Saturday, February 09, 2008

Billy Barton cloud swing (From Paul Gutheil)


billy barton cloud swing, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.


--BILLY 'MR SINSATION' BARTON ON HANNEFORD DATE IN THE '80's....SCANNED
FROM 8x10

Posted by Buckles at 2/09/2008 05:49:00 AM

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Paul,
Billy was the first "circus person" I ever had the honor of talking to in 1974. My very first day "on the Clyde bros. lot", I stopped him, and asked where the Manager was on my way to ask for my first job in this glorious world. He must not have heard my name when I introduced myself, because he responded with, ",It's easy Mary, he's the one cleaning Chimp shit".
Prince Navez, Mr. Sensation, The one and only, Never another like him, Billy Barton and I became great friend's from that day on.
In 1980, I was foolish enough to think I could write a book on life in the Circus. Billy who had recently published his "Agatha Cristie type who-don-it", kindly offered to proof read and critique the 356 page manuscript. In my archive of cherished garbage I have kept the manuscript, with the first 3 pages, cut, slashed, sliced and diced in Billy's on hand, before he threw it back at me, with the personalised notation of, "I hope you learn to train animals, better than you can write, Mary. Other wise you will not live to the age 25.
I sure had fun with him, and sure miss him.
Wade Burck

09 February, 2008 12:24
Mike Naughton said...

Since we are sharing Billy stories...

I'm visiting a Shrine date, small and low building, Billy is working the cloud swing, I'm on the floor near the entry way, Billy about 20 feet above.

Announcement, "Mr. Sensation attempts the Flight of the Golden Eagle...Mr. Sensation is 62 years YOUNG!"

Oohs and Aahs from the stunned audience...one lady, absolutely astsonished exclaims, "JEEEESSSUUUUUUSSS CHRRRIIIIISSSSSTTT!"

Billy glances over his shoulder and gazes downward toward the lady, smiles and says, "Thank you!"

I think this was the last time I saw Billy work the cloud swing.

09 February, 2008 13:34
Anonymous said...

HELLO!!!!!
Let's not forget the Prince's trusty sidekick, Bobby. I suggest, that Mork would not have been the same without Mindy. Talk about a dynamic duo.
Wade Burck

09 February, 2008 14:03
Anonymous said...

Gotta say something myself...
loved to get phone calls from Billy; you knew right away who was calling when you heard..."Hi, so what the #@%&**$#@'s new Mary?" Thanks Wade for mentioning Bobby Davis too. Regarded by some as one of the best comein clowns of the day and a damn nice guy. Two really great guys; we used to stop by Billy's place in Greencastle, Pa on the way home from the annual Emmett Kelly Tent banquets and have visits like no other, including great stories about Mae West. We miss them both and all those great columns in The Circus Report.
Mike great anecdote thanks!
Last but not least let's not forget Billy and Bobby's classic washer women routine. I have a nice shot, if I dare say so, of that and will try to get it to the blogmaster. I say with affection,
it's a great photo to put on your front door at Halloween.

Paul Gutheil

09 February, 2008 15:31
24-HOUR-MAN said...

I once remarked to Billy,"I guarantee, they only made one of you", his reply was, "yes Mary, and it took a lot of good men to lay the cornerstone"

What ever Billy might be into at a particular time, whether it was the act, writing a book, or music, he was into it heart & soul.
I have a video of him doing Shirley Bassy, he did her so good, when watching her on an old Sullivan Show, I remarked to Trudy, "come and look at this, Shirley Bassy is doing Billy Barton"!

09 February, 2008 15:56
Mike Naughton said...

Billy and Bobby in The Washerwomen...I shared this story on Bill Strong's blog, but it is worth repeating here.

Once again I'm visiting...after the show...To a large audience in the dressing room, Billy is going ON AND ON about his "washerwomen" and all the bits, etc., and to top it all off the music which nobody in the circus will ever figure where it came from.

He looks at me and goes white, he is as motionless as a statue and exclaims, "Oh Mary, this one is show wise!" He's stunned and horrified as if his world has just collapsed.
He puts me through a deposition, rather slowly, "Do you know where that music is from?" I smile and say, "Yes."
His whole demeanor changes, "You must promise me that you will never tell anyone where that music is from. It's perfect for the routine and I don't want anyone to steal it."
I give him my solemn word that I won't tell a soul, until today.

Billy and Bobby music for the washerwomen is "Look What Happened to Mabel" from the Jerry Herman score of "Mack and Mabel" and sung by Bernadette Peters on Broadway.

It was the perfect piece of music for B&B's washerwomen and everytime I hear it I think of Billy and Bobby.

09 February, 2008 17:05
Mike Naughton said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPlw1wVQo2I&feature=user

Copy and paste the above.

Here it is, from the Royal Variety Show in London, a medley of MACK AND MABEL, featuring LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO MABEL.

This show is about Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand and the glory days of two reelers and Sennett's Bathing Beauties and the big love affair between Mack and Mabel, who use to be a waitress in Brooklyn.

We hope the Billy and Bobby fans will recognize the melody of LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO MABEL.

Tonight we toast the memories of Mack and Mabel and Billy and Bobby!

09 February, 2008 17:24
Anonymous said...

Billy made the Rochester Shrine Circus many times for M&M Internationale (Grace McIntosh & Chuck Marine. Billy asked me to help promote is book in one of the big stores when he was here for the show.
I was in Clown Alley when they decided what makeup Bobby would use and it was full speed ahead for him/them from that time.
They were great guys and good friends of my wife and me.
Bill Galloway,Rochester,NY

09 February, 2008 21:17
Anonymous said...

Billy's father and uncle were George and Lou Barton wild west performers and horse trainers. Did concert on various shows.

One winter Howard Suesz framed a "Minstrel Show" Had Happy Kellums, Cleo Plunkett, Alvie Maddox [who later invented himself as Austin Mile famed ringmaster ande Reverand] and Billy Barton. He came out in elegant wardrobed, in high yellow drag, and sang Bill Bailey won't You Please Come Home and stopped the show. We all saw the show around Dallas. It was great. Cleo and Alvie were great "hoofers" and Happy was an old pro end man interlocheter.

11 February, 2008 09:33
Anonymous said...

Johnny,
That show sound's like the inspiration for Finnocio's out in San Francisco. And what a legendary cast.
Wade Burck

11 February, 2008 10:01
Ted Hering said...

Alvie Maddox - Must be the same guy that toured with Spike Jones and his City Slickers in 1952? Interesting to hear this update on his career.

25 June, 2008 19:32
Unknown said...

Billy Barton & Herbie Weber, my two dear friends....forever in my heart....those were the days....would there be any video at all of Billy's cloud swing anyway? I have Herbie's grand act on a treasured video...would love to relive Billy's wonderful act. Greetings to all....Bruno Loyale, The Magic Circus of Samoa.

20 January, 2014 19:09

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)