Wednesday, April 23, 2008

CLOWN ALLEY: Clyde Beatty Circus 1946

Photo and comments courtesy of Tommy Holbrook


Here is photo that I pulled from my files...

Would like to learn who they are. Maybe someone will get a kick out of seeing these from over 62 years ago.

This alley shot of the clowns listening to a phonograph was taken in April of 1946 on the Clyde Beatty Circus.

Kenneth Waite is the clown in the white ruffles in the foreground.

The clown with his hand to his ear (second from the right) is Pinto Colvig.


I wonder if they are listening to a Bozo record reader?

For those who do not know, Pinto was a circus clown who worked as a gag and voice man for Disney (where he co-wrote the smash hit Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?) and the Max Fleischer studios before moving to Capitol records and becoming the original Bozo the Capitol Clown.

Pinto is the father of Vance Colvig, the KTLA-TV Los Angeles Bozo the Clown who we featured here recently.

3 comments:

  1. According to "The World of Clowns" by George Bishop, where there is a photo of the 1943 alley, the august in the back is Del LeClair and the clown at the right is Hughie Kyle (though I know there are several mis-namings in this book).

    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pat,
    I hope some friends can help to put names to the faces,...I do have the route sheet from Clyde Beatty's Circus in April 1946. The following clonws were listed;Kenneth Waite is also listed in the 1946 Clyde Beatty route book as one of the clowns. The following names were also listed as well; Kenneth Waite, Thomas Rouse, Arthur Cooksey, George Barnaby, Mel Rennick, Lou Walton, Jose Soleras, Alva Evans, Al Darrah, Charlie Bathes, Tommy Ontko, Bob Seely. It is quite possible that one of names listed are seen here in their clown make-up.

    Can anyone help to pair up these names to the facces?

    Thanks,
    Tommy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Opps,
    sorry about the typos.
    T.

    ReplyDelete