ELMO GIBB: At The Felds' Home

Photo courtesy of Dean "Elmo Gibb" Chambers


A great old circus fan, the late Jim Harshmann of Hagerstown, took this picture of me standing in front of the boyhood home of Israel and Irvin Feld. He knew them way back then. The Ringling big top was set up in a cemetery on the south end of town. The performers used to drape their wash over the tombstones to dry. At night they'd all be cursing because they would skin their shins on the same tombstones in the darkness.

RINGLING: Rocco's Computer Gag

Courtesy of Steve Copeland


Rocco Parris "de-bugging" a computer (way ahead of the curve) back in 1989 as a part of the 119th Edition of Ringling Bros.

MAX PATKIN: Rik Gern Remembers

Photos and story courtesy of Rik "Bonzo Crunch" Gern

Hey Patric,

Here's some souvenirs of the time I almost got to see Max Patkin perform.









In August of '94 Max Patkin's autobiography had just come out, and Chad Miller and I were having a blast learning about our latest hero.

The Red Unit was in Omaha and we learned that "The Clown Prince of Baseball" was going to make an appearance at a minor league game, so Chad, Mike Simpson and I stayed on after the show left town in order to catch Max in action.





Unfortunately, the game was rained out, and Max never got to do his stuff on the field, but he still did plenty of mugging and goofing from the sidelines.

After the game was rained out, Max was very generous with the fans, signing copies of his book and posing for pictures.

Chad, Mike and I probably wore him out with questions, but he was really patient with us. We ended up signing Mike's Ringling hat and giving it to him.


I talked to him on the phone a few months later, and I guess he died not too long later. What a great life, though; he carved out a unique niche for himself, got to ply his trade just about until the end, and even got to ride one last wave of fame with the publication of his autobiography! We should all have it so good!

The 3 Musketeers

Photo courtesy of Dean "Elmo Gibb" Chambers


Clown, occasional Advance Clown and longtime Beatty-Cole Ringmaster Jimmy James with two masters of Advance Clowning, Jackie LeClaire and Dean "Elmo Gibb" Chambers.

It's a shame that circus clowning in America is in the state that it's in but the Advance Clown job is truly a lost art. I remember as a kid seeing Elmo do a show at the Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick, NJ, in advance of the Beatty-Cole show, and it made the arrival of circus day seem truly magical.

DENIS LACOMBE: The Mad Conductor

Blogger is acting up and STILL won't let me post photos, so here is a great video of Denis Lacombe performing his conductor gag.

Hopefully everything will be back up and working tomorrow.

HAGENBECK-WALLACE: Arthur Borella

Arthur Borella - Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus 1937

RINGLING: Steve's Greatest Hits

Video courtesy of Steve Copeland



Super Steve Copeland showing off some of his best slaps and falls over his last 5 years on the Ringling show.

BOZO THE CLOWN: WGN's Bozo Joey and the Art of the Pie

WGN-TV's Bozo (1984-2001) Joey D'Auria shows how to throw a pie.

For more comedy bits and tips from Mr. D'Auria please click the title of this post to be taken to his website.

And just for the record, outside of circus work, I prefer to use shaving cream in a graham cracker crust pie tin. Not only does it look more like an actual pie, but the explosion of graham cracker REALLY helps to "sell" the hit.

LOU JACOBS: Close Up of the Car

Probably the single most iconic clown prop of the 20th century, Lou Jacobs' car.

The car is currently on loan from the Jacobs' family and can be seen at the Ringling Museum of the American Circus in Sarasota, FL.

STANLEY ALLEN SHERMAN: Leather Clown Nose Making Workshop

One-Day Sunday
Leather Clown Nose Making Workshop
Sunday July 22, 2007
www.maskarts.com


How to make your own leather clown noses

Making well over 100 custom clown noses for clowns in the New York area and around the world Stanley Allan Sherman will teach a one-day Sunday workshop –

One great thing about the leather clown nose is they do not sweat like rubber or latex and they have a much more natural look than rubber. From what clowns have reported to me, their leather clown noses have lasted on an average of 8 to—well…Drew Richardson's clown nose is going on 22 years.


