MYSTERY CLOWNS: Unknown Show, Undated

Photo courtesy of Bill Strong

CHARLIE RIVEL: Festival of Cubelles

A giant Charlie Rivel puppet as part of the Festival of Cubelles, Spain, the city of Rivel's birth.

GERARD VICAIRE: Costumes

Photos and comments courtesy of Raffaele de Ritis



From Raffaele...

Gerard Vicaire opened his shop in Paris in 1931, closing it in the early 90s. All the European white clowns of the time had costumes made by him.

Few years ago, the historian Genis Matabosch from Spain designed in Barcelona a wonderful exhibition in collaboration with Mr.Vicaire himself. The exhibition is still displayed sometimes.

It was put together recently at the Albacete festival last Spring.

A wonderful catalogue is available, with all the designs, sketchs and photographs of the Vicaire costumes and clowns.

Two pictures of Alberto "Grisou" Caroli Jr. at Cirque d'Hiver
wearing his uncle Francesco's marvelous costumes.

The new show there is expected to open in October, running thru March.

COUNT POPO DE BATHE: From Verne Langdon

Photos and comments courtesy of Verne Langdon

Count PoPo De Bathe at the 1955 San Mateo Fair by Ansel Adams

Besides nurturing some of the finest puppeteers in America (Bob Mills, Jerry Juhl, Luman Coad and Tony Urbano just to name a few), the little kiddieland park in Oakland, California known as "Oakland's Fairyland" harbored a grand traditional whiteface clown who quit the road to settle down in Herb Caen's Bagdad-By-The-Bay.

Count PoPo De Bathe was a fixture not just at Fairyland but various San Francisco department stores of the day, including Macy's and The White House.

He was a veteran UNICEF entertainer whose Punch & Judy work was second only to the legendary Jay Marshall, who incidentally built PoPo's set of P&J puppets.

I had reason to do some background on PoPo, and received immeasurable help from Fairyland's resident Archivist Randal Metz. Here for you and your readers is PoPo's obituary plus a few photos of Count Popo De Bathe (he looks familiar, doesn't he?)

I've seen him in several pics on your site, albeit unidentified.

Now you know who he is!

Clownalley.net, meet Count PoPo!

- Verne Langdon

PoPo with Mrs. Morris' Monkeys

Count De Bathe out of makeup

Count De Bathe with Michu



A 1973 article stating that his props were sent to the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT.



His 1981 obituary.



Ladies and Gentlemen, Count PoPo De Bathe!

MYSTERY CLOWNS: Fellini's THE CLOWNS, 1971

I'm sure someone out there knows who these two are.

CLOWNS FOR CHANGE

I've had enough!

If you have too, click here.

Spread the word.

THE REBERTIS: Hollywood Palace, 1966

From Raffaele de Ritis



From Raffaele...

The magnificient Rebertis Italian comedy acrobats, on Hollywood Palace (January 10, 1966, host Elizabeth Mongomery of "Bewitched").

I think they are the Faggioni brothers, one of them being Roberto Faggioni, actual owner of Circo Americano in Spain.

Comments are welcome for better information.

SHORTY HINKLE: Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus, undated

AARON KYLE GERTSACOV: Congratulations Adam & Stephanie!

Congratulations go out to Adam and Stephanie Gertsacov on the birth of their son Aaron!

Aaron Kyle Gertsacov
Born 9/2/08 at 7:08 pm
6 lbs, 11 oz. 19.25 inches
Mom and child doing great!
Dad is along for the ride.

Mazal Tov!

JERRY DIGNEY

Meet Mr. Jerry Digney, former publicist to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as well as Bozo the Clown.

Jerry Digney is a partner in SOLTERS & DIGNEY Public Relations and was Ray Charles’ personal publicist and remains the personal publicist for a number of icons, from BB King to The Nevilles to Bob Newhart and many more.

Solters & Digney Public Relations (formerly Solters, Roskin & Freidman) is headquartered in Hollywood, with offices in New York and Washington, DC, specializing in entertainment, sports, hospitality, touring attractions and special events.

Digney, a native Bostonian, first worked for the Solters’ office 30+ years ago, in its flagship New York office, where it specialized in Broadway productions, music and television. He later worked in the firm’s Los Angeles office, as a vice-president, and was also the first ever director of public relations for Feld Entertainment, producer-owner of Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice touring productions, where he supervised a staff of marketers and publicists for a half dozen or more touring productions, including the International Circus Spectacular of Monte Carlo.

