Emmett Kelly: Keep Off The Grass

From Wikipedia: Keep Off the Grass is a musical revue with sketches by Mort Lewis, Parke Levy, Alan Lipscott, S. Jay Kaufman, and Panama & Frank, lyrics by Al Dubin and Howard Dietz, and music by Jimmy McHugh. The choreography was by George Balanchine.

Produced by Lee Shubert and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway production, opened on May 23, 1940 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for a total of 44 performances. The cast included Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Jane Froman, Virginia O'Brien, Emmett Kelly and Ilka Chase. O'Brien recorded four of the songs for Columbia Records in 1940 and they are included as bonus tracks on her CD "Virginia O'Brien Salutes the Great MGM Musicals". 

Man, oh man would I love to hear more about this show!

Circus Flora: Adam Kuchler

 

Photo credit: Maike Schulz

Adam Kuchler performing in Circus Flora's production The Pawn in 2014.

Clown College: Joe Wesson and Jeff Wirth

Joe Wesson and Jeff Wirth perform in the Ringling Clown College graduation of 1978. Joe and Jeff both went on the Blue Unit, where they performed this gag in Come In. When Jeff left the show, Joe and Tom Dougherty performed it together.

George Carl: Hollywood Palace 1969

George Carl and his wife performing an early version of his act on Hollywood Palace in 1969.

Enjoy! 

Fumagalli: Le Miel

Fumagalli, his brother Darius, and Nico performing Le Miel (The Honey), which is commonly called Busy Bee in American clowning circles. Even some clowning squares!

This performance was on French television to promote the 2013/2014 Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione season, Phenoménal.

Various Circus Posters Featuring Clowns II

 More beautiful posters from the collection of Ralph Pierce.

Ringling: Blue Unit Walkarounds 1978

Members of the Ringling Blue Unit’s 108th Edition Clown Alley perform walkarounds on the national television special in 1978.

Roberts Bros Circus: Brum

Brum performing that old chestnut, "You Can't Play That Here", on Roberts Bros. Circus in the UK.

More info from John Cooper: “ Brum was portrayed by Tommy Cook, his family going back several generations in English circus. I don't recognise the ringmaster. It looks like the clip is from a TV recording. Incidentally, "Brum" is an affectionate name for the city of Birmingham in central England.”

Peter Pitofsky on Leno

Hey everyone, sorry for the sporadic posting. I had to run up to Wisconsin to take care of some business.

To get things going again, here's Peter Pitofsky doing what he does best.

Los Rivelinos

Los Rivelinos performing on Circo España in Spain in 1988.

Ringling: Lottery Gag

 

Hey guys, sorry for the couple day lapse of not posting. Had to come up to Wisconsin to work on some stuff.

I bought a Mega Millions ticket on the way up, and the drawing is tonight, so here's Mark Branner and Huel Speight performing the lottery track gag on the 121st Edition Red Unit in 1991 for good luck! 

Ringling: Lou Jacobs

 

A slide from Gary Cybul showing Lou Jacobs at Madison Square Garden on May 8, 1969.

HOUSCH-MA-HOUSCH: Rabbits

Rest In Peace Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan passed away Wednesday morning from complications due to COVID-19.

Kevin was a graduate of the Clown College class of 1982 and toured with the Blue Unit of Ringling for two years.

He was an Advance Ambassador of the Ringling Readers program and also an instructor for Clown College Japan.

He spent many seasons with both Culpepper Merriweather Circus and Kelly Miller Circus making families around the country laugh.

Rest in peace, Kevin. Thank you for making the world a happier place.

Circus Vargas: Clown Walkaround

Members of the Circus Vargas Clown Alley perform walkarounds around 1987. I can spot George Clyatt, Scott Parker, Chris Green, Marty T. Clown, and Lorenzo (last name I don't know). Aside from that, I have no idea who the rest are. Heck, even people that were in the Alley couldn't ID them for me!

Clyde Beatty Clowns 1994

 

Laurie Dwyer

Jerry Nye

Ringling: Time Machine Clown Car 1982

Members of the Ringling Blue Unit Clown Alley perform the Time Machine themed clown car on the television special for the 112th Edition in 1982.

The International Clown Hall of Fame Needs Your Help!

