JOE MARSH'S NOVELTY JUGGLING
THE RACKET, HAT, ANID BALL COMEDY
A very effective comedy gag is worked with7 a tennis racket, soft hat, or cap, and a ball. The racket and hat have a hole in the center. After juggling the racket, hat and ball with a few moves the juggler attempts to catch the ball in the cap (or hat) but the ball goes right through and bounces on the stage. The racket tries to catch it next, but alas, the ball goes through this as well, and so on alternately until the ball settles down at which time the juggler makes a violent jump onto it with the hat and racket with a "I got ya now" expression. If a partner is working in the act, she walks on stage, sees jug. kneeling down with cap on stage, and with a piteous look throws him a dime. This is quite funny when worked well.
THE VASE OF ROSES
A novelty for lady performer. The roses are made of silk, with a wad of thick felt sewn in center for weight and very short stems that stick into cork in top of vase. Jug takes roses from vase, balances vase on fore- head and juggles the 3 roses (3 different colors). This is a colorful effect and easy to do. Fig. A.
NEW BALL MOVES
With 2 Balls: Left hand remains still all the time, right hand holds 2 balls very close to left, and throws one ball onto left palm (which is flat open all the time). This ball rolls off left hand into right hand and second ball is thrown into left palm, and so on very fast. The effect is that the 2 balls revolve very quickly on the two palms. Fig. B.
WITH 3 BALLS: Do usual mix juggle and catch one ball on right elbow, ball rolls down arm, over back of right hand, and back into juggle. Then from elbow catch, ball is dropped down (as in the well known plate drop) and caught near the floor. Fig. C.
A tricky move with a novel effect is to work the usual juggle, throw 2 balls high and pass the other ball from hand-to-hand above the head (NOT THROWN) and then resume juggling. The two balls are not thrown together but alternate as in the three ball cascade movement.
Juggling 3 balls with hands crossed is very effective and quite easy. Fig. D.
STUFF & THINGS by DOUG COUDEN
Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Oct. was our top month of 7 years in assembly biz. Yep, Lola and I viewed the R.B.B.B. show. Gent in plug hat is that jugglin' sub from out L.A. way, Homer Goddard. His side kick is Johnny Tripp, an old ringling regular. Correspondents like the letters from readers idea, including a newie scribe, Bill Talent of Hollywood. (pics on p. 80) Tried Truzzi's batons out by his wagon and they're slickeroos. If large gauge chrome-tubing were used in place of wooden staffs they would have more flash. Truzzi cascaded 7 balls. No doubt this could be incorporated in his big top act were chrome or stainless steel balls availableable. One of our dealers putting out a 2 1/2 inch ball, slightly lighter than la crosse balls would do good biz on 'em. That whammo bit of Truzzi's holding the 5-baton juggle long enough to back out of the ring is solid showmanship. He makes a fine appearance. His tall, rangy build adds to his reach in doing that spectacular 4-baton spread. (p.92). Undoubtedly Truzzi should be classed among the juggling greats of all time. Paul Wingrave sent copy of his "Juggling" and Roger sent "Old Malabar", on a Glasgow character who pitched or busked his juggling for coppers. Thanks, pals. That college boy jug, Eddie Johnson, writes, "At the Penn-Dartmouth game the Penn band formed a teepee in front of visitors' stand as sub Clem Foust (another ex-G.I. stude), dressed in Indian costume, juggled 3 "Indian" clubs. The crowd gave him a tremendous ovation. Clem is rehearsing with Mask & Wig production." Eddie also reports Frank LeDent is located in Philly and that Trixie and Esco La Rue were honeymooning when Ice Capades played there. Eddie sez all newcomers will appreciate the book idea. Snap shot shows Eddie with sub Bernie Joyce and sisters L.R., Jane, Ed, Bernie, and Ceeilig.
