I first arrived in San Diego in June 1969, after having been assigned to a Navy Unit Band stationed at the North Island Naval Air Station. A month later, the Ringling show arrived in town. (I can remember reading a newspaper clipping about the Animal Walk from the train to the Sports Arena. There was some construction going on at the I-5 overpass that required the elephants and lead stock to be walked through in a certain way. The article mentioned that Gunther didn’t speak much English, but a police officer had been found who spoke some German and who was able tell Gunther how to negotiate through the construction site.) Eric |
Saturday, April 04, 2009
1969 Ringling #1 (From Eric Beheim)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
Fun to see that cover again. This was the first program I wrote and edited for Ringling. Wow. Didn't know what I was getting myself into!
Hallo Jack Ryan, nice to see you still involved with the Circus. We had some fun times together.
I remember that year very well, there was a TV in the hallway and we watched between acts as the Astronauts landed on the moon. And Bob Dover had a fit getting the people away from it and back to work.
Greetings to you Henry,
We surely had some great times and many, many laughs. Good to see your familiar name around here too and hope that all is going well in New Zealand.
Yes, I am still involved with the circus -- not really that much anymore but like to stay current with what's happening.
I do recall all of us watching the Astronauts moon landing and how awesome that was. Bob Dover was frantic (and you know how calm he usually was) as a lot of people nearly missed their entrances because they were glued to the TV.
Take care, Henry.
All best wishes,
Jack
this was always one of my favorite program covers (don't know who the artist is)--i also believe it was used on both units that year as it was the transition year, if memory serves me, before the Felds had full creative control. Looks like the costumes (economical as they appear) were still being made by Max Weldy--his last before Don Foote took over for the 100th anniv. show which i think was Don's first and what a show it was! This was also the last year they used the small program format as the 100th anniv. show (and the red unit too) then went to the bigger format program still in use. Jack did an amazing job getting all the program and press materials together on short notice as he had not one but two shows to cover in a hurry with very little time or help at his disposal, Another challenge in those days, and when I was there in the 70s, too, was photography as the show was not sufficiently lit (as it is today) for still photography and it was very challenging getting a suitable number of photos together for programs and press kits--especially action photos.
Mr Digney your comments on photography for programs and press kits intrigued me. I had always been under the impression that, for the most part, they were done with the necessary studio lighting,
or at least enhanced lighting, the exception being of course,shots where it would be necessary to show an audience. I'll have to get out my programs for the '60's and '70's. I humbly have to differ with you on some aspects of today's lighting; I tend to find it often dark and theatrical. Shrine shows are a particular challenge as in many cases the person(s) working the spotlight(s) don't seem to have any idea as to exactly what should be spotlighted. Thank you, you and Mr. Ryan and Mr. Schroer have piqued my interest in this and related matters.
With best regards,
Paul Gutheil, just a fan
Jerry and Paul,
Sorry this is long. But I wanted to address both of your comments.
The 1969 program cover was created by Harper Goff, a Disney-affiliated designer who, I believe, was working with Judge Hofheinz on the development of his Astroworld amusement park in Houston. Hence his involvement.
I wrote the copy and the graphics were done by the Blaine-Thompson ad agency in New York City. They were, at the time, the leading Broadway advertising agency.
Up until 1969, the Program Book was owned by a man named Harry Dube. He had purchased the rights years before from John Ringling North. Irvin bought the whole shebang back from him early that year. Viola! Two program books, Red Unit and new Blue Unit, were our responsibility.
The 1969 program's feature articles etc. related to both the Red and new Blue Unit. There was an inside signature of pages that changed and was specific to each show -- Program of Displays, act bios etc.
As Jerry mentioned, the 100th Anniversary Edition was the first of the large format programs -- or as Allen Bloom told me, "It will be as big as Life Magazine."
If you check the Red Program, you will notice that all photos of Gunther, Jeanette Williams, the Rudi Lenz Chimps, Pio Nock etc. are black and white shots taken in Europe. The books were at press long before the acts arrived in the USA.
