Monday, October 04, 2010

RBBB 1943 #3


Scan13139, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Jackie, do you remember Arnie Honkala?
Logan said he got tired of shoveling elephant shit and became a clown.
If they would be short handed he help work a team on the lot still
in makeup.

Posted by Buckles at 10/04/2010 06:34:00 AM

3 comments:

Ole Whitey said...

I didn't know Shipley went back this far. What year did he take over the Beatty herd and was it his first show to be ele supt?

04 October, 2010 12:15
Roger Smith said...

By the time I met Honkala, which I saw spelled also as Honkola, he had been a clown so long, his elephant history wasn't remembered. I visited in Dallas one year, in the '60s, when the next season's contracts were being handed around, and it was whispered that Arnie didn't get one.

04 October, 2010 17:00
Jackie LeClaire said...

Honkola actually got the clown job because one year they needed a clown to ride an elephant in the spec and Honkola was an elephant man, so Pat Valdo figured that would work out just fine. He was also called Red, and coming from the elephant dept., he was really happy with his new job. He never was anything but Red Honkola, and did not change one bit in all his years, always with a cigarette in his mouth and a coke bottle. He botherd no one and was very quiet. He realize I think, the hights he has achieved in working conditions. I can not remember anyone dislikeing him and certainly none of the old clowns viewed him as competition. Hung around Sarasota after he left, but never remember him ever trying to put the touch on anyone. What a character he was. The kind that makes up the memories of the circus past. Jackie LeClaire

04 October, 2010 22:29

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)