Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sabu #15


Sabu-15, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Ann Miller and Hugo Schmidt rehearsing for the St. John’s Hospital Fund benefit show.



Sabu was one of the Hollywood celebrities who appeared in the special benefit performance that Ringling-Barnum did for the St. John’s Hospital Fund when the Circus was appearing in Los Angeles in 1948. According to Claire Hallard Fawcett’s book WE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CIRCUS, during the rehearsal for this special show, the movie people all tended to stay on one side of the big top while the circus performers stayed on the other side. The exception was Sabu, who sat with the circus personnel. His name also comes up in the DeMille film: when an impatient, off-screen Klaus yells out Angel’s name, one of the show girls jokingly remarks, “You better hurry, that’s not Sabu calling.” (Few people watching this film today probably get the connection.)


"Oddly enough, I think this elephant's name was "Sabu" also.
The five elephants Hugo had brought over from Sweden the
previous year were "Kernaudi", "Minyak", "Mudu", "Sabu" and "Icky".
Buckles

Posted by Buckles at 7/27/2010 06:41:00 AM

6 comments:

Larry Louree said...

Was that the same Mudo who used to bug me for Lorna Doone cookies at CW?

27 July, 2010 08:52
Buckles said...

No it's a different elephant, this one went to Busch Gardens in 1960.
For some reason Hugo liked to use the same names over and over again.
The one you refer to was one of the Billy Smart elephants from England brought over in 1972.
I could tell because she always wanted to walk on the left side of the road.
I think the name she came with was "Chi Chi" but Hugo took care of that in a hurry.

27 July, 2010 09:13
C B DeMille said...

For you kids who don't remember Ann Miller, she was famous in the movies for tap dancing in high heels. Another who did this was Eleanor Powell. Both nice lookers too!

Ann Miller was one of those women who got more beautiful as she got older. Like Shirley Jones and Lena Horne.

27 July, 2010 12:19
Mike Naughton said...

Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies, The Burlesque Musical, about 1980.

One of the funniest shows on Broadway.

Ann Miller mid-50's; Mickey Rooney 60.

Pure talent with decades of experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF0K6_AVnHY&feature=related

27 July, 2010 20:52
Mike Naughton said...

Can't help myself.

The burlesque sketches in "Sugar Babies" were directed by Rudy Tronto (the original Sancho Panza in Man of LaMancha)

Rudy's longtime companion was Bill Bradley, one of choreographer of The Greatest Show on Earth.

Bill made his Broadway debut in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Carol Channing (Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend and I'm Just a Little Girl from Little Rock).

I believe Bill met Duane Thorpe, long time RBBB clown, when they were taking dance classes in NYC.

Before joining clown alley, Duane was the dancer that leads the Latin America number during the spec in the movie GSOE.

Duane's entire clowning career was spent with Ringling.


I hope the above information is not too high brow for the high grass.

27 July, 2010 22:32
Frank Ferrante said...

When he was let go from Clown Alley, Duane had one of the program stands and did the Bible pitch in center ring with Jim Ragona. ~frank

28 July, 2010 10:28

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