| "I think you're right, the subtitle doesn't make sense. I remember Mary Enos from the Kelly-Miller Show where she was wardrobe mistress and her son Phil was a clown. The date looks right tho, this is indeed the Downie elephants with boss elephant man, Larry Davis, standing at the extreme left." Buckles |
Saturday, May 19, 2007
From P. J. Holmes
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This is the cover format used until March 12, 1932 when the horizontal bar near the bottom bearing the inscription "The Authority of Show Business" was moved completely to the bottom edge. I have a complete file from Dec 1931 on but only a scattered file before then so can't say precisely which issue it is.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
Buckles, for some reason a word or some letters of a word in the right hand side in the center copy box is being cut and not shown. This has happen for the last couple of days and I wondered if the problem is with my computer or is there some other system issue?
See Ya.
Leon Joubert de Villemarests Olivier de Verzin de Verza de Verzer
AKA: Buddy
Proud Member - Circus Fans Association Of America
CFA # 4627 - July 25, 1966
May All Your Days Be Circus Days
Can I assume the tusker is Teddy?
It is Teddy.
Re-reading the words makes a little more sense. It was the night to honor Mary Enos at the Saints & Sinners Club?????cc
I have the Joseph Bradbury articles written about the Downie Bros. years. Gene and Mary Enos were stable fixtures on the show for many years. What intriques me is the many different head pieces being used by the elephants. I know the show started out with what ever it could get a hold off and that's what the head pieces continued to look like.
Bob
Must be Rue Enos on the elephant. Anybody know who the guy in front is? Looks familiar for some reason.
I believe Rue Enos and Billy Pape were quite noted in leaps over the elephants on Downie.
Amazing what a story a photo can tell. The reason Rue Enos is standing on the elephant is that he was one of the leapers over the elephants along with world famous leaper, Billy Pape. Because of their outstanding ability as leapers it was a strong part of the show and hence the photographer would be aware of that when he posed the photo.
Now I believe the man standing in front was Rue's friend and fellow performer as a clown, acrobat, fellow leaper, I am not sure, but if examining the photo it looks like this fellow has one arm extended and the other arm at his side and what appears to be a glove. I believe on Downie there was a clown, performer by name of Roy Lenhardt who had only one hand and performed with the artificial hand. So would one of you historians research if you have Downie programs, Billboard write ups or whatever on whether a fellow named Roy Lenhardt was listed in the staff or performer. I would sure appreciate that so I could be confident that my alcohol marianated and well smoked brain is not deserting me. Maybe I am wrong and a Roy Lenhardt was some other person. Thanks and will be hoping for a reply.
I have this same 8x10 photo but one shot just a minute or so before or after (trunks in different positions, etc.). It is a contact sheet showing the edge of the 8x10 negative and no lettering. I also have the same pose (and no lettering) with one of the two leapers (he's blurry and the other one is out of the picture) throwing a somersault over the elephants.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
To Dave Price. Would you research your Bradbury-Downie articles and see if one, Roy Lenhardt is listed as a clown-performer etc. I recall he had one hand missing and wore a fake hand that appeared to be in a leather glove and a recent phone call with George Hanneford bears me out about him and the fake hand. George also says he was more than just a general clown and had a comedy car among other produvtion gags. The man in the forefront o0f the photo appears to have a gloved hand and would assume it to be Mr. Lenhardt and he could indeed have been an asst. equestrion director or some similar capacity. I believe standing on the elephant is indeed the great leaper Billie Pape and he married to one of the Morales sisters at one time. Would appreciate your help in what I remember as a small boy visiting Downie Bros. with my father. Thanks.
i AM SORRY dAVE in that i MEANT Bob Cline to research those Downie articles.
Mr. Herriott,
Your very well preserved memory serves you quite nicely. As George Hanneford stated, Roy Leonhardt was indeed on the Downie show as listed in the 1932 Joseph Bradbury article. A Funny Ford on the track is listed but credited to no one earlier in the program then Roy is listed as Pantomine work with his baseball bit. He is later listed as one of the many clowns that included Shorty Hinkle, Billy Pape, Gil & Dime Wilson, among others. Billy Pape joined the show in 1931 with his specialty being a leaping double somersault over the 5 show owned elephants.
In 1933, Roy Leonhardt is given credit for the comedy Ford routine along with Johnny Bossler and Minert Del Orio as the clown cop.
They are all back in 1934 being joined by Shorty Hinkle with the Funny Ford routine.
In 1935 The Funny Ford Routine was dropped due to an explosion incident the year before but the performers are all back with a comedy boxing routine.
In 1936, Roy is listed as one of the leapers as well as doing the comedy boxing number.
In 1937 and 1938, Roy is a featured leaper and comedy acrobat.
Downie Bros. closed in the middle of June 1938 due to the Depression and terrible Business. Roy Leonhardt never returned to the show that I can tell.
Hope this helps you Mr. Herriott.
Kindest Regards,
Bob
Thanks Bob and my memory serves me quite well in this case and in fact is exactly as I recaqll. It was in 37 or38 when my father worked at the National zoo under Dr. Mann and we visited Downie when it was showing around DC. I was aware of the leapers, clowns, etc. because my Dad knew so many of them from previous shows. Also the great Mexican horse trainer, Carlos Carreon was there among others and For some reason I recall Lenhardt as a leaper as well. Again thanks for your research and it makes Buckles Blog even more interesting. I am happy you helped me get that out of my system.
Hi there
I am the grandson of Rue and Laura Enos. My father Phil was born in 1929 in Burbank, California where Rue was supposedly working as a stunt double for Errol Flynn. This may be family folklore or even the truth! The photo of Rue standing on the elephant is undoubtedly him. There seems to be no doubt that Gene and Mary were a different couple altogether, and as far as I know, no family connection. Phil Enos later worked with Merle Cooke as Cooke and Enos with a funny Ford. Later Phil worked in 40 or 50 different countries with his comedy car. He was undoubtedly the most successful international clown the USA has ever had, working in many of the top shows around the world such as the Moscow State, (alongside Bobo Barnett who I remember fondly) Cirque Bouglione in Paris, Schumann, Krone and many more. As he was based here in England for many years so not many Americans are aware of this. We have evidence that Rue and Laura were also well travelled, haveing visited Australia and the UK before the turn of the century, a real adventure in those days.
If any one has information on any of these subjects, I will be pleased to correspond.
Rudi Enos
rudienos@gmail.com
Hello, I am Patricia from NYC.
I found Buckle's blog site after Bill Strong passed and his Yesterday's Town site ceased.
My Mother's uncle is Billy Pape and my great-uncle. Mother lost contact with Billy probably sometime in the 60s when I was a teen. I have since been putting together a family history - but finding any records of Billy Pape has been difficult and somewhat of a family mystery etc.same for his brother a musician, my grandfather, whom I knew. I do have several publicity photos of Billy Pape with his 2 wives that I know of, as well as some early private photos and notation on back to my mother.
What I am seeking is any information as to when he passed away and where and any other information about him personal or others memories passed down to other circus folk whose people knew him. Doubt if he had children? If his second wife Renee was younger than he, very slight chance she could be alive but elderly.
Would greatly appreciate any information someone may have.
Thank you all very much,
Patvin49@aol.com
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