Thursday, February 28, 2008
JOE SHERMAN: In the Hospital in Cincinnati, OH
Greetings;
I wanted to let you know that Joe Vani, (Joe Sherman of the Sherman Brothers) is ill and in the hospital in Cincinnati. He suffered a broken hip and has been moving between the hospital and a nursing home. A bout with pneumonia brought him back to the hospital yet again.
Joe will be 95 this year on June 12th. He's at Bethesda North Hospital on Montgomery Rd. in Cincy.
I'm sure Joe would love to get some cards and letters.
His home address is:
Joe Vani
29 Tabaleen Lane
Milford, OH 45150
The address at the hospital is:
Mr. Joe Vani
Bethesda North Hospital
10500 N Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45242
The Red unit opened in Cincy today. I'm hoping to get word to Bello that Joe's ill. They're good friends.
Please pass the word that one of the last great American clowns of the past is ailing.
Regards;
Arte Bausman
WALTER GUICE: Janette Rainwater Series
Photos courtesy of Michael Rainwater
More from the Janette Rainwater series; here's someone that I know almost nothing about other than that he spent several years with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Walter Guice.
More from the Janette Rainwater series; here's someone that I know almost nothing about other than that he spent several years with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Walter Guice.
CARL STEPHAN: Janette Rainwater Series
Photos courtesy of Michael Rainwater
Another performer that I have no biographical information on, Carl Stephan.
Another performer that I have no biographical information on, Carl Stephan.
NEW YORK DOWNTOWN CLOWN PLAYGROUND: March Workshops
New York Downtown Clown offers 2 workshops in March!
#1- March 3rd Clown Playground- Classic Clown Acts Video Presentation
The video presentation will be one hour and 30 minutes of classic
circus clowning from around the world, culled from hundreds of hours
of film and video that Pat Cashin has collected over the last 25
years.
The March video presentation features:
Tom & Tammy Parrish, Lou Jacobs, The Rastellis, Walter Galletti, Otto
Griebling, The Pickle Family Circus clowns (Bill Irwin, Geoff Hoyle &
Larry Pisoni) , Barry Lubin, Jeff Gordon, George Carl and Charlie
Rivel.
WHEN: Monday, 3/3/2008, 9-10:30pm
WHERE:440 Studios, 440 Lafayette St. (btwn Astor Place and 4th St. and
across the street from The Public Theater.) Studio 4E, on the 4th Fl.
FEE: $10
Space is limited for the playground, so reserve your space by emailing them at play@newyorkdowntownclown.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#2- Slapstick Dojo Starting March 5th!
As seen in BACKSTAGE Summer Training Spotlight!
The focus of this class is instruction and development of comedy
trips, falls, slaps, kicks and comic uses of props. This is an ongoing
class with rolling open admission. The class operates similar to a
yoga or martial arts class, where students of all skill levels are
encouraged to come to "work out" and further develop technique. Each
class will include instruction in specific skills and exercises that
will teach students the methods and moves of slapstick greats from
silent films, circuses, and contemporary physical comedy.
To sign up email them at info@...
Class taught by Joel Jeske and Christopher Lueck.
WHEN: Every Wednesday of the year from 6-7pm, Starting March 5th,2008.
WHERE: West Side Dance Project - 260 W 36 Street, 3rd Floor.
FEE:$15 per class or $50 for a month pass.
For more information on these classes visit www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/workshops
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
CHESTER SHERMAN: Undated Photo
An udated photo that looks to be Chester Sherman minus his longtime partner Joe, performing a verbal gag into the mic on an outdoor dates.
BILL HANLON: Janette Rainwater Series
Photos courtesy of Michael Rainwater
More of Janette Rainwater's portraits of the 1954 Ringling Alley, these of William "Bill" Hanlon.
Bill, and his brother Fred Hanlon were descended from the famous Hanlon-Lee family of comedy acrobats.
From Wikipedia...
A group of pre-Vaudevillian acrobats founded in the early 1840s, the Hanlon-Lees were world-renowned practitioners of "entortillation" (an invented word based upon the French term entortillage, which translates to "twisting" or "coiling") – that is, tumbling, juggling, and an early form of "knockabout" comedy (later popularized by such groups as the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges). The troupe consisted of the six Hanlon brothers and their mentor, established acrobat Professor John Lees.
