Tuesday, December 11, 2007

RBBB Blue Unit 1980 #1 (From Eric Beheim)


RBBB1980-1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.


The attached photos of the 110th Edition (Blue Unit) were all taken up in Long Beach, CA on August 13, 1980. (Playing in the band, I never got to see the show in San Diego, so we drove up to Anaheim and Long Beach to catch it and take pictures in the back yard.) The closing of the Monte Carlo unit due to poor business resulted in some organizational reshuffling: Charly Baumann, Elvin Bale and several other featured performers from the Blue Unit were sent off on an overseas tour of the Far East. Their places in the performance were filled by performers from the defunct Monte Carlo unit. The show was still owned by Mattel so production values were top notch. The spec that closed the first half had an outer space theme. (The excitement caused by the original Star Wars film had not yet subsided. In fact, its much-anticipated sequel The Empire Strikes Back would be released in December 1980.) Little did I realize when I took these photos that I was documenting the end of an era.

Eric

(Since there are a total of 35 photos, I will send them in 3 parts.)

Posted by Buckles at 12/11/2007 06:00:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mattel never bothered to have any input in the operations of RBBB leaving it up to Irvin Feld as the Managing Director in regard to all operations financial and otherwise and I can Assure you hat he wanted it to be marvelous and gigantic in every way. I don't believe that this was the end of his flambouyance once he acquired it and in fact when the Feld-Hofheinz syndicate boiught the show from the Ringlings he immediately upgraded it in every way by starting with the wardrobe and spec that had become so awful under Max Weldy and immediately got back with Brooks, Eve and bringing Don Foote into the picture. Mattel had no qualms as to Irvins competance. They just decided it did not fit in with their corporate structure on any grand scale, so were glad to be rid of it.

11 December, 2007 09:30
Anonymous said...

Col.,
I guess I was lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to be on the GSOE, when Mr. Feld unfortuanatly passed away. Within a year and a half, I witnessed the decline of quality costuming and production that Ringling was famous for. Awful helpless feeling for a young man who had realized his dream. Kind of like watching your house burn, with only a bucket of sand in your hand. It went from Don Foote to Arthur Bottchie in the blink of an eye.
Wade Burck

11 December, 2007 11:33
Anonymous said...

From Eric:

When the next Blue Unit edition appeared in 1982, Mr. Feld did not have Mattel's money to spend and there were signs of cost cutting. Only one cage act was offered, and no pay-off elephants (and their expensive blankets)appeared in the spec. The shrinking had begun.

11 December, 2007 11:56
Anonymous said...

From Eric:

To give you some idea of how long ago these photos were taken, Jimmy Carter was still President.

11 December, 2007 18:19
Anonymous said...

From bits and pieces of info. from various sources and with no PR announcement from Ringling we have been able to get a handle on what the new Blue Show will be. Guess they have built a fancy "back door" and will feature Jenny Vidbel free running ponies in another God Awful rubber ring. Also a fellow, Rappo, with some tigers from Spain. I guess if you search the world for the cheapest cat act either Spain or Mexico would be the place to go. Now I am not surprised that they will again offer a "Globe of Death". Seems every show "must" have one. They are Cheap and exciting. Having seven riders also means seven more "chorous" people at minumin wage, if that, and natirally the "Cossack Riders" desperately in need of employment and seem to be willing to ride in a horse shoe oval or rubber ring again at the lowest wage scale. Dark shades of what the Great "Moscow Circu was all about. However I am sure that members of both grous will enjoy the little extra Scratch" they will get for doing "Chinese" on set up and tear down. Well I am old enough and have been around long enough to say what I please. I am sure alot of Circus Buffs will write and declare it to be one of Ringlings Finest offerings. We shall see.

Now an Irvin Feld story that I personally witnessed some years ago and to show the difference of him in comparison to the current producers. It seems that Gen. Mgr. of the Blue Show and "G and G" sold him on the idea of a new aerial production built on two flat bed wagons to be pulled into rings one and three that would contain a center pole with some eight hanging perches for the showgirls to preform on. It was highly touted in the new PR, adds, etc. with artists drawings and was proclaiumed as I believe "THE GYROSPHERE". So in rehearsals it was brought in the rings for the first time and Mr. Feld came down from the office and went in the seats to see this thing for the first time. Only was was used and the girls scrambled up to the perches and the whole thing revolved and the routine started. A couple girls connected with each other as we watched and then revolve finish and came down. They were rubbing their nips and shoulders from their impacts. Irvin immediately called Red Show Mgr. Tuffy Genders over who was an expert in aerial acts and riggings from the Ward and Concello days and was just standing at the front end of the building observing. He had not been brought in by Morgan or GanG Vercheski in the original planning. Lots of inside jealousy. Irvin spoke briefly to Tuffy and then went back to the office with Allen Bloom and in five to ten minutes Allan Bloom came down with instruction to "get those goddamned things out and go get the webs". At something like 65 grand apiece I guess they just rusted away in G and G back yard area. A quick decision actually aplauded by all of us with exception of the inventors.

I mention this with the thought in mind that if Irvin came out to see the oval horse shoe or the baloon rubber rings, he would immediately proclaim "get those God Damned things out of here and go get the Ring Curb. Thats my story and I personally witnessed the whole episode. The PR people hand to scramble like hell to change the art work and copy of the adds. Maybe blog watcher, I believe< Art Richtor would comment. Thanks for bearing with this lengthy disertation. Also excuse my spelling. I am too old to remember much about going to school.

12 December, 2007 09:59
Anonymous said...

Buckles: I keep seeing the name
"Rappo" show up as being the new big cat person on the upcoming Blue Show...are we not talking about Daniel Raffo who presented cats and bulls on RBBB a few years back?

Paul Gutheil

13 December, 2007 09:42

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