Food Games etc
| FOOD | GAMES | SIDESHOWS | FREAK SHOW |
| THE BARKER |
The Arcades
Food, Games, Sideshows, and . . . . . . oh yes,
The Freak Show!
FOOD AND DRINK WERE IMPORTANT to visitors to the park as well as park management. Visitors need these items to fuel their stamina, and park management needed them to help their "bottom line."
Remember the creativity of the 30s when visitors needed a filling, inexpensive food item? The foot-long hot dog was born!
Riverview never forgot that lesson and was quick to offer every item they could make and serve at a profit. It's safe to say that park menus included any fast-food item, any snack craze, and any drink, soft or otherwise, that existed. (During Prohibition, beer annd liquor flowed continually at Riverview-- except for a few minor interruptions.)
Records show that each year 60,000 ice cream cones, 40 tons of popcorn, 1 million popcorn bags, 1/2 million hot dogs, 250,000 candy bars, 1,500,000 cups and 750,000 napkins were ordered.
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| Always Time for Snacks Fred R. Krauss |
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| Serving Cotton Candy at Riverview, May 25, 1962 Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Riverview Restaurant, May 25, 1962 Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
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| A group drinks pitchers of beer at the Riverview restaurant, May 25, 1962. Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Scott Family Enjoying a Meal, May 25, 1962 Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
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| Popcorn's Slow Time But Never for Long hCuckman Photos on WordPress |
Fast Food and Faster Little Guy Finding a Treasure Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Rainbow Ice Sounds Good for All Ages Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
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| Looks Like a Busy Lunch Time Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Servin' Up Soft Drinks Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
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| Enjoying a Cotton Candy Break Chuckman Photo on WordPress |
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RIVERVIEW HAD THREE ARCADE BUILDINGS filled with games and amusements: Guess Your Age or Weight, the Coke Bottle Game, Horse Race Game, and the Rabbit Race Game were all popular.
The Penny Arcade had pinball machines of all sorts that one could play for a penny or a nickel. Here, also, were devices that were especially popular for movie fans. For a penny, a machine would sell you a postcard photo of a movie or Western star or of a favorite sport's hero. Those penny cards are selling to collectors for a dollar or more on ebay these days.
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| Strolling by the Penny Arcade Chicago Public Library |
Fun for a Penny Chicago Public Library |
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| Target Practice Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Giving Pointers Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
The Nail Game looked easy to young men trying to show off their strength but did not prove to be so. Trying to drive nails into a tree stump with only three swings, humbled most. Some contestants were convinced that the trunk was made of lead.
In the games of chance -- fat chance, some would say -- you could fire away with darts or real .22 rifles at balloons and stuffed cats.
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| Fool the Guesser Fred R. Krauss |
Big Gong Gadget also humbled many. Tribune Archive Photo |
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| A LineUp of Fun Postcard Souvenir |
Patiently Waiting for a Turn Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Cat Toss and the Basketball Toss were games of skill that were well-used as was the popular Skee Ball. The latter was similar to a bowling game and is still found in almost every amusement park today. There was the popular Fishing Pond where every player was a winner; it always had a crowd. And, can't forget bingo! You could play it for prizes rather than money at Stop and Shop.
A patron of the arcades could spend several bucks without realizing it; and, in all likelihood, wind up with some chintzy prize.
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| "Win one for your lady," was a familiar cry. chicagoandcookcountycemetaries.com |
Rare Photo of the Arcade Building Bob Smitka, Pinball News |
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| "Come win a goldfish," May 25, 1962 Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
Doin' Well at Skee Ball, May 25, 1962 Laird A. Scott/ Flickr |
It has been revealed by a source close to The Park that certain steps were taken by management to lure customers into the arcades. The restrooms at the park were deliberately located at the back of these buildings so the park's visitors would have to pass by all the games and amusements. Hopefully, they would become intrigued and spend some money before they left.
Also, large curved mirrors were placed at the entrances to the arcades. When visitors stopped to look at their distorted images, the park's owners hoped they would enter and try their luck at the many games -- and, of course, spend money.
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There many, many sideshows throughout Riverview's history some of which we have no record.
| The Monkey Circus, Popular through the Ages | |
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| Spectators Outside the Monkey Show, July 1916 Geneology Trails |
The Monkey Circus, 1960s Chuckman's Photos on WordPress |
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| Pinterest.com |
IT IS A FACT that the general public loves performing animals in unique situations. This may explain the great popularity of the Monkey Circus.
Monkeys, dressed in jockey's satins, would be strapped in specially designed minature racing cars with wheels shaped to run on a roller coaster, gravity-type track. Customers placed bets on a monkey's color, and the cars were set in motion. The races were quite lively -- everyone rooting and cheering for their particular favorite.
Some monkeys were actually trained to operate small gasoline engine powered cars. Their driving skills left much to be desired, however; and they would bump and crash into each other to the absolute delight of the crowd.
All lined up and ready to go -- well, almost.
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Motorcycle Syndrome
A SIDESHOW GUARANTEED TO ATTRACT ATTENTION was the Motorcycle Syndrome. Here, men would ride their cycles on the walls.
