Ed "Numbers" Renner, and Tommy Moore, before a show at First Health/Moore Regional Hospital in N.C (12/16)
From Tommy Moore...
I'm guessing it was circa 1959, before Coco was with Ringling... I had seen five years worth of Ringling shows and had the clown pages of the RBB&B programs thoroughly memorized. I thought I "knew" clowns. Then my dad took me to see the Mills Bros. Circus. Mike came out on tall stilts, so tall he was touching the tent top of the tent. WOW!!!
Then, on that verrry cooold September night, he did a water gag that doused him with gallons of water! I was sure he'd catch pneumonia but I thought, "Now THAT'S a CLOWN!"
Pat, Thanks for including us in the tribute! I can picture that day at Mills Bros. like it was yesterday...when I saw Mike touching the top of the tent for balance, since he had to duck in on his entrance, I think I was more impressed than I was with any clown ever!
ReplyDeleteThese tributes and memories of my dad are making my day. I remember helping dad put his stilts on, of course he didn't need my help, but he let me pull the pants legs down once he was strapped into to homemade stilts. It was all about balance on pieces of wood. Dad was always making his own props.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the great memories.
In the 60's Coco appeared on the David Frost show according to my aunt who told me about it the next day.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know this to be true and is there a tape of it anywhere?
Yes David Frost, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, The Today Show and Ed Sullivan. He put grease paint on many of them. He was on To Tell the Truth and What's My Line also. Actually we were on the set of the today show one day and I believe he made up Joe Gargioli, check the spelling on that one. And I was sitting in one of their plastic chairs off camera almost asleep and an orange backdrop the fell over me and I luckily made it through one of the cut outs in the back drop. I can still feel the whoosh of air and see the crew running toward me. I went back to sleep unaware. I believe if you go to you tube you can see the To Tell the Truth episode with Dad and Coconut.
ReplyDeleteFor the Sullivan appearence, if Michelle or David or Hazel remember the date Coco appeared, they can contact Sofa Entertainment, which owns all the Sullivan shows, and present proof of family connection,they will sell you a copy of the show he appeared on. Not sure of the actual cost...heard a figure of about $100.00 bucks. Abit high, but for a high quality DVD record of his work on the show, it would be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI know I'd LOVE to see it.
Greg