From ICHOF Executive Director, Greg DeSanto:

Yesterday, October 24th, the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center experienced heavy water damage to the interior of the museum. We were able to move artifacts to safer locations and have begun assessing the damage. Clean up and restoration of the building and artifacts will tax our very limited resources at this time, and it is with deep respect that the Board of Directors of the ICHOF humbly ask for your assistance. 

Any size contribution is greatly appreciated and we are confident that 2021 will see a return to full operations and many new exhibits celebrating clowns all around the world! 

Thank you for your support.

https://www.facebook.com/donate/733466610584280/10224273333955991/

From a man resembling a potato: 

If you enjoy the content of this blog, much of which comes from the ICHOF archives, please consider making a donation during this difficult time. No amount is too small, and if you don't have any money to give, please consider sharing the above link on social media.

Thank you, everyone!

Emmett Kelly and Jerry Lewis

 

Emmett Kelly sketching Jerry Lewis most likely in the late 1950s or 1960s. Any more information on this photo would be most welcome!

Les Rudi Llata Clowns- La Piste Aux Étoiles

Les Rudi Llata Clowns performing on the French television program, La Piste Aux Étoiles, filmed at the Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in 1966.

Sandy Totman

 

The beautiful female tramp makeup of Sandy Totman, who graduated Clown College in 1972 and toured with the Red Unit in 1973.

Circus Smirkus: Josh Shack

Josh Shack performing his music act at the Circus Smirkus Alumni Show in 2007. Josh began performing with Circus Smirkus in 2000, and currently performs residencies with the company and acts as production manager when the show is on tour.

Josh is also a fantastic director and has directed multiple pantomimes, the clown show Out of Orbit for Dan Berkley, and two productions of Nothing But Nonsense for Steve & Ryan.

Tandarica

For those of you paying attention, I mentioned Tandarica in yesterday's blog post about Los Calugas.

I did a little digging and found this info about him on an Argentinian website:

-Dear friends, first of all I thank you for everything shared and for having accompanied us throughout 2019. I also sought information about Alexandru Veterany and discovered that he was actually born in Bucharest on 16 January 1926 and died in Buenos Aires on 1 May 1995. He was a very popular comic actor and comedian of film, theatre and television and performed in Argentina during the 1980s. Tandarica was a great character with which he would adopt as his own stage name and label in two Argentine films and several television programs. He was a very clumsy and suspiciously drunk waiter who, with his silly acts and falls, caused discomfort and disasters around him. He was regarded as an Argentine Chaplin, an actor who was his great inspiration. He also performed in the circus of the Río de la Plata and in magazine theater. He went on to shoot a film in Hollywood with Silvester Stallone. In fact, I believe that the name of his artistic character comes from the Romanian T.D.R., a Puppet of Puppets of Bucharest, founded in 1945 (https://www.teatrultandarica.ro/

Los Calugas

Los Calugas performing the "Tandarica act" on El Gran Circ De Nadal De Girona in 2019.

I call it the "Tandarica act" because I always associate it with Alexandru Veterany, who performed comedy in Argentina under the stage name Tandarica.

I bet you can guess who tomorrow's post will be about!

Chase Culp

 

Chase Culp is an alumni of Circus Smirkus, and has performed on Ringling, Cirque Musica, Circus Gasser Olympia in Switzerland, and most recently the Venardos Circus.

Ringling: Sideshow Charivari

 

Photo courtesy of Gabor Hrisafis

Matt Morgan, Joel Jeske, Adam Kuchler, Thom Wheaton, Mark Myers, Steve Lough, Lance Brown, and Gabor Hrisafis dressed for the sideshow themed charivari in the Blue Unit's 128th Edition of Ringling in 1999.

