Saturday, August 18, 2007

OTTO GRIEBLING: CLOWNALLEY.NET's 1,000th Post



I had planned on posting an excellent, very rare, video that I had been saving to appropriately commemorate CLOWNALLEY.NET's 1,000th post but that one will just have to wait.

This video arrived in the mail this afternoon.

It's 1969 Ringling Alley footage. Just a quick sweep across Clown Alley, past several early Clown College grads (and Bill Ballantine), before the camera stops on a young whiteface who quickly realizes that the cameraman is not interested in him, he's shooting Otto Griebling as he puts on his makeup.

And just about nothing makes me happier than finding footage that I haven't seen of Otto Griebling.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the landmark, but I do think that one of the introductory captions needs to be altered.

And, Mr. Cashin, early congratulations on your personal landmark which will arrive towards the end of this month. (His life is about to begin!)
If the number worries you, just remember that Clownron will still have clown white that's older than you.

All the Best,
John.

Anonymous said...

hip hip hooray.

congratulations!!

Anonymous said...

Way to go Patrick! I look forward to the next 1,000.

What personal landmark? Did you make a puppet?

You are a cornucopia of clown creations, a purveyor of pithy photos, and a merry, magnanimous, mensch!

May all your days be __________! (Fill in the blank)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the 1000th! And rare Otto footage to celebrate...even better. Thank goodness no one back then took the "no video/film in the alley rule" very serious. We'd have so few of these rare glimpes into clown alley to savor...

-Greg

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Pat Cashin! A true milestone for a great effort!

I believe I saw Eric Braun in there and Frosty Little, too...If I can identify any more, I'll add to it! (Who was that in the Finale costume--pants, anyway, talking to one of the midget brothers--Stanley or...sadly, I forget the other one's name?)

The "young whiteface" was not, I believe, part of the alley. Probably a reporter whom they made up to look like a clown for a newspaper article or TV report!

Anonymous said...

The little people were Lester & Stanley Janus.

-Greg

Anonymous said...

Right!!!! Lester and Stanley Janus!!!! Thank you, Greg! (If you can spare any memory cells, please send them my way!) Very nice guys, worn out early, as I recall, by Ringling's grueling schedule...so this footage would have to have been shot sometime towards the beginning of the season.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for all you do! Every chance I get I steal away to watch and learn. I love clowning. I love to watch it. do it, and talk endlessly about it . thanks for making that possible.bugsbe

Jean said...

Lester and Stanley have now both passed away, Lester many years ago, but Stanley just passed away on January 17th, 2008 at age 84. He was a wonderful man and if anyone has any more photos or video of either of them, please send them to their nephew, Mike Janus at maddogjanus@yahoo.com
They still have two brothers alive and living in southern Florida.
Jeanne
jms_race@yahoo.com