The "circle" fire jump
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Louis Knie Act that has reached "mythical" proportions like the GGW monkey roll trick. 1977
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE"
Relevent Stops On The Information Highway
- Custom Motorcycle Accessories by Ian
- Bob Cline's Sawdust and Spangles
- Buckles Blog
- Christophe Roullin Circus News
- Gary Robinsons Circus Blog
- Jamie Clubbs Blog
- Marco Kristens Circus Williams
- Ryan Easley's ShowMe Elephants
- Showbiz Daves Blog
- The Bartlett Society
- Thomas Bohners Cage Act History
- World of Dancing Horses
Manure Pile/Post Archive
Consultants
Wade G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Posts
18 comments:
This turning pedestal routine, all synchronizsed, was spectacular, and a once in a time presentation. nI announced it on Tarzans circus, with Tarzan presenting it. It was, like Gunthers jumps and rolls a once only routine, Neither one has been duplicated and I doubt if they ever will.These are the little "extras" that are rarely done. Please bear in mind that I saw both and am not responding on heresay.
wade i just email u.
please open it.
thank you mireille.
wade.
if u send me the info. it will be in the mail tomorrow.
sincerly mireille...
John,
And unfortunately it is all gathering dust in the barn. I saw the act in 78, and it was something. Couldn't begin to haul all the equipment today, although Susan Lacey used the bottle walk for a number of years, and I use the pedestals to this day. You could sure tell they were built by a pro. There are little "shelves" inside each pedestal so the sit, and don't jamb together.
Wade
Thank you Wade;
got it.
funy. louis knie first wife germaine. is my first cousin, on my mother side,
and Tarzan is my first cousin on my father side.
Mireille,
I did not realize that you and Germain were cousins.
Wade
I am amazed at your re-comment that bit is too heavy to take on the road. It was three pedestals with a top pedestal and jumpsw like a revolving dog table. Needed an electricd hook up, but wqs not that he3avy or involved, compared to that God Awful Cuneo "erector set" that is a stumbling block for all trainers. There have been a number of innovations that have added to animal presentation, but this is the most nrediculous and dangerousw pile ofr pig iron that any fine trainer and presentor ofr the great cats has had to put up with in order4 to get aq paqy check. You can't get nthe nice wheel of all the cats joining in. Its like trying to work a liberty or high school horse act or an elephant act with s0ome railings across the ring. I am sure you will alibi for it, but I hear tell that Herta Checks in on the "blogs", and maybe she would relate my humble opinion on a specific issue after all the marvelous animal presentations that Johyn and his "Hawthorne" have done for 50 yrs.
mon cherie Wade;
there's is alot more of it'
you will be suprised.
luv mireille.
Let me suggest that I am not biased or have a personal vendetta against variousw parties, especially Cuneo-Hawthorne presentations. The leopard-zebra-shepard dogs was fabulous, Three hind leg walking elephants with girl in center was icredible, the best five act in the business no matter who worked it. Great stage bear acts and the "horse fantasy rewvue" [lots of scratch to put that together]. So, once again my humble opinion.
John,
In addition to the round piece in the middle it had two hoops, one for fire and one with lights which was pulled up to the ceiling, it also had a bottle walk in the act which was pulled up to the ceiling, plus the mirrored balls(which you can have), plus the big wheel. Our original wheel was a bit smaller, and I replaced it with hind leg walks. Plus beautiful gold corbett jumps of which I used, and later used tigers as I don't like props. Louis often stated that one their show, it wasn't much of a problem, but once he started doing other dates it was too much to handle. Much more cumbersome then the one pyramid in the floor. I took a bridge, a fire jump/fence, a walk across plank, and a wheel out of the first act in 1977. Old tired tricks. I guess I have grown so accustomed to the pyramid that I have learned to get around it quite well. Much easier actually then walking around tall ones, and does not block the people like tall ones, plus you don't have to move props, which over the years you and others have referred to as "furniture acts" The ones of the last fifteen years are much lighter them the older ones, plus the loading of it by a winch made it much easier then in the "good old days". The more skill you are you realize the difficulty is bringing the animals to you, as you are further away. A vast majority of feline trainers push or drive the animals, and that is what made it difficult for some to use.
No Ms. C doesn't follow the blogs to much, she felt bad about the one time she did comment, as she misunderstood what the comment was about.
Wade
John,
I forgot to mention, I got a DVD of the monkey roll, and it is exactly as GGW(he wasn't responding on heresy either) , Buckles, and other described it, and I can see why he quite using it after a few months.
