Duane "Uncle Soapy" Thorpe(Bill Ballantine's portrait of Soapy, from his book CLOWN ALLEY, is of him wearing this spec costume)
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THIS JUST IN!!!
This may not be a photo of Soapy after all as this message comes to us from ace Gold Unit clown Mitch Freddes...
"I don't think that is Uncle Soapy as he was not on the Blue Show at the time. As far as I know he was never on the Blue Unit. You are correct about the costume in Bill's book . I do remember seeing him in a costume similar to this one."
I've never seen a photo of Soapy out of makeup without his glasses (and the face isn't very clear) so can anyone else here confirm or deny this "Soapy Sighting"?
Soapy did one year on the Blue Unit, clowning and as assistant performance director. I seem to remember him saying he didn't get along with Charly Bauman and so Irvin Feld had him transfered back to the Red Unit.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that is him in the picture, I've seen other photo's of the clown in that costume and it was an unknown early Clown College graduate. I know Soapy did lead the clown band in similar wardrobe, and Bill Ballentine did alot of photo research on the units for program artwork, so it could have been him from a later period.
Great stuff...
Greg
Thanks for the kind words...where do I send the 5 bucks?
ReplyDelete-Greg
Please contact me off-list and I will tell you where to send the money.
ReplyDeleteJust to set the record straight - the picture in question is of the Red Unit at Winter Quarters, Venice, FLA - 1971 - 100th Anniversary. I remember the day the picture was taken. Bill Ballentine was there and the clown in question was Duane Thorpe's standin when they were setting up the "Spec" number. His name was Rex Hutchinson who fit in Soapy's costumes. Later he went to clown in Europe and died in an airplane accident in the late 1970's. Ken Barstow was a friend of Soapy's and the choreographer and he chose Rex to stand in for Soapy who was higher up the food chain. In the subsequent Spec Number during 1971 - Soapy was in drag in the costume of a Major Domo leading a clown band which exited out of the calliope that Rex is standing on and the floor would sink to the ground...
ReplyDelete-Steve "Jocko" DiGiacomo Class of 1970 who roomed with Rex in New Orleans in 1972 after the 1971 season.... Jockmou@aol.com
Just to set the record straight - the picture in question is of the Red Unit at Winter Quarters, Venice, FLA - 1971 - 100th Anniversary. I remember the day the picture was taken. Bill Ballentine was there and the clown in question was Duane Thorpe's standin when they were setting up the "Spec" number. His name was Rex Hutchinson who fit in Soapy's costumes. Later he went to clown in Europe and died in an airplane accident in the late 1970's. Ken Barstow was a friend of Soapy's and the choreographer and he chose Rex to stand in for Soapy who was higher up the food chain. In the subsequent Spec Number during 1971 - Soapy was in drag in the costume of a Major Domo leading a clown band which exited out of the calliope that Rex is standing on and the floor would sink to the ground...
ReplyDelete-Steve "Jocko" DiGiacomo Class of 1970 who roomed with Rex in New Orleans in 1972 after the 1971 season....Jockmou@aol.com
Correction: Ken Barstow was really Richard Barstow. - Jocko DiGiacomo
ReplyDelete