Lucy and Harpo: The Mirror

Lucille Ball and Harpo Marx recreate the mirror routine from the Marx Bros. film Duck Soup on an episode of I Love Lucy in 1955.

Circus World Museum: Mr. Bill and Happy

“Mr. Bill” Machtel and Jimmy Williams, aka “Happy”, perform at Circus World Museum in the summer of 1994.

Ringling: Jim Streit and Sam Drummond

 

Long time pals Jim Streit and Sam Drummond on the Ringling Blue Unit in 1982.

R.I.P Walter Galetti

I just heard from John Cooper that Walter Galetti passed away yesterday. I don't know any more than that but will update as soon as I do.

From Dominique Jando on Circopedia:

A popular figure in the European circus ring for twenty years, the clown and ropedancer Walter Galetti was born January 29, 1931 in Thayngent, in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. He was originally trained as a brick mason, but that was not the life he really wanted: At age twenty-one, he “ran away and joined the circus”—in his case, Switzerland’s premier circus, Circus Knie, where he found a job as an animal keeper.

His ambition, however, was to perform in the ring, and during his spare time, he trained on the bouncing rope. It was perhaps a little late for Walter to become a strong acrobat, but he had a cheerful nature, and he began to work as a clown. The very colorful costume and makeup he eventually developed would become as iconic as those of Lou Jacobs or Paul Jung, and the face of Galetti, the clown, would eventually grace anonymously many a circus poster!

In 1966, together with his wife Mary (who, like him, didn’t come from a circus family), Galetti developed a charming act, The Clown And The Ballerina, which was soon noticed by circus directors and agents. Thus Galetti (as he was billed, without first name) started a brilliant career that lasted two decades. He went on to work in practically every major European circus, and appeared many times on television shows. 

Galetti retired from the circus ring in 1986, but his performing career was not over. He settled in his wife’s hometown, Rankweil, in Austria, and developed a puppet show for children, which he still performs to this day (2013). In 2005, he published his autobiography, Ein Clown geht um die Welt. Walter and Mary Galetti have three children, Carmen, Maria, and Marco.

Winter Quarters: Clown Segment

The clown segment from the documentary Winter Quarters: The Circus Tradition featuring members of the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Clown Alley, Ann Coydel, and Bruce Warner.

Emmett Kelly: Keep Off The Grass

From Wikipedia: Keep Off the Grass is a musical revue with sketches by Mort Lewis, Parke Levy, Alan Lipscott, S. Jay Kaufman, and Panama & Frank, lyrics by Al Dubin and Howard Dietz, and music by Jimmy McHugh. The choreography was by George Balanchine.

Produced by Lee Shubert and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway production, opened on May 23, 1940 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for a total of 44 performances. The cast included Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Jane Froman, Virginia O'Brien, Emmett Kelly and Ilka Chase. O'Brien recorded four of the songs for Columbia Records in 1940 and they are included as bonus tracks on her CD "Virginia O'Brien Salutes the Great MGM Musicals". 

Man, oh man would I love to hear more about this show!

Circus Flora: Adam Kuchler

 

Photo credit: Maike Schulz

Adam Kuchler performing in Circus Flora's production The Pawn in 2014.

Clown College: Joe Wesson and Jeff Wirth

Joe Wesson and Jeff Wirth perform in the Ringling Clown College graduation of 1978. Joe and Jeff both went on the Blue Unit, where they performed this gag in Come In. When Jeff left the show, Joe and Tom Dougherty performed it together.

George Carl: Hollywood Palace 1969

George Carl and his wife performing an early version of his act on Hollywood Palace in 1969.

Enjoy! 

Fumagalli: Le Miel

Fumagalli, his brother Darius, and Nico performing Le Miel (The Honey), which is commonly called Busy Bee in American clowning circles. Even some clowning squares!

This performance was on French television to promote the 2013/2014 Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione season, Phenoménal.

Various Circus Posters Featuring Clowns II

 More beautiful posters from the collection of Ralph Pierce.

Ringling: Blue Unit Walkarounds 1978

Members of the Ringling Blue Unit’s 108th Edition Clown Alley perform walkarounds on the national television special in 1978.

Roberts Bros Circus: Brum

Brum performing that old chestnut, "You Can't Play That Here", on Roberts Bros. Circus in the UK.

More info from John Cooper: “ Brum was portrayed by Tommy Cook, his family going back several generations in English circus. I don't recognise the ringmaster. It looks like the clip is from a TV recording. Incidentally, "Brum" is an affectionate name for the city of Birmingham in central England.”

Peter Pitofsky on Leno

Hey everyone, sorry for the sporadic posting. I had to run up to Wisconsin to take care of some business.

To get things going again, here's Peter Pitofsky doing what he does best.

Los Rivelinos

Los Rivelinos performing on Circo España in Spain in 1988.

Ringling: Lottery Gag

 

Hey guys, sorry for the couple day lapse of not posting. Had to come up to Wisconsin to work on some stuff.

I bought a Mega Millions ticket on the way up, and the drawing is tonight, so here's Mark Branner and Huel Speight performing the lottery track gag on the 121st Edition Red Unit in 1991 for good luck! 

Ringling: Lou Jacobs

 

A slide from Gary Cybul showing Lou Jacobs at Madison Square Garden on May 8, 1969.

HOUSCH-MA-HOUSCH: Rabbits

Rest In Peace Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan passed away Wednesday morning from complications due to COVID-19.

Kevin was a graduate of the Clown College class of 1982 and toured with the Blue Unit of Ringling for two years.

He was an Advance Ambassador of the Ringling Readers program and also an instructor for Clown College Japan.

He spent many seasons with both Culpepper Merriweather Circus and Kelly Miller Circus making families around the country laugh.

Rest in peace, Kevin. Thank you for making the world a happier place.

Circus Vargas: Clown Walkaround

Members of the Circus Vargas Clown Alley perform walkarounds around 1987. I can spot George Clyatt, Scott Parker, Chris Green, Marty T. Clown, and Lorenzo (last name I don't know). Aside from that, I have no idea who the rest are. Heck, even people that were in the Alley couldn't ID them for me!