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D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
What was the name of Harry Blackstone Senior's donkey? Bubbles?????? How was it used in the show? to appear? disappear?
Any other info about the donkey such as the years that he used it, etc would be appreciated. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
It was a BURRO, not a donkey! "She" appeared from under a "bunch" of silks that had been produced from a big "drum".
with Nick Ruggiero and Dick Berry (assistants on the "Show of 1001 Wonders") I helped walk the little beast down Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. one afternoon. The show was playing the DAVIDSON THEATER. The little beast was wearing a "blanket" with "Blackstone's Senora" embroidered on it. IIRC, it was Blackstone's last season on the road with the big show, which would have made it the fall of 1949.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
How is a burro different than a donkey?
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
A burro, (according to my computer's dictionary) is a SMALL donkey.
I know from experience, that a donkey is equivalent in size to a small horse. Harry (pere) used a BURRO. It was the size of a large dog. It "had to be". It was carried on under a large silk, to finish the girl in the drum.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
He originally produced a goat the same way.
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hi Richard! I have a picture of Harry Sr. "the" goat, and a couple of box jumpers. It was in one of the souvenir programs from the mid '40s.
I never saw the goat production. (I did see the burro). Someone (I can't remember whom) told me that Harry used the goat as an opener. Apparently, the goat was b*dy l**d*d. (under the Inverness) and a rather large foulard. I don't want to say any more... It is certainly possible that the old man used the goat in the drum, also.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts |
The offshoot "Americana" (or whatever country he or Jr was in, the name changed).
But I digress. Talk about misdirection.... You start with a single small silk and end up with 7 larger and larger silks (till they fill a 75 foot wide proscenium) and the menagerie of bigger and bigger animals that were produced from behind them. Similar to a vampire illusion - but - look what you can do without a modern cabinet. And on the flip side, man, do you need good assistants to pull something like that off. Just look at jrs. unforgettable half time show, that went haywire mostly because of the assistants not doing their part. (If you haven't seen it.... Don't.)
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Yeah Jay!
I missed that half time fiasco. --and, having known Harry Jr., and respecting his talent, I will follow your suggestion! ("If you haven't seen it....Don't.")
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts |
OH...
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
MJE Elite user After all these years,I STILL have only 409 Posts |
[quote]On Sep 30, 2015, Dick Oslund wrote:
A burro, (according to my computer's dictionary) is a SMALL donkey. Yeah, that's generally the way it's thought of. However, in Spanish (and, I presume, other languages) the word burro means donkey, so........Eh, it's not all that important, I guess..... |
D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
I talked with Adele Friel Rhindress last night. She was the Elusive Moth in the late 1940s show with Blackstone, Sr.
Adele said the name of the burro/donkey was either Amigo or Sally depending on the situation. According to Adele, the burro was named after Sally Bank Coppin who was part of the show. Sally had been married to Ted Coppin who died from smoke inhalation after the 1942 fire. For those of you who have not yet met Adele, it would be worth the effort to seek her out. More information about her is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdJ14Z73oA |
hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
Ted died of a heart attack from the stress of moving the equipment out. He was found dead in his hotel room the day after the fire.
Adele is a sweatie. Her book, the Ellusive Moth, is a good read also. Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
You may be right on the heart attack, Richard. However, Adele specifically said it was from effects of smoke inhalation, and she said it was not from a heart attack as people thought. I don't know what her source of information is since she did not join the show until several years after the fire.
I'll let you argue with her about it. Doc |
hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
I never argue with a lady.
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
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