JUG JUGGLESON'S LETTER
Dear Roger: When you quit putting out the jugs bul no one will miss it as I write a lot of letters to everybody anyway. Had some trouble Tues. night when I was doing my Great Manhole Cover trick where I spin the manhole cover on a crowbar and balance it on my right shoulder. I knocked out the crowbar and caught the cover O.K. on my back but it bounced off and lit on the foot of a bozo standing like a dope right in front of the low platform I work on. He grabs his foot and hops around and the band picks it up quick with Turkey in the Straw and it stopped the show. Every body claps in time to the music and when he quits hopping he gets a big mit and so do I. If I could plan this stuff out before each show like Joe Cook done they'd be big dough in it. I go over strong when I have accidents so I am laying off the practice from now on. I asked the bozo if he'd work in the act but it just made him sore. It's hard to sign a good steady stooge. What I like about being a juggling bartender is when I'm dry i just mix a cold one to wet the ,whistle which you can't do in theatres. I played vaude years ago but wasn't a juggler then but worked with the American Whirlwinds. Maybe you remember me as I done a round-off and a row of fast flips and stuck a high layout back somersault on the end. I'd come down toward the boards headfirst and Peg Ryan, Pat's wife, would scream from a box. But just as everybody thought I was going to light on my head and break my neck I snapped my feet down with my dome inches from the floor and lit on my feet. Later Coleano copied the screaming idea when he did his famous double back somersault. When we played Tony Pastors we all dropped an express to Times Square just in time to catch an Arab troupe at Hammersteins but the hand they got you could put in your eye, sounded like just a few hicks slapping mosquitoes. So long, pal. Jug.
In a recent Final Curtain of the Billboard we noted the death of George Dewey. Not having any information in our files we wrote letters of inquiry and received information and pictures from Jack Greene, Tom Green and Harry Lind. This information has been combined in the following brief tribute to an excellent artist whose good fellowship was en]oyed by his contemporaries.
George Dewey was born in Chicopee, Mass. about 54 years ago. He first started into show business when only a kid as a juggler with his brother Jim Dewey (Jim died over 20 years ago). The act was The Dewey Bros. Around 1912, George replaced Jack Greene as Dan Mahoney's partner in the Altus Bros. act. He was in this act until he joined the army in the first world war. After his discharge George again joined Jim Dewey for a short while when he joined Frear-Baggett and Frear (He again took Jack Greene's place in this act as Jack left to retire to private life). George played with the three act until the formation of the Elgin act. He stayed with the Elgins four years and then played with Joe Cook in the first Ice Show at the Center Theatre in New YorK. After a tour in vaudeville with Joe Cook, George & Bill Dewey (a younger brother joined as the Dewey brothers and worked until the war broke the act up with Bill enlisting and George going into a defense plant. George was one of the best fellows ever to toss a club. Never got angry and really knew double club as well as being a good single juggler. He was one of the few jugglers who ever passed eight clubs on the stage. He did this with Dan Mahoney. He would help any new-comer into the juggling field and spent many hours telling some boy how and what to do in club juggling.
One of his favorite stories was of a man in a dance team who asked George where he could getjuggling clubs. A few months later George met the dance team again and the dancer was real abusive, "You were supposed to get me juggling clubs - I sent for some and the darn things don't juggle. When I throw them in the air they don't turn back in my hand like your clubs do."
Several have expressed an interest in a "letters to the editor dept." so here's a starter. We have taken excerpts from several letters so a larger number of views will be expressed,
Dear Roger: Thanks for the boomerang hats. I can throw all seven already - but they don't come back. When I try to juggle I have trouble with my eyes popping out and getting in the way. Yours truly, Seymour Davis.
Dear Roger: Just returned from the West Coast with a Legion Band. Didn't have to play my horn. All I did was twirling and juggling. Have been appointed head of the All American Drum Majors Association again. Regards, Maynard Velier.
Dear Roger: Somehow it happened that in printing the Carrer program in the last J.B. the last four items were overlooked. Perhaps you can include them in the next issue.
