Alberto Caroli

 

The classic White Clown, Alberto Caroli, photographed by Elena Zaïka. Alberto's family are the fantastic clown trio, Les Francescos, and for many years he was the house Clown at Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in Paris. 

Ringling: Gabor Hrisafis

 

One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, Gabor Hrisafis, performing during the Ringling Blue Unit's "Upside Down World" spec for the 134th Edition in 2004 or 2005.

Gabor recently was on tour with Cirque Musica here in the USA, and he still performs in Europe, especially around Hungary, where he lives.

Happy Twenty Twenty Lou!

Happy Lou Year from Pat Cashin's Clown Alley! Let's kick off 2022 with an awesome interview with Master Clown Lou Jacobs filmed on the Ringling Red Unit in 1980.

Lou discusses his thoughts on clowning and reflects on his over fifty years (at that point) with the circus.

Spike Jones And The City Slickers

I'm not as great with Spike's band as I used to be, but from left to right:

Top: Earl "Sir Frederick Gas" Bennett, ?, Jack Golly, Winstead "Doodles" Weaver, ?, Joe Siracusa (who was the last surviving City Slicker until he passed away this past November)

Bottom: George Rock, Dick Morgan, Spike, Freddy Morgan, ? (But he looks like juggler Bill King a bit)

From Wikipedia:

Lindley Armstrong Jones was born in Long Beach, California, United States.^[1] His father was a Southern Pacific railroad agent. Young Lindley Jones was given the nickname 'Spike' for being so thin that he was compared to a railroad spike.^[2] At the age of 11 he got his first set of drums. As a teenager he played in bands that he formed himself;^[1] Jones' first band was called Spike Jones and his Five Tacks. A railroad restaurant chef taught him how to use pots and pans, forks, knives and spoons as musical instruments.^[3] Jones frequently played in theater pit orchestras. In the 1930s, he joined the Victor Young orchestra and got many offers to appear on radio shows, including Al Jolson's Lifebuoy Program, Burns and Allen, and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall.^[3]

Jones became bored playing the same music each night with the orchestras. He found other like-minded musicians and they began playing parodies of standard songs for their own entertainment. The musicians wanted their wives to share their enjoyment, so they recorded their weekly performances. One of the recordings made its way into the hands of an RCA Victor executive, who offered the musicians a recording contract. One of the City Slickers' early recordings for the label was a Del Porter arrangement of "Der Fuehrer's Face".^[3] The record's success inspired Jones to become the band's leader. He initially thought the popularity the record brought them would fade. However, audiences kept asking for more, so Jones started working on more comic arrangements.^[3]

From 1937 to 1942, Jones was the percussionist for the John Scott Trotter Orchestra,^[4] which played on Bing Crosby's first recording of "White Christmas".^{[citation needed]} He was part of a backing band for songwriter Cindy Walker during her early recording career with Decca Records and Standard Transcriptions. Her song "We're Gonna Stomp Them City Slickers Down" provided the inspiration for the name of Jones's future band.^[5]

The City Slickers developed from the Feather Merchants, a band led by vocalist-clarinetist Del Porter, who took a back seat to Jones during the group's embryonic years.^[6] They made experimental records for the Cinematone Corporation and performed publicly in Los Angeles, gaining a small following. Original members included vocalist-violinist Carl Grayson, banjoist Perry Botkin, trombonist King Jackson and pianist Stan Wrightsman.^{[citation needed]}

The band's early records were issued on RCA Victor's budget-priced Bluebird label, but were soon moved to the more-prestigious Victor label. They recorded extensively for the company until 1955. They also starred in various radio programs (1945–1949) and in their own NBC and CBS television shows from 1954 to 1961.

During the 1940s, prominent band members included:

• George Rock (trumpet, and vocals from 1944 to 1960)
• Mickey Katz (clarinet, vocals)
• Doodles Weaver (vocals – specialized in playing sports commentators and absentminded singers who persistently scrambled their lyrics into malapropisms and digressed into stand-up comedy)
• Red Ingle (sax, vocals)
• Frank Rehak (trombone)
• Del Porter (clarinet, vocals)
• Carl Grayson (violin, vocals)
• Perry Botkin (banjo)
• Country Washburne (tuba)
• Luther "Red" Roundtree (banjo)
• Earl Bennett, a.k.a. Sir Frederick Gas (vocals)
• Joe Siracusa (drums; died 2021)^[7]
• Joe Colvin (trombone)
• Roger Donley (tuba)
• Dick Gardner (sax, violin)
• Paul Leu (piano)
• Jack Golly (trumpet, clarinet)
• John Stanley (trombone)
• Don Anderson (trumpet)
• Charlotte Tinsley (harp)
• Eddie Metcalfe (saxophone)
• Dick Morgan (banjo)
• George Lescher (piano)
• Freddy Morgan (banjo, vocals)
• A. Purvis Pullen, a.k.a. Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath (bird calls, dog barks)
• Russ "Candy" Hall (bass, tuba)

