SMYTHE & ROSE

THE BISBINIS

DAVID LARIBLE: With the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at Circus Roncalli

LEE EVANS: How To Be a Comic

RALF SCHMIDTZ: World of Comedy

THE PLATT BROTHERS: America's Got Talent

DAVID LARIBLE: Festival International du Cirque de Monte Carlo (2006)

And congratulations go out to Maestro Larible on his July 13th extraordinary performance at Grock's legendary Villa in Oneglia (Imperia, Italy), just fully restored, for the 50th anniversary of Grock's death.

HOUSCH MA HOUSCH: Europapark Magic Show (2009)

MAD-TV: Clown Street Theater Educational Show

LEONID YENGIBAROV (1935-1972)

CLOWN ALLEY: RBB&B in Havana, Cuba (Circa early 1950s)

Frankie Saluto, Prince Paul Alpert, Albert White, Ernie "Blinko" Burch,
Emmett Kelly, Lottie Brunn, unidentified and Charlie Bell.

LES ROSSYANN: Scardaz (Monti)

ETIENNE

My friend Steve "Etienne" McGinley.

LES ROSSYAN: Carnivale in Venice (2003)

Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione

DANNY KAYE: American Masters (1996)

"The Psychologist" from The Danny Kaye Show which ran Wednesday nights on CBS from 1963 to 1967.

DANNY KAYE: Conducting the New York Philharmonic (1981)

VICTOR BORGE

GREAT CIRCUS PARADE 2009

I watched the parade last night, in the comfort of my own TiVO, and was glad to see Bill and Michele Machtel, Trisha Manuel and Keith Crary all get some screen time. I was also glad to see Mr. and Mrs. JRN II getting the royal treatment in their horse drawn carriage.

Has anyone heard anything about the shows?

CLOWN ALLEY: RBB&B Blue Unit (1998-99)

The video doesn't begin until 1:20.

Joel Jeske, Tina Aguirre-Grof, Lance Brown and Harold Todd Moeller

JIMMY FOLCO

LINNE & REISLING

WALLY BOAG: The Muppet Show

CLOWN ALLEY: RBB&B Blue Unit (1998-99)

Mark Gindick, Matthew Morgan and Emily Sullivan.

CHRIS LYNAM

LINAZ

LUIS MIRO: Quick Change

CARY TRIVANOVICH

CICELY COURTNEIDGE: Adagio Act (1934)

From the film Soldiers of The King.

MARTY FELDMAN: Gesprichter-Brosa Wine Treading Dance (1968)

Marty Feldman, Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin in a sketch from Mr. Feldman's 1968 BBC television series It's Marty.

STAN GEORGE: Hansa Theater, Hamburg

SPASMO TEATRO: Centaurs

JACKIE GLEASON: 60 Minutes Interview (1984)

JAMIE ADKINS

NIELS: Un Mime Comique

FRANZ LERY

MIKAEL THE MAESTRO

GENE SHELDON: Stage Show (January 28, 1956)

Introduced botched by Stage Show host, Tommy Dorsey.

Gene Sheldon

(February 1, 1908-May 1, 1982) was an American comic actor influenced by Harpo Marx's slapstick to specialize in pantomime acting as his career. Born Eugene Hume in Columbus, Ohio, he is best remembered as the mute servant Bernardo on Walt Disney's live-action television series Zorro (1957-1959).

Career

Gene's career began at an early age, working with his father Earl, a magician. He learned to be quiet when his father had him dressed up as a lass on stage. However, parts of his career were anything but silent. He was briefly a radio personality, broadcasting on Toledo radio in 1925.

His film debut was Susie's Affairs in 1934 as Slug the Banjoist. The next year, he had a brief specialty part playing banjo in the early Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers musical Roberta.

Sheldon appeared in the Broadway revue Priorities of 1942, performing a comedy banjo act in which he did not speak, wearing an outfit resembling the costume of silent film comedian Harry Langdon and mimicking some of Langdon's distinctive gestures.

