I always like to recall that the most sustained applause I ever heard combined with yelling was when Tito popped the triple, did the passing leap and then on their dismount he bounced from the net to sitting in the catch bar and then the act ran to the hippodrome track for their finale bow and just tore the house down. Charly Baumann always tore em up with the mirror ball, either on two or three tigers didn't make much difference. The little blond headed guy went over big but it took the whole show for him to get the audience going. None of them literslly stopped the show. I have heard and believe it is well documented that Poodles Hanneford did indeed stop the show and would frquently have to do some three oncores on the finish horse and then beg off by taking off his wig and bringing his mother forward. I also understand that Carl Wallenda did indeed stop the show in his first appearance in Madison Square Garden. The only act I ever worked with that I saw stop the show was Bo Bo Barnett after he played Peg O My Heart and then marched with the hind leg dog around the track to Anchors Away. When he then Kneeled down and the dog sat up the audience would go nuts. And he was never with Ringling.
I believe that I neglected to explain that Bobo was seated on a pony type pedestal covered with blue spotlights when he played Peg O My Heart on the trumpet.
I must admit that my comments in regard to audience reaction are thoughts that immediately come to mind and then later other things come to mind and I am sure so many of tou out there would have your own impressions. cERTAINLY THERE IS A LONG LIST OF OTHERS THAT WOULD BE EQUAL FOR RECOGNITION and should be. Again my thoughts go to the ending of the Wallenda 7 people pyramid as they unloaded and also the toe hangs and then dismount down the webs of the Kimris and later Quassars.
In my personal recollections of audience reaction to acts I must point out the exchange of poles in midair and then the sliding down the poles dismount of The Nerveless Nocks. There are so many other great acts of equal stature maybe I better let wll enough alone.
We took the Kellner elephants on a fall tour with Charlie Germaine in about 1970 and we showed the Women's Prison in Chino, Calif. where they had set up bleachers outdoors. We had a guy (can't remember his name)dressed as a Toreador, who did a comedy number with this Terrier dog wearing horns. The announcer said "And now for your entertainment, from Mexico City, a real live bull fight!" Talk about stopping the show, the response was such that I walked around front to see what was going on. The inmates were jumping up and down screaming and laughing and at each "Ole!" as the dog made it's pass, the sound was deafening. Even the clown seemed stunned. I noticed a couple of Guards laughing and asked what was going on and he replied "It was the announcement. In here a Bull Fight is two ladies fighting over the affections of a third."
Where are all of you old CW people? Surely y'all remember? Capt, by the way who was the other girl flyer that worked Participation Circus? Not Lora Rappa, the other one????
12 comments:
Victor, "You high enough but not high enough!" Anyone remember this?
I remember it well. I wonder how many of the old gang will pick up on it?
I got so high one time I told myself "NEVER AGAIN" Think I got married.
I always like to recall that the most sustained applause I ever heard combined with yelling was when Tito popped the triple, did the passing leap and then on their dismount he bounced from the net to sitting in the catch bar and then the act ran to the hippodrome track for their finale bow and just tore the house down. Charly Baumann always tore em up with the mirror ball, either on two or three tigers didn't make much difference. The little blond headed guy went over big but it took the whole show for him to get the audience going. None of them literslly stopped the show. I have heard and believe it is well documented that Poodles Hanneford did indeed stop the show and would frquently have to do some three oncores on the finish horse and then beg off by taking off his wig and bringing his mother forward. I also understand that Carl Wallenda did indeed stop the show in his first appearance in Madison Square Garden. The only act I ever worked with that I saw stop the show was Bo Bo Barnett after he played Peg O My Heart and then marched with the hind leg dog around the track to Anchors Away. When he then Kneeled down and the dog sat up the audience would go nuts. And he was never with Ringling.
I believe that I neglected to explain that Bobo was seated on a pony type pedestal covered with blue spotlights when he played Peg O My Heart on the trumpet.
I must admit that my comments in regard to audience reaction are thoughts that immediately come to mind and then later other things come to mind and I am sure so many of tou out there would have your own impressions. cERTAINLY THERE IS A LONG LIST OF OTHERS THAT WOULD BE EQUAL FOR RECOGNITION and should be. Again my thoughts go to the ending of the Wallenda 7 people pyramid as they unloaded and also the toe hangs and then dismount down the webs of the Kimris and later Quassars.
In my personal recollections of audience reaction to acts I must point out the exchange of poles in midair and then the sliding down the poles dismount of The Nerveless Nocks. There are so many other great acts of equal stature maybe I better let wll enough alone.
We took the Kellner elephants on a fall tour with Charlie Germaine in about 1970 and we showed the Women's Prison in Chino, Calif. where they had set up bleachers outdoors.
We had a guy (can't remember his name)dressed as a Toreador, who did a comedy number with this Terrier dog wearing horns.
The announcer said "And now for your entertainment, from Mexico City, a real live bull fight!"
Talk about stopping the show, the response was such that I walked around front to see what was going on. The inmates were jumping up and down screaming and laughing and at each "Ole!" as the dog made it's pass, the sound was deafening. Even the clown seemed stunned.
I noticed a couple of Guards laughing and asked what was going on and he replied "It was the announcement. In here a Bull Fight is two ladies fighting over the affections of a third."
Where are all of you old CW people? Surely y'all remember? Capt, by the way who was the other girl flyer that worked Participation Circus? Not Lora Rappa, the other one????
Cheryl Toca was there, the daughter of band leader Clem Toca.
Cheryl doesn't sound right??
Been trying to remember her name all day now? Still doesn't hit me right????
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