Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
Jackie was a very temperamental chimp. Anybody who was dressed strangely or loudly she took an immediate dislike to…..it must have caused a distrust within her. Anyhow, she often used the stilts as a javelin and would throw them at whoever was her victim at the time. As a result, we never let her do the stilts in close quarters. Her regular victims were the clowns or the ringmaster. The clowns hated it but it was actually pretty funny.
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Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
When I was a young kid I was impressed with Landon & his midgets. They were on the Escalante Circus with my family. Mr. Landon and Miguel did a head to head. Years later, my dad and I taught Bongi to do the same trick. We are on the Roaring20’s stag at the Hoyt Hotel in Portland, Oregon. 1963.
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Tags: acrobatics, head to head
Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
Toby would work totally free…he knew his tricks and performed them without any assistance from me or Dad. The audience loved him. When it was his turn he would run and get his prop do the trick take a bow and run back to his chair.
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Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
One Hand to Head….I saw this trick in a German hand balancing act and I taught Bongi how do it. Siebrand Bros Circus. 1955.
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Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
This was part of the comedy routine. I would try to spank him and he would cover his bottom with his hand. Photo was taken in the infield of the Pomona fair race track we were with Polack Bros,1967.
Category: Henry's Chimps, Polack Bros Circus |
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Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
Bongi thought it was funny to step in my face just before he went into a handstand. It would bring laughs and Bongi knew it as you can see from his face …he’s looking at the audience. Notice Toby peeking under Cheeta’s dress in background.
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Tags: comedy
Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
Bongi shows his talent. I wanted a chimp act that was different, so I patterned our tricks after other hand balancing performers and did the same type of trick.The comedy came naturally, I blended it in with the serious tricks.
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Tags: comedy chimps
Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
To my knowledge, no other chimp other than my Bongi, has ever done this trick head to cane. He was a natural. To this day I often think of this remarkable chimp. He was so easy to train. It was like a game to him, just fun and eager to learn. Most important of all, as he got bigger he got better and he never ever showed a mean attitude to anyone.
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Tags: hand balancing, head balancing
Posted By thecircusblog on September 7, 2008
Bongi is making sure I’m presentable before going on stage.1955, Tucson, Ariz.
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Posted By thecircusblog on September 6, 2008
Ivan, Bongi, Cheeta, Jackie, Cliff and little Toby. The comedy and the difficult tricks started in the early 50’s on the Seibrand Circus. The comedy came naturally to the chimps. When we got a laugh….we kept it in the act. In later years, it was said that “Henry’s Chimps was the best chimp act in the country.” Our highest compliment was when other performers would consistently come out to watch the act.
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