Friday, February 26, 2021

ELVIN #4


 

10 comments:

Roger Smith said...

For my money, the best ever done.

Happy Birthday, Elvin.

Chic Silber said...


Me too Roger it was this

flying heel catch that

won him the Gold Clown

Charles Hanson said...

Totally agree...The Electrifying Elvin Bale....He sold that trap act from start to finish. Happy Birthday Elvin

Bob Swaney said...

Saw his heel catch and his wheel in Oakland in the late 70s. Blown away by both. Happy Birthday!

Chic Silber said...


The 1st 2 wheels I ever saw were Leigh Heisinger's & Johnny Luxom's

They were both "Erector Sets" kind of structures with many cables

They both played 'Circus America" at the Capitol Center in 1974

The very best wheel ever was "Big Bertha" on Big Bertha

That very heavy Robin egg blue steel tube construction of Elvin's

was a bear to handle & suspend but it's weight gave it great momentum

Chic Silber said...


Leigh's wheel was built by the

originator & patent holder of

this "Apparatus" Clay Beckett

Kenny Dodd remembered Beckett

Chic Silber said...


Correction of the spelling

of Johnny "Luxem" Lamberti

Not Luxom

Chic Silber said...


Many of the newer wheels are

fitted with "training" rails

Chic Silber said...


To me 2nd best flying heel catch

was the late Gerard Soules

It was his fear that forced him to

switch to the dressed up dog act

Chic Silber said...


This ceiling detail shows that

it was taken in the "New Garden"

which is actually MSG #4 which

opened in 1968