The riders would ask for money from the audience before and after their shows. They claimed that the riding stunts were so dangerous, they could not get any insurance.
Joe Wolters debuted his powerful new Excelsior “7” on the boards of Chicago’s Riverview Motordrome on August 5, 1911; and quickly established that he would be the man to beat at the newly constructed 1/3 mile motordrome at Riverview. By the end of the month Wolters had set new records from 1 to 10 miles, hitting speeds of 87 mph onboard his new “7.”
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Roller Rink
TODAY IT SEEMS STRANGE that people would go to Riverview to roller skate rather than to hop on the many exciting rides, but in 1904 when a rink was added to the Riverview landscape it was a novelty. It proved to be very popular and remained so until Riverview's close in 1967.
Kruger's Silhouettes
Paul Kruger, a Silhouette Artist
Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries
ONE MAN, ENTERTAINED WITH NOTHING MORE THAN black construction paper and a pair of sharp scissors. His name was Paul Kruger, a silhouette artist. He had a small non-descript booth along the riverwalk, just beyond the Paratrooper ride and the monkey races. He would charge $2 for a excellent likeness of you or your family member. (You might have his work in your scrapbook.)
Mr. Kruger, an immigrant from Poland, came to the U.S. in 1932 to travel around the country and cut silhouettes at various events -- including the Chicago World’s Fair, the Dallas World’s Fair, and both New York World’s Fairs. He settled in Riverview Park about 1940. Once Riverview closed, he moved to California to work his craft at Disneyland.
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Coultry Photo Studios
WILLIAM J. COULTRY, who with his wife Hattie and his extended family, owned and operated the wildly successful Coultry Photo Studios within Riverview. They offered you and your entourage a backdrop and appropriate costumes and props to compliment it. Photos were reasonably priced and would be ready for pick up before you left the park.
Coultry & Co. had five studios at one time.
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| Behind Those Swingin' Doors Chuckman's Photos on WordPress |
Out for a Sunday Drive Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries |
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| Rocking the Kids to Dreamland Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries |
Set em up, Joe -sephine! Chuckman's Photos on WordPress |
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THE PALACE OF WONDERS, more often known as the Freak Show, sported more unusual people than even the Ringling Brothers Circus could boast. A barker stood out front on a raised platform and talked non-stop, using jokes and jibes to attract an audience and then teasing them regarding the wonders within. There, people would stare at the tattooed lady, a contortionist, a sword swallower, a fire eater, or the “Human Blockhead who would pound nails into his nose. There was the Two-Faced man who was promoted on the outside banner with two separate and distinct faces -- the real two-faced man had only one face: one side normal and the other side greatly deformed. There was the the Armless Wonder, a man who could with his feet operate a typewriter, shuffle a deck of cards and thread a needle. There also was the mule faced woman, and Sylvia Jackson, the Girl with the Elephant Feet. And, dozens more over the years.
For a few coins you stared at some of the strangest, almost bizarre sights known to man. Giant hand-painted banners would advertise the acts inside. As a tease, one of the acts would come out front. Once inside, each person onstage would tell their life story and explain their condition.
The barker for Riverview for many, many years was Marshall Brodien, who began his Riverview career at age 16 doing magic tricks in a sideshow. It wasn't long before his talent for gathering crowds was recognized, and he was promoted to "talker/barker."
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| Told by a Chicago club owner that he was too young, Brodien offered to work for free for one week. He kept the job and never worked free again. wgntv.com |
Brodien, as Riverview's barker is introducing the Armless man and 2 other performers to the curious crowd. jensencollector.com |
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| Brodien, Center, is the Talker/Barker at the Riverview Park Freak Show in the 1950s. Tribune Archive Photo |
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Brodien tried very hard to entice passing guests to spend their cash to see such oddities as the amazing Fat Lady, Pop-Eye, the Smallest Man, the Tallest Man, Rubber Man, Man with No Legs, Smallest Mother and Daughter in the World, 4-legged Girl, Fat Boy, Snake Charmer, Belly Dancers, or the various midgets.
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“First I pop the left eye, then I pop the right one, and then I pop them both," he'd say. When Riverview closed, he could be found for several years at the Wisconsin State Fair's Freak Show still using the same patter he used at Riverview. He, easily, gave you a few nights of nightmares.
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Once the barker cajoled a young man up onto his platform and challenged him, saying, “I bet I can look down your throat and tell you how many holes you have in your socks.”
“No way,” the young man refuted.
“I’ll show you," the barker mocked. "Open wide." He spent a few moments ostensibly peering deep inside his victim's throat; and then knowingly said, “Young man, you have one hole in each sock."
“Wrong.” the young man said triumphantly, “There ain’t any holes in ‘em!”
“Then how’d you get your feet in?” the barker laughed, joined by the audience that had gathered five-deep before his stage. The young man blushed at having been fooled, but he had the last laugh on the audience because he was presented free entrance to the attraction that day.
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| Walkin' by? They must be deaf not to hear the barker. Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries |
These people hear him, stop, and listen. Wikimedia Commons |
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The Freak Show Barker Himself
Marshall Brodien
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