Friday, February 10, 2006

Hubert Castle Circus


Sandy (Pettus) Fullbright, Irene Fossett and Gene Randow in a publicity shot with the former Ed Wiedaman elephants "Zetta", "Peggy" and "Dorothy"

Posted by Buckles at 2/10/2006 07:00:00 AM

16 comments:

Pat Cashin said...

Gene Randow's name comes up pretty frequently when I'm talking with folks. He must have been a good clown and worked quite a bit over a number of years but I've never heard anything about his material. Did Gene have any "signature bits" or did he stick mainly to the tried and true gags?

He's one of those guys, like Bobo Barnett, Billy Burke, the Sherman Bros. or Rex "Boxcar" Young that worked for years but haven't been written about much because they weren't on the Ringling show.

No longer on the Ringling show
and, therefore, doomed to circus obscurity,

~Patrick

10 February, 2006 08:10
Buckles said...

I once heard a Shriner ask Gene if he was ever with Ringling Bros. and his stock reply was "It's a great show but unfortunately I never could afford to work that cheap".

10 February, 2006 08:44
Anonymous said...

Pat,
I wish you could have been around in the days of Gene Randow, he & Harold had several gags they did together, one with the Plank, (ala Willy,West, McGinty), the Growing Tree, or Melting Ice Block, for "Mizzzz Jones". He and Happy Kellums constantly accused the other of stealing gags. Dime & Gene were at their best when working together, especially with water, they were best friends to the end. Here's my list of the funniest that I've seen, (not in order), Dime Wilson, Gene Randow & Harold Simmons, Happy Kellums, Carl Marx, Bumpsy Anthony, Otto Griebling, Sherman Bros., Jimmy Davidson, Rex Young, and I'm sure I'll think of more.

10 February, 2006 08:52
Anonymous said...

Buckles: Thanks for posting the picture..I ran into the very beautiful Irene Fossett at Publix last week...She hasn't changed with the years....Still very beautiful...And of course Sandy F. and daughter Jody along with you cut up some jackpots at Showfolks last week....We also enjoyed your grandsons....So, the ladies have done well through the years...Use to see Wiedmann bulls during the Orin Davenport years of Shrine Circuses in Columbus, OH....Buckles hope you will be joining us tomorrow AM ---OABA Meeting...How about the Col. will he be coming with you?????

Just a word on CIRCUS SARASOTA...This February Annual event has turned into a major showcase for acts to displayed their skills in front of Producers, Agents, Show Owners...you name it...For example, One of acts two years ago received enough work to last for three years....This years show is one of Pedro's best....So, don't miss it...

10 February, 2006 09:58
Pat Cashin said...

The "Miss Jones" bits "Growing Tree, Shrinking Ice, Western Union Man) were all done by Otto Griebling on first the Cole and then later the Ringling show.

Now you say they being done by guys like Dime, Gene and Happy at the same time on the Shrine circuit?

It's tough to say who wrote these as they all turn up in Olsen and Johnson's Hellzapoppin so maybe the clowns stole 'em from O&J, maybe O&J stole 'em from the circus clowns. Anybody out there know for sure?

Still using the audience
bit with the 4 chairs,
~Patrick

10 February, 2006 11:15
Anonymous said...

No, I said Gene Randow & Harold Simmons did those gags, if Dime or Happy did them it was before my time. As to who did what first, who knows?? While working with The Chickies on Krone I watched them do "One Hand Only" with the glass of water, explaining that I wasn't getting into who was first I asked the older clown how old the gag was, he said " older than you or I" I have a picture of the Tiger chase from the late 20's.

10 February, 2006 12:08
Anonymous said...

Since my wife iterupted me for lunch I have to resume my last comments. I wasn't refering to a time frame, only what gags I saw them do. Both Otto & Carl Marx did the escort gag and both were very funny, It doesn't matter who was first, Dime & Blinko both did Ballons (both starting about the same time)but again it doesn't matter, they were both good.

10 February, 2006 12:42
Anonymous said...

The "Growing Tree", & Ice Bits are old vaudeville gags, and I'm sure this kind of material moved between circus and vaudeville fairly frequently. Quite a few of the old clowns like Felix Adler, Jackie LeClaire, Sr., Paul Wenzel and Lou Jacobs worked vaudeville, and Emmett Kelly did a stint with Olsen & Johnson on Broadway, so the gags are pretty much in the public domain.

I'd like to know more about producing clown Jerry Bangs. Hear very little about him, but he did alot of time on many shows. Anyone?

-Greg DeSanto

10 February, 2006 17:46
Anonymous said...

I worked with Gene Randow occasionally. After seeing him working with Australian midget clown Harold Simmons at numerous shows while I was growing up, it was a thrill to work with him.

One of his last dates was in Oklahoma City with Hamid-Morton in about 1983. He told me he had started out in a teeterboard act with comedian Georgie Carl, who became such an international favorite late in his career.

10 February, 2006 21:07
Anonymous said...

I worked with Jerry on Hamid-Morton in 57,he produced gags but never wore make up that I know of. We got hold of him once and threatened to put a make up on him and he fought for his life.He built some great props, he had a walk around that was a drunk dummy that resembled Bumpsy Anthony and was carried by the back of his collar by a clown cop. That season the clown cop was Bumpsy, I wish I had a picture of it. Some of his props were rather cumbersome but were all good gags. I believe he sold them to the Hadi Funsters in Evansville.

10 February, 2006 21:26
Pat Cashin said...

Hold on a cotton pickin' minute here!

GENE RANDOW WORKED WITH GEORGE CARL?!?

There is an early version of George Carl's act, done with someone I presume is his wife, on the Sullivan show at the Museum of Television and Radio that involves a hand balance. There is a circus special from Copenhagen where host Gene Kelly asks him about an earlier vaulting act BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT GEORGE CARL DOING A TEETERBOARD ACT!!!

WHAT is all this about?

And I'm with DeSanto, let's here more about Jerry Bangs!

Thanks,
Patrick

10 February, 2006 22:45
Anonymous said...

I remember talking with George Carl and him telling me he tumbled and vaulted elephants in whiteface in his early circus career. I wish now I had asked him on what shows he performed.

I too heard that Jerry Bangs never wore make-up and mainly produced the gags and worked the gimmicks in the bigger ones like the Firehouse.

Has anyane ever seen Rex Young do his Reggie Van Young(Jackie Gleason character take-off) carwash production gag? Had the Lou Jacob-ish bathtub bit as a blow-off?

-Greg DeSanto

10 February, 2006 23:34
Buckles said...

My favorite clown gag was "the Atomic Hair Grower".

10 February, 2006 23:54
Anonymous said...

What about Harry and the cannon,"No that isn't my chicken"

11 February, 2006 06:51
Anonymous said...

One of Jerry's walkarounds was an Ostrich with a Monkey on his back and a neck painted like a Barber Pole, whoever did it had their head inside the Monkey,(don't even think it), and naturally could see where they were going. They were also required to turn a crank that made the barber pole neck revolve. It was a great prop, but heavy, & awkward and no one wanted to get stuck with it.

11 February, 2006 12:45
Scott Givens said...

I have a 46-page typewritten memoir by Jerry Bangs. Would this be of interest to the circus fan community? I'm thinking of publishing it, but don't have a good feel for how much interest there might be.

Thanks!
Scott Givens at Browsers' Bookstore (Corvallis & Albany, Oregon)

21 January, 2014 17:06

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