Sunday, September 21, 2008

CLOWN COLLEGE REUNION: The Video That We Didn't Get to See...



Here is the video that we wanted to run before Dolly presented Coco with the Lou Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only this poem, by Red Skelton, can express my thanks to all the clowns and jesters who have worked so hard to make our world a lovable place. I thank you with Red's words.
Adaline


The Circus

The circus! The magical city

That appears and disappears with the bat of an eye.

A cathedral for children and adults

Made of canvas and trimmed with red wagons.

A sunburst of wheel, pink lemonade and cotton candy.

A temple housing the unity of man and beast...

All performing for the good of their fellow man

With shouts of glory.

The perfomers’ only reward is the echo of the applause

And laughter of children.

It cradles them to sleep.

As the red wagons roll from city to city.

The clown hides his sorrows behind a mask --

Sometimes grotesque, sometimes sad,

but always with a whimsy that is an encouragement

That makes any deformity of life seem minute.

A lesson in humanity, where man and beast risk life

and limb for the meager reward of applause.

How sad it would be if my youth would pass away

And not see the beauty of the big red wagons,

And taste the rare vintage of pink lemonade!

Or become so blasé’ that I couldn’t offer a silent prayer

For the man on the flying trapeze,

Or sigh as I watch him swing to and fro.

I see my own life in motion like the pendulum

On the huge clock that ticks away life.

Oh, keep me young without prejudices.

Without haste, so that I will be young.

So that my heart will be filled with glee

Next year, when the big red wagons roll in again!

To me, a great clown said that—my Dad.

Red Skelton

Anonymous said...

Until this week's series of posts, I'd never seen the gentleman out of make-up. In fact the only times I've seen him live were in 2 tele-recordingd for Billy Smart's a while back.
As a former Chairman of Clowns International, I sen him my/our congratulations on his well-deserved award.

John Cooper.

Anonymous said...

Awesome video, and I imagine, awesome week! Wish I coulda been there . . .

Bruce the Clown

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the video on all your work on the reunion.
Michael Craig CC 85' & 90'