A series of photos, from the upper left: Reggie Montomery, unidentified (possibly Janice Gillespie) , four great photos of the very expressive face of Master Clown Otto Griebling, Mike "Coco" Polikov, Otto and unidentified clowns on unidentified show.
Pat! Enjoy your Blog. FYI - I was on the Red Unit in 1971 - Graduate of Clown College 1970. Our class comprised of Peggy Williams, Reggie Montgomery, Billy Baker and David Straitharn among others. Reggie went to the Blue Unit, but on the Red for that year we had Duane Thorpe, Frosty Little, Frankie Saluto, and Lou Jacobs. The picture in question was taken outside the manage tent in 1971 I believe. The August clown in the background is Kent Tyler (speedway clown) the midget is Jimmie Briscoe both graduates of class of 1970 and on the Red Unit that year. The clown with glasses is Uncle Soapy (Duane Thorpe) and I believe that the showgirl is Louann Jacobs - Lou's oldest daughter. Uncle Soapy was her websitter that year and the Feld organization had a professional photographer setting up the collage/photo histories. Uncle Soapy would run around the alley in partial makeup and wearing glasses as noted. Otto was on the Blue Unit that year. I was a friend of Kinko Silberry and he gave me his shoes and costumes that year before the circus left winter quarters. His eyesight was so bad that he was pulled from the path of stampeding elephants in 1967 and I would eat at his house often (Venice Fla) during clown college. Bill Ballentine was the director at the time.
ReplyDelete- Steve (Jocko) DiGiacomo Class of 1970