More on "Congo"

DSC02593, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Since there seems to be some interest in my early attempts at circus fame as Congo the Almost Human Gorilla I wanted provide a fuller account of how this creature evolved thru the ages. Scroll down to: "From Bill Powell # 7" on the blog then click on comments for a brief back story then return to the paragraph below. So the story of my journey towards fame as a Human Gorilla continues: The interesting story of how Bill Powell became Congo the Almost Human Gorilla and mystery birthday guest. The Bill Powell almost Human Gorilla act had several reprieves over the years. Originally, the Gorilla was a second act of Joe Lemke and Marvin Varner. The costume was made of Yak hair and offered quite an aroma from the inside on a hot summer day.......but I digress. I substituted for Marvin during a summer when he either hurt himself or needed to work concessions. The Hershey candy pitch may have been right after the Gorilla act so Marvin made an economic decision to pay me to do the act so he could make the pitch. The show was Carden/Johnson in the late sixties and early seventies. I recall switching shows a couple summers. I would stay with my dad on Carden and Johnson and then travel to Gatti Charles circus with my mom and Bucky. Logistics aside, the Gorilla act was one of my "gigs" during this time. I recall the Gorilla "shtick" was a good pick up line with young ladies at college when they asked what I did: " I train elephants and work in a Gorilla act. " Either this got the conversation started or they would look at me funny and walk away. A few years later after I joined Allen Bloom's marketing team the Gorilla act was resurrected for a different occasion. In fact, a facsimile of the act was reprieved three times over the years to celebrate his birthday. Allen was a big old gruff guy with a heart of gold and a wonderful sense of humor. His office was centered around a big kitchen table desk. It was usually piled high with reports. Allen would love to hold court at the end of the day and tell old rock and roll stories of how he stuffed Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Paul Anka and a dozen other acts onto one bus and go on tour in the fifties. One day it was his 40th birthday and David Rosenwasser coaxed me to do something to surprise him at the office. As we were brainstorming what we might do I said: "Hey what if we strip his desk and cover it with cake icing with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLEN.....and I will rent a gorilla suit and be sitting in his chair smoking a cigar when he comes in." David, having a twisted sense of humor readily agreed and the plot was hatched. So we did exactly this. We hired a cake decorator for the desk and secretly decorated the top with a birthday message. I get in the suit and light up a Cuban stogie and about 10 am he rounds the corner to be greeted by this scene (with everyone hiding out of view laughing their asses off). Allen was speechless upon surveying the scene and everyone comes out of the woodwork and starts singing happy birthday. I exit, identity unrevealed, thru Irvin's office (which was adjacent to Allen). I cannot remember if Irvin was in that day but do not imagine he would have found the scene amusing. So I go to a vacant office and change then walk around to join the others wishing Allen a happy birthday never revealing my alter ego. Fast forward 10 years later and the Gorilla resurfaces. Susan Bloom invites everyone in Allen's inner circle to a swanky restaurant in Georgetown for his 60th surprise birthday. Susan told Allen the evening was just going to be a quiet dinner with the two of them. I decide to reprieve the Gorilla for another cameo appearance. The scene is very uptown and everyone is showing up for the gala affair. Upon arriving guests cannot help but notice a Gorilla at the end of bar quietly sipping a scotch and smoking a Cuban cigar. Allen and Susan were late arriving and I was in that suit for over an hour having consumed a couple Scotch and cigars not speaking but motioning like any self respectable Gorilla would do on a night out on the town. I recall a perplexed black tie clad piano player gently tickling the ivories as I enjoyed a Cohiba Robusto and Glenlivet single malt. So Allen and Susan show up and everyone burst into the birthday song and he is overwhelmed with emotion and is making the rounds hugging everyone ......and he comes up the Gorilla at the bar. The gorilla does not speak but motions Allen closer and gives him a hug and takes a puff on the cigar, finishes his drink, shakes Allen's hand and exits leaving Allen wondering why this ape has visited him on two separate occasions 10 years apart. The story continues. Allen departed Ringling in December of 1995 around the time of his 60th birthday. It was an emotional time for many and Susan decided to skip any celebration. Ten years later, our group learns that Allen is having a small group of family to his house for his 70th birthday. Since he left the company many of his group departed and were all scattered everywhere. I decided that Congo the Almost Human Gorilla needed to reprieve the act one more time. This time I rented the costume from a costume house in Tampa and created a video of a Gorilla trying to hitch hike a ride from Tampa, Florida to Potomac, Maryland that ended with a reveal of the mystery person behind the Gorilla and a heartfelt wish for Allen to enjoy his birthday. Bill Powell