By the 1950s and 1960s, most of Sheldon's work was on various Walt Disney programs. One of his often-repeated acts, seen in the "Golden Horseshoe Revue" episode of the Disney anthology television series, was as a banjo player who kept getting his fingers stuck in the strings. After several minutes he would finally get them "un-stuck" and play a vigorous riff on his banjo.

Sheldon appeared in a speaking role as the genie Ali in the 1945 movie musical Where Do We Go From Here? and in the 1960 film Toby Tyler, in which he played Sam Treat, a clown and animal trainer who is one of Toby's mentors and protectors. Toby's other protector, gruff wagon driver Ben Cotter, was played by Henry Calvin, who co-starred on Zorro as Sergeant Garcia.

A year later, he starred in Disney's version of Victor Herbert's operetta Babes in Toyland released before Christmas by the Walt Disney Company. He was teamed with Calvin once more as a kind of ersatz Laurel and Hardy (who had starred in the 1934 version of Babes in Toyland).

Zorro

His best remembered role was as Bernardo, Diego's mute (but not deaf) servant on Zorro. As established in the series' first episode, when Diego de la Vega confides to Bernardo his intention to pretend to be a helpless intellectual rather than a man of action, Bernardo decides to support him by pretending to be deaf and foolish. In this way, Bernardo is able to spy for Diego/Zorro without arousing suspicion. This characterization, an innovation over the deaf-mute Bernardo of the original stories, employed Sheldon's pantomime skills while making the character more integral to the series. Like the character Garcia, Bernardo was usually accompanied on screen by a humorous musical theme. Sheldon reprised the role in four further Zorro adventures that appeared on the Walt Disney anthology television series in 1960-1961.

Personal

Gene married Margaret McCann on December 11, 1944 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had one son, David and one daughter, Tracy. Sheldon died in Tarzana, California, from a heart attack on May 1, 1982. He was cremated.

MIME DANIEL

SERGIY SHVYDKYY: with Snake (2009)

The other day I drove through the neighborhood where I grew up and looked at my old house and the houses of the friends I grew up with. Everything had changed.

I ate my lunch (from the local McDonalds, which has been renovated a dozen times or more since I moved) in the parking lot of my old elementary school. They took out the basketball courts where I learned to play tag and wiffleball and replaced them with new "safe" playground equipment. The only part of the old playground equipment left is a lone swingset, which must be 50 years old this year.

COMEDY CAR ACT: Staten Island, NY (July 4, 2009)

Jerry Hunsberger and I lined up before the start of the 99th annual Fourth of July parade in the Travis section of Staten Island on Saturday for Vince "Vappo" Pagliano's Funny Factory Productions. This one was notable for the fact that it was the first time we performed the act as "The Professor" for a parade.

The Professor has worked the act at a few racetracks and classic car shows but, as much as we've planned it, we haven't performed the act that way for a parade and we weren't sure that it would go over as well as my usual auguste look.

We needn't have worried. They bought the character immediately and the act went over like gangbusters. I'm very happy to report that we were a big hit with the huge crowds all along the parade route.

Thanks go out to Vince and his crew for a great time!

IT'S THE SINGER, NOT THE SONG

Red Skelton in DuBarry Was a Lady, 1943 (co-starring Lucille Ball)





Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy, 1952

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

PETER PITOFSKY: Clown Workshops This Summer in SF

Teatro Zin Zanni is offering the opportunity to study clowning with one of the absolute funniest people ever to walk the face of the earth. Please click the title of this post to find out about Peter Pitofsky's Clown Workshops this summer in San Francisco.

If you are ANYWHERE near San Francisco, or have the means to get there, DO NOT MISS THE CHANCE TO TAKE THE WORKSHOP and to go to see him perform with Teatro Zin Zanni. DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH HIM PERFORM!

If you have to pawn the last of your worldly possessions to get a ticket, GO SEE THE SHOW and watch one of the modern masters of clowning in action.

