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Fanfare
Other tips of the hat to Barnum
P
.T. Barnum’s life and in this two-night miniseries
career have been por- (A&E, Sept. 12-13, 1999) that
trayed in many previous focused as much on Bar-
stage and screen depictions: num’s family, including three
of his four daughters, as on
Barnum’s pre-circus career.
MOVIES
THE MIGHTY BARNUM (1934)
Oscar-winner Wallace Beery BROADWAY
(“The Champ,” 1931) por- BARNUM (1980-82) Jim Dale
trayed the great showman in won the Tony Award for his
this fanciful biography. While starring role in the hit musical,
it was Barnum’s first wife, which took 10 nominations

GETTY IMAGES / KEYSTONE

Charity, with him when he
established his first museum
of curiosities, the film con-
flates her with second wife
Nancy (Janet Beecher). Bar-
num’s circus partner, James A.
Bailey, here becomes his
museum partner, Bailey
Walsh (Adolphe Menjou).
There’s also a made-up niece.
But all the greatest hits are
here, including singer Jenny
Lind (Virginia Bruce), Gen-
eral Tom Thumb (George
Brasno), “George Washing-
ton’s 160-year-old nanny”
Joice Heth (Lucille La Verne)
and Jumbo, the elephant.
BARNUM (1986) Truer to life,
this CBS TV movie (Nov. 30,
and won three. Glenn Close
initiated the role of Charity
“Chairy” Barnum. It played 854
performances and 26 previews
at the St. James Theatre.
AS FICTIONAL
Michael Crawford brought CHARACTER
“Barnum” to Britain.
A LADY’S MORALS (1930)
Broadway musical’s U.K. tour, Before starring in “The
starring Michael Crawford. Mighty Barnum,” Wallace
P.T. BARNUM (1999) Beau Beery first played P.T. in this
Bridges played the showman fictionalized, song-filled
drama about Jenny Lind.
JULES VERNE’S ROCKET TO
THE MOON (1967) aka THOSE
FANTASTIC FLYING FOOLS and
BLAST-OFF. Folk singer Burl
Ives portrays Barnum in this

THE CW / DEAN BUSCHER

20TH CENTURY FOX / NIKO TAVERNISE

1986) starred Burt Lancaster British science-fiction comedy.

as Barnum and the celebrated
German actress Hanna
Schygulla as “Swedish
Nightingale” Lind. Not to be
confused with the BBC’s 1986
telefilm “Barnum” (erro-
neously given as “Barnum!” in
some sources), a taping of the
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
(The CW, Oct. 17, 2017) In the
“Freakshow” episode, Billy
Zane plays Barnum when
DC Comics’ time-traveling
Rip Hunter and team go to
Billy Zane was Barnum on the circus — in 1870.
DC’s “Legends of Tomorrow.” — FRANK LOVECE

The impresario in Port Jefferson

C
onnecticut native P.T.
Barnum spent most of his
life in Bridgeport, but he’s
also associated with another port
— Port Jefferson. Here, a Barnum
newsday.com
simply one of a multitude of steamboat company founded by Jefferson apartment building
investment properties — virtu- his friend Capt. Charles Tooker The Barnum House, built in
ally all of which he sold off before and Tooker’s brother-in-law, 2001, is simply a nod to the
his 1891 death, except for this one. Edward Davis, in 1883. Barnum town’s favorite not-quite-son.
When his estate did auction it in was elected the concern’s first However, Barnum Island, a

NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017

Avenue exists and a company he
helped found, The Bridgeport &
Port Jefferson Steamboat Co.,
continues to operate today, in-
cluding with a namesake ship.
In 1873, Barnum purchased a
41-acre site known as Brick Hill,
along with three adjacent parcels,
according to Port Jefferson’s
official website — which debunks
AP
1895, there were improprieties, president, though Tooker and hamlet within the Town of Hemp-
according to contemporaneous Davis retained controlling inter- stead, was named after the un-
newspaper accounts. One buyer, est. In Barnum’s memory, the related Mrs. P.C. Barnum — wife
John E. Overton, alleged that 1,000-passenger, 12-vehicle ferry of one Peter Crosby Barnum. She
several parcels were not sold to PT Barnum was commissioned in was an East Meadow philan-
the highest bidder, and a court and 1998 and remains in service. thropist who bought what was
one of Barnum’s granddaughters, Other remnants of Barnum in then known as Hog Island and
Helen B. Rennell, invalidated those Port Jefferson include Christ established an almshouse to
particular purchases. A buyer later Church Episcopal, built in 1888 provide homes to indigent peo-
paid $5,800 for those lots, $4,000 on a lot he owned and sold to the ple. Similarly, The Barnum

P.T. Barnum in 1882, the lore that Barnum had planned more than they had gone for. church for $150, far less than the Woods School in East Meadow
nine years after buying to winter his circus animals in Before this, Barnum was one of going price of $400, according to was built on the site of that Bar-
land in Port Jefferson. that town. Brick Hill was, instead, 27 founding stockholders in the the Port Jefferson site. The Port num family’s ranch. — FRANK LOVECE