The "Children of All Ages" documentary yesterday was enjoyable but much too long and repetitious. It featured Howard Tibbals remarkable recreation of the Ringling Show during it's glory years and alternated between showing the kids in Sarasota's Sailor Circus, interviews with former Ringling performers and clowns visiting circus people in a Rest Home.
Especially touching was Dolly Jacobs tribute to her father, Norma Fox commenting on the DeMille movie and Margie Geiger's account of the tragic death of Viktoria Fiala after her fall in Madison Sq. Garden.
As always John Herriott's narrations was wonderful but as to my contribution, I was in such a state of shock after viewing my 73 year old face, in a close up under harsh lighting, that I don't even remember what I said. And to think that the former Lothario of the Red Star Bar now more closely resembles a Guanajuato cadaver.
Evidently there are no surviving Ringling Staff members and the job of explaining the nuts and bolts of moving the Greatest Show on Earth from town to town seven days a week, fell to Rodney Huey and Larry Kellogg. Nuf Ced.
As for John and myself, the best things were the incredible 1920's, 30's and 40's film clips that flashed by. It would be great if we had access to these and the ability to stop the action and identify the people.
So in summation, I have decided to contact my Lawyer in the morning and have him add a codicil to my will, stating that if a decision is ever made to have me placed in a Rest Home, it must not under any circumstances, be the one frequented by Jackie LeClaire and Wayne Sidley. |
2 comments:
To add to Buckles comments I agree that in this stage of the game I was in shock in seeing and hearing myself at my age on the big screen. It a[ppeared that I was suffering from an awful hangover, [maybe I was] and don't recall what I said. All the comments of those great ladies of the circus were wonderful. Tying three segments, Sailor Circus, Tibbels miniature and the actual GSOE seemed awkward at times and each one on its own, in much shorter versions would have been enjoyable. We can't see enough of those great Ringling days, both of operations ande all the great people. But having been on a railroad show, and Ringling was the best, believe me it wasw pretty tough and I admire them for trying to put a good face on it. But it was the GSOE and we should never forget it, and those now in charge should be aware of their re3sponsibilities in keeping it just that and you out there in trying to alibi for this current crap now called the GSOE should be ashamed of yourselves. They don't have to bring tents, s9ide shows and huge menageries to town with hu7ndreds of workers, but only to bring the most fantastic 9ndoor operati9n in history and can't [or will not] and sadly there is no shortage of money. The talent is out there, you just have too seek i9t out. John Ringling, JRN and Pat Valdo did just that and they were budget conscious. When you offer an act 40 plus weeks there is room to negotiate. I don't think they even try, but so what if its the greatest Show On Earth and it doesn't produce The Greatest Show On Earth over all its competition, then it is operating under a totaL FALSEHOOD and should be recognized in the public forum as such. This years show and the couple of others before it are a far cry of what the public deserves and it tells by the "not sold out" at the box office. They just keep peddling Cotton Candy, snow cones and Popcorn and I gues the part of the Bio about peddling "snake oil" is pretty accurate and has been handed down to the future generations.
buckles - do you know anything about when the movie might be available, either in a theater or on dvd?
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