Friday, August 06, 2010

From Jerry Digney #1


AUGRBBB, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Ringling playing Rio back in 1961; notice the unusual configuration of rings; i think years later the same layout was used for the then-new SUPERDOME debut date.

6 comments:

Buckles said...

Elephant herd in So. America:

1. Minyak
2. Sabu
3. Padmuh
(Cristiani elephants)
4. Christy
5. Carrie
6. Babe
7. Shirley
8. Emma
(Diano Elephants)
9. Tommy
10. Mysore
11. Calcutta
12. Katy
13. Betty
14. Nackatala (African)
(Eloise Berchtold)
15. Koa (African male)

Anonymous said...

I showed the Superdome in 1975 with the Blue Unit and the rings were in line. If memory serves me correctly Lloyd Morgan showed up with about 10,000 feet of hang cable so we could rig. I assisted Silly Billy with the rigging, and most of our hang points were around 250 feet. We also strung 700 foot of cable for wire walker Philppe Petit, 200 foot off the floor. Hoxie used this triangular ring pattern in his 1 center pole big top.
Erik Jaeger

Jackie LeClaire said...

I was boss clown with the show in Rio along in the clown alley was Kenny Dodd and Phillip Mirada and Alex Metler (from Christiani). I won't list the acts, too numerous. The building we played in was call the Maricanzino. (Not sure of the spelling), but it meant small Maracano which was the soccer statium next door that sat 20,000 people. I think at that time the largest in the world. It had a water filled moat entirely around the playing field to keep the crowd from killing the players during and after the games.
We arrived during Carnival of Rio time which coisides with Ash Wedenesday. So we were all able witness the parades and carinval balls. Lots of rain and humidity. "What do they do on a rainy night in Rio?" Get wet! Funny thing is as they were loading the show and getting it set, they hired local help of course. They would go in the building and start working, some samba band group with dancers would pass by, which is common with the carvival, and these guys would go out and join the band and samba away, never to be seen again. What a riot that was. Big in my memory was either closing nite or the nite before. The building was in a very low area and they had a torential rain between the matinee and the evening show. I came out of the dressing room hearing the yelling and the entire arena floor was covered with about 6 feet of water. I remember poor Unus who had been resting, heard the noise and came out of his dressing room to discover all his equipment was there on the floor under water. He yelled, "Why didn't some body tell me?" in great anger, but then no one had time to tell anyone. We all were put up in the Hotel San Fraciso, but no air conditioning and no screens on the windows with a great abundance of mosquitos. Only recourse was to get these circular units you light up and let burn in the room. In less that a week, everone moved out to Copacobana Beach, quite a ways from the arena, but so much more pleasant. All it all, those of us remaining have wonderful memories of "Flying Down to Rio" and that's another story. Jackie LeClaire

Chic Silber said...

Sorry to correct you Jackie but

that was the Reverend Phil Miranda

who was ordained in some minor

Christian denomination & could

officiate at various proceeding

Some of his best funny stories

that I recall were from his time

on the Freedom Train

For many of his last years he

resided in McCown Towers only

a block from my office as did

Jack (The Ripper) Molinari &

"Camel" John Rouche

Jackie LeClaire said...

What you say about Phillip Mirada,Chic.and his on mail reverandship is true, but no one in our show group of clowns or prerformers ever refered to him as Reverend Phil Miranda,unless we were ribbing him or joking. I speak of him often with Kenny and Jimmy,. and all of us who know Phil Miranda, without ever hearing mentioned that title. I know it did give him the right to hold a mariage ceremony,but for all general purposes to the day he died at Bay Pines, he was just Phil Miranda to us,even when we cleaned out his apt at Mc Cowen Towers after he passed away, honest. Jackie LeClaire

Chic Silber said...

I only added that in jest Jackie

not really to correct you

I was also there to help move

the organ out of the apartment

Yes we only used his title to

add humor to a conversation

Give me a call when you can

Hope all is well