JULIEN COTTEREAU: Interview (June 2009)

Uploaded by lachainetele. -

GLEN HEROY: Big Apple Circus (2008-09)

A Clown from the Big Apple Circus from Kate Thomas on Vimeo.

HARPO MARX: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1946)

Harpo Marx, playing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Lizt, from the Marx Brothers' 1946 film A Night in Casablanca.

CHRIS ALLISON: Congratulations!!!

Congratulations go out to 2009 Clownalley.net Award winner Chris Allison for his spectacular job this week on America's Got Talent where he advanced to the next round in Las Vegas.

The same three judges that immediately eliminated three greasepaint clowns last week, before they had even begun their act, were absolutely loving "Coney Island Chris".

This is not footage from last night's broadcast, it's from a live show, but contains the complete routine without network television editing.

THE SVENSONS: Big Apple Circus (1990-91)

Video courtesy of circopedia.org



Carlos and Susanna Svenson

PAT KELLY: With Harriet Beatty (circa 1960s)

BERTRAM MILLS CIRCUS: Movietone News

Link courtesy of Mike Naughton



Bertram Mills Circus 1966-67 in it's final season at Olympia, comedy provided by Coco, The Francescos, Pierre Picton, Antonio, Jimmy Scott and Jacko Fossett.

ALEXEY MIRONOV: Bon Voyage (2009)

Parts from solo show "Bon Voyage"by Alexey Mironov. Berlin 2009

EVERETT HART: Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus (1910)

CHESTY MORTIMER: Ringling-Barnum (circa 1920s)

Polidor "Paul Mortimer" Mortier, affectionately known as "Chesty" enjoying a stogie.

CLUB HOUSE: Comedy Juggling

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: Saltimbanco Arena Tour Review from St. Pete

Cirque du Soleil's 'Saltimbanco'
recycled show with lackluster circus acts

By John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic
In Print: Saturday, June 27, 2009

The trademark Cirque du Soleil athleticism is on display in Saltimbanco
at the St. Pete Times Forum.

TAMPA — I never thought I'd say this, but Cirque du Soleil has lost some of its luster with Saltimbanco, the longtime tent show that has been restaged for arenas. Don't get me wrong: the Cirque acrobats are still among the most magical performers I've ever seen, but something was missing from the opening show Thursday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Many fans love to experience Cirque in its high-tech theaters in Orlando and Las Vegas, but I most enjoy the tent shows. Under the blue and yellow big top, you are in the company's home, with all the quirkiness and character that can mean. None of that exists in the bland, institutional setting of an arena, and there are times that Saltimbanco seems like just another traveling circus — a good one, to be sure — that lacks the atmospheric twist of weirdness you feel so intimately in a tent.

Part of the problem may lie with Saltimbanco, one of Cirque's oldest shows, dating back to 1992 and due to celebrate its 5,000th performance on Tuesday. There are plenty of people who are put off by the French- Canadian company's artiness, and for them, this may be the show to see, but I have always taken a shine to the more thematically ambitious efforts, such as Quidam, with its dark tale of a girl's coming of age.

In the first act, the pacing of Saltimbanco falters badly. After the marvelous Chinese Poles, featuring about 20 muscular athletes in pastel-streaked spandex, the performance bogs down with a string of traditional, self-contained circus acts. These include a trick bicyclist, a juggler and a clown routine that goes on much too long. The act's finale, Boleadoras, a duet with twirling bolas and percussive flamenco-style dance, is strangely anticlimactic.

Still, much of Act 2 is Cirque at its best, starting with the amazing Russian Swing, which hurls crazily costumed figures into the upper reaches of the arena. Large numbers like this really show off the superbly conceived choreography of Debra Brown and the heavy-metal crunch of Rene Dupere's score. And the scary highlight of the evening was the duo trapeze act by Ukrainian sisters Ruslana and Taisiya Bazaliy, limber sprites in pale blue outfits, soaring high over the crowd to blood-curdling soprano sax.

