Saturday, January 02, 2010

Photos from Buddy Copeland

Hi Buckles ;
Here are some photos I took ( from up on the Catwalk ) just after you switched Shows to the Blue Unit of Ursula's Polar Bear Act during a TV Special " Circus of the Stars " with Bruce Jenner as the Guest Ringmaster , Filmed at Circus World in June 1978 .

Bud

Posted by Buckles at 1/02/2010 06:35:00 AM

14 comments:

Wade G. Burck said...

Bud,
Incredible photo's of an "only one of it's kind". Thank you for sharing them.
Wade Burck

02 January, 2010 07:14
John Goodall said...

What a spectacular act. I got to see it both on the road and at Circus World. We'll never see an act of that size again - 10 polar bears. Wow.

02 January, 2010 09:42
bud said...

Anyone who saw this Incrediable Act
would know My Poor Photos DO NOT conveigh how Beautiful these Polar Bears were Kept & Presented , especially in that 1 Ring Facility !
The Act lasted a Good 20 Minutes & Ursula was like an Enchanted Butterfly in there with thoes Pure White Bears in the Spotlights .

They also had there own Swimming Pool Built & a State of the Art Air-Conditioned Environment .
Ursula , Manfred & Michael kept the Polar Bears like they were Groomed for a Beauty Pagent & the Whole Ring Environment & Props etc. were kept as Spotless as an Operating Room & I'm " NOT " Exagerating !
Yes : they were more than A Thrill ( for Me ) to be around close up & every day .

THAT'S JUST HOW " THE CIRCUS " IS !
( right )

02 January, 2010 10:40
Eric said...

The music for the Circus Super Heroes TV special was all taped in San Diego while the Blue Unit was here in July 1978. (Some music was taped during the performances and we also had a special recording session Sunday morning before the matinee.) Ronnie Drumm conducted the music for Ursula’s act while watching the video that had been taped at Circus World. In addition to Ursula, the other “circus super heroes” featured in the special were Tito Gaona (who unsuccessfully attempted to throw a quadruple somersault) and Elvin Bale. (Surprisingly, Ben Williams was not included as a fourth super hero – perhaps it was felt that he might overshadow some of the others!) After the last performance Sunday night, the local musicians got two checks, one for playing for the week’s engagement and one for the recording session. (The recording session check was bigger!)

02 January, 2010 12:32
Buckles said...

Ben blew out his knee while doing the teeter-board with "Anna May" late in the Garden engagement.
The injury required surgery and he remained behind in New York and rejoined the show in California but I don't recall where.
Karen Glenn would remember.
Having said that, I don't think Ben would have fit into that arrangement anyway, since there were already inklings of trouble in paradise.
Nuf Ced.

02 January, 2010 12:59
Jack Ryan said...

Buckles,

I first saw Ms. Bottcher's landmark act under canvas, at Circus Toni Boltini, playing on a lot in The Hague, The Netherlands. (It was 1970 or '71, I think.)

The next year, Mr. Feld the senior told me about a great polar bear act he was importing.

"Ursula Bottcher?" I asked. He was quite surprised that I'd seen her work.

Truly one of the most memorable cage acts I've ever seen or ever expect to see.

Happy New Year to all.

Jack

02 January, 2010 15:00
Chic Silber said...

"Inklings" Buckles

If that was the year I think it

was then that's pretty funny

Yup enough sed

02 January, 2010 16:25
Chic Silber said...

Not understanding her concern

for the animals and some foolish

remarks was enough for termination

Also nuf sed

02 January, 2010 16:27
Little John said...

Buddy: Thank you. It is wonderful to look back at our lives and see how honored we were to be surrounded by such greatness. The blond kid at the cage door is Michael Gresham, he was given the nick name “Mikey Pooh” that he hated; he is one of my Clermont Red Neck friends that followed me to Circus World. Too bad you don’t have a photo of you walking underneath the Circus Hero’s sign with that vender like tray screaming “Circus Hero’s! Get your Circus Hero’s here!”

02 January, 2010 19:26
jerry digney said...

i was lucky to be heading up the pr team when Ursula brought her bear act to Venice. It blew us all away--no matter how many times i saw the act it was a dazzler. she never did speak very good english it was spotty using her for PR, but the act itself was the best publicity of all...a truly amazing act and that finish trick with the sugar cube in her mouth was unbelievable...every time i saw the act it was consistent, the bears seem to lumber thru the act without fuss. when she first arrived in Fla. and started rehearsals i think they had guns at the ready in the event of an accident but it never materialized. i can't imagine an act like this one today--it would be so expensive to create and don't even know if you could get animals for it. Even then, i believe we had a swimming pool for the bears and a fairly elaborate cage arrangement in the backyard for them. In the history of Ringling cage acts, indoor or under canvas, this is definitely in the top 10!

02 January, 2010 22:44
Chic Silber said...

Jerry I would put her act in the

top 4 or 5 at the least

My favorite chilling moment was

when she was directly in front

of the 4 central towering bears

walking backwards as they marched

accross the ring WOW

03 January, 2010 09:47
Anonymous said...

Bud's comments on cleanliness, etc brought to my mind Lilli and the late Svend Kristensen's leopards. They too kept everything immaculate and were in every way a genuine credit to the world of Circus.

As far a Ms Bottcher and her bears go, I think the phrase never before and never again would be appropriate...but lets not overlook the Rix family either.

So delighted to see the wonderful pics from such unique vantage points.

Paul G.

03 January, 2010 17:43
Anonymous said...

Isn't her name spelled Boettcher?

Adaline

05 January, 2010 19:33
Chic Silber said...

Actually the correct spelling is

Ursula Böttcher but it was often

misspelled in print

I believe she is still alive in

retirement in Dresden

I had intended to try to look

her up when I was there last

year but I ran out of time

05 January, 2010 20:22

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)