Cirque Arlette Gruss' Andre & Frisco perform their Paper Hanger entree. I've seen Norman Wisdon do a very similar routine on an early 60s television special and I don't know if Wisdom was performing an old circus gag or the Euro-clowns adapted an old televison bit.
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There is certainly a notable routine with Norman Wisdom and Bruce Forsyth doing this on "Sunday Night at The London Palladium" when there was some sort of strike so that the pair had to perform the entire show with just the two of them LIVE.
ReplyDeleteThe paper-hanging sequence they did on that occasion was adapted from the routine used (if not devised) by Naughton and Gold (i.e. Charlie Naughton and Jimmy Gold) of The Crazy Gang - if that means anything to you!
Andre and Frisco are doing this routine on Arlette Gruss this season, having done it a few years ago. Andre is Swiss. Frisco is French, and is basically the house clown with "Arlette", willing to work with whoever is booked in.
Incidentally, Arlette Gruss herself died at the start of 2006. She was cousin to Alexis Gruss of horse fame.
John.
I saw Andre on Krone when we were there on vacation, he did three fabulous gags, Shark in the Bathtub, Fishing Gag, & Lip Singing Gag, all very funny.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I should have told you that it's Frisco whom we see first.
ReplyDeleteHe tried to retire a few years ago, but made the mistake of paying a visit to the show just after another clown had decided to leave!
John.