In the class you will learn how to:

Choose leather for your nose
Prepare the leather
Mold leather into your clown nose
Sharpen the knife blade. (Very important, you cannot cut leather with a dull knife).
Fit the clown nose
Cut the clown nose
Punch the clown nose holes under your nostrils so you can breath
Paint and finish your clown nose...(You can custom color your nose, any color you wish)
Prepare and fit the elastic and string
On-your-own: take a piece of leather home, make a back-up Clown Nose


Date: Sunday July 22, 2007

Time:
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM choosing leather to molding your clown nose
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM lunch and quick nose drying
1:30 PM to 4:40 PM cutting to finishing
(The workshop times are approximations - it can go longer or shorter)


Class size is limited


Price: $100 for the class
Tool fee: $74.80 (you get to keep the 7 tools)
Material fee: $22.00 (Leather, paint, elastic, silk thread)
Total $196.80


To reserve your spot you must pay the full fee in advance, because I need to buy the tools and supplies in advance. (Will accept 50% deposit from those people with financial needs. Can now accept credit card payments with Google Checkout).


Past Clowns Nose Students who would like to take the class again may for a reduced fee of $68 including supplies.


To sign up or find out more info simply click the title of this post (which will take you to www.maskarts.com) or call 212-243-4039.

BEATTY-COLE: The Firehouse Gag

Posted here at the personal request of my friend, Mr. Dean "Elmo Gibb" Chambers, here is the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Clown Alley (circa 1980) performing that all-time classic of the American three-ring circus: THE FIREHOUSE GAG.

"FIREMEN! SAVE MY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The gag was created by Jim Rutherford and is produced here by Jimmy Douglas.

Look for future Vidbel Alley staple, Mike Snider, fresh off of Ringling Lou Jacobs' former partner Mike Padilla and then Boss Clown Sandy Kaye.

I had a wonderful conversation with Dean last night and look forward to the next!

SHRINE CIRCUS: Ernie Wiswell

Master of the "comedy car" act, Ernie Wiswell backstage at the Shrine date in West Springfield, MA on May 19 1956.

RINGLING: Engine Repair 101

Video courtesy of Steve Copeland



Greg DeSanto and Kevin Carr from the 1991 Ringling Blue show performing one of my very favorite track gags.

From the vast DeSanto Archives...

NY HIPPODROME: Billy Rose's Jumbo

The 1935 premier of Billy Rose's JUMBO, the final production staged at the massive NY Hippodrome with cameos by first-nighters Ed Wynn, Fannie Brice, George Burns and Gracie Allen. Imagine Slivers Oakley, Marceline, Toto, Joe Jackson or Poodles Hanneford working this enormous stage. The entire Cole Bros. Circus (with Otto Griebling, Emmett Kelly and Jojo Lewis in the Alley) appeared there in the 30s.

The production was directed by longtime Ringling director John Murray Anderson.

In addition to Jimmy Durante (who reprised his role in the 1962 film version) the show featured several circus acts including A. Robins, the Banana Man.

At about 3:15, if I'm not mistaken, the Kimris (Bill and Trudy Strong's family) are included.

Wow.

BIG APPLE CIRCUS: Matthew Pauli

Link courtesy of Don Covington



A very nice article that gets everything right except the man's name.

Please click the title of this post for the New Haven Independent's piece on my friend MATTHEW Pauli, currently appearing as Grandma in the Big Apple Circus' 29th production STEP RIGHT UP.

CLOWN COLLEGE: 20th Anniversary Special

The first few minutes of the 1987 CBS television special celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

I was in the 30th class in 1997. We didn't get a television special.

Interesting to note the emphasis on the fact that Ringling "only" had 14 clowns in 1968. The Red and Blue units only have 14 clowns each now.

If you look to the left of the screen in the opening shot where Dick Van Dyke is at the podium you will see then CC makeup instructor Ruth Chaddock and CC director Steve Smith.

The purple 1931 Ford that belches smoke in the montage is currently sitting in my garage. It belonged to Kent "Speedo the Speedway Clown" Tyler for almost 40 years.

Mr. Van Dyke has since made disparaging remarks about circus clowns in Diane Keaton's book CLOWN PAINTINGS. As a circus clown, I would certainly welcome the chance to make disparaging remarks about Mr. Van Dyke's post-1960s career for Ms. Keaton's next book, PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLY FUNNY WHEN THEY WORK WITH CARL REINER.

Diagnosis: Jerk

OLSEN & JOHNSON: Fireball Fun-For-All

Olsen and Johnson's TV show. I can only imagine how hard it was to try and pull THIS off every week!

