Sunday, July 19, 2009

From Evi Althoff


Scan11852, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Hi Buckles,
do you have an idea how to get videos of my appearances at the ed sullivan show?
Evi


"The man who comes up with all the tapes these days is Mike Naughton. If he doesn't have this one he would know how they are acquired.
His eMail address is included below. "
Buckles


NAUGHTON ATTRACTIONS
Yankee Doodle Circus

YankeeDoodleCircus.blogspot.com

Posted by Buckles at 7/19/2009 11:28:00 AM

22 comments:

Pat Cashin said...

Evi,

If you have the dates and/or the headliners on the nights of your appearances it would make it easier to help find them for you.

Most discs and tapes floating around the collectors' market right now list the singers and comedians but the variety acts are generally only listed as "plate spinner", "acrobats" or "juggler".

~Pat Cashin
clownalley.net

19 July, 2009 12:24
Jack Ryan said...

Evi.

Good to "see" you!

Hope all is well.

Best,

Jack

19 July, 2009 13:55
Mike Naughton said...

http://www.TheVintagePlayhouse.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EDANIM&Click=11334

There is a "Best of Animal Acts" from the Ed Sullivan Show on dvd. I have NOT purchased anything from this company.

Does anyone have this dvd that can share some information regarding the exact talent featured?

19 July, 2009 17:37
Mike Naughton said...

Evi,
These are the air dates and running time of the acts.

1966-04-03
"TIGER & HORSE PERFORM TOGETHER" 01:05:00 "ADOLF ALTHOFF"

1966-12-25
"HORSE & TIGER CIRCUS ACT" 01:17:00 "ADOLPH ALTHOFF"

1967-08-27
"TIGER PERFORMS STUNTS WITH A HORSE" 02:34:00 "ADOLF ALTHOFF"

Were some or all of these "repeated"?

The search continues.
Mike

19 July, 2009 17:45
Mike Naughton said...

http://www.sofaentertainment.com/amazing-animal-acts-p-158.html

This is SOFA ENTERTAINMENT, I've been told that this company has the rights to all the Ed Sullivan Show material.
The Animal Act dvd is offered here, direct from the official site for $9.95.

19 July, 2009 17:48
Roger Smith said...

OFF SUBJECT:

I found no other place to put this on today's Blog, and am frankly surprised that no one else has made note.

This, at 2:30 pm, PST, is the 44th anniversary of the death of Clyde Beatty, at age 63.

At the time he would have been announced for his matinee performance, he passed into history. Due to the time it took his doctors to arrive at his bedside, in Community Memorial Hospital, in Ventura, California, he was pronounced at 2:45, but his nurses noted his monitors flat-lined at 2:30.

His widow, Jane's, brother, Earl Abel, Jr., told me this--I may have posted this previously, but this is the anniversary. Mr. Beatty was admitted to Community Memorial on July 6th, with severe hemorrhaging from his esophageal cancer. Upon admission, he lapsed into a coma, which continued for 12 days. Early on July 19th, he awakened. His nurses were astonished to find him up, out of bed, unbottoning his pajama top, wanting his clothes, and demanding to be taken home. This could not be with a terminal cancer patient, emerging from a coma certain to lead to death. But he was lucid, obviously clear-minded, and absolute in leaving the hospital.

"Call my wife", he insisted, "Get Jane here, bring the car around, and give me my clothes. I'm over it now, its all over, and let's get me home."

The nurses were in amazement. They asked, "Mr. Beatty, are you in any pain...?" He told them, "No, no, it's all right now. I'm over it, so get Jane here and we'll go home. Have her bring the car around."

Doctors and nurses know terminal patients often rally. The body tries valiently to survive, to continue its life. But seldom had they seen a rally summoned like Mr. Beatty's. He was getting dressed, putting on his shoes and combing his hair when he thought he might lay down in bed again, "just to rest", until Jane was down there with the car. Once he lay down, as certainly was expected, the coma returned, and his monitors flat-lined for the last time at 2:30 p.m., these 44 years ago.

For the greatest name among circus performers, the top name in outdoor showbusiness, beloved to all who knew him, and I mean all who knew him, today, I offered my Mass and communion for his eternal rest and peace. I trust that some of you may also have remembered him today.

CLYDE RAYMOND BEATTY

Tuesday, June 10, 1902

Monday, July 19, 1965

19 July, 2009 19:42
Mireille. said...

Thank you ...!!!
Clyde Raymond Beatty.
for the memories of a so great man, and so wonderful person, as Mr. Clyde Beatty.
he certainly was the best,
I was fourtenly to work on his show for 3 years .with Alberto Zope , and got married also there.and have so many lovely memories,,
at one time my son J-P Theron was missing from the back lot. he was 2 years old.
every one was looking for him, and of course Clyde Beatty was also looking for him,
I went right away to spot a police car to tell them. and gave the information, went back to the circus to see if there would be some one that fine him, no ..no luck.
then the police car that I stop came back, and told me that he was (J-P) at the police station.right away was so happy and ask how did he get there.
A woman find he in the back yard ,and tort he was lost,,,and took him in.
from that moment on ,I made a Signe that he were a round his neck . please don't take me I belong with the Clyde Beatty Circus.
yes in deed he was a Great Man.
Thank you again,
sincerely Mireille.Theron Arnosi.

