Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Sawdust Ring #9


Scan11070 - Copy, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 3/11/2009 05:59:00 AM

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this Coco, Senior, father of Mike Palikov?

11 March, 2009 15:45
Anonymous said...

This is the senior Coco. I believe he was originally from Latvia. Many years with Bertram Mills Circus, and for a short time in his latter years, with Robert Brothers (UK circus). I believe he also promoted child safety or traffic safety.
Erik Jaeger

11 March, 2009 18:42
Anonymous said...

Erik: Thanks. Coco, Sr was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his work in child safety.

I am probably misspelling this but Mike's name is something like Mikhail Nicolivitch Polikov, meaning Michael, the son of Nicholas.

Mary Jane and I worked with Mike and Hazel on the Hanneford show years ago and they were terrific to be around, not to mention Mike is an extremely funny clown.

11 March, 2009 22:46
Fred Neill said...

Yes he did promote road safety for several years - his time on the road with both British shows & also on BBCTV being a great advantage to the campaign. As a '50s kid I remember the Mills Circus visits to my town - alas, I never really appreciated the clowns as they almost frightened me.

12 March, 2009 05:45
Anonymous said...

This gentleman died on 25 September 1974 whilst still working for Robert Brothers' Circus. He is buried in the churchyard at Woodnewton, near Peterborough, which is where he spent the winters with his daughter Helen (Helena) Rowland, who is also buried there. I attended her funeral.

12 March, 2009 07:53
Mike Naughton said...

In the fall of 1974, two notable clowns died: Coco, Sr. and Albert White.
With the exception of Dale Longmire and myself I don't think anyone in the Clown College Class of 74 ever heard of them.
Pity.

12 March, 2009 11:28
Buckles said...

Are you attempting to convey that they were a bunch of "First of Junes"?

12 March, 2009 11:54
Mike Naughton said...

Clown College offered me the opportunity to learn my craft from the great masters: Lou Jacobs, Bobby Kay, Victor Gaona (comedy acro), and more.
Bill Ballantine had the standard gags in the curriculum: the dentist, the barbershop, levitation, etc.
He began each new "gag class" by saying, "These are gags that you will never see on the Greatest Show on Earth, but they are part of the legacy of clowning." I paraphrase, but it is very close,
My experience at CC '74 was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which I am very grateful.
It is very easy for those who never attended or for those who have an axe to grind to trash CC, which is sad because it turned out some very good clowns who have contributed to the circus industry.
Plus, I got to meet Buckles, Barbara and Anna May.

For me, a native of The Bronx, home of the Yankees, it was as big a thrill as meeting Mickey Mantle and sitting in the dug-out.

12 March, 2009 12:48
Chic Silber said...

Aside from some very good

(and some not so) CC also

provided a whole flock of

bodies for Don Foote to

dress & for "Dickie" Barstow

to move around in all the

many (long lost) production

numbers that were such a big

part of the entire spectacle

I also remember the loooong

and sometimes very tedious

graduation ceremonies

Chic

12 March, 2009 13:47
Buckles said...

The Graduation Ceremony I witnessed had the same clown gag done repeatedly by groups of four until everyone had participated.
The first time it got a laugh, the second time a giggle and by the fifth and sixth time a groan.

12 March, 2009 14:56
Mike Naughton said...

Coincidently, Coco Sr.'s grandson, Graham Arhart was the stilt-walking instructor at CC '74.

12 March, 2009 15:11
Chic Silber said...

I believe that 1 or 2 of the

descending Cocos still works

for Ronnie Morris at Spotlight

Graphics (the show print shop)

Chic

12 March, 2009 16:26

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