John Fleming can be reached at fleming@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8716. He blogs at Critics Circle at blogs.tampabay.com/arts.

ALEXIS GRUSS: Barber Entree (1978)

Photo courtesy of circusmuseum.nl

Alexis Gruss performing a version of the Barber Entree on an unidentified show.

To purchase a copy of this photo, please click the title of this post.

CLOWN ALLEY: Felix Adler and Charlie Smith (circa 1920s)

Felix Adler and Charlie Smith outside the Big Top of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I don't have a date for this one but judging from Felix's wig and painted nose I'm going to guess that this is from the 1920s or very early 30s.

CHARLY COSSY & CO: Circus Strassburger (1957)

Photo courtesy to circusmuseum.nl

Charly Cossy & Co. perform the classic Painters Entree.

To purchase a copy of this photo, please click the title of this post.

THE AUSTINS: Comedy Rag Doll Act, Circus Ginnett

CIRCUS CAMP '09: Week One, Pie Day

Photos courtesy of The LaMarra Family

Last Thursday morning we had all 31 students sit down and watch Laurel & Hardy's Battle of the Century and the Greg DeSanto's Ringling Bakery Gag to get the kids ready to head out into the courtyard and discover the simple beauty and joy of throwing, and being hit by, a big foam shell filled with shaving cream.

In years past I've always used cans of shaving cream for Pie Day but ended up with 10 - 20 spent cans at the end. In an effort to make Circus Camp more environmentally conscious, this year I decided to grab two 5 gallon buckets, some shaving soap (generously donated to us by the Williams Shaving Soap people) and my best cordless drill and whip the soap up circus-style.

What did I learn?

1) Mixing soap in two alternating buckets still does not yield the same results as a single, standard-size garbage can. Next week we use a garbage can. We may have soap left over but we won't need to spend a much time mixing.

2) Even the very top-of-the-line cordless drill, plugged in, won't do this job as well as a plug-in. Next week I take the other drill.

3) Kids L O V E Pie Day!

Teach... your children well...

"Hoopla!!!"

Shane was unsure about throwing so I taught him how
to slap my hand so that I hit myself with it.

And he was perfectly delighted with the result.

Everyone got to throw one, all but the youngest two got hit and one very
lucky little girl received the slosh bucket over the head, Nickelodeon-style.




And a grand time was had by all!


Now someone get the First-of-Mays in here with brooms and sawdust ; )

BILLY VAUGHN: The Triple Somersault

One of my life's great pleasures is watching Billy Vaughn at work.

Billy loves being a clown and children clearly adore what he does.

THIS is what it's all about.

CIRCUS CAMP: Show Day

Me, Shane and Elmo Gibb after the show that culminated the first week of Michael Rosman's Circus Camp this week on the stage of the Roland Park School in Baltimore, MD.

We taught several classic gags during the week but today the kids performed You Can't Play That Here (re-written for 10 kids), The Washer Women (re-written for 5 girls) and, in tribute, Buckles Woodcock's very favorite clown gag, The Atomic Hair Grower. For next week's camp it will be fully emblazoned with the words "Buckles' Atomic Hair Grower" on the front.

Hotarini!

MICHAEL "COCO" POLIKOVS: Stiltwalking on Ringling (1964)

CLOWN ALLEY: RBB&B; Danny Chapman & Corky Corbett (1970)

SERGEI ZAGORSKI

"Musician"



"Transformation"


"Fakir"


"Dog"

HERMAN JOSEPH: MIlls Bros. Circus (circa 1960s)

CLOWNFEST: Clarification from Vince Pagliano

There were several comments asking for further clarification of one of the quotes used in the trailer for the new documentary, Clownfest: Five Days in the Alley. I received this from Vince Pagliano...

Hi Vince,
Judging by the emails, it appears there is a little confusion regarding the movie trailer...particularly the "evangelical" quote at the end of the clip.