He rejoined the Solters agency 10-plus years ago, after a decade in entertainment production and licensing. Over the years, Digney has received many awards for his public service works and sits on the boards of several national charities.

He attended the Leland Powers School and Grahm College in Boston and worked extensively as a radio announcer and copywriter in Boston and on national radio networks before entering the public relations arena.

He is also a widely published freelance writer and an accomplished artist-painter and was also a circus ringmaster before stepping behind the spotlight.

Digney and his partner, Lee Solters, a legend among international entertainment publicists, have served as image-makers and confidants to a virtual show biz who’s who, from Broadway theatre impresario David Merrick, to Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson. He was the first person to get a female client over 50 on the cover of Playboy magazine and arranged for the Pope (JP II) to be made an honorary Harlem Globetrotter.

His publicity stunts are legendary: from marrying a clown couple atop Philadelphia’s famous LOVE statue to making hermit crabs America’s favorite pets in the 1980s. Digney arranged the first show biz themed U.S. postage stamp, Laurel and Hardy, in the mid-1980s and ran Bozo for president in 1984, an event covered by every major media outlet in America, including Time.

From publicizing two presidential inaugurals and numerous breakthrough films, including “The Graduate,” to promoting Ringling Bros. Circus and Cirque du Soleil, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jackie Gleason, Whoopi Goldberg, Carol Channing, Whitney Houston, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, Caesars Palace, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Mattel, Universal Studios Tour, 20th Century Fox film studios, the city of Las Vegas and the many legendary Chrysler-sponsored Golf Tournaments and Bob Hope television specials, SOLTERS & DIGNEY has long been at the forefront of many memorable chapters in entertainment history.

FRANCESCO CAROLI: Circus Roncalli, 1999

Photo courtesy of Mike Naughton

MR. YOO WHO: Desastrosus Cirkus

Mr Yoo Who, with the help of Desastrosus Cirkus balances a stack of boxes with a glass of water on top, filmed in Bhutanese refugee camps, and the Tibetan refugee center in Nepal, filmed by Marisol Soto.

MIKE COCO: Interview

Click the title of this post to be taken to a 1967 Canadian Broadcasting Co. interview with Mike Coco at Expo '67.

Is there anyone out there who can rip this interview and then send it to me as at cashincomedy@yahoo.com?

CLOWN COLLEGE REUNION: The Clock is Ticking!

Look who just opened his mail and found out about the big 40th anniversary Clown College reunion September 18-20th in Baraboo, WI!

For more information please click the link to your right...

LABOR DAY PARADE: News Photo

CLOWN ALLEY: Firehouse Gag: Ringling, 1969

Photo courtesy of Greg DeSanto

The short-lived 1969 Ringling Firehouse Gag, produced by Danny Chapman and featuring graduates of the very first Clown College class..

I can't make out any faces other than my friend Michael Karp being hit in the kisser with the swinging ladder on the left and Dalton Dearborn taking it in the back of the head on the right.

Mr. Karp, PLEASE give us the story on this one!!!

CABARET BAMBOUK: More Bambouk

SHANE: First Day of Kindergarten

Shane getting on the bus for his very first day of kindergarten, despite the fact that he is getting on the short bus, Shane blew the teachers and principal away when he was tested this morning and was moved ahead to first grade for reading!

CLOWN GINGER: Don Ross' Big Time Shows & Circus, 1943

Reg Etheridge as Clown Ginger taken at the Theater Royal in Dorcester on December 4, 1943.

THE FRANCESCOS: Tom Arnold's Christmas Circus 1950-51

CABARET BAMBOUK: Circus Bambouk

The Bambouk boys have put away the noses for their latest production.

VLAD AND DAVID: Inflatable Elephant

I can't say much for the bit but it does make me want an inflatable elephant costume about twice that size...

CLOWN ALLEY: Mike Coco and Flo White

Michael "Coco" Polokov and Albert "Flo" White on the cover of the Sunday Magazine section in Albert's hometown of Baltimore, MD in what looks like 1964 or '65.

WHISMSICAL WALKER

Photo courtesy of Marcelo Melison



The Whimsical Walker who performed in the States isn't the same one who performed in London for many years, is it?

