Saturday, January 17, 2009

OTTO GRIEBLING: Madison Square Garden, 1951



I can't believe it!!! It's an absolutely amazing discovery!!!

Absolutely PRISTINE broadcast-quality raw, unedited WABC-TV NY video footage of Otto Griebling's come in IN IT'S ENTIRETY taken from his very FIRST performance with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden in the spring of 1951!

Decades of performance experience distilled into 15 minutes of unparalleled perfection.

EVERYTHING! Working the seats! Working the floor! In the ring! From the moment he walks through the curtain until the whistle blows to start the show, it's all here as clearly as if they had shot it at this morning's matinee.

I have to admit, I had tears in my eyes watching this. It's beautiful.

Please click here.


26 comments:

Jeff Darnell said...

I'm getting worried about you Pat! Are you hydrated?
You've had an uncharacteristic "edge" in your posts as of late.... kinda funny when laced with the Dalai Lama's words of kindness and grace.
I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into your "slams" on your peers. Grief manifests itself in mysterious forms of behavior and "tone."
This is just my observation..... Grandma died yesterday.... so I'm in that introspective mode this morning.
Plus... I was really looking forward to some Saturday morning Otto! I felt like I had just been "pied" with a frickin' whiteface! :-^)
Touche on me, I guess.
Drink more water bro! One rinse cycle for every "suds" ..... um er ....beer cycle.
blessings,
JD

Bob Kelmer said...

Pat, you caught me with my mouth open dude! Good one! Now I do have tears in my eyes, thanks again Pat Cashin! lol

Anonymous said...

sigh.... do we need to find you more work?
;)

Anonymous said...

Oh. You. Bastard.
Got me hook, line, and sinker!
Great prank, now go out and find that footage!!!

Rik Gern

Mike Naughton said...

My eyes got moist.
You've done it again.

Anonymous said...

From an old radio show..." 'taint funny McGee"
Paul G.

John Peters said...

I hope someone can come up with this footage. i would love a copy. I checked with Otto's family and they don't have it.

John Peters

Pat Cashin said...

Guys, there is no footage.

It's a joke.

I wish there was, but there isn't.

Anonymous said...

sigh.

You got me.

I went from excitement to annoyance in but a few seconds.

...but I forgive you, it was funny.

Rose

Anonymous said...

You're a monster!

Mark Lavender said...

Pbbbpphhhhlllllpppphhhhhttt!!!!

But, OH! Don't we just WISH?

(afterthought - when I started on RBBB Blue in 1976, the propmaster, George, dug out of storage a pair of foam-rubber huge bathroom slippers and gave to me for my balloon-suited woman-in-a-bathrobe carrying a huge coffeepot walkaround gag. He told me they were once Otto's props, I recovered them in fake fur... wore them so proudly the whole season.
I'll forward you the photo when I find it, Pat.)

Anonymous said...

Circus World Library in Baraboo has some excellent footage of Otto fooling around in the Cole Bros. backyard. In some of it, he is rehearsing the boxing gag with Freddy Freeman, in other footage he is doing this running bit with kissing showgirls and they slap him in the face. See if you can get them to post it for everyone!

b.t.w., I've been getting "Eggrolled" since 1979.

Elmo

Anonymous said...

sadly I know this song this was played at my homecoming circa 1987 nice one we'll get you back don't worry

Anonymous said...

There is a special place in clown hell waiting....

Greg

Mike Naughton said...

ELMO,
Trivia -- did Eggroll start clowning in 79 or 80; I know he made the Rochester Shrine date with us in 80. He did a year in the side-show before joining the alley, is that correct?
Everything before meeting Eggroll became a blur.

Anonymous said...

Hey Pat!
I may be able to help a bit :)
I just uploaded a video to YouTube of Otto. It came from a tape called "The Greatest Clown Acts of All Time" put out by RBBB in 1988.
For those that had no appreciation of your joke (and even those who did!) you can find it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ieLpdAIWg

Enjoy!
Sandy

Anonymous said...

Who the hell is Otto Griebling!?

Ryan Combs

24-HOUR-MAN said...

THAT'S CRUEL!!!!

GothamTomato said...

I did not like this. I do not want to see a scary whiteface so early in the morning.

Anonymous said...

This malicious act warrants a pink belly!

-Kenny

Anonymous said...

Mike N. Hey, come on, we all know Egg started clowning the day he was born....as did Rodney Dangerfield....ya know when I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my Mother...no repect, no respect at all...

God, it feels so good to laugh!

Paul G.

Anonymous said...

To you sir I say...%$#@*&!!!

"Toto"

John Peters said...

For some great footage on Otto take a look at Clownalley volume 2 DVD.

shane said...

are you the agent that represents Otto?

-DeBarge

John Peters said...

No Shane, I'm not the agent and don't remember his name any longer. I'm related to Otto's family though.

John Peters

Anonymous said...

I am so disappointed! That was not very nice of you. Those of you
looking for the real thing go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ieLpdAIWg
GOOD JOB, SANDY! I would love to see pictures/tapes of Otto...he
is my Grandfather.
(Hi, Jackie)