Indeed, this quote is taken out of context. As I'm sure you can appreciate, the purpose of the trailer is to grab people's attention and spark interest in the film, which it appears to be doing. Naturally, when using a 30-second trailer to summarize a 38-minute film, many of the quotes/footage will be taken out of context. That quote is in no way meant to imply that everyone who attends Clownfest is evangelical. As someone who has seen the entire film, you can confirm that the "evangelical" quote goes on to explain in greater detail ministry/gospel clowning's place in the world of clowning.

We are very pleased with the way the film turned out. Our team spent two years filming Clownfest ('07 & '08), and we feel the end result is an honest depiction of what takes place during the festival. Once people see the film, I think it will all make sense to them.

I hope this clears up any confusion there might have been. Please let me know if there are further questions.

Many thanks, Matt (Weber)

RUBE SIMONDS: Hamid-Morton Circus (1948)

ANTONIO "TOTO" DE CURTIS (1930)

BABY NEWS

I just felt my son kick. Really kick.

IN MEMORIAM: Stuart Thayer March 27, 1926 - June 24, 2009

Forwarded by Erin Foley:

We've lost the greatest of all circus historians.

For those of you who may not have heard, Stuart had been quite ill for some time. However, of late he had started moving around using a walker. He was making a trek to a nearby village area when struck by an automobile, suffering multiple fractures - - ankle, leg, and ribs. At the hospital he had been unable to breathe on his own and was on a respirator.

So now he has gone on to the great lot in the sky where he was no doubt warmly greeted by his old circus history colleagues - -among them Tom Parkinson, Orin King, Joe Bradbury, Bob Brisendine, Dick Conover and others who led the way in the learned pursuit of our shared passion.

Richard Reynolds

SHANE: Washer Woman Gag (Circus Camp '09)

Shane and a partner performing the classic Washer Woman gag for the very first time today after watching several archival videos and getting coached by Michael Rosman, Dean "Elmo Gibb" Chambers and me.

He got a very nice laugh by starting off with his "Why I oughta..."

Yesterday we did the Boxing Gag, tomorrow we have Pie Day. This is my first year as stilt instructor and we have a great group. All 31 kids (ages 6-14) were walking by the end of Monday and today 10 kids progressed from "stiltz" to real peg stilts.

More photos to come.

COCO and PERCY HUXTER (Circa 1950s)

Bertram Mills Circus pals, Coco (Nikolai Poliakoff) in makeup and Percy Huxter in his Sunday best.

CLOWN ALLEY: Franzen Bros. Circus (1990)

Photo and comments courtesy of Ron Yarborough



Jellybean, Boo-Boo and a young fan...

I did a short stint with Franzen Bros. Circus back in 1990. I found this picture of Jellybean and me that made the front page of the local town paper. We were doing meet & greet during intermission and I remember this child was not at all happy to have his picture taken. Great memories of the good ol mud show days.

Enjoy,
Ron

IRV RUDLEY: The Hildans

DIAMOND JIM PARKER AND JACKIE LE CLAIRE: Sarasota Circus Festival (circa 1980s)

Photo courtesy of Ron Yarborough

ZAPPATA

Photo by Mark Buthman

JOE BESSER: From KETC-TV'S LIVING ST. LOUIS

KELLY-MILLER 2009 REVISITED

I had the chance to peruse some of the other circus blogs tonight and thought that it was worth clarifying some things about my earlier Kelly-Miller post before they get misquoted or misconstrued any further...

"You said Kelly-Miller wasn't a good show."

No, I didn't say it wasn't good. I said it parts of it weren't very good and that it could very easily be much better. Kelly-Miller is one of the better traditional circuses on the road today. Is it a good value for the money? Yes, yes it is. Could it be a better value for the money? Absolutely. There is much more right with the show than wrong and it is maddening that what little needs to be fixed hasn't been by this point in the season.

Small elements compromise the greater whole and leave the show grounded where it could, and should, soar. It is a serviceable show where it could easily become an extraordinary show.

