I seem to recall that when I first started getting Linking Ring magazine, there always seemed to be a full page ad for a bubble act. It wasn't soap bubbles, but I think that the illustration had a small "bubble" balancing on a cue stick. I'm curious about it. Anyone know what it was all about?

Not sure about the LR reference, but Losander has done some very Interesting work with bubbles.

This goes back, ( I think), to the early 60's, but it was advertised for a long time. If memory serves me right, it was fairly expensive for it's time.

I love the one from Mirko. I heard he sells fire bubble act in his lecture. Anyone know where I could get it?

Bubbles go way back before Losander. You guys need to look at old English music halls and Europe.

Yes!

Years ago, I picked up a paper back book by a man named "BOYS". I don't remember his initials. He did an act with bubbles. You might try Googling.

In the 1950s, (I think), there was a full page ad in the linking ring advertising a bobble act. There was a photo of a que stuck with a bubble balancing in it. I was always tempted to get it, but it was too expensive for me meager budget at the time. Since the ad was either a full page or a half page ad that ran every month for a long time, I assume that it was producing sales.

"Novelty" was a big factor in getting booked in vaudeville! Try Googling "Vaudeville Acts".....

I took your advise and searched soap bubble acts and vaudeville. There were many mentions of them in vaudeville, and a very nice site of an act out of New England who is still performing . His videos are interesting.
I've always been fascinated with novelty acts, love to watch them, and wonder how, and why, someone would learn to do them. Especially the more esoteric ones. Did you ever ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up? And did he ever answer, I want to do a soap bubble act? I keep wondering how people fall into these things . I know how I tripped int my act. Reading your terrific book, I know what prompted you, but we were in a much more popular field. There were, and are, many others interested in all forms of magic who we can learn from, but how do you learn to do a contortionist act? As
Yuk Brenner would have said, it's a puzzlement.

To answer how people end up in these novelty act, there was a local novelty guy name Jack Green. He was a shoemaker by trade but he also worked as a clown and did a novelty music act. He played empty whiskey bottles filled with color water like a xylophone. He also played cow bells the same way. The last act I saw him develop was playing "Home on the Range" on cast iron frying pans. His motivation was simply. He loved music but could not afford the instruments. This was a way to play the music. I also saw a guy once at a circus fan convention that played a bunch of weird instruments like a thurem, saw blades on a marble slab and several others.

I agree I could watch those type of act forever. I loved the musical glasses. I always threaten to learn the musical saw or ventriloquism but never got around to it.

Richard

I believe that I worked with Jack Green, maybe at the Ohio State Fair. Also worked with Pie Plant Pete and his partner, whose name I can't remember, from out your way, Richard. Gotta go look up Pete's partner's name. Pete told me he got the name when someone told him that he sang as sour as a pie plant, (rhubarb ).

Bashful Harmonica Joe. Good act, nice guys. I think that Minnie Pearl was there too. A fine, well educated gal, with a great act.

Youse guys just reminded me of the late LARRY BENNER. He played musical saw, with a fiddle bow, and "organ pipes". --They were hung on a frame, and, he rubbed them with rosined gloves. I saw him in a circus sideshow, fifty years ago. He was great!

How about Patrick Von (Vaughn?) and the Nile-O-Zons?
A west coast act, based around blowguns. Themed like an Amazon costumed act. (Hence the name Nile-O- Zon) and it was like a knife throwing act...but using blow guns instead. Lots of 'native costumes' and music ...ending with darts dipped in 'curare' while a girl stood against a target...
once seen never forgotten!

I remember working with Tex Yates in Mickey Mansion's ten in one. He did knife throwing.

I also remember Jay's line about the knife thrower, Fernando, who was rather near sighted. His wife, Carmen the XXIII was very nervous.

I had the pleasure of hosting a lecture a few years ago by Tom Noddy. Oddly, one of the most poorly attended lectures, but one of the best I have personally ever attended.

Great bubble work, and terrific stories about time spent at the Castle, and on the Tonight Show.

Punx closed his show with a bubble act. He started with the multiplying bubbles, then produced a giant soap bubble, which grew as bubbles cascaded out of the proscenium.

Here: http://www.magiasdelsur.com/magiastore/p......s_id=223

Still love the Mirko one. It's not a full bubble act but it's so touching with the music and what he's trying to express. Beautiful.

If I remember correctly, the ad that I was referring to showed a bubble riding on the side of a pool cue. It was a full page ad within a few pages of the table of contents. (Funny, I go from to living room to the kitchen and forget what I went in for. Stuff like this I remember.)