Friday, January 13, 2006

Ernie Burch


And yet, another makeup for Ernie Burch. Pat and I are on a crusade to convince Rebecca once and foreall that this is indeed the man who once made advances toward her younger sister many years ago.

Posted by Buckles at 1/13/2006 12:28:00 AM

10 comments:

Pat Cashin said...

The only other male clown that I can think of notable for his long eyelashes is Dave DeDerra, formerly with Ringling and currently at Circus Circus and somewhere in his 30s by now. Rebecca HAS to be talking about Ernie.

http://www.clown-ministry.com/History/blinko-ernie-burch.html

This page has a brief bio on Ernie and a few pictures of his classic Blinko look as well as one doing his balloon act on stage with Maran.

Anyone know which came first, Ernie's balloon act or Dime and Connie Wilson's?

13 January, 2006 03:34
Anonymous said...

Blinko DID NOT make advances. He was a real gentleman. He just showed her around the show as she had never seen a circus and I was performing so he was being kind to her when I was busy.

13 January, 2006 07:45
Buckles said...

Ernie was around the Dailey Show and once told me that he had no means of transportation to Winter Quarters.
Ben Davenport told him that he had a shipment of baby elephants arriving in his area and that he could ride in the baggage car with them down to Gonzales.
Included with the elephants were several Hindu mahouts and when traveling across the Deep South were forbidden to enter the white restaurants.
Ernies job was to hustle them to an area where they were welcome and he described the sensation he and his turbaned companions made upon entry.

13 January, 2006 08:01
Anonymous said...

I remember those days in the south. It seems strange to me that Whitie {his real name]the Horse Fantasy Review boss always brought meals to the two grooms to eat in the simi. As I was a mere child back then I knew nothing about segregation and my feeling got very hurt because they would not talk to me. Bermingham has just had their new Holiday Inn tourched and tentions were very high. In Hawiwi no difference was noted between colors. These two grooms were treated the same as everyone else so the South was a shock to me. I might add that these men looked beautiful in the ring and made the act look classy. Very nice young men.

13 January, 2006 08:53
Anonymous said...

Locke Loraine also wore long eyelashes and glitter in his makeup. He and Earnie were rivals of a sort. When I worked in the alley with Locke on the Rudy show there was always talk about who stole what from who. Jerry Jay.

13 January, 2006 12:09
Anonymous said...

My clown wore glitter on his lashes.

13 January, 2006 12:16
Bob Cline said...

To Pat and fellow Joeys out there,
I ran across several first Day issues from Denmark on eBay last night under circus and carnivals. Ironically all of them honored American Clowns.
Bob

13 January, 2006 12:19
Anonymous said...

Eye lashes was about 30 years old in1960. He did not wear ruffles either.

13 January, 2006 13:33
Anonymous said...

One Winter between Krone seasons Trudy and I did a month in Naples w/ Circus Citta DE Roma, the one picture that appeared oon their posters was the head shot of Blinko surrounded by balloons. When I asked one of the owners daughters where they obtained the picture, she said the shows artist did it. I promptly told her who he was.

13 January, 2006 14:19
Anonymous said...

Odd that Blinko had no transportation and had to ride baggage car. Then later won a Caddy Convertable

16 January, 2006 15:35

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