World's oldest blog on circus, variety and allied arts. Est.2005.
"I much enjoy your blog". Ricky Jay.
Journal, Cabinet, Repository of Erudite Pastimes, even a Gymnasium for the Polemist and the Humorist; Consacrated to Oddities and Facts Concerning Peculiarities of Theatrical Amusements related to the Circus, Conjuring, etc.; their Connections to Fine Arts; the Uncovering the Curiosities of their Past, and the Critical and Hopefully Provocative Account of what of Interest is Remaining of their Uncertain Present. Profusely Illustrated.
Eric Brenn, or the mastering of porcelaine for entertainment purpose
Plate spinning is one of the most widely replied standards in showbiz, from small country circuses to far-east night club. But the act itself is an insidious and marvellous machine for thrill, timing, skills, comedy, audience involvement and all that makes great an act. It is a lesson for the eternal adagio: no matter what you does in front of footlight, yourself is what really matters. Personality will always be the eternal secret. Now, is difficult to find in the history a man better than Eric Brenn to make of this specialty a masterpiece of pure art. Here is Eric Brenn in action at Ed Sullivan's in 1969:
Kuda Bux, from India, was an unique act in the last century of inusual performances. He was able to read and write while wrapped as a mummy, or even drive a car. But he needed glasses to read his newspaper in normal conditions.
Half of the fascination of his internationally admired act was the ritual of meticolously obscuring his wiew with gauzes and napkins. A deliciously mysterious blend of Esp, exotica, bondage, masochism, with a flavour of night-club fashion and a twist of sci-fi atmosphere, Kuda Bux was a sort of horror movie hero. It can be witnessed in the video below: even if not of the best quality, the relic preserves the entirety of his act.
One of the very first post subjects of our blog was the amazing Insects Circus, that we discovered few years ago on London's south bank (just few steps away from Astley's circus birthplace).
Later, two of the most succesful features of the blog were Koringa the reptiles' queen and Hadji Hali, regurgitator extraordinaire. Now, Mark Copeland, Insect Circus Impresario, sends us two interesting findings about our two icons. We offer them to you readers, being also an opportunity for stimulating your curiosity to revive those past marvels, searching into our blog for: insect circus, koringa, hadji ali.
Dear Raffaele,
Having discovered your wonderful Novelties pages through an Insect Circus google alert some time ago, I've been a big fan of your blog. Thanks for including my museum amongst your wonders!
I thought you might be interested in the two attached pictures from my collection. The Koringa poster is not in great condition but is quite rare. Also the photo is not wonderful as it is framed and difficult to photograph as it's behind glass. It is from the Reco Bros Irish tour of 1946. The other picture is a flyer for Hadji Ali when he performed in London in 1936. I believe he died sometime that year...?
Looking forward to more of your Novelties as they appear,
We imagine our initiated readers, being periodically exposed to our past bizarreries, often complaining the nowadays loss of inusual acts, strange performances, unthinkable talents. Gone seems the times when words such daring, sexy, mysterious, hilarious, devastating were the brilliant faces reflecting the magic of a same, surreal perfectly cut diamond. We saved for the holidays one of those pearls. So we can introduce you to Miss Amy-G, the lady in the picture above. She is not an oddity of the past but a marvel of the presents. She lives with us. Enjoy her unique talent on the video below.
Before the plethora of Eastern acrobats, wannabe magicians and outdated post-burlesque divas, the origins of the night-clubs were studded by outstanding showstoppers. One of the very first of them, by the late '40s, was the "Charlivels" act. Valentino, Juanito and Charlie jr. (sons of the legendary clown Charlie Rivel), helped to open the way to variety acts in such places as Latin Quarter in New York, Ciro's at Hollywood and the very early Las Vegas lounges, without forgetting to grace european temples as Medrano, London's Talk of the Town, Copenhagen's Schumann, etc. Here they are, in a tv show from the 60s (we posted the video in 2 parts).
But what they did in their act? Well, just everything.
We've been missing for awhile, being quite busy at the moment. This not being a vulgar excuse to abandon you or to uderestimate your appetite for memorabilia.
