The first shot for today is from September 1965 and shows Mae Mennes playing the calliope at Knott’s Berry Farm. Jim, a former Anaheim resident, sent me this information about a relative who once worked at Knott’s Berry Farm:
My mother-in-law's niece, Judy Glidewell (now Neilson), worked at the Bird Cage Theater in 1966 and 1967 with Steve Martin and Kathy Westmoreland. Judy played the calliope before the shows and also piano. She had graduated from Buena Park High School, and went to Redlands University and later Cal State Fullerton. She is now 70 and lives in Huntington Beach.
I found this newspaper article from a Redlands, California paper in 1967, when Judy, Steve Martin, and another Bird Cage performer performed at a show one evening. The last 3 paragraphs deal with the Bird Cage Theater, Judy, and Steve.
Also, a poster I saw on eBay, but could not buy, can't make it out well, but can see Judy's name in the program.
I love getting information like this. You might recall from previous posts that the Bird Cage is where Steve Martin made his stage debut. Here he is in 1965 with Melody Westmoreland:
Steve let me know that Don Galvan, also listed on the flyer “played banjo out in front of the Bird Cage on the calliope. He was bitter, but a big Mexican movie star at one time.”
Last shot for today is how the Bird Cage Theatre and the Calliope look today. Not bad!
See more Knott’s Berry Farm Bird Cage Theatre photos at my main website.
I love personal stuff like this! Judy and I are the same age :) Just a side note, the calliope is still being played before shows. They played it on weekends just this past Halloween season for the kid friendly stuff in the daytime. Had a cute show in the Birdcage. They will be playing it before the Christmas shows this season. And during Boysenberry Festival in the Spring they have brought back melodrama and will play before the shows. Knotts is really on a role right now!
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