MARCOS DROGUETT

LABOR DAY PARADE: Star-Ledger Video

South Plainfield celebrates Labor Day

LABOR DAY PARADE: South Plainfield, NJ, 2008

Photos courtesy of Terry Cashin

Jerry Hunsberger and I took the car out this morning to take part in the 2008 Labor Day (or Labour Day as they'd say in the UK, where they don't celebrate it) in South Plainfield, NJ.

Decked out in my Mary Derosier costume, my Leon McBryde "XL Circus Pro" ProKnows nose, Mikey Maroney necktie, John Spear shoes and new Pat Kelly wig I am ready to get behind the wheel.

"Scooter", Cashin's Crazy Comedy Car has, among it's many gadgets, gizmos and gimmicks, a steering wheel that comes off...



Fire that belches out from the front and back...



Giant underpants stuck all up underneath the hood...



And a hydraulics systems that picks it up and spins it!

But in the end I finally get it all under control and drive away only to have it all happen again at the next crowded intersection ; )

I was told that Govenor Jon Corizine was at the reviewing stand at the end of the parade route and found the whole act very amusing, making him the second NJ governor that I've cracked up at a parade.

When Shane was still a toddler we took him to the Belmar St. Patrick's Day Parade where I set up his playpen on the sidewalk and made a big sign reading "Irish Baby Petting Zoo" which struck then-Governor Jim McGreevey so funny that he stopped making out with his Homeland Security Advisor long enough to take a picture.

MORE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS: From Raffaele de Ritis

Photo and comments courtesy of Raffaele de Ritis



The Charlie Rivel monument at the beautiful Montjuic Parc in Barcelona.

OTTO GRIEBLING? Cole Bros. Circus Poster

Can anyone confirm for me that the clown depicted in this Cole Bros. poster is Otto Griebling? I know that Otto had an alternate "moustache" character and I know that I've seen a similar poster from the same period that uses this clown that mentions Otto by name but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

MORE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS: From Bill Strong

Photo and comments courtesy of Bill Strong



Whimsical Walker; he was with Barnum & Bailey, late 1800's & early 1900's.

SLIVER OAKLEY: From Jon Pult

Photo courtesy of Jon Pult

Pat, I attach a photo a friend sent me from Bandwagon....while the caption says Slivers is in white, the makeup on the far left sure looks like Slivers's. What say you? Jon Pult

While the white costume with the boat hat and the large bare feet definitely did belong to Slivers, that's not him wearing it.

I'd have to say that you are correct, Francis "Slivers" Oakley is the clown on the far left.

PEPPI: Jay Miller Circus, 2008

CLOWN CAR TOMORROW: South Plainfield, NJ

If anyone is interested, Jerry Hunsberger and I will have "Cashin's Comedy Car" out again tomorrow morning at the South Plainfield Labor Day Parade in South Plainfield, NJ. If you remember Kent "Speedo the Speedway Clown" Tyler's act, it's the same car with a few new tricks.

Parade starts at 10:00 AM. Vince "Vappo" Pagliano will be there as well with several of the Funny Factory clowns.

Hope to see you there!

PAULINA SCHUMANN: From Raffaele de Ritis

From Raffaele de Ritis comes the following news...

The Cultural department of Catalunya in Barcelona has announced the 2008 winner of the National Culture Award Grand Prix.

It will be awarded to Ms. Paulina Schumann, Charlie Rivel's daughter and partner in the ring during his solo career.

The ceremony will take place next October 28. And we will be there, for sure.

SCHARFFED!

Photos courtesy of All Star Talent's Talent Coordinator, Mr. Bryan Fulton





Andrew Scharff gets the traditional birthday pieing in the Myrtle Beach, SC kitchen of Stephanie and Bryan Fulton by the trio of Ryan and Romi Combs and Steve Copeland.

There's no other way to describe it, the man got totally Scharffed.

CIRCUS KNIE: Bellissimo, 2008

GENSI: Circus Roncalli

BIRTHDAY PRESENTS: From Chuck and Noriko

Photos courtesy of Chuck and Noriko Sidlow

Clowns always seem to know exactly what I want for my birthday: CLOWN PHOTOS!

Here is my birthday serenade from Chuck, Noriko and some of their friends...

Thank you guys!