Waiting for our comeback here, you can highly entertain yourself with the ultimate online divertissement for the serious and competent circus history amateur:
It is a project made possible by the grace of Big Apple Circus. It is curated by historian extraordinaire Dominique Jando, with some participation by ours. You will be treated with an incessantly-growing cornucopia of texts, video, images and much more. We hope you will enjoy our work. And your feedback will be highly appreciated.
The art of surprising and impress the spectator always falls in predictable categories: magicians, clowns, fakirs, hypnotists, etc. Our readers knows how much we enjoys to ignore those genres, searching for performers whose art doesn't leave us other possibilities than to avoid the taxonomy. Today we invite you to make the knowledge of Elvis Mokko, from Mozambico (probably the only novelty act ever from this remote country). He was a regular feature of european night-clubs in the 70s, then turning to theme park and events in Germany. What he does? See by yourself from this performance in Cirque d'Hiver, Paris, from the late 70s.
We will never give up to swim into the past in search of one of our most beloved obsessions: crocodile hypnotizers. Our analyst is still investigating about the reasons of this fascination of ours, that we sincerely hope you endure to appreciate. Today is the turn of one of the most distinguished heroes in the field at the turn of last century: Capitan Wall. Unfortunately, moving footage doesn't seem to exist.
Quick-change artists have been a beloved feature of vaudeville, circuses and music-hall stages. If two Italians must be credited to make of this a true art form worldwide (Leopoldo Fregoli in last century, pictured below, and Arturo Brachetti those days), other singular variations have been around.
Quick-change modern pioneer, Leopoldo fregoli (1900 ca.)
Among obscure rapidity skill of victorian impersonation, oriental mask transformers, papier-maché parodists, Russian walking fashion shows, some singular gem emerges. One of those was Gerard Sety from France. Mr.Sety, who left this world in 1998, was a French movie actor whose dozens of popular film appearances are credited. But his non-screen identity was tied to an umbelievable cabaret stage act in which he completely revolved the concept of quick-change: in fact it is proper to classify it as a slow-change performer. His 10-minute piece, performed in any language, became in the crescendo an hallucynant masterpiece of pure dadaism. We had somewhere a version of the act in his integrity, likely the last time in his life he performed it in TV. Even if in Italian language, we are sure that is perfectly enjoyable in his universal crazyness. Ladies and gentleman, please admire the only and unique slow-change act in the history: Gerard Sety.
In a realm crowded of crowns, filled with princes, lords and queens, as is the showbusiness world of obscure specialties, we recently twice illustrated as one and only was the sovereign of the artistic appropriation of others' valued properties. We twice unhearted images of the late Borra, promising more wonders to come. And today you can discover in all his magnificence, his complete act. Crowned with another small gallery of the publicity he was heralded with (and, please, gently remarks the delicious Knie circus poster in which Borra attempts to steals a letter). We also wish to remember that today Charly Borra, the son of the master, is still touring the planet exhalting the remarkable art of his progenitor (awebsite of him seems forthcoming).
In the realm of the anthropomorphic circus mythology, the boxing kangaroo represents without any doubt one of the primal icons. The direct opposition between man and beast, framed in the world of sports and leisures, assures to the savage creature the potential of a victory, under the fair eyes of a genuine federal referee. A small gallery of emblematic boxing kangoroos from various eras, finishing with a filmed witness of one of those fights, with a very distinguished defiant.
A disappearing race of female swallowing marvels and his hopefully renaissance
As our social ecosystem is deeply changing and revolving, several are the disapperaring forms of life as the most peculiar ways of earnig life itself. One of those in dangerous extinction is the sword swallowing practice. If the masculine tradition can still countfew dozens of exponents scarcely scattered around the globe, the gentle sex representants seems nowadays much rare.
In the last century, sideshow platforms,variety stages and modest village squares pullulated of this most sexier emanation of burlesque, where the puritan observer, while enjoyng the thrill of the feat, could safely imagine the most forbidden variations on those ladies whose throats housed every size of iron weapon in multiple numbers and shapes, as well as neon tubes, chair legs, scissors spoons etcetera etcetera. Then, with politically correctness of the fairground and his live entertainments, toward the end of last century more reserved variations on the deep throat imagery excited in the most confortable way the imagery of the adult in private silver screen consumptions.