The band's 1950s personnel included:

• Helen Grayco (vocals)
• Earl Bennett, as Sir Frederick Gas
• Billy Barty (vocals and comedy routines, including impersonations of Liberace)
• Lock Martin (comedy routines)
• Freddy Morgan (banjo)
• Peter James (vocals)
• Jad Paul (banjo)
• Gil Bernal (sax, vocals)
• Paul Garner (vocals)
• Bernie Jones (sax, vocals)
• Phil Gray (trombone)
• Marilyn Olsen Oliveri (vocals, harp)

The liner notes for at least two RCA compilation albums claimed that the two Morgans were brothers (the 1949 radio shows actually billed them as "Dick and Freddy Morgan"), but this was not true; Freddy's real name was Morgenstern.^[8] Peter James (who was sometimes billed as Bobby Pinkus) and Paul "Mousie" Garner were former members of Ted Healy's stage act on Broadway. James joined Healy for a two-year run in the Shubert revue A Night in Spain (1927–1928) where he worked alongside Shemp Howard and Larry Fine. Mousie joined with Healy from 1931 to 1932 after Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard had their first split with Ted, and with fellow Healy "stooges" Dick Hakins and Jack Wolfe, appeared in the Broadway shows The Gang's All Here and Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt. Mousie, with Hakins and Sammy Glasser (aka Sammy Wolfe) rejoined Healy in 1937 for radio and personal appearances, until Healy's death in December 1937.

Spike Jones's second wife, singer Helen Grayco, performed in his stage and television shows.^[1] Jones had four children: Linda (by his first wife, Patricia), Spike Jr., Leslie Ann and Gina. Spike Jr. is a producer of live events and television broadcasts.^[9] Leslie Ann is the Director of Music and Film Scoring at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch^[10] in Marin County.

Ringling: TLC The Greatest 1999

A segment focused on the 1999 Ringling Red Clown Alley from the TLC special “The Greatest”.

Tim Tegge is featured at the beginning putting on his makeup, and senior Alley members Darren Cooper and Lisa Chapman are interviewed. Long time Feld employee Peggy Williams, who was the first female Ringling clown after the advent of Clown College, also appears to speak about Lou Jacobs.

Universoul Clown Alley

 

Photo shared by Danise Payne

Danise Payne and Garry White visiting with aerialist Ron Pace on the Universoul back yard.

Danise and Garry both got their start with Ringling in the 1970s, and Danise went on to work with Gerry Cottle’s Circus in the UK, and Garry worked for many years with Fern Street Circus.

Circus Circus Clown Alley: Mid 90s

The Clown Alley for the Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Scott Linker, Peggy King, Colleen Linnehan, Dave DeDera, Ray LeClair, Eric Zander, and Allan Tuttle.

I’m guessing this is from 1995 or shortly after. Everyone pictured was a Clown College graduate and toured with the Ringling show at some point.

The Anatomy Of Visual Comedy

Tim Conway gets some help from The Three Stooges as he gives a lecture on The Anatomy of Visual Comedy.

This segment was part of the 1965 television special Danny Thomas Meets The Comics.

I would love to see the whole special, but for now this is a great sample taste!

Frosty Little: Ringling

 

Either Frosty Little is ready for the Ringling Blue Unit’s 116th Edition finale in 1986 or 1987, or he was pitching his own sci fi TV series, “Frost In Space”.

Clyde Beatty Clowns 1995

 

Photo shared by Chris Connors

Gideon Sanders and Brandon Magnuson on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros Circus in 1995.

Both were graduates of the Ringling Clown College Class of 1994. Gideon spent one season on the show, and Brandon was there for two, including 1996, which was the last year the show had an all American Clown Alley.