20 July, 2009 05:49
Anonymous said...

Roger: After seeing your post, I went back to my recent research on the Clyde Beatty Circus and found this clipping from the Syracuse, NY, Herald-Tribune, dated Tuesday, July 20, 1965. The circus had been playing at Jamesville the day before when performers were notified of Beatty's death, and reporter Nancy Duffy was on the lot at the time. We're fortunate today to have her eye-witness account, and especially her marvelous prose:

Headlined: "Clowns weep for their dead boss, Clyde Beatty," the story read, in part::

The news of the death of the most famous animal trainer of all times, Clyde Beatty, swept over the backlot of the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus yesterday just two hours before the evening performance.

The circus was playing at Jamesville, but a deeper drama was playing the backlot. It's one the performers will remember.

First to receive the news was Buster Odel, assistant manager and ringmaster, who has risen through the ranks of the circus since he joined at 13 to become Beatty's cange hand...

Odel fought back the tears and muttered, "I'll go tell Joe."..

Joe Hartman was in the Big Top when he learned the news...

And the show went on--while some circusgoers wondered what caused the slight delay. Odel introduced each act, only faltering once as he announced the lion and tiger feature. "...cats trained by the greatest animal trainer the world has ever known," he called out his voice straining with emphasis.

Hartman wiped both eyes from behind the tent flap. Then he forehead heady with sweat, stepped into the "ring of fear." The circus troupe anxiously watched from the exits. They knew he had been deeply shaken since Beatty's first illness in May.

But once inside the cage, Hartman's apparent nervousness subsided. He teased the cats, edged them on, shouted at them, chased them, and responded to their pouncing attacks...

The act over, believed to be his finest, he stalked from the tent, eyes still red.

The happy atmosphere of the show soon softened some of the shock of Beatty's death. "We all knew it was coming but you just don't realize it until it happens," Johnny Peue (Pugh), an assistant manager said.

Another oldtimer with the show, Eddie Dullem, boss clown who holds a PhD degree in English literature from the University of Edinborough, said soberly, "He was a kind man. He was very close to us."

Another clown added, "He always had room for the little people."

No mention of the misfortune was made during the performance. "I just couldn't make that announcement," Odel said. The management decided to have a moment of silence on the day of the funeral instead, and to lower the circus flags to half-mast.

Will Beatty's passing affect the circus next season? Harry Brown, an advance man, thinks not. The show is owned by the Acme Circus Corp., with contracts with Cole Brothers and Clyde Beatty to use their names in the billing.....

Roger, as stated above, I came across this clipping in the process of writing a "Bandwagon" story on the Beatty circus's winter quarters in Deming, N.M., from 1953 through the spring of 1956. As many blog readers will recall, Beatty's show quickly faltered after going out on the road to his Los Angeles-area dates. Plagued by rain, he was unable to make his payroll, and the performers union shut him down in lieu of payment of wages amounting to $15,000. The circus train returned to Deming, and Beatty declared bankrupcy. The combine of Jerry Collins, Walter Kernan and Frank McCloskey bought the show on the Luna County Courthouse steps at a foreclosure auction in mid-July. The new owners took the reorganized show back on the road in late August and finished the season in the black. The final date was on Nov. 20 at Sarasota, behind Collins' dog track. The owners added Cole Bros. to the title in 1960, at which time they sold off the old Clyde Beatty Circus railroad cars. (The States carnival bought the load car. It's still in use.)

A lot of circus people owed their careers to this man from Ohio.

Lane Talburt

20 July, 2009 10:47
Chic Silber said...

The Syracuse clipping has some

rewritten history as happens

Buster Odle was a clown (only)

that left the Beatty show in 62

20 July, 2009 12:24
24-HOUR-MAN said...

Evi,
I hope you have better luck than I have had. Trudy & I did our Aerial Airplane Act,"Les Kimris", on the first color broadcast, our contract called for 50% pay for a second showing, and when they sent us a release to allow them to show it for "scale", I refused. Therefore as far as I know our act has never been on any of the videos of the show. I guess I was foolish because at least we could have seen it on video.
Bill Strong

20 July, 2009 15:00
Mike Naughton said...

OK, Bill-

Was it scale at the time of the original broadcast OR scale at the current rate? Two other acts have told me the same thing.

Fortunately, I saw the very best variety and circus acts on the Ed Sullivan Show, Hollywood Palace and International Show Time when I was growing up. These artist "ignited" my interest in the circus.


Today, we have 1000 channels. While the stations and the volume of programs have increased, there is a limited amount of entertainers who can be called "the best".


What would you watch...Ed Sullivan and the best circus acts or "The World's Wildest Police Chases"?