Gardi Hutter

 

From Wikipedia:

Born on 5 March 1953 in Altstätten, Canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, Gardi Hutter graduated at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zürich (Schauspiel-Akademie Zürich) from 1974 to 1977, where she absolved an induction and training in theatre education and theatre pedagogy. Gari Hutter gave lessons to the students, but she felt unhappy not to practice what she taught. At the Centro di ricerca per il teatro (CRT) in Milano Gardi Hutter graduated as maestros (master), being also her so-called Clownsgesellenzeit (literally: apprenticeship as a clown) of three years to become an approved member of the Clown community. Gardi Hutter was taught by Mario Gonzales, Pantalone of the Théatre du Soleil, Nani Colombaioni (I Colombaioni) and Ferruccio Cainero of the Teatro Ingenuo.,^[1][2]

For the national "700-year anniversary" of Switzerland, Gardi Hutter played the women jester in the Federal Assembly Chamberof the Swiss Parliament in 1991. For the festival "700 years" of 1998 of her hometown, Gardi Hutter acted as co-writer. In the winter season 1997/98 she was starring in Romulus der Grosse at the Schauspielhaus Zürich.^[2]

Since 1981, Gardi Hutter had more than 3,300 performances in 30 countries and four continents, including Andorra, Brazil, China, Russia, Spain, Sweden, USA and Switzerland. There were also recordings on TV stations of 17 countries and auditions in numerous radio programs.

Les Fratellini: Big Time Comedy

 

François, Paul, and Albert perform their explosive photography entrée. I REALLY wish I could have seen THIS act!

Clyde Beatty: Recycling Machine

Elmo Gibb, Larry Armstrong, Greg Long, Doug Keady, Mat Coes, James Houser, Jay D’Amico, and “Lil’ Dave” Williams perform the Recycling Machine gag on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus in 1991.

The Recycling Machine and many other beautiful Clyde Beatty clown props of that time were built by Producing/Advance clown Elmo Gibb.

Yann Rossi

 

                                                

                                                

                                                

Dominique Secher took these beautiful photographs of Yann Rossi preparing for a performance. Ryan and I met Dom while we were working in Paris, and he captures many beautiful backstage moments with his wonderful photography.

Kelly Miller Circus: Baby Gag

Claire Wedemeyer performing the baby gag on Kelly Miller Circus in 2006. Claire spent two years on the Ringling Red Unit in 2003 and 2004, and was the clown on Kelly Miller for a few seasons after that.

Lou Jacobs: Little Car

 

Photo shared by Mark Renfro

Lou does his impression of Old Faithful during his famous little car routine.

Ringling: Engine Gag 1991

Greg DeSanto and Kevin Carr perform the engine gag during Come In of the Blue Unit's 120th Edition of Ringling in 1991.

The engine gag is one of those rare Feld era clown routines that lasted for two tours. In 1990 it was performed by Greg and Chris Wilson. Kevin Carr replaced Chris for 1991 and 1992, and Joey Kohler was Greg's last partner for the gag in 1993.

Spike Jones and the City Slickers: Poet and Peasant Overture

One of my favorite Spike Jones routines. Freddy Morgan's performance is a master class in clowning.

Vidbel Circus: Boxing Gag Part II

 

Photo credit Paul Gutheil 

A follow up to yesterday's post. Here are Scott O'Donnell, John Kennedy Kane, and Mike Snider photographed by Paul Gutheil on Vidbel's Olde Tyme Circus in 1995 as they prepare for the boxing gag.

Vidbel Circus: Boxing Gag

Video courtesy of the ICHOF archives.

Scott O'Donnell, Mike Snider, John Kennedy Kane, aka Eggroll, and ringmaster Billy Martin performing the boxing gag on Vidbel's Olde Tyme Circus in the 1990s.

Scott started his clowning career in Canada and later was in charge of Vidbel during the 1990s and into the early 2000s.

He worked on Ringling as boss clown and then as a talent scout alongside Tim Holst. He also worked in a managerial position on Big Apple Circus. Currently he is the Executive Director of Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI.

Mike Snider graduated from Ringling Clown College in 1978, and after a short time on Ringling's blue unit, he went to Clyde Beatty Cole Bros' Clown Alley where he spent many seasons. He worked on many other shows, notably the Cole All Star Circus and Vidbel. He was a frequent partner of Billy Vaughn. Mike currently works in the medical field in Arkansas.

John "Eggroll" Kane began his career as a fire eater on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros Circus in 1979, and the next year became a member of Clown Alley. Eggroll performed as a clown and ringmaster on many shows, and just a few years ago he was ringmaster of the Big Apple Circus for several seasons.

