This NBC family adventure series told of life under the big top of a touring circus in the late 1890s and starred eleven-year-old Mickey Braddock (later to find fame under his real name, Micky Dolenz, as drummer, singer and all-round goofball in The Monkees) as Corky, the orphaned son of high-wire artists who is adopted by the entire circus troupe.
Joey the clown (Noah Beery) played the part of Corky’s unofficial guardian, and Big Tim Champion (Robert Lowery) was the owner and ringmaster of the travelling tent show.
The fourth permanent member of the cast was Bimbo, a 3-year-old 3,000-pound elephant who played Corky’s pet and constant companion.
Mickey, the son of actress turned housewife Janelle Dolenz and actor George Dolenz (star of The Count of Monte Cristo), had no professional acting experience before Circus Boy. He was recommended to producer Norman Blackburn by the elder Dolenz’s agent after Blackburn had interviewed and tested more than 300 professional boy actors.
To produce Circus Boy, an entire authentic circus was purchased, and episodes were shot on location at the Corriganville Movie Ranch in California.
Thirty-six episodes of the show aired on Sunday nights on NBC from 23 September 1956 to 23 June 1957. The second season aired on ABC from 19 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, adding thirteen more episodes.
The series was then rerun in syndication from 1958 to 1960.
Corky
Mickey Braddock (Micky Dolenz )
Joey the Clown
Noah Beery Jr
Big Tim Champion
Robert Lowery
Pete the Canvasman
Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams
Colonel Jack
Andy Clyde
Casey Perkins
Ralph Moody
Mike
Ed Hinton
Elmer Purdy
Sterling Holloway
Mr Meeker
Ollie O’Toole
Pop Warren
Stanley Andrews
Little Tom
Billy Barty
Gambino
Anthony Caruso
To produce Circus Boy, an entire authentic circus was purchased, and episodes were shot on location at the Corriganville Movie Ranch in California.
