Monday, January 10, 2011

1946 RBBB Elephants #9


Scan00000010153, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

By the way, the grandkids told me they saw a man on stilts last night
with butterfly wings?

Posted by Buckles at 1/10/2011 05:01:00 AM

7 comments:

JACKIE said...

This is the now famous in circus history for his tranition from the elephant department to clown alley. They needed a clown to ride an elephant this year and some how it was a problem with the regular clown alley group getting some one to ride. Pat Valdo had the answer. He brought one of the elelphant hands over, put him into clown alley and he rode the elephant. Everyone helped him with the make up and wardrobe was provided and in his particular case he was sitting on top of the world, well elephant that is. His name was Arnie Red Honkola. He stayed in the alley and was for all the years he was there, remained exactly the same in clown talent as when he began. He bothered no body. He was happy with a cigarette in his mouth and a coke a cola in the other. I do not know how many years he was in the clown alley, but it was a very long time and he never went back to elephants again. The elephant world lost a gem. He finaly ended up in Sarasota here and I would meet him in a local bar, but I can never remember him ever trying to make a touch. He looks great in this photo. Jackie LleCLaire

10 January, 2011 15:26
JACKIE said...

By the way, the girl in the toy bucket is Margie Lawson, Willard Lawson's wife. He had the concessions on the show Ringling, for many years. Jackie

10 January, 2011 15:31
Chic Silber said...

That was Willis Lawson & he was

#1 of Ali Babba's 40 (a great guy)

10 January, 2011 17:44
Frank Ferrante said...

I remember the name, but only remember Big Max and Roland Kaiser as heading up the 'constashioneers' when I first started working summers, thinking 1968, ~frank

10 January, 2011 19:51
Chic Silber said...

That was "Big" Max Frimberger who

was a key member of the Bocarra

Troupe of acrobats and in later

life he became the head of the

corrections division of the

Sarasota Sherriffs department

Johnny Young (the Young Brothers)

also worked in his department

The late 60's was when Willis

left & Roland & Bobby Johnson

were put in charge under Chuck

Smith & the Sells Floto banner

Within a few years Bobby became

the ultimate head of department

& remained so until his death

10 January, 2011 22:13
Frank Ferrante said...

Thanks Chic -

I remember Bobby very well, never seen him mad or angry - and always fair with the 'constashioneers'. ~frank

11 January, 2011 11:48
Chic Silber said...

Bobby was truly 1 of the best

(I noticed after I posted his

name that I had misspelled it)

Johnsen is the correct spelling

His widow Beverly has relocated

to rural South Carolina

11 January, 2011 14:22

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