Thursday, May 14, 2009

Elvin Bale


P4210005 (6), originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Hi Buckles,

After reading with interest the many recent comments about Elvin Bale during his tenure with Ringling, I thought you might like a copy of this picture.
I took the photo of this fine and very humble gentleman three weeks ago.

Best regards,

Don Curtis

Posted by Buckles at 5/14/2009 12:13:00 PM

12 comments:

J Goodall said...

Many thanks, Don, for sharing this with us. Great picture of a guy who gave us many thrills over the years.

14 May, 2009 14:26
GaryHill said...

Elvin, was a Star and he was always nice to me, his cannon shared our tunnel car with Jewell's Lions. BUT his Dad, Trevor was one of my Favorites. He had more stories and loved playing chess everyday with Jewell in our dressing room at Circus
World.

14 May, 2009 18:43
Little John said...

Wow, I have many fond memories of Trevor Bale at CW, but I never made the connection that Elvin Bale (The Phantom of Balance) was his son. Once upon a time at Circus World Elvin did his cannon act at the north end of the park somewhere and for some reason. I remember during a regular afternoon 20 minute downpour I gave Elvin a ride to his cannon act in the Clown Car. I am sure that I asked him the usual dumb questions about the act and he said that he enjoyed the flying – well duh.

14 May, 2009 20:31
Anonymous said...

Elvin was the best to work with. Was and is a true gentleman and circus star. I had the privilege of promoting the show when Elvin was the featured headliner. Always gracious and down to earth. A classy showman who gave the audience thrills and chills.

bill powell

15 May, 2009 10:20
Anonymous said...

GREAT photo of Elvin!
I always enjoyed working with him on the Beatty-Cole Show!
:-)
Cindy Potter

15 May, 2009 11:59
Little John said...

Once upon a time at Circus World… Col. Trevor Bale gave his old toupee to one of his grooms, an older fellow who never took it off and he should have because of the Florida heat. The groom also should have died or trimmed the gray hair that poke out and dripped the beads of sweat from under the rug. There are so many wonderful stories of Circus families that graced our amusement park, and Trevor is a chapter. Not wishing to clog up the Blog, when appropriate I will continue to trickle them in. Searching back and trying to remember the brief moments that I was around Elvin, I remember him to be a down to earth person and very happy to strike up a conversation with me a townie clown giving him a ride through the park in the clown car to his cannon in the pouring down rain.

15 May, 2009 19:18
henry edgar said...

elvin has always been very gracious and well-mannered, always ready to make a new friend -- even back in the days when he was selling tweetie birds and helping his father with the tiger act! he has always treated other people like they were the most special people in the world. he was without any doubt one of the friendliest, most unobtrusive butchers ringling ever had, never pushy.

15 May, 2009 19:58
Roger Smith said...

Somehow, my posting of the 15th didn't go through.

As I was saying...I first met Elvin on Sid Kellner's James Bros., for the January tour of 1969. I had the Jungleland Fighting Lions. If memory serves, Elvin had not had the heel-catch trapeze for long by then, but everything he did was strictly First Class. Buckles and Barbara were there with Anna May, and Sid had put together a good program, and certainly standing out with grace, flash, and style was the trapeze elegance of Elvin Bale.

16 May, 2009 19:57
clownron said...

Elvin, Donita, and Trevor... now THERE is a great trio. I remember Trevor trying to show me the deep breathing exercises he used to do every morning, it almost killed me. oOygen overload...

17 May, 2009 01:18
John Goodall said...

This week, I have been packing some boxes of circus memorabilia to donate to Circus World Museum Library.

In the 1966 Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros program was the following under a picture of a young Elvin Bale.

"The Triumphant Trapeze Thrills of
MELVOR
dropping through space to suspend by only one heel"

How many readers remember the name MELVOR? Thank goodness, Irvin Feld let his use his real name.

20 May, 2009 11:46
Chic Silber said...

I believe that was Art Concello's

brilliant idea along with using

Doval (Valdo with the sylables

switched) for Manfred Fristch

In 66 Art had finally purchased

Bonnie Kernan's share of the show

and brought a number of folks

to help beef up the performance

including the Bale family

That partnership (with McClosky)

didn't last long but it was an

exciting time for all involved

20 May, 2009 17:26
Mike Naughton said...

Next time you seen Elvin ask him how he came about creating an aerial act. He had me in stitches with his response a few months ago.
The Bales were noted cyclists and horse folk from Denmark and I inquired how he ended up in the air hanging down by his heels. It was non-stop laughter during the 10 minute explanation.
Priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDuQrQ5j1ik&feature=channel

above: a youtube of Elvin on the GSOE, with his heel catch trapeze, Harold Ronk doing the opening announcement.

20 May, 2009 23:41

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