Friday, August 15, 2008

CLOWN ALLEY: Cole Bros. Circus, 1947



A clearer, more complete copy of the Cole Bros. Alley photo from Tuesday showing Freddie Freeman, Bagonghi and Otto Griebling.

To the person who complained about my speculation on Bagonghi's flatulence, telling me that "there is no place for this type of crude humor in a discussion of American circus clowning" I strongly suggest you watch any gag on any show with Latin-American clowns.

And the reaction it gets from American audiences.

If you don't think farts are funny then I challenge you to watch the following with a straight face...



4 comments:

Raffaele De Ritis said...

Concerning Europe, frequent flatulences have been copiously witnessed for centuries on the stage and in the ring, and still visualized by the use of talco or flour, and supported by eloquent trombone effects (where an orchestra is still existing).
Furthermore, I can guarantee that in the backstage a genuine version of those effect is more frequent, real and "crude", especially among clowns dressing rooms, often giving the opportunities of serious international competitions.
Some of the greatest names of today's circus and clowning are prominent specialists.
On those basis, I strongly agree about the suspect concerning Bagonghi.

Anonymous said...

Farts are NOT funny when you are the guy driving the Clown Car for 3 years!

Raffaele De Ritis said...

Tell this to the 7 columbian midgets that few years ago, in a south-american circus, used to spend the first part of the show hidden in a flying saucer suspended on the top (before to be released into a net to impersonate an invasion of green aliens from Mars).

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing Raffaele,

That Martian thing must have been a nightmare in the land of beans and rice.