Friday, October 30, 2009

Ringling_1970_1 (From Jerry Digney)


Ringling_1970_13, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

GGW and Charly, rare photo together, at winter quarters

"As my first introduction to the circus I ran away from college for the summer of 1970 and toured with Ringling Blue/100th anniv. show, first working concessions, where we had to load rubber onto the wagons during tear down (ugh!) and later in men's wardrobe working for Joe Hodgini, Sr. Seems like a lifetime-plus ago!"

Jerry

Posted by Buckles at 10/30/2009 06:09:00 AM

16 comments:

art ricker said...

I remember it well, my first year with the show, Cotton Fenner hired me, Off to Venice for opening at $95. bucks a week, and you pay for your own hotel and food. I loved it, I was with The Greatest Show On Earth. Everone was super nice, Charley, Jack Joyce, both lloyd's , Paul Hudson, Bob Dover...Art Ricker

30 October, 2009 06:50
Pat Cashin said...

Wait! Is this the same Joe Hodgini who married Otto Griebling's first wife? I thought he ended up running a news stand in Peru with Hanna.

30 October, 2009 08:49
Bill Powell said...

Mr. Ricker appears! I knew you were somewhere out there secretly viewing the blog.

The photo of Gunther and Charley is indeed a rare moment in time when both were at the top of their game.

I joined a few years later but remember them as giants.

30 October, 2009 09:24
Chic Silber said...

Each of them would be on hand

when the other's show was the

first out of the year mostly

as a courtesy

30 October, 2009 10:04
dpowhitetiger said...

The Advance Man - A Journey Into the World of the Circus - by Jamie MacVicar....just finished this extremely good circus book. A very young Jamie right out of college goes to work for Ringling Marketing Department during the mid 70's.

INDEX: List Art Ricker numerous times. PLUS: Bloom,I.Feld,C.Baumann,E.Duryea,M.
Franks,C.King,L. Morgan, Michu,Rosenberg, Rudy Lenz, plus many other Ringling Staffers and performers.

BAUMANN: Which spelling is correct? I have Charly Baumann autographed book and a separate Charly Baumann autograph?

30 October, 2009 10:21
Jack Ryan said...

David,

The only correct spelling that I'm aware of is Charly Baumann.

In his book, The Advance Man, Mr. MacVicar spells several names incorrectly -- "Charlie Baumann," "Chelo Gaona," and "Lee Salter" are a few that I noticed.

Jack

30 October, 2009 12:27
Frank Ferrante said...

Is it a book that you would recommend, Jack? ~frank

30 October, 2009 14:19
Frank Ferrante said...

Mr. Ricker you were always kind and generous to this 'constashioneer.' Hope that all is well with you. ~frank

30 October, 2009 14:45
Frank Ferrante said...

Jerry - I remember what a 'joy' it was after tearing down your own joint, to hustle down to 'pull rubber'. When I returned to the show in '75 the 'constashioneers' were no longer required to pull extra duty, (sorry for the pun). ~frank

30 October, 2009 14:57
Jack Ryan said...

Frank,

Only about half-way through "The Advance Man" so should finish reading it before I give you my "review."

Jack

30 October, 2009 15:11
Henry Schroer said...

Hi Art,nice to see you on this blog.
Charlie( that's the Germany way to spell it, I guess he changed it when he arrived in Ringling) and Gunther where actually good friends, the worked together in Circus Williams as assistants to the animal trainers in 1947 - 1950.
I only meet Charlie when I came to Ringling because in Germany he worked on Circus Roland and there was never any time to visit other shows.

30 October, 2009 16:20
Bill Powell said...

Well....I guess we vetted the spelling of circus tiger trainers of the 70's. Charrley, Charly, Charlie was an incredible showman and also a great executive.

When he was the performance director on the blue show promoters would live in fear of having to ask him for an honorary ringmaster or clown appearance. Getting the approval was not the issue.
After groveling a little the request was usually granted. The fear came when he finally said yes and as you were leaving the dressing room he would slap you on the back with his huge bear paw hands and knock the wind out of you. Many a promoter left the performance director's dressing room looking for a chiropractor.

Remarkably this was never the case with female promoters. My wife Sherry was a marketing director int the late seventies and early eighties and she recalls that Charlie (we're going with Henry's version here) was a total gentleman and extremely accommodating to her every request for PR or promotion. I asked her once how she managed to have such a great working relationship and she said "Its simple Bill....When I need a publicity request fulfilled I bring Charlie a six pack of beer and smile and he gives me whatever I want!"

:-)

Bill Powell

31 October, 2009 09:19
dpowhitetiger said...

Charly Baumann: What a great man..Back in the 70's prior to all the AR's I use to set-up my circusana on three show days at various RBBB venues..I sold tons of paper items to the RED & BLUE UNIT performers..especially to the "FIRST of May" clowns..Blue Unit performers loved to tease Charly that my prices for Gunther Gebel-Williams (hundreds of circus cards)postcards were priced higher than his. That would bring Charly over to my tables and check the postcards out..He was always friendly to me..Tim Holst always purchase something..On one ocassion he purchase a rare UNUS postcard prior to his arrival in the USA.
By the way in "UNTAMED" Gunthers autobiography its Charley Baumann.

31 October, 2009 10:19
GaryHill said...

When I groomed for Charly in 78, I found him to be gruff in public but when he would speak to me in privite he was always soft and easy going. Let someone slip up and he would change to toughguy real quick. I loved the way, the clown Peter Petofski (spelling) could make him mad as hell! Not to mention Michu.

31 October, 2009 22:57
Warren Adams Bacon said...

Charly was the performance director on the gold unit in Japan in the second and catastrophic tour over there. I was the ring one boss and Charly became my friend except when I would get one of those back slaps that could send you flying into a fantastic face dive. He was remarkable, a perfectionist, and an expert at logistics. He prepared me well for my experience as prop boss for the second year of the Gunther farewell tour.
How honored am I to have worked with both Charly and Gunther? The memories of these tow great men as both performers and friends will remain in my life forever. I learned more about showbusiness from these years than the previous 20 years. What a shame for me that they came at the end of my touring career.

01 November, 2009 01:56
Anonymous said...

FYI: Indeed, Joe and Hanna Hodgini (Otto's Grieblings first wife)did work for a short time in wardrobe with RBBB Circus and then went back to Peru, IN and indeed ran a news stand. They later retired to Florida. Hanna died in 1984; Joe years later.

25 February, 2010 19:14

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