Emily Carragher: Drawn To Life

 

Many well wishes to Emily Carragher, former Ringling, Fossett’s Circus, and Varekai clown, who opens the new Cirque Du Soliel Show, Drawn To Life, in Orlando, FL tonight.

Emily appears as Miss Hésitation, one of the main characters in the brand new show that replaces the long running La Nouba at Disney Springs!

Here’s to a long run and lots of laughs!

Bob & Momo

 

Would love to learn more about these two if anyone has anything to share.

I know they performed in Europe, and appeared on the program La Piste Aux Etoilles at least once performing the Busy Bee entrée.

Also, one of them has a hilarious name!

Les Francescos: Rings Around The World

Les Francescos (Francesco, Ernesto, and Enrico Caroli) are some of my favorite clowns. I first saw this act on one of Mike Martin's video tapes about twenty years ago, and I was instantly taken with this trio.

This footage is from the 1966 special, Rings Around The World, in which author John Shawcross reflects on great circus acts he has seen around the world.

I'm not sure on which show this was filmed, but I bet someone out there knows!

Side note: Watching Enrico (the auguste with the mustache) do anything is a master class in clowning.

Clown College 1994 Faculty Show: Mike Smith

Here is a short act performed by Mike Smith at the Clown College 1994 Faculty Show in the historic Al Ringling Theater located in Baraboo, WI.

Ringling moved the Clown College to Baraboo from Venice, FL in 1993. The program was located at Circus World Museum, which is the former Winter Quarters of the Ringling Bros. 

1994 was the final year with Steve Smith as the dean; Dick Monday took over for the final three years: 1995 in Baraboo and 1996 and 1997 in Sarasota, FL.

Mike Smith was a graduate of the 1989 Clown College class, and he went on to spend two years with the Ringling Red Unit. He and his wife, Lara Heidtman Smith, also came back on the road with Red for six months during the 2000 season after almost the entire Alley (all but three of sixteen) from the previous year had not renewed their contracts.

Mike has performed in many different venues with his friend, CC classmate, and Red Unit Alley mate, Jay Stewart, and he also spent a short amount of time clowning on the Kelly Miller Circus in 2008, filling in for their clown who had not arrived in the country yet.

Jeff Jenkins (CC class of 86 grad, Blue Unit clown for two years, and founder of the Midnight Circus along with his wife Julie Jenkins), can be seen acting as emcee at the beginning of the video. 

Kelly Miller Clown Alley 1988

 

Francis West, Ted “Zippo” Tutweiler, Dale “Herky” Smith, and Joe “Skippy” Schmidt.

Francis and Dale were both recent graduates of Ringling’s Clown College from the Class of 1987. Ted graduated in 1971 and spent the 1972 season with Ringling’s Blue Unit. He clowned on many mud shows during his life, but I believe he spent the longest time on Kelly Miller.

I don’t know much about Joe, but would love to learn!

Ringling: Barbara Nolan

 

Photo credit: Longtime Clown Alley wardrobe man and amazing photographer, Bill Swift

Barbara Nolan (Kinkade at the time), with her dog, Midnight on the Ringling Blue Unit. The photo must be from 1998 because they are posing with her Flea Circus walkaround. The theme of the show that year was Sideshow, so all of the clowns did sideshow themed walkarounds.

Barbara started out as a dancer on Ringling, even participating as the ballerina in the painter soap gag featured in Ringling’s 118th Edition (1988-1989). She attended Clown College in 1995 and toured with the Blue Unit from 1996-1998.

After that she was a part of the Circus Circus Clown Alley in Las Vegas for awhile.

Jimmy James

 

Cirque Alcatraz is in Columbus, GA, which John Kennedy Kane, aka “Eggroll”, informed me is the birthplace of longtime Beatty clown and ringmaster, Jimmy James Plott.

Sorry for the inaction on the blog. I will do better!

The Bozo Show: Tom and Tammy Parish

Tom and Tammy Parish, Dan Rooney, and Erin and Laura Presley perform the magic gag on The Bozo Show while Ringling’s Blue Unit was in Chicago in 1992.

Bello, Fumagalli, and Housch-Ma-Housch

Three clown headliners kick off the ceremonies for the 40th International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo.

Pat Cashin

Five years ago today, Pat Cashin was taken from us, way too soon. He started this blog fifteen years ago, and although I don’t think I’ll ever be able to keep up with his amount of output, it is an honor to continue posting about clown history in his honor.

Here are some wonderful photos of Pat shared on FB by Paul Gutheil.