There are so many gags in the first 12 minutes of the show that the director and cameramen are rarely (if ever) on the right performer at the right time to catch the action.

RINGLING: 1940 Alley Photo

Members of the 1940 Clown Alley of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus taken in the basement of Madison Square Garden in New York City in April at the start of the tour.

JOHN GILKEY: Cirque du Soleil's QUIDAM

John Gilkey's brilliant eccentric juggling (greatly enhanced by the sounds of Yma Sumac's song "Gopher") from Cirque du Soliel's Quidam.

His character is like a weird Jerry Seinfeld/Jerry Lewis hybrid.

Not that there's anything WRONG with that.

BORIS and TAMA

I'm going to remain silent on this one.

Discuss.

Please.

THE COLLINS BROTHERS: Boxing Entree

The Collins Brithers on Circo Massimo with yet another take on the Boxing Gag.

RON JARVIS: Ringling Red Unit

Photos courtesy of Ron Jarvis


Pat,

I just figured out how to scan this stuff...




The juggling shot is moi '74...

The duo is Mark Buthman & Ron Jarvis 1973-74...

Bozo Row circa 1979 Hollywood, CA. Can you name the Row???

Clownron

----------------------------------------------

I see Billy Baker, Kevin Bickford, Robin Shaw, Dolly Baker, Jimmy Briscoe, Ed Smith, Daniel Rodgers and Mr. Ron Jarvis.

How did I do?

~P

DOUG ASHTON: Dancin' Ashton

Eccentric genius Doug Ashton dancing in a production number during his first season with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1967.

Mr. Ashton doesn't seem to be dancing along with the music from the show quite as much as he's dancing to the music in his own head, so I've replaced the soundtrack with the song "Fidgety Feet" by the Firehouse Five plus Four and added the applause that I think he deserves for such a performance.

He's doing everything a three ring circus clown SHOULD do during a production number! He's having fun, he's exciting to watch, he's playing with the showgirls on the track and keeping in the moment.

Which, unfortunately, is everything that management frowns on.

Look to the right of the screen for whiteface clown Dennis Stevens (performing the assigned dance steps while in drag) and to the left as Dougie is egged on by his longtime partner in crime Lazlo Donnert.

DAN RICE: Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day to everybody here in America.

As for everyone else? Happy Wednesday!

PETER SHUB: Awakening from the Long Sleep of Life

Awakening from the Long Sleep of Life is a true story about clown Peter Shub who lost his five year old son in a tragic accident.

He leaves us with a philosophy about life and loss and the message to celebrate and thank life rather than to mourn for death.

MARK ANTHONY: Breakaway Bicycle Gag 1967

An extremely difficult piece of video for me to find, here is Mark "Mark Anthony" Galkowski's reinterpretation of the classic breakaway bicycle act performed in Venice, Fl in 1967 on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

I remember him performing this again a few years later on the Blue Unit in the early 70s when I was very young but I haven't seen the act at all since then, until this video arrived last week.

Small detail: notice that Mark is working here without a wig.

NEW YORK TIMES: Mike and Lara

Jay Stewart and Lara Heidtman Smith goofing around outside The Alley on the Rinling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red Unit in 2000.


Mike Smith and Jay Stewart perform the classic Washer Woman Gag at the Happy Liuzhou International Clown Festival in Liuzhou, China in 2007.

The Sunday New York Times travel section ran a story about Idaho yesterday entitled "The Last Wilderness" about what a beautiful and fascinating state Idaho is to vacation in.

The article can be found at: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/travel/01Last.html

At the article's end the writer only mentions three resorts in the ENTIRE state, one of which is the THREE RIVERS RESORT IN KOOSKIA AT LOWELL, IDAHO, which is owned and operated by friends and former Ringling circus clowns Mike and Lara (Heidtman) Smith.

Contratulations on the endorsement and hope to see you both when we go back to China in the fall!

To find out more about the Three Rivers Resort, or to book a vacation, please click the title of this post.

The Fratellinis: Autographed Photo

An autographed photo of The Fratellini Trio, (from left) Paul, Albert and Francois.

I wonder why they changed Paulo to "Paul", Alberto to "Albert" but Francois never became "Frank"?

Do you think it's a "whiteface" thing?

"Frank Fratellini" doesn't have the same ring anyway. Sounds like a very blunt plate of pasta.

"Frankie Fratellini" is even worse.

It's probably better just he way it is.