7. Carrer's idea of mixing cocktails. The devil sticks painted black. On the ends of the stick are fastened two nickle-plated cocktail shakers. Very spectacular when whirling.
8. Tosses a spoon on plate under left leg and catches the spoon behind left ear.
9. Toss of saucer, cup, spoon, and sugar lump, one at a time, from the toe of the right shoe to the top of his head. Walks off with sugar and spoon in cup on saucer on top of head.
10. For an encore, Carrer catches an orange on a fork at the end of a 24 foot limber pole balanced on his chin.
During the past week I enjoyed several pleasant visits with an old time juggler now playing nite spots in St. Louis - Johnny Nolen. He says he started tossing 'em at the age of 15 and he's now 50. He was banged up in World War I and spent 15 years in a government hospital. He has a very wide knowledge of juggling and puts on a good show - balls, plates, plug hats, straw hats, cigars, devil sticks etc. He was very friendly and showed me lots of moves including lesson I in the devil sticks. After reading those juggler's programs in Dick McKinney's copies of Stanyon's "Magic" I'm more eager than ever to get your reprint. Best regards, Charlton Chute.
Dear Roger: Had Eddie Emerson and wife, the Baron and Baroness in to see me. Along came Pryde & Daye, Bill Dunham of Erie, Pa., and Morgan Anderson another club juggler. So after a refresher, a peek at some old clippers, and a little club work in our yard, we all packed off to Erie to see Pryde & Daye juggle at the Calibrese Club. Pryde & Daye pulled me out on the floor at the club and I did a little juggling at the first show. Then on the second show I took Pryde's place in the 6 club passing with Alice. The next afternoon they called on me again for a solo so I took 3 clubs, closed my eyes tightly and told the crowd to start counting. I started the 3 and made 70 passes, they stopped counting and I made about 15 more passes and stopped the clubs. Our host Mr. & Mrs. Dunham put over a grand time for us all. All good wishes, Harry H. Lind.
Dear Roger: Long time no write, and it's a strain on me not to, as always have so much news to relate but cannot afford this luxury as formerly, since I'm plugging away working my fool head off it seems. Just closed a two week engagement at the Glenn Rendezvous Newport, Ky. Also appeared on Headliner Show of the Magicians Alliance of Eastern States in Baltimore Sept. 27th. Met Lou Meyer, Andy Thumser and Frank Portillo there. There's a nice two page spread in Mechanix Illustrated, Dec. 1946 issue of Lew Folds in photos doing a couple of juggling tricks. I had that Carnival set of Libby Glasses for a long time before you mentioned it, and also have a set of three other glasses which have dogs juggling. These are much nicer than the Libby glasses and are $1.75 each. If anyone is interested I'll pass on the address where they can be obtained. Ted and Flo Vallett are current at Loew's State, N.Y.C., and Val Setz opens at the Capitol the 28th. The Three Swifts were at the Albee Theatre in Cincinnati while I was at the Glenn Rendezvous so I visited Billy Pike before they closed. Edward Van Wyck now makes his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, having left Cincinnati. Spud Roberts writes, and so does Jack Greene, but I never hear from you. Bobby May has a son now. Everything that pertained to juggling including the props of the late Leo Rullman are now in my studio, as that's the way both he and Mrs. Rullman wanted it to be. I especially treasure the set of five imported water colors of Hindu jugglers that Joseph Dunninger picked up in the Orient many years ago and gave to Leo. It's in the studio for all comers to view. All of the best and jugglingly, Larry Weeks.
WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS:
Joe & Wally Beach, 70 Saratoga Street, Springfield-5, Mass.
Arthur Bassett, South Milford, Indiana
Harry Parker, 4128 Clarendon Ave., Chicago, Ill.
Ellard 0. Miller, 3111, Oakland St., Ames, Iowa
Topper Martin, "Ice Revue"', London, England
Bernice Dean, 1296 E. San Fernando St., San Jose, California
William B. O'Brien, 8 Strathmore Brookline-16, Mass.