Now he occasionally performs his one man show, My Life In The Basement, around the Buffalo, NY area.

Lou Jacobs

 

Need I say more?

Cirque Du Soliel: Les Maclomas

The French clown trio, Les Maclomas, perform in the Cirque Du Soliel show, Quidam, in the 1990s.

I've always enjoyed their work, but have never been able to find much information about them. This morning I found a documentary about them entitled Le Double Et Son Clowns about their experience with Cirque, and featuring them training three clowns to replace them in the show.

I'm guessing one of the new clowns might be Eric "Royo" Sanchez, whom I worked with on Ringling in 2007. I know he replaced the red clown on the Quidam tour.

I know what I'll be watching tonight!

Le Double Et Son Clown

Annie Fratellini & Les Bario

Annie Fratellini and Les Bario perform with French actor/singer/songwriter Franck Fernadel on his television special Tel Is Franck in 1967.

Ringling: Gold Unit Clown Alley 1988

 

Photo credit: Nicole Portwood

The 1988 Clown Alley from the Gold Unit of Ringling in Japan. 

From the top, left to right: 

Nicole Marsh Portwood, Jeff Wolff, Thom MacNamara, Rich Potter

Jeff Taveggia, Willie Yeomans, Christopher Hudert, David Magidson, John Pfeifer, Eark Dakan

Robb Zeiser, Wayne Sidley, Chuck Sidlow, Robert Zraick, Michael Frum, "Mr. Bill" Machtel, Sam Rivera, Karen Bell

Arturo Figueroa, Stephen Smithwick, Randy Brake, Steve Marshall, Susan Doctoroff Landay, James Wade and "Bucky" Dussell. 

Jimmy Douglass

 

Jimmy Douglass, long time producing clown for many mud shows and Shrine dates. 

I would love to hear more about Jimmy's gags. Elmo Gibb told me about the Jimmy Douglas produced firehouse, which sounded pretty funny. The firemen would be looking for the hose, and they would finally take an axe to the stomach of a fat fireman and pull the hose out like it was his intestines.

Big time comedy! 

Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione: Haunted House Entrée

Fumagalli, Darius, and Alberto Caroli performing the Haunted House entrée in Phénoménal, the 2013/2014 season of Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in Paris, France.

Clown College Students 1969

 

Four members of the Ringling Clown College class of 1969: Jim Harmon, Frank Carbone, Manuel Marcos "Zapata" Barragan, Joe Sullivan, and Conrad Hartz.

All but Jim Harmon toured with Ringling. Carbone and Hartz with the Blue Unit, and "Zapata" and Sullivan on Red.

Conrad Hartz currently lives in South Carolina and makes beautiful marionettes that he performs shows with. "Zapata" and his fellow class of 1969 alum, Johnny Peers, teamed up after several years on Ringling and became one of the most popular clowning teams of the 1970s. Unfortunately he passed away in 1980 at the height of the team's success.

Circus Vargas: Guest Clowns

Dale Longmire, Billy McCabe, Bruce Warner, and George Clyatt help two news reporters become clowns with Circus Vargas sometime in the early to mid 1980s.

Sirkus Finlandia: Michelle Musser

 

Michelle Musser began her clowning career on Ringling in 2006. From there she teamed up with Nathan Holguin and they performed as Punchy and Judy at Circus World Museum and Culpepper Merriweather Circus.

After going solo, Michelle spent three seasons with Sirkus Finlandia in Finland. These photos, taken by Kari Nieminen, were taken during the 2018 season.

Ringling: Robot Soda Jerk Gag

Greg Mooney, "Enof" Killebrew, and Dana Nelson perform the Robot Soda Jerk track gag during the 115th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1985.

Daredevil Chicken: Anne Goldmann and Jonathan Taylor

Ryan and I had the pleasure of seeing Anne and Jonathan live when we were taking over for them on the Mr. Swindle tour earlier this year.

We were lucky enough to watch them twice, and both times we were laughing hysterically.

Daredevil Chicken wowed audiences on the Gong Show in 2017, and they have performed in top cabaret and variety shows around the world.

Learn more about them here.

Pierre Étaix and Jerry Lewis

Two great clowns of the silver screen photographed together at the Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in Paris, France during the filming of The Day The Clown Cried.