Monday, November 02, 2009

RBBB 1969 CLOWN COLLEGE


RBBB 99 CLOWN COLLEGE, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Mel Miller short lived Clown College dean with (on the left) LeVron (?) Hipps, a first year CC grad and nephew I believe of Lloyd Morgan.

Posted by Buckles at 11/02/2009 05:45:00 AM

11 comments:

Pat Cashin said...

That looks like Levoi (spelling courtesy of CC '68 classmate Michael Karp) Hipps, Mel Miller and Danny Chapman.

Mr. Hipps still owns a restaurant in the Sarasota area.

02 November, 2009 09:04
Chic Silber said...

Levoie Hipps has a salad and

sandwich shop on Ringling Blvd

and is a volunteer instructor

at Sailor Circus

His wife is the niece of Lloyd

Morgan Senior

02 November, 2009 09:24
Jack Ryan said...

And Assistant Dean of first Clown College, Danny Chapman, on the right.

02 November, 2009 10:06
Frank Ferrante said...

Danny was the first clown I ever met to have a marionette made in his image! One of the few clowns who was allowed to work the seats during the show. (Usually between acts.) His beautiful wife at the time worked the single trapeze. ~frank

02 November, 2009 23:19
Frank Ferrante said...

Later on, I believe Richard King, (King Richard) had one made in HIS image, too. ~frank

02 November, 2009 23:20
Ole Whitey said...

Mel was briefly put in charge of the amusement park "Astro World" in Houston while it was under construction and I went to see him there.

He had this swell looker with him whom he soon married. He told me that Irvin Feld had said he had him in mind for a special project but that he couldn't discuss it further.

Next thing I heard they had Clown College started and Mel was put in charge. I don't remember under what circumstances Bill was made Dean, but as I recall Mel died not too long after all this.

04 November, 2009 15:01
Chic Silber said...

Danny Chapman's wife was Sarah

04 November, 2009 16:13
Frank Ferrante said...

Thanks, Chic! It was driving me nuts trying to think of her name. ~frank

04 November, 2009 17:58
4pawfan said...

Mel was back at astroworld when they moved the Ringling wagons from Sarasota to Houston to built the circus section.
Those plans all went south after the Judge had his stroke in 1970. Mel was still there in the early 70's. He was the dean of CC 1968, with Bill Ballantine being in charge from 1969 to 1977 I believe.

04 November, 2009 18:51
Jack Ryan said...

Old Whitey:

The "swell looker" that you refer to actually had a name. It was Prudence and she was a very nice person. She became Mrs. Mel Miller.

Bill Ballantine was named Clown College Dean because "the powers that be", after the first year, felt they needed somebody with more on-the-job experience.
And, Bill had clowned in the show and had worked for JRN as his on-lot PR guy.

I was there for the first Clown College session in Venice in 1968 and handled publicity throughout the Houston engagement in 1969, the first year of the Blue Unit. From a first hand vantage point, would have to agree with the "powers that be" on that one.

Jack

04 November, 2009 21:59
Anonymous said...

Mel Miller passed away in March, 1981. His daughter works for Ringling Museum.

14 December, 2009 00:15

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