WHO'S ON FIRST?

Have you ever watched inexperienced performers absolutely ruin comedy material that you know could be brilliant in the hands of a more seasoned pro?

This video best articulates how I feel when I watch some "clowns" steal a bit that they've seen someone else do, with neither the performance skills necessary to pull it off nor the basic understanding of the material that made it work so well for those other performers in the first place.

WADE BURCK REMEMBERS: Chris Allison

Photo courtesy of Wade Burck


A young Eric Burck with Chris Allison on the Ringling Blue Unit.

Chris just won as Audience Choice for Best Clown at Monday night's 2008 New York Downtown Clown Golden Nose Awards.

HORACE LAIRD: James E. Strates Shows

Photo courtesy of Bill Strong


Longtime fixture of the Cole Bros. Circus Clown Alley, Horace Laird pictured here on the cover of a James E. Strates carnival program.

To see more of the wonders available at Bill's GIBTOWN CIRCUS DIME'S STORE on eBay, please click the title of this post.

CLOWN ALLEY: Al G. Barnes, 1920s

Al G. Barnes Circus April 3, 1926. The man in the back without a hat is heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. Standing to next to Mr. Dempsey is Tarzan and John Carter creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, ringmaster for the day.

Also pictured lower right is Herbert Rawlinson (film actor). Lawrence "America's Neatest Clown" Swalley is the clown sitting down on the lower left and Glen "Kinko" Sunberry is the one wearing a top hat in the upper right.

Does anyone else think that a young Larry Cross may be the clown seated between Smalley and Rawlinson?

MUSTAFIN & ABDIKEEV: Juggling, 1982

NEW YORK DOWNTOWN CLOWN: 2008 Golden Nose Award Winners!

THE 2008 New York Downtown Clown GOLDEN NOSE AWARD Winners ARE:

Audience Choice Best Clown Film:
Retard Midget Get Out of My Life, by Happy Hour

Audience Choice Best Clown Act:
At The Opera, by Those In The Nose

Audience Choice Best Clown/Clown:
Chris Allison

Clown of The Year:
Keith "KInko" Nelson of The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.

Clown Achievement of The Year:
The Brick Theater, producers of the New York Clown Theatre Festival.

CONGRATULATIONS! Stephanie & Adam Gertsacov

Belated congratulations go out to Adam Gertsacov (of the Acme Clown Company) and his beautiful bride Stephanie on their April 5th wedding in Yonkers, NY.

Please click the title of this post to read an article about them that appeared in the New York Times as well as enjoy a video interview with the happy couple.

Congratulations!

To visit Adam's CLOWNLINK.COM, please click here.

CLOWN ALLEY: Sells-Floto, 1921

Photo courtesy of Bill Strong


Members of the Sells-Floto Clown Alley in 1921.

TONY GRICE JR: Influence on Pepito?

Photo and comments courtesy of Marcelo Melison


Hello Pat:
I scanned this photo from a Spanish book on circus. He is Tony Grice Jr. (actually, he was billed as Tony Grice II). He was performing in Spain and he died there sometime during the first World War (I mean, in those years, not in an actual battlefield!). Look at his hat, and his huge vest... It is possible that Pepito saw this artist and got inspired to recreate those items for his own character? Hummmm...

Marcelo PEPPO Melison.

ANTON & ANTOSHKA: Puppet, 1984

STEVE LOUGH: Kewpie Doll Gag

Carnival Plaza in Toyko, Japan 1993.

KELLY-MILLER: Me and Mr. Moss

Here's a shot of me blowing the Ringmaster's whistle, held by John Moss III, signalling the start of the 2008 edition of the Kelly-Miller Circus in Palmer, TX on March 28th.

REX YOUNG REMEMBERSI

I just got off the phone with Rex "Count De Boxcar" Young. We had a wonderful conversation about Rex's career and have plans to meet up in a few weeks when I head up his way for some dates in Milwaukee.


Some of the things that I learned...


Otto Griebling is again singled out as being the best of the best.

Otto and Freddie Freeman would have disagreements and not speak to each other for weeks, all the time doing their Boxing Gag together two or three times a day!

Poodles Hanneford and Joe Jackson were the best of friends.

Poodles would not accept a dime from Rex for working the car act with him. Rex eventually got Poodles to agree to being paid a box of cigars a week.

While in Berlin famous bicycle clown Joe Jackson gave his Hinderburg tickets to fellow comedian Ben Dover. Dover narrowly escaped dying in the crash by leaping to the ground and breaking both ankles. For the rest of his life Joe was deeply beholden to Ben for saving his life as there is no way that Joe would have been able to save himself from the horrible disaster that way.

Interesting stuff and I look forward to sitting down and meeting Rex face to face and getting his memories down on video.

BEV BERGERON: Honored in Orlando

Anyone who remembers Bev as TV's Rebo the Clown or his years with Disney World's Diamond Horseshoe Revue knows just how much he deserves to be panegyrized.

MONTE CARLO 2008: Clown Photos

Link suggested by Don Covington, Photos courtesy of AUCIRQUE.COM


The Martini Family



Scott the Magician and Muriel




Barry "Grandma" Lubin

GEORGE CARL: Strange Video

Another unusual video of the great George Carl.

Unusual for a few reasons...

It's narration is in Russian.

It uses the music of Uriah Heep in the background.

And my headshot appears in the lower left corner throughout.

Can anyone out the translate the narration for me?

SUNDAY MORNING ART GALLERY: Frankie Saluto

Jim Howle's masterful portrait of Mr. Frankie Saluto.

CLOWN ALLEY: Ringling Construction Gag

Wanna know how many sweet board hits you can cram into one gag? Watch and learn from this Greg and Karen DeSanto directed gem!

WADE BURCK REMEMBERS: Jimmy and Brenda Graham and Kevin Thompson

Photos courtesy of Wade Burck



The Burck boys with Jimmy and Brenda Graham and Kevin "Nasty" Thompson who were recently seen with the Grahams' daughters in an episode of MTV's "True Life".

THE ACROMANIACS