Friday, December 19, 2008

1997 Red Show Press Kit #1


Scan11073, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

I came across this item last night and was struck by the quality of the color photographs.
Inside the back cover is a pocket that contains the five black and white 8x10's intended for use by the Press. I was equally impressed by how awful they are.

Posted by Buckles at 12/19/2008 06:35:00 AM

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I remember correctly, Rick Boger once told me he got a "12-pack" to take them.
Erik Jaeger

19 December, 2008 08:51
Buckles said...

One winter on the Orin Davenport dates. Col. Thomas introduced Ernie Burch as "Mlle Zorema Princess of the Nile" who entered dressed as Cleopatra, with large clown shoes of course.
Merle Evans played "Pajamah" as he danced around the ring, during which time he thrust open his robe exposing his bosom, adorned by two tassels.
The number concluded as Ernie would approach each clown (dressed in Arabic robes)and knock him out of the ring with either a bump or twirling tassels.
I thought it was funny.

19 December, 2008 11:38
Mike Naughton said...

The hippo was impressive, but the highlight of the act, for me, was the baboons that performed on the back of the hippo as Zusha circled the ring.

19 December, 2008 15:55
Anonymous said...

The original design for the poster and media kit for this unit was changed very early on, as David Larible pitched a fit because a hippo was getting more press and a bigger image than he was on the poster. So the design firm in D.C. had to come up with a new design that featured Mr. Larible in a much larger image and Zuscha was relegated to a tiny corner spot. I happen to own the original poster design that was approved by the Feld top exec's before the Star Clown through his hissy fit, and one of the designers relayed this story to me. 'Nuf said!
Neil Cockerline
Minneapolis, MN

19 December, 2008 17:14
henry edgar said...

whatever larible might have thought, zushia and the baboons were the big hits of the show. as i remember, the show also had glaser's sea lions and the 7-man high wire pyramid as well as mark oliver with tigers. larible got lost in the shuffle. i will never understand why feld tried to give star treatment to larible -- and why he didn't give up as soon as he realized it was not going to work. larible has to be the most over-rated "star" since mister mistin.

19 December, 2008 19:49
Wade G. Burck said...

Neil,
That's a great story and a incredible piece of narcissism. WOW Ronald McDonald aces the Hamburgler.
Somehow GGW or Tito pitching a fit seems more valid.
Wade

19 December, 2008 21:57
Anonymous said...

The hippo made his (her?) US debut in a show Kenny produced for the State Fair of Texas in 1996, called "P.T. Barnum's World of Wonderment and the Bizarre." I was the writer and, after going through several directors, Dick Monday took over and brought the show in.

My favorite memory of the hippo act -- the huge animal trotting around the ring with a Texas flag on his back,flapping in the breeze.

King Tusk (Tommy) was in the cast, along with a number of side show-type acts. It ran for about 35 minutes and was presented several times a day in the fair's livestock judging arena.

20 December, 2008 10:52
Wade G. Burck said...

Jack,
I suggest there may have been more then a few Texas Rangers besides Capt. Woodrow Call and Capt. Agustus McCray turning over in their grave each time Zusha did a turn around the ring with the Lone Star cinched on her back. LOL
Wade Burck

20 December, 2008 17:10
Raffaele De Ritis said...

To Henry Edgar,
in all respect of your opinion, it seems to me unfair call Larible over-rated.
If it really was, I don't think they've kept him there for 12 years.
Otherwise Ringling, Roncalli, Krone, Tihany, Knie, Togni, Amsterdam Carre',Casartelli, and some of most prestigious European theatres really shared a colossal mistake.
At the opposite I think that, for his oustanding personality, he is one of the greatest soloists in the entire circus history.
He must be judged by his impressive international career, the amount of important awards,and as a performer able to do a two-hours solo theatre show in different countries.
I hope you have the opportunity to go visit Roncalli and see audience's reactions to Larible's act. And I remember to you the longest standing ovation in the history of Monte Carlo Festival tributed to him.
The hundreds of Larible's imitators in the five continents are perhaps the best proof of his value as an artist.
But if somebody is more appealed by the squalid spectacle of a baboon tied on the back of a hippo and forced by a sad russian in a funerary egyptian attire to execute the most grotesque of somersaults, we probably have different visions of what are circus arts.

24 December, 2008 09:47

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