Tuesday, September 27, 2011

From Kenny Dodd #3

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Posted by Buckles at 9/27/2011 05:43:00 AM

2 comments:

JACKIE said...

Of course this is Vander "Barbett". As we all know he made his fame with female impersonation on the single trapeze here in the US, but mostly in Europe. He was in the orignal Broadway opening of the original Jumbo with Jimmy Durante. He was a genious at aerial display work and a great asset to Ringling and Polack. I think one of his most outstanding displays was the Monte Carlo with Ringling in 1948 I belive and if I am wrong, sone one else will correct me. Love to you all, Jackie LeClaire

27 September, 2011 10:51
johnny said...

I was on Cole Bros. with Barbette. In early 50s. He had the iron jaw serpentine girls on two bicycle pedalled aerial riggings. 4 girls on each perch plus guy pedalling them around. Also produced a nice web no. of some 15 girls. He had aq group of some ten girls that he would get booked on whatever show he w3as with and incoorporated act girls, etc. But a Barbette girl had to do some pretty strenuous routines other than just the regular web, iron jaw, etc. but it was very effective. I recall he had a dancer=choreographer to do the ground production work. He was AN EXPENSIVE item but well worth it. There are alot of very humerous Barbette anecdotes that are fun to relate in a party jackpot session. One is about a butcher selling,yelling novelties in the seats during his iron jaw no. with pretty ballet music. Barbette alled him over and declared, " My dear young man I suppose when you die and go somewhere that you will be laying in the gutter with your bundle of itshay yelling alms for the poor." Johnny. Or the new prop guy that just jumped in the ring during the elephant act with a shovel and retreived some dough balls. Not knowing his next move he saw Barbette standinfg by the back door with a semblance of authority and approached him with shovel of shit in hand and asked what sould he do with it. Barbette looked down and replied, "My dear boy if no one claims it in a few days you can have it." But really he was a nice guy and well liked by all show personnel. His persona-appearance would lead to believe that he was ver aloof, but this was only an appearance. qUITE A GUY. He had an injured right hand that was balled into a permanent fist, but he could sure hold the web when teaching. One of a kind person.johnny tanglefoot

28 September, 2011 08:55

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