SLIVERS OAKLEY PROJECT: Update

So the t-shirts and mugs (still available at the CLOWNALLEY.NET store, see the link on the right hand side of this page) have brought in some money but we're still far from having enough for any kind of marker. Several people have told me that they'd prefer to just donate money. So that's the next faze.

This week I will set up a PayPal account that will be completely dedicated to CLOWNALLEY.NET projects.

Several people have asked if we have a deadline for donations? The answer is "kind of". I'd like to be able to install the marker by August 28, 2007. That will be my 40th birthday and will also mark (although not the exact date) 10 years since the closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

I realize that August 28th may not be a realistic deadline, but it WOULD be a nice birthday present ; )

SUPER CIRCUS: The Lopez Trio

It's always great to watch an episode of SUPER CIRCUS. In addition to ringmaster Claude Kirshner, the beautiful Mary Hartline and the clowns Cliffy Nicky and Scampy this episode features the Lopez Trio of trapeze artists, the comedian from which seems to have watched Charlie Rivel's Chaplin act once or twice.

BILLIE BURKE

An autographed photo of classic mid-century American grotesque auguste, Mr. Billie Burke.

THREE MAN HAWAIIAN SCARF JUGGLING

Two unidentified clowns perform a Hawaiian themed audience partcipation scarf juggling gag at the Fifth Wuhan International Acrobatic Art Festival.

GEORGE CARL: Home Movie Footage

George Carl around the mid-1950's playing in the yard with his wife and brother, somewhere in Ohio.

If you thought George Carl was amazing before, sit down and make yourself REALLY comfortable before you watch this.


Wow.

IN MEMORY OF MARAN BURCH

Photo and news courtesy of Bill Strong


Maran Burch passed away at 9:00 AM last Monday morning, June 25, 2007.

No services will be held at her request, She will be laid to rest next to her husband and performing partner, Ernie "Blinko" Burch.

BOZO THE CLOWN: Boxed Set

Just released yesterday is this 4 disc set of 30 live-action ½ hour full color Bozo's Big Top episodes starring Frank Avruch as Bozo from WHDH-TV in Boston. Each features a 5-minute Larry Harmon Bozo cartoon and are digitally re-mastered and transferred from Larry Harmon's original film masters.

These are NOT the WGN Chicago Bozo show featuring Bob Bell (and later Joey D'Auria) as Bozo, these are the syndication episodes shot at WHDH in 1966 during the run of their Bozo show (1959-1970).

Interesting for several reasons, not the least of which is that they feature a young puppeteer named Carroll Spinney as several characters. Mr. Spinney would soon leave the WHDH Bozo Show for the Children's Television Workshop and create the characters Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird for Sesame Street, two characters he continues to play today almost 40 years later.

These WHDH Bozo shows were the ones that I watched as a very small child and was what sparked my interest in clowns and clowning. I still find them very interesting for how Mr. Avruch deals with the small children in his live studio audience. Like Buffalo Bob Smith on the Howdy Doody Show, he is an absolute master at talking to children while in the difficult position of being both friend/fantasy figure as well as parent/authority figure.

Please click the title of this post to be taken to the Amazon page for the boxed set.

DON CHRISTIAN: Bell Ringing Gag

Don Christian, who we saw last week doing a variation on Cesar's Boxing Gag, doing a bell ringing routine.

BEATTY-COLE: Mark Lavender

Clown College graduate (Class of '75) and veteran of the RBBB Blue Unit Alley in 1976 and the CBCB Alley in 1978, Mr. Mark Lavender.

Mark sent me a message trying to find contact info for former Beatty-Cole Boss Clown Jimmy James and then show electrician Bernie Kallman. I've already forwarded Bernie's email to him but if someone out there has a phone number or email address for Jimmy, Mark would sure appreciate it.

From Mark...
---------------------------------------------------------
When I was on Beatty in 1978, I met Nini and Ervin Hall, where Nini greenbroke her mixed breed female baboon act. She and brother Ervin, along their siblings Jimmy and Carmen were the Unicycling Whiz Kids of the 1950s and 1960s. Anyway, Nini and I grew to be good buds on the show and lost track of each other three years after that show. We found each other again about four years ago, and after two and half years of catch-up and courtship over the phone we then met, she moved to Nashville... and we got married this past April 28th... 29 years to the week from the very first time we'd met.... (short engagements, eh?)
---------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations go out to you and Nini! What a great story!