"You only went there to go see your friends' acts."

Yes. Yes I did. I expected to enjoy those and I did enjoy them very much. The rest of the audience did too.

"None of the other acts were worth mentioning?"

Fridman Torales' rola-bola is also a stand out. I thought that the show would have been greatly improved if he'd done the aerial number that he'd done last season as well.

"So you won't mention the acts that you didn't like by name?"

No.

"And you won't be specific about what you didn't enjoy about them?"

No.

"So you didn't like any act that you didn't mention by name?"

I didn't say that. I said that I saw my friends and that I really enjoyed their acts. I also mentioned that I think are doing an outstanding job.

"This is just sour grapes. You have some axe to grind."

No, no I don't. I have several friends on the performing side and some on the office side on the show. That doesn't mean that I have to enjoy the show.

To be very honest I've found every show that I've seen this year to be a disappointment, but this one in particular because it is so close to being really good. Again, there is more right than wrong on Kelly-Miller.

Above all, it is especially great to see a show where classic American-style clowning is done and done very well. Steve and Ryan are doing something really incredible and you should absolutely go and see them if they are anywhere near your area.

"If you're so smart, why aren't YOU on a show right now?"

I am not available this year. I need to be home with my family. I will not be available next year either. In fact, depending on what happens when my son is born in October, I expect that it won't be feasible for me to be away and working in traditional circus much at all anymore.

"If you're so smart, what do you think Kelly-Miller needs?"

Off the top of my head I'd say that they need to seriously rethink and retool their approach to pacing and presentation and to abandon unnecessary production elements that bring a good show down to the level of amateurishness.

Kelly-Miller needs a director. Someone to tighten up some of the weaker acts and help push the stronger ones above the level of simply meeting our expectations and into the level of exceeding them and delivering something truly extraordinary.

"So, what you are saying is that they need to hire YOU?"

No. I am not saying that at all. I am NOT a director. I am saying that they should find one and hire him or her.

"What, specifically, could be done to improve the show?"

Hire a director. They can tell you far better than I ever could.

But I would suggest the following for free...

Kelly-Miller has a performer on the show who plays guitar and sings pretty well. The show also travels with a live drummer.

A live singer, accompanying himself live, in the center of the ring is a far stronger anchor for an aerial web display (and would be a lot more interesting for the audience) than listening to a recording of a number from a movie that the they have never seen or even heard of.

And a country/western number as a close for the first act would help make a lot more sense of the "Salute to Cowboys" finale that isn't supported by any other part of the performance.

Is that performer even interested in singing in the show? I have no idea but K-M should explore and exploit as much of the talent on hand as possible.

Or does no one else see the potential in writing and recording an original song that could be sold as a CD single at the concession stand?

I bet Mr. North's uncle would have.

"You expect an awful lot from a one ring mud show from Hugo."

Yes. I do.

"Why do you hold Kelly-Miller to a different standard than other shows?"

Because, unlike most shows, I know that Kelly-Miller is fully capable of doing something amazing. They have a great staff and have some really great acts over there. The elements are all in place and just waiting to explode. I saw it last year, I see it this year. There isn't a show on the road with more raw potential than Kelly-Miller.

I hope this helps clarify, without the snarkiness of the original post, my feelings and I apologize for the ruffled feathers of anyone except Doug Terranova.

MIKE POTEETE AND ?: Hamid Shrine Circus

Anyone know who this whiteface is with Mike?

ABBOTT & COSTELLO: Crazy House (1952)

Season 1, Ep 13

Peace and Quiet

Lou sleeps all day but can't sleep at night. Bud takes him to see a psychiatrist. Eventually Bud checks him into a sanitarium for a night's rest. The classic burlesque scene "Crazy House" is performed.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

DON OTTO: El Kahir Shine Circus, Marion, IA ( June 19th, 2009)

Very nice guy, nice wife, nice kids. One of my very favorite acts to work with, Don Otto.