MYSTERY CLOWNS: Three Felix Adlers

Photo courtesy of Marcelo Melison


Looks like Felix Adler left some wardrobe in the "guest clown" trunk.

Anyone know anything about this photo? My guess is that it would be from an indoor Shrine winter date with "townies" dressed in Felix's costumes.

DARREN "BURL" BURRELL: Circus Roncalli

Photos courtesy of AUCIRQUE





Who is that bubble blower currently mixing it up with the creme-de-la-creme of the circus world on Roncalli? Why it's Clown College grad, former Ringling clown and past member of The Kelly-Miller Circus Clown Alley, Mr. Darren "Burl" Burrell.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

JOE (VANI) SHERMAN: Update

Received last night from Arte Bausman...


Pat,

Just found out that Joe Sherman (Vani) has been moved into Hospice care at Meadowbrook Nursing home in Cincy. The phone number at the home is 513 489-2444. The address is 8211 Weller Rd, Montgomery OH 45242.

He's not expected to last more than a day or so. He is permitted visitors 24-7.

Please pass this along.

Regards;
Arte Bausman
Dayton, OH

Thank you for the update Arte and I would hope that folks in the area would make the effort to stop in to see him and the rest of us would remember to keep Joe in their thoughts today.

2008 FELIX ADLER AWARDS

Just a reminder to get your votes in by midnight March 31st!

This year's voting is much more fragmented last year and there seems to be a consensus vote in only one category so far.


Votes can be cast in the following three categories:


OTTO GRIEBLING AWARD: For Best Solo Clowning of 2008

PAUL JUNG AWARD: For Best Duo, Trio or Ensemble Clowning of 2008

HARRY DANN AWARD: For Best Picture Clown of 2008


Cast your votes for the 2008 Felix Adler Awards by sending an email to me at cashincomedy@mac.com with your votes and the words 2008 FELIX ADLER AWARDS in the subject line.


To review...

Voting will continue through Monday March 31, 2008.

The winners will be announced on April 1st, 2008.

KELLY-MILLER: Whitesboro, TX

After a day off due to torrential rains that had a good portion of the midwest gathering lumber and two of every animal John Ringling North II's One Ring Wonder The Kelly-Miller Circus moves to Whitesboro, TX today.

Showtimes at 4:30 and 7:30 PM.

The photo to the right was taken by me after pulling into KM Winter Quarters in the beautiful Red River Valley of Oklahoma on March 11th 2008.

PAUL JEROME: El Mariachi

Just when I was starting to feel a little hinky about playing a mariachi in the 2008 Kelly-Miller aerial production number, along comes this 1930s era photo of Paul Jerome in big shoes, plaid pants and sombrero.

It's still a little odd, but at least now I can claim that there is an historical circus precedent ; )

LINON: Hugo Public Library

And he shall be Linon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Linon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Linon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Linon

This is the first of several pictures over the next few days that I found in some European circus books that I came across in the Hugo Public Library in Hugo, OK.

TONIO

"It's a Mr. Larible on line 2 for you..."

KELLY-MILLER: Royse City, TX

John Ringling North II's Kelly-Miller Circus, America's One Ring Wonder has arrived in the greater Dallas/Ft Worth area and appears tonight for two performances in Royse City, TX.

Showtimes at 4:30 and 7:30 PM.

Bring your umbrellas and boots, it looks like it's going to be another wet one.

The show may have been blessed in Winter Quarters on March 14th but the 2008 season was baptised by a thunderstorm last night that hit just after the start of the 7:30 show.

While many were complaining about the rivers forming behind the back door, Casey Cainan lept to his feet and literally danced with maniacal glee.

"Now THIS is circus!"

PAUL JEROME: RBB&B Circa late 1920s

Paul Jerome (in whiteface makeup) in a photo that was used over and over in Ringling publicity of the 20s, 30s and even into the 1950s.

ART ADAIR: Hagenbeck-Wallace 1907

Art Adair featured in a 1907 newspaper ad for the Hagenbeck-Wallace show in Detroit, MI.



Taken from a Detroit area newspaper article for the same 1907 H-W engagement: The caption claims that it's a photo of Art Adair surrounded by four other clowns. Actually it's a photo of George Lafayette Fox surrounded by four shots of Mr. Adair.

JADER

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

While the rest of you are off drinking Guinness, listening to The Pogues and whipping what's left of your shamrock shake at the head of a bagpiper, some of us will be working.

Spending St. Patrick's Day in Honey Grove, TX looks to be about half as exciting as spending the Fourth of July in Canada.

KELLY-MILLER: Honey Grove, TX

America's One Ring Wonder keeps rolling today with two shows at the Honey Grove South Elementary School Grounds presented by the Honey Grove Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the local P.T.O.

Two shows today at 4:30 and 7:30 PM


First 10 patrons in appropriate, circus-style, Stetson hats will receive a 25 pound bag of roasted circus peanuts courtesy of the Peterson Peanut Company of Cleveland, OH.

POODLES HANNEFORD: Hagenbeck-Wallace 1932

Poodles Hanneford's photo from the 1932 Hagenbeck-Wallace program.

JOE SHERMAN: Autographed Program Cover

A 1979 Shrine Circus program with the cover signed by pin-up boy Joe (Vani) Sherman.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARRY CLARK!

Happy birthday wishes go out today to Larry Clark who was forced to wear this outfit in spec. on Ringling's 129th edition.

Really, what kind of a maroon would be caught wearing an outfit like this?

KELLY-MILLER: Idabel, OK

America's One-Ring Wonder, the Kelly-Miller Circus continues it's 2008 tour today with two shows in nearby Idabel, OK.

Showtimes at 2:00 and 4:30 PM.

Free cookhouse Tootsie Rolls to the first 10 patrons on the lot who can correctly identify the make of Wade Burck's hat ; )

SUNDAY MORNING ART GALLERY: Otto Griebling

Artist: BarbBarcikKeith

12×18 Colored pencil.

Complete 1984

TOTO: 1930 Newsreel Footage

I was always under the impression that Armando "Toto" Novello was from Vienna, Austria but a New York Times obituary from December 16, 1938 that I recently found gives his country of origin as Switzerland.

He was born October 27, 1888 to George Novello, a circus horse trainer, and Amalie Shoenberg a lion tamer. He began performing early and was clowning in circuses by age 18.

He was seen by Charles Dillingham while in London in 1914 and brought to America to perform at the Hippodrome in New York. He had a successful career her in the States, performing on stage, in circus and briefly as the star of his own film series.

Toto created the midget clown car prop that was later perfected by Lou Jacobs.

Unlike his Hippodrome clowning contemporaries Frank "Slivers" Oakley and Marceline Orbes, Toto seemed to have been financially secure and owned a spacious 10-room home in Larchmont, NY. Just like Slivers and Marceline he died much too soon.

He passed away at the age of 50 following surgery for an intestinal condition at Union Hill Hospital in the Bronx.

If you'd like to see old newsreel footage of Toto (and his midget car) performing at a January 1, 1930 benefit circus for German police officers and their families please click the title of this post.