Having had the pleasure of working alongside Jimmy, Teppa (sp?), Elaine (and her fiance Adam Burke) and Ervin these last few years I can say that you've certainly married into a large and wonderful family, and one that's about as "real circus" as they come.

VIDBEL'S: Mike Snider and Billy Vaughn

Ringmaster Danny McCallum introduces Mike Snider (whiteface) and Billy Vaughn (auguste), one of the great clown duos of late 20th century American circus clowning, seen here performing their Restaurant Gag on Vidbel's Olde Tyme Circus in 2000.

HOUSCH-MA-HOUSCH: More

More from Housch-ma-Housch.

I recognize the first song as "Pince Nez" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers (currently back on tour in the US after a long hiatus). Does anyone know the name and/or artist of the second song?

ROWAN ATKINSON: A Final Bash

One of my favorite pieces from Rowan Atkinson's stage show and one that I imagine would very easily adapted to a one ring circus, were Mr. Atkinson so inclined.

COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS

I just started reading a great new book put out by the fine people at McSweeney's entitled COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS. It's a VERY tongue-in-cheek book, not intended for children, that is not only an excellent introduction for those just starting out but also very entertaining for those seasoned comedy performers and fans.

That is if those performers and fans are in tune with the irony-drenched, satiric "new" humor of MR. SHOW, Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM, RENO 911, Conan O' Brien, THE DAILY SHOW, John Hodgeman, Stephen Colbert, David Sedaris and the like. Those that are not would probably prefer to learn their comedy somewhere else ; )

FROM CLOWN COLLEGE TO CIRCUS CAMP

10 years ago this summer I was fortunate enough to fulfill a lifelong dream and was accepted into what was to be the final class of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

10 later I have spent the year thus far touring arenas around the country as a professional circus clown, had the honor of performing alongside 49 of the best clown and comedy/variety performers in the world at the hugely successful International Clown Festival in Luizhou, China and just spent a week with some great friends, both old and new, teaching circus and clowning skills to 27 extraordinary kids at Michael Rosman's Circus Camp.

The TSA and American Airlines still suck but, overall, life is really, REALLY good : )

Please click the title of this post to view photos from (the ones titled RPCS Day 1,2,3 & 4 are from last week) Michael Rosman's Circus Camp featuring photos of Mark Lohr and I teaching all of the classic clowning fundamentals: funny walks, funny faces, naps, slaps, falls, kicks, foot stomps, takes, double takes, spit takes, water spitting and pie throwing.

MICHAEL ROSMAN: Set Your VCRs, DVRs and Whatnot!

Ringling Clown College graduate, former Beatty-Cole Circus clown and creator of Motionfest and Minifest, Michael Rosman will perform his world famous "Flaming S'Mores" trick this evening on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

KELLY-MILLER: JRN II

Photo courtesy of Richard Flint


Some doughy, middle-aged townie loser bothering John Ringling North II, new owner and producer of the Kelly-Miller Circus during a visit and performance by students from Michael Rosman's Circus Camp last Wednesday night.

Thanks go out to Mr. North, Jim Royal and John Moss for a wonderful experience that the kids will never forget.

For more on the camp, please click the title of this post.

HOUSCH-MA-HOUSCH

BILLY McCABE

The greatest of all the "cookhouse clowns", Billy McCabe made the jump from the kitchen to the Alley and back again a few times during his long career, doing both to great acclaim.

Billy was a longtime fixture in the Alleys of the Beatty-Cole and Vargas shows.

DENNIS STEVENS

Mr. Stevens enjoyed a very long career on the Shrine circuses, on Ringling and finally on the Beatty - Cole show

DON CHRISTIAN: Audience Participation Boxing Gag

Very similar to the one done by Caesar during his time on Cirque de la Mer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fl and the one done on Billy Smart's Circus that I posted back in March, here is Don Christian with an audience participation version of the classic Boxing Gag.

I'm currently hard at work on a solo Firehouse Gag ; )

FUMAGALLI: Rock Band Gag

RINGLING: 131st Walkarounds

Video courtesy of Larry Clark




Info supplied by Larry Clark...

_________________________________________________________

These are the Clown Alley Walkarounds from the 131st Edition of the while the show was on tour from 2001-2002.

This was taped in Salt Lake City Utah.