Also note that Max Weldy is credited for these shows and also with the costumes for the 100th Anniversary Edition. Those of those old enough to remember know better -- there were other "contributors." Don Foote's first "official" credit as designer is for the 101st Edition.
Paul, after the Venice rehearsal and engagement, the show moved to St. Pete where the annual TV special was taped. Augmented lighting was brought in for TV and that's where we did the vast majority of our photography. It was all done during performances or TV rehearsals. For many years, there was a "first edition" of the program used in Venice and up the road apiece. Then a "second edition" rolled off the presses before the Garden date. This one incorporated the photos taken in St. Pete.
Going through the hundreds of 35 mm slides taken in St. Pete was a long and arduous task that went into the wee hours every night. We would take rolls of film for overnight processing by a lab, then set up a light table in somebody's hotel room to look at each and every photo. Several fine photographers did the work and, basically, we learned as we went along.
We hated taking photos in Venice because the lighting was poor and, for aerial acts, the ceiling was truly ugly. A few did slip in because it was the best we had.
In all the years I edited and wrote the Ringling program -- off and on from 1968 through the mid-1980s, I never recall studio shots of performers being taken. It was all done during shows or in the backyard. I believe studio shots are the norm for Ringling these days. I am no longer involved so that's just a guess.
I am sure this is more than anybody cares to know about this subject.
Best to all,
Jack
Jack, I cannot tell you how very much I appreciate your comments; they mean alot to me. I hope that someday we may meet so I can shake your hand and thank you personally.
Until then I send my sincere thanks,great appreciation,and best
wishes,
Paul Gutheil
PS Thanks to Buckles too, without whom so much would never be shared.
For Jack Ryan: Hardly is this "more than anyone cares to know!" Just how long did those two editions continue?
Also, when and how did word first surface that two units were to tour? How soon was it after the Felds and Hofheinz acquired the show? Had Gunther's engagement been in negotiation for some time?
Dick Flint
Baltimore
Didn't Max Weldy have a magic shop in England, with a "love nest" on the top floor that a some of Great Britain's circus stars used to use for a "dirty weekend" away from their spouses?
Lucito Garcia
I remember the Max Weldy costumes very well, the one he made for me for the roman riding act was a piece of c..p. It was made of some kind of plaster mixed with fiber glass, and not only did it pinch`t your skin where the front and back part came together it started to fall apart from the first day on.Gunther wore his only a couple of months and changed in to tights but I had to wear mine for the hole year and I hated it.
The TV show in St. Pete was a great moment for us all because Gene Kelly was the Host and for us he was a legend and to meet him after been in the USA for only such short time was fantastic. And he was a great guy to work with.
Gene Kelly, the great dancer/choreographer and director of the motion picture, Hello Dolly brings to the forefront of my overstuffed mind the following...
Bob Dover to performer after a tedious Richard Barstow rehearsal-
What did you do with all the money?
Performer: What money?
Dover: The money your parents gave you for dance lessons.
Performer: My parents never sent me for dance lessons.
Dover: It shows.
I don't know if the above is true or just a good story, but I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it over the years. Does anyone have the origin of this tale?
Bill Bradley once told Barbara that they would sometimes turn down outstanding dancers under the assumption they simply wanted a means to audition for better jobs during their 12 weeks New York.
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/21/theater/bill-bradley-73-created-the-gypsy-robe.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The link to Bill Bradley's obit in the New York TImes.
Bill was a guest at the Felix Adler Tent banquet in NJ where he delighted his audience with stories of Ringling and other show business experiences.
Rudy Tronto directed the burlesque sketches of SUGAR BABIES, starring Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, a broadway hit in the late 70's.
Do you want to see what two stars and a piano can do?