Today’s pleasant renaissance of burlesque and sideshow culture is inspiring a rebirth of ladies talented in modern mouth miracles. The actual leader of the movement, according our modest judgment, resides in England and is Miss Amy Saunders, aka Miss Behave. She is an immensely talented performer, the most perfect cabaret guest, chanteuse and comedienne, and of course gifted in oral oddities.
We leave you today with a gallery ofpast braveries (a series of portraits selected and graciously stolen fromwonderful www.swordswallow.com), to finish with a clip of Amy accomplishing a singular Guinness record.
And now the clip. Well, Guinnes Record. We agree on how vulgar is to suggest the discovery of an artist with a television game appearance, and we wished to offer you a more theatrical piece from Miss Behave's repertory. The even infinite resources of the "net" don't allow us, and we hope you soon see her live in her most appropriately decadent atmosphere.
Another great performer left this world in the last few days. Lottie Brunn was one of the last witness of last century's great shomanship, when mastering an act was a mysterious formula of tantalizing talent, erotic elegance, raucous rythm. And of all the remaining ingredients to make you believe that the performer was part of another world, the ambassador of a kingdom invented to exhilarate you in a happy evening, to then turn into a gentle ghost to wake you the following morning in a regenerate state of grace, to face the ordinary world. That was Mrs. Brunn, now in the realm of the legend where her brother Francis was waiting before. They were in a class before stylized rainbow lycras, elaborate face paintings and sophisticated aseptic soundtracks. They were in a class when performing was a matter of personality, smiles, continuous seduction, masterful interaction with a live swing band, and a concept of costumes as going to a court ball twice daily. Lottie and Francis are now perhaps doing the same up there, very far in the sky, in the same world where this class can last forever: the class of Borra the king of pickpockets; or the gentleman magician Channing Pollock; of the elegant chaotic George Carl; the absurd but aristocratic dancing Doll Family of midgets; the lord of horsemanship Albert Schumann, or Count Basie and his band. An array of smiles, subtle touches of shomanship, white ties, silk dresses, personal lobby photos polished as new shoes, feats of acrobatics or legerdemain presented with the lightness of a joke, to distracted night-club audiences mesmerized for seven long minutes when the world and all is cold wars seemed to stop. What a century it was. What performers they were.
The unusual comedy art of Karl Kossmayer and his mule (with a new discovery)
One of the most intense circus experiences of my childhood was the act of the “unrideable mules”: in wich a good dozen of spectators is invited to win a prize if able to complete a ring circle on the back of the savage quadrupede, catastrophically ending with the impossible attempts of a quiet but tenacious old man. Later, you could have spent weeks puzzling if he was a genuine spectator or some kind of strange performer.
For me, the image of the little old gentleman, approaching the ringwith his program in the hands, pursued by his wife and finishing to lost his pants, was a shock. A contrast between the greatest humor and a feel of unease; a masterpiece on the border between fiction and reality, completely played on the separation line between the shadowy space of the audience and the bright territory of the performer. Was this man from the circus? Nobody could really answer in front of the immense showmanship of Karl Kossmayer. A perfect illusion in which, long before Wharol, everybody was promised five minutes of celebrity. And, slowly during the act, this little character carried to the ring a perfect history of an universal retired middle-class type, life-dominated by his wife’s discipline, and wasting in few second all his life’s boring dignity to reach the impossible world of the clowns.
This was great drama, revolutioning the roles of the theatre far before the avant-gardes. An actor impersonating a spectator who wants to be an actor, without declaring to be acting… Pirandello was nothing, compared to Kossmayer.
Karl Kossmayer (1917-2000), from a great trainers family, started his act in 1928, and with it toured the globe, generating imitators all around the world. His sister Julie impersonated perfectly “the wife”. Starring with the best jugglers, acrobats, clowns, trainers of his time, his act was so strong on the audience that the only place to put it was mostly to close the program.
The act was filmed by the great Jacques Tati as part of his circus movie “Parade”, in 1974 (mostly of the movie critics are still thinking that this perfect act was a Tati’s idea).