I have labeled the main clips:

Larry Clark (me)- Fire Eating
Darren Burrell - Contortion Table
Bryan Fulton - Sheik/ Harem Dancer
Francesco Villares - Head Balancing on Monkey
In quick clips you see
Jay Stewart - Belly Dancer
and Mitch Freddes - 3rd arm/Aladdin's Lamp

INTERNATIONAL CLOWN HALL OF FAME: West Allis, WI

I'm not entirely certain if this is a display featuring life-sized mannequins or this actually *IS* Scott Linker, Tammy Parish and Jim "Vogie" Vogelsgang (sp?)

A photo display which looks to have been designed by Mark Renfro.

Note the life-sized Bumpsy Anthony at the extreme left, followed by Mark Anthony's squirting grapefruit and ostrich walkarounds, what looks to be a Jim Howle painting of Frankie Saluto, a Red Skelton painting of his Freddie the Freeloader character, a blow-up of Lou Jacobs' 1966 postage stamp and an artist's rendering of Howdy Doody's pal Clarabell (who was first portrayed on the show by future Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan).

Former Ringling clown, Clown College graduate and master painter Jim Howle with a portrait of Poodles Hanneford. A painting of Chester Sherman hangs in the background.


The International Clown Hall of Fame is located at the Wisconsin State Fair Park's Tommy Thompson Youth Center 640 S. 84th Street (Gate 5) West Allis, WI 53214 and their phone number is 414-290-0105.

The ICHOF's new directors Terri Hall and Bryan Peiss (sp?) assure me that, after a transitional period, the International Clown Hall of Fame is open for business and they look forward to seeing you all this summer!

CLOWNS GALLERY AND MUSEUM: All Saints Centre, Haggerston Road, Hackney.

Charlie Cairoli




Nicolai "Coco" Poliakovs

CLOWNS GALLERY & MUSEUM


The Clowns Gallery and Museum is open for viewing and educational study from 12 Noon on the first Friday of every month. Visitors to the Museum are warmly welcomed and parties of visitors can be hosted on days other than the first Fridays by prior arrangement with the Museum manager. Maximum size of parties not to exceed 20 persons, please.

The Clowns Gallery and Museum is a private museum that is unique in the British Isles. It was founded in 1960 by Clowns International to house a display of pictures and artifacts relating to clowning and its history from earliest times. Now it has expanded to include props, costumes and a plethora of clown related items plus a literary Archive. It has been described as a jewel box and the next best thing to visiting the circus. A prime exhibit is the famous collection of painted eggs which record the facial make up of hundreds of clowns thus registering the designs in Britain.

For more details about The Clowns Gallery and Museum opening times and special arrangements for visits, please contact Mattie Faint, (Mattie the Clown) Museum Manager, telephone: 0870 1284336

FOUR KINGS OF THE RINGS

Photo courtesy of Marcelo PEPPO Melison


A 1974 or 75 photo of some of the comedy stars of the classic JRN Ringling Alleys meeting up to talk about the old days at Emmett's house.

From left to right: Freddie Freeman, Emmett Kelly, Ernie "Blinko" Burch and Lou Jacobs

I had no idea that Freddie was still around in 1974. It does beg the question "Did Freddie retire gracefully or did the Felds just not offer him a contract after the 1968 season?" If Otto was still on the road from '68-'72, you think he'd want his pal Freddie around.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...Part Two

So after leaving the DeSantorium at 6:15 I high-tailed it back to Chicago O'Hare, driving like a stunt man in a Burt Reynolds movie. I made it to the Enterprise car rental with plenty of time to drop off the car and take the shuttle back to the airport.

Once there I was told that my flight was jam-packed and was asked if I wouldn't mind taking the 12:00 flight which still had 25 seats available. I agreed and THAT was the moment that everything else went to hell in a handbasket.

The TSA confiscated my makeup box, which has always flown in my carry-on luggage for the last 5 years.

Why is my makeup in my carry on bag? Because ALL of my costume is in my carry on bag!

If I get to town and my prop case doesn't arrive I can always head over to Home Depot or WalMart and scare up what I need to fill out two or three ring gags and some walkaround but if the costume, shoes, wig or makeup aren't there then I'm royally screwed, so they always fly with me. Those things can't be easily replaced in Anytown, USA.

Well, the makeup box doesn't fly with me anymore. It has been thrown into the trash in the interest of National Security. It's greasepaint, neither a liquid nor a gel, and all less than three ounce maximum.