Ann and Mickey with part of the SUGAR BABIES SHOW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiLCbTyzSds
And here's the TV commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aFxVZyawHU&feature=related
One of the highlight os my entire career was presenting my comedy magic act in a summer stock production of SUGAR BABIES. I am still laughing -- I was in the wings for 2 hours 10 minutes watching the show and enjoying it as much as the folks who bought tickets.
After the Felix Adler banquet I spent some chatting with Bill about the glory days of the Ringling productions. The Adler tent has hosted some legends over the years, I wonder if anyone ever taped their keynote speakers.
Dick,
I know personally that the two Program Book editions continued at least into the mid-1980s.
In addition to the updated photos, I re-wrote large chunks of copy because, by then, I had ACTUALLY seen the show! And, of course, the running order was usually changed as logistical problems appeared when the show was on its feet. So the Program of Displays was redone too. This work was mostly done in St. Pete as the deadline for the second program edition was tight. As I recall, we attempted to have it ready for Baltimore, in those days an engagement just prior to the Garden.
Don't know exactly the date we announced the Blue Unit -- it was likely early in 1968. There was tremendous scrambling to get a "new" train ready and, of course, to cast the show. It turned out the most of the 1968 cast went on the new Blue -- Charly Baumann's cage act and Hugo Schmidt's elephants, for instance. Bill Pruyn was the band leader.
Not sure how long the Felds had been negotiating for Circus Williams -- maybe Henry Schroer can recall. His aunt, Carola Althoff Williams was, of course, the owner of Circus Williams and Henry arrived with the entourage as Gunther's trusted second in command.
It was imperative to get elephants and a cat act for the new show. And the newly-minted Clown College turned out still more members of the cast.
Hope this answers your question.
Best wishes,
Jack
i think we were still doing two editions in the 70s; the new show was shot in Venice and St. Pete--we did set up shots for the press kit in St. Pete, some of them outdoors for better natural light; for a long time i worked on location in Florida with Jerry Yulsman, a New York based photographer who worked for Playboy and on many famous assignments. Yulsman died in 1999 and there must be a heck of a circus archive of his somewhere. In those days we didn't bring in any special lighting other than the TV stuff, which helped, but it was always a challenge to shoot a circus of this size and make sure you didn't forget to shoot an act or a special piece of spec that would look good in the papers; and of course there were the home run animals, kids, clowns and "cheesecake" shots that were a must!--Yulsman had to hustle and shoot tons of stuff to get some decent shots, especially for the press kits. His wife Anita assisted him. everything color and b/w was shot on 35mm. No digital conveniences or photoshop like today! Later when the ice shows were bought we used the ice show photographer who had a sports background and was able for the first time to rig the arenas with strobe lights so that the photos took on a whole new look as is evidenced in later programs. Each unit has its own very thick press kit bound in a leather like, three ring note book that must have been 2-3 inches thick--a lot of research, interviews and writing--and not a big dept. to do it all!!! work on the programs, which Kenneth edited in the early days and I helped write with contributions from others, such as Chappie Fox and Nini from the NY publicity firm, started in the summer months so a lot of the materials and cover art were in the can long before Venice rehearsals-for instance we'd go to NYC in June and see Don and get a detailed briefing on the productions and arrange for shots of the costume sketches.
p.s. when Bill Pruyn took over the Ringling music reins, he created amazing scores starting (I think) with the 100th anniversary show which had a wonderful score full of classical music, show tunes and all kinds of fun--so beautifully timed with the acts and productions...truly seamless. Pruyn was a huge and positive addition to the Feld years giving the show some of its best music ever.
Hi Lucito
The London shop you mention
sounds like Max Butler's and
not Max Weldy's
Chic
At the risk of being repetitive, I find all these comments, especially the most recent ones from Mr Digney, fascinating and informative. I am well-acquainted with the name Jerry Yulsman and was quite surprised to learn that he had done alot of Circus work.
To all you gentlemen, I look forward very much to your future recollections and comments.
Many Many Thanks.
Paul Gutheil, just a fan
Post a Comment