And now, our little discovery. In fact, we have found also an unusual clip. Kossmayer toured briefly in Usa with Holiday on Ice of 1960. That’s it. They used to put for few minutes a carpeted circus ring on the ice and display the mule act. And the comedy effect was emphasized immensely when Karl repeatly covered on ice the distance between his loge seat and the circus ring, with a masterful catalog of falls and trips. Unfortunately, his American success was short, because, for safety issue, audience members were discouraged to test their skills with the “dangerous” mule. The homeland of rodeos was starting to be politically correct also for the masters of European circus artistry.
I became friend with Karl in his last years, always sharing wonderful times visiting the Monte Carlo Festival.
Today we wants to divulgate his art to the new generations of the world, with a double tribute: his act in the traditional version, from the mentioned Tati movie; and our discovered excerpt of the way he did it on Holiday on Ice, from a forgotten Ed Sullivan special.
We already paied our tribute to Litlle Tich, presenting the irresistible film of his "long boots" act, the first recorded comic movie (filmed in 1900) and, according to Jacques Tati "the root of everything is basic in the art of the comic film". In times of pionnerism in everything (we are around year 1900), Tich had another illustrious contemporary walking the stages: Miss Loie Fuller, who with his "danse serpentine" revolutioned the concept itself of ballet. The fast, modern dynamism of her variety specialty, with elaborated light effects, was captured in various way: the poster art of Chéret, the early photographers, the study on motion of Tolouse-Lautrec itself and finally a certain Mr.Louis Lumiére who was experimenting on the moving image. In fact, Miss Fuller's act was filmed and hand colored as early as 1898.
Then, the encounter.
Miss Fuller was a star. And Little Tich was the king of parody. They even happened to share the same Folies-Bergères stage. So was almost natural for the great little comic to add in his repertory his version of the Fuller's serpentine dance. And, as for the "big boot", this act too was filmed for the posterity even is less known and very short. It is preserved in some movie archives. According our vocation for wonderous novelties, we searched, find it and posted on youtube.
Now, in the following video windows, please compare the two stars: Loie Fuller's original movie by Lumiére of 1898, and the Little Tich's genial version of 1900.
The prodigious act of Borra, while based on theatrical pickpocketing, started with excuse for other odd talents, as in the tradition of every great of the variety and circus stage. The master opened silently his act with an enchanting routine of smoke rings, then with a masterful ball manipulations, always surrounded by the gazes of the circus audience. We unhearted a too brief excerpt of Borra's opening from a British newreel from the late 40s, when he was appearing at Bertram Mill's Circus, at London's Olympia hall. And we promptly posted it on youtube, for your pleasure and future memory.
Asking for your excuse for the past silent week, our appropriate choice is to be loud, turning on music.
Before mp3 and even gramophone, to appreciate the virtuosism of music was necessary to step into the kingdoms of variety, early vaudeville, circus or travelling fair theatres. This was the realm of peculiar instruments or musician virtually unknown by nature or human science. It was the paradise offoot-bell ringers, elephant orchestras, lilliputian full bands, vegetable players, upside down pianists, unycicle brass ensembles and thousands of other variations.
Today’s gallery is a small tribute to the immense musical population of this era.
Today not one but a couple of little gems for the scholars of the unusual, specifically dedicated to the lovers of magic.
When magic was still a flamboyant ingenuous theatre art and the Soviet Circus the largest contingent of bizarre entertainment of the planet, the Kio magic family was not less exagerate in his grandiosity than a zar dinasty.
Igor Kio sen., then his sons Igor jun. and Emil, used to have each a one-hour show filling half of the circus program. Each of them travelling the world with his own staff of magic technicians, magic dancers, magic animals, magic clowns, magic dwarves, band leader conducting a 40-pieces jazz orchestra and the most unimaginable paraphernalia that the sovietic technology could have assured during the cold war to a magic show. In Moscow they had shops and engineers to build continuously new shows and misteriously perplexing apparata. Magic as a metaphor of occult powers of deception from the East? Maybe, if you like it that way.
Here you can witness, even in their brevity, two classic of magic emphasized by the full spectacularity of the socialist realism era, starring Igor Kio jun.
One is the magic of waters turned into ducks. The other one is the most spectacular version ever staged of the “cremation of a woman”,enjoying the height and space possibilities of a round circus ring.
Before the plethora of Eastern acrobats, wannabe magicians and outdated post-burlesque divas, the origins of the night-clubs were studded by outstanding showstoppers.
