Billy Smart's Circus (c1946 - 2006)
Biography
Billly Smart's Circus was established by William 'Billy' Smart (1894-1966). Billy came from a fairground family from London with an interest in horses and circuses. In 1946 Billy came across Cody's Circus and bought the big top.
Billy Smart's New World Circus made its debut at Southall Park, Middlesex, on 5 April 1946, for the first full season after the end of the war. Initially, Billy run his circus in conjunction with his fun fair, which was being run by his children, but by 1952 the fun fair, which was overshadowed by the circus, disappeared. The success of the circus side of the business however continued to increase and in 1955, Billy Smart's Circus grew from its two-pole tentto a 6,000 seat, four-pole round big top with a hippodrome track around the ring, and a vast entrance tent, thus enabling the staging of spectacular parades, which became a Billy Smart's Circus trademark.
Billy's greatest innovation, however, was his relationship with the newly established television networks when he agreed to broadcast his circus live on the BBC in 1947. Over the years, Billy Smart's Christmas Spectacular became a BBC holiday tradition, which ITV took over in 1979 and carried on until 1982. The BBC's first-ever colour broadcast was a 'Tribute to Billy Smart', while Royal Performances took place in London, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
A large part of the success of the circus was the showmanship that Billy brought to the operation of the circus, the large family he could draw upon to run the shows and his ability as a showman to market and capture opportunities to advertise. Whilst other circus proprietors were threatened by the rise in popularity of television and shunned the cameras, Billy Smart embraced them. Smart's Circus grew to be one of the largest in the world, touring every part of the British Isles, and with permanent quarters and an associated zoo at Winkfield, Berkshire, not far from where Smart began his fairground career. His success took the circus through twenty-six tenting tours, winter seasons, frequent TV appearances and the provision of animal acts to other circuses.
Billy died in his caravan on 25 September 1966 and the circus passed onto his sons Ronnie, David and Billy Jr. who continued travelling Billy Smart's New World Circus until around 1971.
In the 1990s Ronnie and his sons Gary and Lord revived the Smart Circus and started to tour a smaller scale version of the original circus. However, the Smart Circus was never the same after the dead of Billy and soon after, the Smart name was rented out to other circus operators until it stopped operating in the early 2000s.
Found in 1058 Collections and/or Records:
Audio Material, c1900 - 2000
Audio reels which feature recording concerning circus.
Backstage Show Film, 1993
BETACAM. Note on case reads 'AL S1 Rushes, SM4, night generators, night establishing of Smarts lights L/S, and 93 show assorted angles'.
Badges from European Circuses, c1900 - 2000
4 badges from the Cirkus Merano, 1 badge from the Darix Togni Circus, 2 badges from the Cirkus Benneweis.
BBC Film Recording Report, 1973 - 1998
BBC film recording report and letter to Billy Smart’s Circus.
Belle Vue Circus Programme, 1949 - 1950
Belle Vue Manchester Circus. Front cover: the 21st International season 1949-50 official programme, cartoon elephant and two cartoon clowns. Inside: commercial advertising, black and white photos of circus acts with text, short biographies and information about performers, cartoons of circus acts, programme in the centre. 16 pages. Printed by Kemsley Newspapers Ltd, Kemsey House, Manchester 4.
Benneweis Nordens Største Cirkus Programme, 1993
Front cover: cartoon clown holding a picture frame. Inside: program in the centre, photos of acts with brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: ice cream advertisement featuring a clown. 13 pages.
Benneweis Nordens Største Cirkus Programme, 1993
Front cover: cartoon clown holding a picture frame. Inside: program in the centre, photos of acts with brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: ice cream advertisement featuring a clown. 13 pages.
Benneweis Nordens Største Cirkus Programme, 1996
Front cover has colour reproduction of a mixed media art work of a clown on a red and white striped pole.
Benneweis Programme, 1992
Front cover: cartoon clown with a hand puppet of a cartoon clown who is juggling. Inside: programme in the centre, photos of acts with brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: ice cream advertisement featuring a clown. 17 pages.
Bibliographies and Catalogues, 1986 - 1997
Catalogues for sales and auctions of equipment.
Big Top Film, c1980 - 1989
VHS PAL.
Big Top Show Promotional Material, 1977
Promotion for the Big Top Show at Royal Windsor in front of the Queen. Contains black and white photographs of circus acts and famous entertainers with information about them; information about the Queen's Silver Jubilee and royalty and the circus.
Big Top Variety Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS PAL. Prod 22911.
Big Top Variety Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS PAL. Thames T.V. Prod 22913.
Big Top Variety Show Film, December 1979
Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Lulu, Moira Anderson and Charles Aznavour amongst other performers by Thames Television, series 1 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.
Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1980
Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus by Thames Television, series 2 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.
Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1981
Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Pat Boone, Sacha Distel and David Essex amongst other performers by Thames Television, series 3 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.
Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1982
Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus by Thames Television, series 4 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.
Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1979
Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Gladys Night and the Pips amongst other performers, compilation by Thames Television on VHA PAL. Sound and colour.
Billy Smart Christmas Circus Film, 1978
Television broadcast of Billy Smart Circus by Thames Television, parts 1, 2 and 3 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.