be raised right on the back of the truck, that carries them. This elevates the wheel, even higher. Fun, for the whole family! I cannot remember if there was a merry go round or not. If there was, it was a small one. My friend John walked around the lot, selling balloons to the kiddies. I just walked around the lot, doing crosses, or watching a show.

     They had, as part of the side-show, a giant crocodile. Or was it an alligator? Maybe an anaconda? Galapagos tortoise? It was some kind of big reptile, and I never saw it, because it wasn’t there, when I was. My favorite was the tent with the “Man-Eating Chicken!” The front had a painting of a giant, evil looking bird, with sharp teeth. After you paid the 5, or 10 cent fee, to get inside the tent, you were shown, a man, seated at a table, eating chicken. Man-eating chicken indeed! Surely you didn’t think there was such a thing as a giant chicken, with a mouth, full of razors, that ate people. The sign says, “Man-eating chicken!” What did you see? A man, eating chicken. I’m sure, that in the real world, a lot of people were taken in, by this type of lure. The carnys always referred to people, stupid enough to fall for this, as “marks.” It was a good night, if one of the “joints,” inside the carnival, had an encounter, with a mark, who had more money, than brains. I was told, that the word “Mark,” as it is used here, comes from such a person. If he, or she appeared stupid, or drunk, or both, with money to spend, someone working the show, would touch them, after having put chalk, on their hand. The mark usually got touched, in a place, not easy for he, or she, to see, such as their back, or shoulder. The chalk allowed everyone to know, that this person had been “marked.” This way, everybody gets a chance, to take your money. More fun, for the whole family! I was told this by a woman, who was a carny, with a real traveling carnival, for many years. I do not know if it is true, or not, but it sure sounded like it, to me. 

     There was a girl, on set, who helped us with our paperwork. I had worked on other shows, with her. She was, at the time, doing some work, for casting. She said to me, “Every time, you get booked, on this show, you show up.” I shrugged, “So what? I’m supposed to show up.” “A lot of people, take the booking, and then they don’t show up,” she replied. “They also work one night, and refuse to come back again.” I shrugged again, “You don’t want these types of people, working for you anyway. They think they are special. Then they wonder why they get no work.” She smiled, that mischievous smile, that all woman have. “What about me? I’m special, aren’t I?” I smiled back at her. “Yes you are, but you really don’t think you are, and that is why we like you.” Later that day, I spoke with casting, on the phone, while on set, in the mountains. I think she put in a good word, for me, with casting, because I was made a “regular,” on the show, after this happened. 

     We did a shoot at an insane asylum. It was an actual medical facility, near Los Angeles, that was closed, when we worked there. It looked newer than 1934, but I won’t tell, if you don’t.  I played an inmate. Production put me in hospital clothes, and I rocked back, and forth, in a chair, that was not a rocking chair. I also sat and stared, blankly, either out the window, or straight ahead. These were scenes with, “Brother Justin,” played by Clancy Brown. I guess he was an inmate, for awhile, but I do not know why. I never really watched the show. It aired on HBO, and I have a problem with pay TV.

     All the different times, I worked on “Carnivale,” I never really had much interaction, with the cast. I am in the background, where I belong. I worked pretty close to Adrienne Barbeau, one night. I did not speak to her. She was working. She smiled at me once, and that was enough. She played “Ruthie,” the snake charmer. I was part of a group of people, clamoring to see, her show. I was honored to work with her. I met a few other members, of the cast, including the bearded lady, the Siamese twins, and Samson, the manager of the carnival. All very nice people. I never heard any of them, bitching about anything. I heard some of the extras bitching about damn near everything.

     One night, the wind was blowing so hard, we were getting sandblasted. I volunteered to ride the Ferris wheel, in the hope that the air up there would be better for my eyes. I should have brought goggles, with me. I’m sure production would not have cared, as long as I did not wear them, on camera. Oh well, I guess I am not the best boy scout, in the world. So, I rode the Ferris wheel, on a very cold night, with my friend “Di.” We were cold, and uncomfortable, but we were glad to be working. Besides, now we had some bragging rights. “Don’t tell me, how messed up, your job was! Di, and I froze our asses off, on the Ferris wheel of death, while getting sandblasted! We were also struck by a large dust-devil, while roasting in the desert heat, on the set of “Champion!” I have pictures! Your lunch was late? Aww, you poor baby! Want me to call your mama, so she can wipe your butt, for you?“ I have a lot of respect, for extras, or anyone, like my friend Di, who is willing to take the bad, with the good, and not b***h about it, to much. We knew it was going to suck, before we got there. We knew it would probably suck, when we took the booking. We did not care. It was work. We loved our job, so we did it, every chance we got. 

     During a “side-show” scene, they filmed us, outside a tent, clamoring, to get in. Then they filmed us, inside, during the show. This happened many times. One show featured a naked lady dancing, and doing the splits, etc. To this day, I wonder if the hair, and makeup department, “dressed” her, to look like a poor depression-era woman.  She certainly had an abundance of hair, the likes of which, can only be seen nowadays, in vintage porn. It looked strange, to me.  Just my humble opinion. If I had been 21, in 1934, maybe I would have felt differently. 

     Speaking of Ferris wheels, I consider the high point, of my days, on “Carnivale,” to be the night I fell off the Ferris wheel. Or did I? Brother Justin goes crazy. His eyes turn black. He is on the Ferris wheel, at the time. Things either break, or break loose. Parts, and people, fall to the ground. I saw none of this. I did see Clancy Brown wearing his black contact lenses. Pretty spooky! I also saw one of the rehearsals, when he was rocking back, and forth, violently, in his seat, on the wheel. I did not witness the actual accident. I was in the extras holding area. Production called me to set, and asked if I would mind laying, on the ground. So I did. I do not know, if I fell from the wheel, or if I was struck by falling debris. Maybe I was trampled by the crowd. I’m not sure if I was dead, or just badly injured. There was no blood. Maybe my neck was broken. All I know, for sure, is that I laid, on the ground, near a woman, who was already, on the ground, for about an hour. I have not seen this episode, of the show. But I think it was the finale. 

     One morning, when we were going home, one of the extras, held up traffic, on the road, coming down the mountain, to the freeway. He did it so a large tarantula, could cross the road. Once the spider was safely across the road, we were allowed to proceed. We had snakes too. Along with the rattlesnakes, that the “Snake Wrangler,” sometimes caught, we had a visit from a beautiful, 3 foot long, California King snake, one night. Scared the girls pretty good, hanging out by the bathroom, like that. One girl was too cool. “There is a snake, over by the honey wagon,” she casually announced. The snake was caught, and set free, further away, from us. In the past, I have worked for 4, or 5 different traveling carnivals. “Carnivale,” paid the most money, and it was the most fun. Many thanks to Di, and John.