Jerry of the Circus
Encyclopedia
Jerry of the Circus was a 1937 syndicated radio serial broadcast for a juvenile audience. It was presented in 130 15-minute episodes of which 128 are in existence today. The series followed the adventures of Jerry Dougan and his dog Rags with the Randall Brothers Circus
from the time of his father's death in the spring to the end of that year's performance season. Jerry Dougan's adventures continued in the 1937 serial Jerry at Fair Oaks.
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
from the time of his father's death in the spring to the end of that year's performance season. Jerry Dougan's adventures continued in the 1937 serial Jerry at Fair Oaks.
Characters
- Jerry Dougan - orphan who joins the Randall Brothers Circus when his father dies
- Rags - Jerry's dog
- Mr. Randall - owner of the Randall Brothers Circus
- Bumps - the clownClownClowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
Jerry bunks with; recruits Jerry's dog Rags for his act - Patsy - the trapezeTrapezeA trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
artist of the circus - Jason - the large cat trainer
- Carmen Bandini (voiced by actor who played the Girl Submarine Commander in Magic IslandMagic Island (radio)Magic Island was a science-fantasy radio serial syndicated in 1935. The series had 130 15-minute episodes, and all episodes have survived.The storyline followed wealthy Patricia Gregory as she ended her 14-year search in the South Pacific for her long lost daughter Joan. When Joan was one-year-old,...
- tightrope walker who leaves the circus for Hollywood - Major Mike - the little person who regards himself as the star attraction on the midwayMidway (fair)A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
- Decker/Dan Dougan - the kindly circus performer who turns out to be Jerry's big-game hunter uncle suffering from amnesiaAmnesiaAmnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
- Lorenz - the knife-throwing performer who controls Decker through bribery
- Clara - the costumer
- Johnny Bradley - Shakespearean clown
See also
- The Cinnamon BearThe Cinnamon BearThe Cinnamon Bear is an old time radio program produced by Transco , based in Hollywood, California. The series was specifically designed to be listened to six days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas....
- another 1930s-era radio program intended for juvenile audiences - Land of the LostLand of the Lost (radio)Land of the Lost was a 1940s radio fantasy adventure, written and narrated by Isabel Manning Hewson, about the adventures of two children who traveled underwater with the fatherly fish Red Lantern...
- 1943-48 radio fantasy adventure - Magic IslandMagic Island (radio)Magic Island was a science-fantasy radio serial syndicated in 1935. The series had 130 15-minute episodes, and all episodes have survived.The storyline followed wealthy Patricia Gregory as she ended her 14-year search in the South Pacific for her long lost daughter Joan. When Joan was one-year-old,...
- 1936 radio series about an orphan boy's adventures (not the same Jerry as in Jerry of the Circus)