Many of you probably remember this elephant blanket from the 111th Edition -- the last one to be underwritten by Mattel. (That was the edition that featured Dickie the giraffe.) (TO BE CONTINUED) |
Sunday, December 15, 2013
GUNTHER! #16
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11 comments:
Among the many things the Mattel editions are remembered for are the abundance of elaborate and costly elephant blankets and Bill Pruyn’s world-class musical arrangements.
At this point in the performance, the band played the theme from the latest SUPERMAN movie as a lead-in to the start of the tiger act.
Kongo & Prince & the tapestry is
a version of Roland Buter's tiger
Over the Mattel years a few of us
would be sent out to Hawthorne
to cajole their board with flash
trying to keep them inthused
It was kinda like a dog & pony
show but without the dog & pony
How many (& what) years did you
play for the show Eric
Don Foote would have hated that
white doily embroidery
Chic,
I played in the band for all Ringling editions from the 106th (in 1976) through to the 121st (in 1991) with the exception of the 116th Edition (1986.) In my opinion, the best musical programs were the ones from the Mattel years.
A true glutton for punishment
(only kidding) so you saw both
the incline & the decline Eric
It wasn't the Mattel logo just
the Mattel checkbook & Irvin
He truly loved everything about
the show & its folks & showed it
I had the greatest respect for
him & truly admired his loyalty
Although I didn't always agree
with some of his decisions
To me the best music was during
Bill Pruyn's tenure by both his
selections & arrangements since
I diddn't have opportunity to be
around during Merle Evans time
Roland copied the leaping tiger from the litho that Charles Livingston Bull did. Strobridge gave Bull a contract in 1915 to design a polar bear, crouching lion and a leaping tiger. Strobridge paid Bull $1000.00 for the orginal painting which was a large amount of money at the time. Strobridge printed it for the Ringling Bros. Show from 1915 to 1918 and for the combined show from 1919 to 1928. Begining in 1929 Illinois litho and later Central Printing and litho would produce this litho.
I think it has been printed as a 1sheet, 16 sheet and cloth banner.
p.j.
Thanks PJ as I only knew it as
a Butler tiger that was both used
& butchered in many variations
Some much worse than others
It has always been a favorite
A cherished Christmas gift while
on Ringling staff is a Bar Mirror
version beautifully framed of
which I have a 2nd inherited
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