Originally billed as "The Hanlons," the group debuted in 1846 at London's Theatre Royal Adelphi. At this time, the company consisted of George, William, and Alfred Hanlon, who were essentially wards of John Lees until his death in 1855. After his demise, the Hanlons returned to England and enlisted their younger brothers – Thomas, Edward, and Frederick – and rechristened themselves "The Hanlon-Lees" in honor of their fallen friend and instructor.
The newly expanded troupe made its American debut in 1858 at Niblo's Garden in New York City, and spent the next four decades touring the United States and Europe. As their skills improved, their performances became more elaborate. When Jules Léotard introduced the trapeze in 1859, for instance, the Hanlon-Lees quickly adapted to the new device; their next production, Le Voyage en Suisse (A Trip to Switzerland) contained an aerial juggling sequence that stunned Emile Zola, who expressed utter astonishment at the vast number of airborne objects.
The Hanlon-Lees also patented several inventions, including the aerial safety net and a wooden brace used in the construction of scenery (which is to this day referred to as a "hanlon").
Despite the death of Thomas in 1868, the group continued to perform regularly until the early 1900s, at which point George Hanlon's sons Will and Fred assumed control of the company's repertoire. They would carry the company successfully into the 20th Century, going so far as to appear on film for Thomas Edison in a production entitled Fantasma. The Hanlons would endure for another four decades, adapting their acts for vaudeville and finally appearing in the Clown Alley of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
In 1979, six American performers sought out the final living descendant of the original Hanlon brothers and asked for her blessing upon their new company, dubbed the Hanlon-Lees Action Theater. This modern incarnation of the original troupe is best known for pioneering and refining a theatrical form of medieval jousting, an event which the company continues to perform at Renaissance festivals in the United States. The modern Hanlon-Lees also performs Western-themed shows such as fantasy rodeos and cowboy exhibitions.
More of Janette Rainwater's portraits of the 1954 Ringling Alley, these of William "Bill" Hanlon.
Bill, and his brother Fred Hanlon were descended from the famous Hanlon-Lee family of comedy acrobats.
From Wikipedia...
A group of pre-Vaudevillian acrobats founded in the early 1840s, the Hanlon-Lees were world-renowned practitioners of "entortillation" (an invented word based upon the French term entortillage, which translates to "twisting" or "coiling") – that is, tumbling, juggling, and an early form of "knockabout" comedy (later popularized by such groups as the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges). The troupe consisted of the six Hanlon brothers and their mentor, established acrobat Professor John Lees.
Originally billed as "The Hanlons," the group debuted in 1846 at London's Theatre Royal Adelphi. At this time, the company consisted of George, William, and Alfred Hanlon, who were essentially wards of John Lees until his death in 1855. After his demise, the Hanlons returned to England and enlisted their younger brothers – Thomas, Edward, and Frederick – and rechristened themselves "The Hanlon-Lees" in honor of their fallen friend and instructor.
The newly expanded troupe made its American debut in 1858 at Niblo's Garden in New York City, and spent the next four decades touring the United States and Europe. As their skills improved, their performances became more elaborate. When Jules Léotard introduced the trapeze in 1859, for instance, the Hanlon-Lees quickly adapted to the new device; their next production, Le Voyage en Suisse (A Trip to Switzerland) contained an aerial juggling sequence that stunned Emile Zola, who expressed utter astonishment at the vast number of airborne objects.
The Hanlon-Lees also patented several inventions, including the aerial safety net and a wooden brace used in the construction of scenery (which is to this day referred to as a "hanlon").
Despite the death of Thomas in 1868, the group continued to perform regularly until the early 1900s, at which point George Hanlon's sons Will and Fred assumed control of the company's repertoire. They would carry the company successfully into the 20th Century, going so far as to appear on film for Thomas Edison in a production entitled Fantasma. The Hanlons would endure for another four decades, adapting their acts for vaudeville and finally appearing in the Clown Alley of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
In 1979, six American performers sought out the final living descendant of the original Hanlon brothers and asked for her blessing upon their new company, dubbed the Hanlon-Lees Action Theater. This modern incarnation of the original troupe is best known for pioneering and refining a theatrical form of medieval jousting, an event which the company continues to perform at Renaissance festivals in the United States. The modern Hanlon-Lees also performs Western-themed shows such as fantasy rodeos and cowboy exhibitions.