Whatever. It sucks, but whatever. I can always go out and buy another box, brushes and makeup.

The gate for my flight changed three times before we finally were allowed to board. We left the gate and then sat on the runway for the next THREE hours before the pilot told us that the flight was being cancelled due to severe storms in Newark.

No one from American Airlines could be bothered to tell us anything more than "Try again tommorow."

Nothing about how to get on another flight. Nothing about how to retrieve our luggage. Nothing about who to call at American that MIGHT be able to answer our questions. Nothing.

I quickly realized that if NO planes were leaving Chicago for Newark for the rest of the day that getting a hotel room or flight was going to get really ugly, really quick. I tried to get a rental car and simply drive home but none of the car rental agencies at O'Hare allow that sort of thing.

So I grabbed my bags (more like stole them back as I got to them before American put them in their storage room, assuming that we'd all be giving American a chance to screw us over again on Wednesday) and caught a cab for the Amtrak station downtown. About an hour and fifteen minutes away from O'Hare in busy, rush hour traffic.

I was able to buy a ticket to a NY bound train that would more or less be taking a direct route (as appossed to the first train the agent offered which went from Chicago to NY by way of Washington DC and would require me to leave my prop case to be sent later as I was only allowed two pieces of luggage) that left Chicago at 10 PM, giving me 5 HOURS to sit in the bar and play trivia games since there in NO WiFi in Chicago's Amtrak station.

Five hours later I boarded the train, plugged in my iPod and tried to catch some sleep. Fat chance. You ever try to fall asleep on a passenger train? It ain't easy, even with a handful of Xanax.

So after not sleeping the night before, I spent another sleepless night on the slowest moving train in the Amtrak fleet, one that, after CRAWLING eastward across Ohio, Pennsylvania and Upstate NY, arrived a New York's Penn Station a staggering FOUR HOURS LATE!!!

Oh, and 19 hours into my trip I discovered that the train I was on had SLEEPING cars. Of course no one had bothered to tell me that when I purchased my ticket and now an upgrade was not available.

What a suckfest!

Something like this ALWAYS happens to me after the last show of the season. One year it was a blowout in the middle of nowhere in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, usually it's a late night speeding ticket from a hardass cop who spots my out-of-state plates. But it's always SOMETHING. I should just PLAN on a major headache following the end of a tour so that I can begin to take some level of pleasure in watching what new method fate has come up with for testing my spirit and resolve.

So to recap, 2 days of no sleep following a "nine pack" weekend. Three hours on a runway and then a slow, expensive cab ride to a slow, expensive train ride which really made me wonder if I couldn't have gotten there faster by jumping off the train and simply walking home from Chicago.

And I lost my makeup box.

SO REMEMBER KIDS:

1) Don't EVER fly American Airlines if you can avoid it. There is a reason they are less expensive. It's because they suck. Hard.

2) Don't fly with your makeup in your carry-on luggage. Make sure that you travel with the phone numbers of distributors you can rely on to FedEx you makeup and/or brushes overnight in the event that the airline loses your luggage.

3) Trains still have sleeper cars, remember to ask about them.

As for me, I'm going back to sleep.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday doing the first "nine pack" that I'd done since leaving Ringling in 1999.

For those who have never worked in a circus, a "nine pack" means 3 days of 3 back-to-back shows each day. A usual weekend schedule is 2 shows Friday, 3 shows Saturday and 2 shows on Sunday. A "six pack" (3 Saturday and 3 Sunday) is unusual outside of Ringling, a "nine packs" are about as common as hen's teeth.

A "twelve pack" (3 Friday, 3 Saturday, 3 Sunday and ANOTHER 3 on a holiday Monday) NEVER happen outside of Ringling.

Anyway, I had a tough schedule but a great time working with friends who made the days breeze by. I realized that Rockford, IL was only about an hour and half from Baraboo so I contacted Greg and Karen DeSanto to see if they'd be around thinking that I'd drive up and have lunch before heading back down to Chicago on Tuesday to fly home.

Man, oh man! Do I owe Greg and Karen BIG TIME for one of the most wonderful days a clown could imagine! While Karen and Em went to baseball practice, Greg took me over to the library at the CWM and showed me some of their truly amazing collection. I'm not sure that I am at liberty to discuss some of the things that are there but suffice to say that the CWM has an absolutely AMAZING collection.