20 July, 2009 16:59
Buckles said...

We never got paid for the Sullivan Show since we got a year round salary from Louie Stern.
We did however get a W2 form from the Sullivan people after each appearance indicating the Agent glommed the check.
I would complain to Louie every time this happened but rather than have a beef he would pay the amount due to the IRA himself.
Rather than slander the dead I'll not mention the Agent's name but I'm sure all you old timers know who it was.

20 July, 2009 17:27
Buckles said...

Speaking of year round salaries, I was so excited about signing the RBBB 1978-79 contract, I didn't bother to read the fine print.
After the first week back in Venice following the '78 tour I was shocked to learn there was no winter quarters pay.

20 July, 2009 17:39
Dennis said...

Roger, sure I remembered it was the death anniversary of Mr. Beatty. I didn't mention it as I thought we were just celebrating his birthday.
I wonder if the other circus great GGW will be talked about in such nice terms as Mr.Beatty, 44 years after his unfortunate death.

20 July, 2009 18:11
Anonymous said...

Mike Naughton --- Like you, I saw the Cates' International Show Time.
If I remember correctly, it was Friday nights on NBC in black and white. Do you know if those old shows are available on DVD or tape?
Thank you. -- ToddP

20 July, 2009 21:33
Mike Naughton said...

Gilbert Cates (also known as Katz) directed RINGS AROUND THE WORLD.

Brother, Joe Cates was the producer of television programs INTERNATIONAL SHOWTIME, NBC and GREAT CIRCUSES OF THE WORLD, starring Mary Hart.

Read more at the following links, click the button to expand their full biography.


http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/196616/Gilbert_Cates

http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/196614/Joseph_Cates

I have never seen an International Showtime video online.

21 July, 2009 00:16
Roger Smith said...

I believe in the contributions about the Ed Sullivan show today, the name Vince Collandra might arise.

21 July, 2009 00:46
Anonymous said...

Mr. Woodcock,
Regarding your unpaid time for rehearsal. It is unfortunate that you were not in the 1974 Class of Clown College where I was taught by Mike Naughton to read every word of any paper you were asked to sign. When a release was casually handed out to us kids most scribbled their names without reading the paper. It was permission to use our "likeness" in any one of a million different ways. This was pointed out to me by Mike, who did sign the paper but changed his makeup on the spot.

-an appreciative friend and classmate

21 July, 2009 06:35
Unknown said...

Unfortunately I was just made aware of this blog and would like to make a comment directed to Mr. Silber.

My father was Buster Odle (not Odel as reported. He was a clown with Clyde Beatty - Cole Brothers circus, prior to which he was with Ringling Brothers, but to say he was "only" a clown is completely inaccurate. Nobody is just one thing when they are with the circus. I know this because not only was my father with the circus, but my mother was too. He did officially leave the circus in or around 1962 but he stayed in communication with them, still traveling and performing with them.

He was very close friends with Eddie Dullem, who was a frequent visitor to our home. I remember him well and I wasn't born until '64. I remember seeing some of my fathers performances. Now obviously I can't say with fact that he was indeed there for the interview and did the things they reported, but if he was at home with us, how would they have come up with this story. I am old enough to understand that not everything in writing is true, but it seems a far stretch to say he absolutely wasn't there and did what they reported.

I get the feeling that you were not a fan of my fathers, since the only thing you said was that he was "only" a clown and he wasn't there, which is fine. I'm sure there were people who didn't care for him for whatever reason, but to say he was "only" a clown and wasn't there as reported can only be verified by my mother, who was also a clown with the circus....and an aerialist, and handled the mail, along with whatever else they needed or asked of her. Nobody was "only" one thing when they were with the circus. As soon as I hear back from her I will verify as to whether my father was actually there doing what was reported.

Retha Odle Alexander Shreve

21 April, 2015 15:47
Unknown said...

After speaking with my mother, Yes they were indeed on the road with the circus when Clyde Beatty died. She explained how they put the flags at half mast for him.

Retha Odle Alexander Shreve

21 April, 2015 18:04
Chic Silber said...


Dear Retha my apologies for this

misunderstanding as I considered

both your father & Eddie Dullum

friends during those years & I

used the wrong wording in saying

"only" but it was meant that he

hadn't been or done some of the

things attributed to him & my

dearest friend to this day is

Kenny Dodd who became producing

clown after "Mother" Dullem left

Please understand this comment

Although not a showfan i have

been fully involved in circus

& theater production 53 years

You can find out about my work

in either Bing or Google


21 April, 2015 22:23
Unknown said...

No problem at all. I spoke with my mom again this morning and she did say they went out on the road for a while in '65 but she couldn't verify exactly when. She does know they were there for the show the evening of his funeral when they put the spotlight on the center ring and had a moment of silence for Beatty. But they didn't remain on the road for too long. She didn't want to travel regularly with four small kids.

I will say this, I KNOW my father could stretch the truth, usually too his benefit. haha But yes, they were there during that time. She doesn't remember who did what but that's no big deal.

22 April, 2015 16:02

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