POODLES HANNEFORD: Fare Enough, 1928
Comments and link courtesy of Aaron Neathery's THE THIRD BANANA
Kit Parker Film's Weiss-O-Rama has to be about the most Third Banana-y DVD set I've ever purchased; a collection of late-era silent comedy shorts from the low-budget Weiss Brothers' studio starring Ben Turpin (his last series), Snub Pollard (likewise), Jimmy Aubrey, Bud Duncan, circus clown Poodles Hanneford, and others. Three of the Hairbreadth Harry shorts are also included, letter-perfect adaptations of C. W. Kahles' wonderful comic strip, although, sadly, little is made on the DVD of the series' funny page origins.
Of particular interest to me are Poodles Hanneford's comedies. Poodles was primarily famous for his uncanny equestrian act and holds a Guinness record to this day for for performing a running leap onto a galloping horse, and then stepping off, twenty-six times in quick succession.
Each of the DVD's three Hanneford shorts include at least a few of Poodles' circus routines, most notably Circus Daze (1928) which features much of his equestrian act, albeit modestly (and unnecessarily) tricked-up. The severely disjointed Fare Enough (1928) stars Poodles in a much more traditional vein as an inventive Keatonesque underdog (and is that an uncredited Arthur Housman as one of the drunks?). While not possessing any great depth of character as a film comic, he's certainly engaging and, frankly, a more impressive and promising all-round talent than more famous names like Ben Turpin and Snub Pollard!
Kit Parker Film's Weiss-O-Rama has to be about the most Third Banana-y DVD set I've ever purchased; a collection of late-era silent comedy shorts from the low-budget Weiss Brothers' studio starring Ben Turpin (his last series), Snub Pollard (likewise), Jimmy Aubrey, Bud Duncan, circus clown Poodles Hanneford, and others. Three of the Hairbreadth Harry shorts are also included, letter-perfect adaptations of C. W. Kahles' wonderful comic strip, although, sadly, little is made on the DVD of the series' funny page origins.
Of particular interest to me are Poodles Hanneford's comedies. Poodles was primarily famous for his uncanny equestrian act and holds a Guinness record to this day for for performing a running leap onto a galloping horse, and then stepping off, twenty-six times in quick succession.
Each of the DVD's three Hanneford shorts include at least a few of Poodles' circus routines, most notably Circus Daze (1928) which features much of his equestrian act, albeit modestly (and unnecessarily) tricked-up. The severely disjointed Fare Enough (1928) stars Poodles in a much more traditional vein as an inventive Keatonesque underdog (and is that an uncredited Arthur Housman as one of the drunks?). While not possessing any great depth of character as a film comic, he's certainly engaging and, frankly, a more impressive and promising all-round talent than more famous names like Ben Turpin and Snub Pollard!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCKLES!
A very happy 29th birthday to the man who led the American circus into the "age of blogging" and continues at it's forefront, Mr. Buckles Woodcock.
THE BIG NEWS!
The Kelly-Miller Circus' 2008 season will begin on March 15th in Hugo, OK and the clown from opening day through April Fool's Day, April 1st will be... me!
Here's some scoop about the all-new 2008 edition of the show from David Hammarstrom's blog SHOWBIZDAVID...
A touch of Ringling magic has moved to a town called Hugo. Today, if lucky, you might spot John Ringling North II gearing up his staff for the second Kelly-Miller season operated by a real Ringling ... And from an anonymous source comes a prediction that what’s about to depart Hugo would delight the late Cliff Vargas: “All the pieces are there” is a promise that makes me wish I owned my own private jet, so I could swoop down and take in the grand opening on March 15 ... Jim Royal, by the way, who does the Concello thing for North II, before that served a number of seasons as production unit manager for Big Apple. Among the editions he supervised was Picturesque, a show I found quite wonderful (at least 3-1/2 stars wonderful). Jim reflects on the modern era: “It always seemed to me that the themes of the show never overwhelmed the performance. BAC never got too ‘high brow.’ Picturesque had many artistic references that some of our audience members appreciated. For those who didn’t catch them, that didn’t intrude on their enjoyment of the show.” Royal gave the climactic teeterboard Kovgars, who flew fast and last on the bill, the Royal attention they well deserved, heading for the main tent “damn near every show just to catch their act.” Great taste, Jim ...
The show, being owned by John Ringling North II, makes me the first American circus clown to work for an actual member of the Ringling family in 40 years!
There have also been discussion of me joining the show for some East Coast dates and doing some advance this summer but those are still in the works. So if you are in the Hugo, OK or Dallas/Forth Worth area be sure to come on out and say "hi" and, if you lower your expectations, you might just enjoy some of the classic-style hokey corn that I'll be selling.
Proud to be a real "Ringling Clown",
Pat Cashin
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TONIGHT!!!