After viewing some of the artifacts we opened up the photo files and looked through 16 files of unidentified circus clowns; some just under-appreciated clowns that most people don't recognize, others strange clowns that neither of us had ever seen before.

To review, I sat in the library of the CWM with Greg DeSanto, maybe the greatest living historian of American circus clowning, and geeked out for a few hours looking at rare clown stuff! For me, there is no better activity than this on the face of the earth!!!

We then went over to the park briefly so that I could see the clown exhibits and hit the gift shop. We got back to the house. Emily went to hang with some friends while the grown-ups hit a local resturaunt known for it's "Butter Burgers". The food was uncommonly delicious in that typically Wisconsin "I-don't-give-a-good-gosh-darn-if'n-it's-good-for-me" kind of way but if I'd had the triple-thick milkshake that the girl at the counter had suggested I'm fairly certain that I'd have needed a triple bypass before dessert.

Then it was off to pick up Emily and a quick trip to the nearby Wisconsin Dells to visit Tommy Bartlett's, an aqua/variety show that has been a fixture there in the Dells since 1590. Originally the Tommy Barlett team performed various water skiing tricks, including the 10 person pyramid (who were back then pulled quickly across the lake by 3 strong men in kayaks) to the indigenous Native-Americans of the region in exchange for shiny beads and and bits of fried cheese.

The first half of Tommy Barlett's latest production features "The Pirates of Barlett Bay", a very appealing pirate-themed aqua show that makes the aqua shows that you usually see in theme parks look extremely thin by comparrision. The second half is a series of really great circus and variety acts, the highlight of which was seeing my friend T.J. Howell (visit http://www.tjhowell.com) and his young sons Hunter and Carson perform a very tightly packed powerhouse set of juggling, comedy and unicycles.

There were several other performers and circus folks in the house that night and I had a great time meeting T.J.'s mom "Meema" who used to do a hair hang "back in the day" at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City and catching up with circus fan Crash Moreau and local Eric McConnell, who is a friend from my time on Circus Royale.

Then it was back to Greg and Karen's for a tour of more of the house and more of the extensive DeSanto archives. They have an absolutely jaw-dropping collection and Greg tells that Tim Tegge has even MORE!

We sat up until 3:30 in the morning, "cutting jackpots" and laughing and when I went up to the guest room I couldn't begin to think of falling asleep. I stayed up and looked through books and photos for another hour and then caught a quick nap before getting up at 5:00 to shower, dress and meet Karen who VERY graciously got up early to make me some coffee and a bagel before seeing me off at 6:15.

This was the "Best of Times" part. Greg, Karen, Emily...thank you for an absolutely wonderful time. I cannot thank you enough for giving me the greatest possible ending to the 2007 circus season that I could have ever imagined.

Because Monday was SUCH a absolutely perfect once-in-a-lifetime amazing day, Tuesday went out of it's way to suck harder than you could ever imagine, but THAT story is going to have to wait until later today.

I have to get some sleep.

~P

UGH!

Greg & Karen,

I left your house at 6:15 AM on Tuesday morning.

It is now 12:52 AM on Thursday. I just got home. Just now.

I'll explain tomorrow.

~P

Delay Today

I'm in Chicago, stewing like a prune at O'Hare airport.

Today's post will be have to wait until I get back home this afternoon.

Sorry for the delay,
~P

COLE BROS. CIRCUS: Otto Out of Makeup

One of the best photos that I've ever found of Cole Bros. Boss Clown, the legendary Otto Griebling out of makeup.

MYSTERY CLOWN 2

Another shot of Bill Strong's latest "Mystery Clown".

Anyone have any ideas?

MYSTERY CLOWN

Bill Strong sends this photo of yet another unidentified "mystery clown".

I know that there was a West Coast clown who did a lot of movie work in the 30s and 40s who sported the washtub-and-clothesline hat (he's feaured alongside Poodles Hanneford on the cover of the VHS release of Shirley Temple's OUR LITTLE GIRL) but I don't think this is the same guy.

Anyone out there have any idea who this might be?

CLOWNALLEY.NET: Announcement Group

Just a reminder if you're not already a member: CLOWNALLEY.NET has an announcement group at YahooGroups that lets you know when the blog has been updated. If you'd like to join just click the title of this post.

Thanks,
~P

EMMETT KELLY: Press Photo

A classic Kelly moment as he works the seats during the Ringling show in the 1940s.

MITCH FREDDES: One More That I Found

Another great picture of Mitch that I found online.