Wade
Addendum to John,
It had 6 pedestals, not three, and the center piece didn't move. Louis had a long arm, and walked around and the hoop turned, and he chased them through as he walked around. It is probably the most expensive props I have ever seen built, speaking volumes to the Knie family, and their standards, which they maintain today. The tiger seat pedestals which were gold plated, that's right we had it tested, Louis told me cost 2700.00 a seat in 1973. John got them in lieu of money owed, plus the cages.
Wade
I do not believe Buckles was ever on the road with Gunther, so doubt if he would have info in regard to jumps and rolls. I was there, and as a perf. dir. saw every performance and can assure you it was "part of the act" i9n every show. Probably he lost one of the tigers and certainly it would be hard to replace a new one with older ones. But it did work fine and Gunther had a nice rythym to the whole routine.
Wade, I got lost somewhere along the way. When I worked Detroit for Tarzan he had brought over this Louie Knie tiger act and worked it himself and supposedly had bought the act from Knie. Where would Mr. Cuneo fit into this transaction?
Johnny,
As well as Daniel Suskow, Pierre Spindler, and some of the animals by Gary Thomas, and Patty Zerbini. Story as I was told, John Cuneo was owed some money for contracted dates, and took a trailer load of props, cages, etc of which these were included, as partial payment. When did you announce the act on the Zerbini Show?
Wade
Johnny,
If you recall there was a discussion of this behavior/trick on Buckles Blog a few months back. You can probably find it, if it hasn't been "disappeared". I will look for it also. The consensus if I recall, was about 1/4 thumbs up, and 3/4 thumbs down, including what GGW told me about the behavior/trick. Not being one to form an opinion just because somebody said it, as I stated, I managed to get a copy of the behavior/trick, and it is exactly as GGW stated, and I will still remain in the 3/4 with thumbs down, and he was still the greatest that ever stepped into a ring, because he tried different things.
Wade
It just occured to me that I saw the debut of GGW here in Florida, both in Venice and in St. Pete and we all marvelled at tnhe jumps and rolls routine. Late in the fall Mr. Feld would have me come to Minneapolis to sign my contract with GSOE for the coming season and while there for some performances I again saw the perfection of this routine and then in Venice in rehearsals and being there every performance for the entire season and on wntrqtrs. into the next always a great part of his act, so I would suggest that some three years would not constitute a few months as you suggest, and also I have integrity and it is important to me, so please, if you seem to have an opposite opinion, I would like to hear from your source as someone who was there. I nhate bullshit and can arise to the occasion.
I still do not understand the Louie Knie trick. Yes Wade, I was the ringmaster for two consecutive years for Tarzan in Detroit. What makes you think I might be making up stories. Zeppely was in Calgary at the same time. I worked two times in Detroit with Clyde Beatty, at least twice with Tarzan and his act. pLUS fLECKLES WITH tARZAN, where I tore down the house with Jenda-Las Vegas Tanya then owned by George Hanneford. I have appeared in Detroit in the center ring with camel-llam-pony, twelve liberty horses, high school and Big and Little act. Wade, I must respond to your little innuendos that maybe I am fudging a little that might lead some people to believe that I am a bullshit artist. So in the words of my dear departed great showman and wire walking wizard, Herbie Weber, "Where were you". My career, its successes and failures are precious to me and I am very careful to not any discepensies and immediately respond to them. In fact it was Zarzan's idea to have me enter as the Equestrian-Ringmaster on horseback and it was one of the highlights of my career. For your info. on intro I entered thru the curtain in an elegant slow cadence passage, immediately into a cslow cantering sidepass and pirouettes to a stop and breakdown, alk while talking on the mike with the usual introductory announcements. Both Tommy, Tarzan and then Joe Bauer and oters, including wAYNE mCcARY AT THE bIG e would repeat me at there various productions.
Johnny,
I never insinuated anything. I just dropped a shoe, and waited to see if it would be picked up. Well, in this case a riding boot. I am basing my opinion on the tape, my conversations with GGW about the trick, and the opinions of others who saw it. Are you going to make me search for that post on Buckles Blog?
In regards to the Louis Knie trick/behavior, if you were a tiger trainer you would understand that is no more difficult then sitting up on a mirrored ball. It just required more equipment then a mirrored ball, which made the trick/behavior not worth the ROE(return on effort). I have heard "someone" in the past refer to those as "sucker tricks."
Now that you mention piaffe/passage that reminds me, John. You have some unfinished business to take care of. Why do you think there are no more great high school acts in the American Circus, and why do we have to reference one's from over 50 years ago to respond to Europe's offering's of today?
Respects,
Wade
Post a Comment