News flash!!!
Dateline: Hugo, OK...
Ladies and gentlemen, clownalley.net will be making a big announcement concerning the clowning on this season's Kelly-Miller Circus at 8:00 PM this evening!
Be sure to check back then!
CHARLIE BELL: Janette Rainwater Series
Photos courtesy of Michael Rainwater
Charlie Bell and a canine companion (Trixie? Peanut?) from the series of photos by Janette Rainwater.
Charlie Bell and a canine companion (Trixie? Peanut?) from the series of photos by Janette Rainwater.
OWEN MCQUADE: Janette Rainwater Seies
Photos courtesy of Michael Rainwater
More from the Janette Rainwater series, these were marked as "Duffy" and look to be Owen McQuade.
More from the Janette Rainwater series, these were marked as "Duffy" and look to be Owen McQuade.
THE STUPIDS
The charivari (comedy vaulting) act that strongly influenced all others to come, The Stupids.
Monday, February 25, 2008
PAUL JUNG: More
Photo courtesy of Michael Rainwater, article scans courtesy of Bill Strong.
Paul Jung, Nov. 27, 1954 at the Winter Quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, FL by Dr. Janette Rainwater.
This is one of a series of color photos of Ringling clowns both in and out of makeup that was shot on spec., hoping that they could be sold to Ford Times or Friends (the Chevrolet give-away magazine), but they never found a buyer. The photos have been unseen since.
There were a few folks who had asked for a better scan of one of the articles from the other day, there were also some folks who asked why I was posting this unpleasant information at all.
I prefer to remember Paul Jung for the extremely gifted circus clown that he was, not for the sordid details of his passing, but think that this information (as disturbing and awful as it is) is a part of Jung's story and should be told.
The Hotel Forrest, friendly to musicians, actors and other performers, as it appeared in 1946.
Paul Jung, Nov. 27, 1954 at the Winter Quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, FL by Dr. Janette Rainwater.
This is one of a series of color photos of Ringling clowns both in and out of makeup that was shot on spec., hoping that they could be sold to Ford Times or Friends (the Chevrolet give-away magazine), but they never found a buyer. The photos have been unseen since.
There were a few folks who had asked for a better scan of one of the articles from the other day, there were also some folks who asked why I was posting this unpleasant information at all.
I prefer to remember Paul Jung for the extremely gifted circus clown that he was, not for the sordid details of his passing, but think that this information (as disturbing and awful as it is) is a part of Jung's story and should be told.
The Hotel Forrest, friendly to musicians, actors and other performers, as it appeared in 1946.
BLACKPOOL TOWER CIRCUS: Doodles the Clown; SING AS WE GO, 1934
A brief glimpse of Doodles the Clown (a.k.a. William Lauder McAllister) who appeared at the Blackpool Tower Circus 1915-1944, as well as Hengler's and Zalva's, Kelvin Hall Circuses & Bostock's Zoo.
This is taken from the 1934 film Sing As We Go.
For more on Doodles please click here.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
SUNDAY MORNING ART GALLERY: Paul Jung
Artist: BarbBarcikKeith
Age: 61
City: Maple Heights
Country: United States
12×18 grey matboard, original sold.
Completed 1996
Saturday, February 23, 2008
PAUL JUNG: Newspaper Articles
Scans courtesy of Bill Strong
This year will mark the 43rd anniversary of a horrible event, the death of Paul Jung.
Ringling's run at the Garden is now so short that I believe that they will have played the Meadowlands twice and already be in Philadelphia by then.
The impact of the loss of Paul Jung on Ringling clowning cannot be overstated. The last few years of the pre-Feld era as well as the early years Clown College would have been quite markedly different had events not transpired the way that that they did.
Aside from the tremendous loss of Paul Jung himself as a performer in the Ringling Alley, the loss of his unique genius as a prop designer and builder for others was a catastrophic event on the clowning of his era.
This year will mark the 43rd anniversary of a horrible event, the death of Paul Jung.
Ringling's run at the Garden is now so short that I believe that they will have played the Meadowlands twice and already be in Philadelphia by then.
The impact of the loss of Paul Jung on Ringling clowning cannot be overstated. The last few years of the pre-Feld era as well as the early years Clown College would have been quite markedly different had events not transpired the way that that they did.
Aside from the tremendous loss of Paul Jung himself as a performer in the Ringling Alley, the loss of his unique genius as a prop designer and builder for others was a catastrophic event on the clowning of his era.
Friday, February 22, 2008
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