Many years ago I purchased about 10-20 scrap books from an old collector. Sometimes I look through them and discover some interesting things. Some I've shown before, but it's nice to have them together.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Odds and ends and Ads...Kremo Family, Morris Cronin, Long Tack Sam, Melba Littlejohn, Rhodesia, Selbo, The Brunins..W C Fields.
Friday, November 4, 2022
A Short Magical Diversion- Suee Seen/ Olive 'dot' Robinson
She was an integral part of one of the world’s most famous
magic acts but died in obscurity in the United States. Suee Seen, Chung Ling
Soo’s assistant was a sensation when she toured Australia in 1909 with her
famous husband.
Augusta Pfaff also known as Olive Path, was born around 1863
in Cleveland Ohio. She was a short petite young girl and at an early age worked
in a vaudeville chorus line. From this she met first, magician ,Harry Kellar
and then, magician , Alexander Herrmann.
These men were legendary performers, and Olive, a small statured lady
who stood under five feet tall, was an essential on stage assistant for both.
She was skilled, discreet and deft, all vital characteristics for magic
performance.
Through Herrmann she met William Ellsworth Robinson, a man
who specialised in making magical apparatus. Robinson had ambitions to become a
magician, but lacked charisma on stage.
After seeing a Chinese Magician, Chung Ling Foo, Robinson decided to create an
act capitalising on the fad for all things eastern. He also blatantly stole
some of Foo’s tricks. In a classic example of Orientalism, Robinson became the
‘Chinese’ magician Chung Ling Soo, and Olive, who he nick named ‘Dot’ became
his assistant as Suee Seen, and later, his second wife.
By 1909 . Soo was widely regarded as one of the most skilful
magicians and illusionists in the world. Australian Tivoli Theatre owner, Harry
Rickards, in an amazing coup, managed to persuade the magician and his
assistant, Dot, to tour Australia and New Zealand that year. They were one of
the most successful and popular acts ever presented on the Tivoli Circuit.
Chung Ling Soo decorated his set in elaborate Asian style,
with heavy curtains and oriental accoutrements. His presentation was as Chung
Ling Soo, a man of half Scottish, half Chinese ancestry, although he had no
Chinese ancestry at all. Suee Seen, Dot, did not claim to be Chinese, but
appeared as Mrs Chung Ling Soo, in long robes and plaited hair.
Robinson and Olive had been together for a long time, and
William was a bit of a playboy. In 1907 he met Louise Blatchford and they had a
child together. Dot and William’s relationship was quite strained due to this.
But when they travelled in Australia they mostly appeared together, with Dot
stuck to William’s side.
Olive was an integral part of the Chung Ling Soo phenomenon.
She palmed props, appeared and disappeared at the whim of the magician and
played her role as Mrs Chung Ling Soo to perfection. She also appeared on
several postcards alone as Suee Seen.
In Australia she appeared in almost all the on stage
illusions.
There was the dice trick. A tower of large dice was stacked
on a small table, Chung Ling Soo covered
it, and seconds later, Suee Seen would
appear magically from thin air.
In what Charles Waller called ‘a beautiful illusion’
Suee appeared in a many sided crystal
lantern floating above the stage by a chain, and when covered by a cone she magically
transformed into a blooming orange tree.
In the cauldron illusion, a large pot was placed on stage. The
Magician poured buckets of water, a dead pigeon, rabbits and fowls into it.
Then a fire was lit, the water boiled, steam poured out and from the haze
stepped tiny Suee Seen
Then there was the arrow trick. Chung Ling Soo, hoisted an
arrow attached to a string in a bow. The magician aimed at a target, pulled
back the string, but Suee Seen would run
in front of him, and was accidentally shot with the arrow. The string was seen
running through her stomach from front to back.
In the bullet catching trick. Where the magician would catch
bullets fired from a gun in his teeth and spit them out into a plate, Dot was
responsible for the sleight of hand that ensured the marked bullets appeared in
the right place at the end of the trick
According to a New Zealand newspaper,
When she is not hanging from a hook, she is bouncing from a trap- or being cooked in a cauldron- or changing costume in a moment, in the twinkling of a hook and eye
Her role in all these illusions was essential to the success of the act. So much so , that after the marriage collapsed, Chung Ling Soo retained her services as his assistant at a wage of 25 pounds a week. A very generous sum for the time. The pair maintained a professional relationship as William continued his affair with Ms Blatchford. Although officially married, Dot and William did not share rooms on the road and had separate residences outside their touring schedule.
Dot worked with Soo and Company until a dark night in March
1918 in England. That evening, the bullet catch trick went horribly wrong, and
Chung Ling Soo, magician and pretender died on stage from a bullet wound.
Dot was there that night and stayed by his side as he was
taken to hospital. She was inconsolable when he passed away.
Dot stopped performing. Unfortunately she was barely
remembered in Robinson’s will, inheriting only one third of the estate, the
majority of which went to Louise Blatchford and her children with the magician.
Dot stayed in England until 1922, then moved to the US where
she lived in relative obscurity until her death in 1934
She was originally buried in an unmarked grave. However, an
online campaign led by magic historian Diego Domingo, resulted in her burial place
being recognised in 2016. Today she is
regarded as one of the most famous and skilled magician assistants in history
Sunday, October 23, 2022
An Encaged Bird- Elimar the Juggler Part One
This three part article on Elimar was inspired by David Cain's short mention here. I want to thank Elimar's daughter, Robyn, for taking the time to chat with me about her father. A lot of the information comes from official documents in the Australian Government Archives and newspaper accounts.
Elimar Clemens Buschmann was born in Cologne Germany on
November 18, 1917, to August Buschmann and Martha Meuller. He was the third and
youngest son of the couple.
When he was 14, just before the Nazis came to power, Elimar
left school, apparently against the wishes of his parents. He later told an
Australian newspaper that he ran away to join the circus.
‘My parents found me already launched on a tight rope
walking career and took me back home. They made me promise never to walk a wire
again. However, when they found how interested I was, they released me from my
promise and facilitated the study I have given to wire walking.’
It seems that Elimar was a wire walker before being a juggler.
He found his first employment locally in Cologne, Dusseldorf and in other towns
close to home, but his first international tour was to Switzerland.
After this he began touring Europe, he claimed to have
performed in France, the United States, and shared beer with the King of
Denmark. In Australia he told the press
an exciting story about an adventure in Budapest where he was abducted and
forced to impersonate a local prince.
‘Once I got used to the idea it was good fun- until a
frantic girl, probably one of the prince’s discards, burst into the palace with
a gun’
Elimar claimed to have been injured by one of the three
shots she fired, but fortunately he survived the ordeal. The journalist reporting this story doubted
its veracity, but enjoyed its telling, proving that Elimar, even at a young
age, was a skilled raconteur.
Elimar from an early programme.
What is true is that in 1938 he was performing at the
Palladium in London. In January the next year he was back in Germany and
obtaining an exemption from military service from the government. Elimar was
sending money to his parents regularly, and he believed this was the reason the
government gave him an exemption.
He returned to England in 1939. There was lots of war talk
at the time but Elimar, at 22 years old and obsessed with his career, thought
little of it. When performing in London
in April, he was spotted by Australian Frank Neil, who ran the Tivoli circuit.
Neil booked Elimar for an Australian tour at around 50 pounds a week. The fair
haired, 6 foot tall, lightly built young German juggler was on his way to
Australia and was enthusiastic and excited about the adventure.
He left England in August 1939 on the Moloya. It was an
eventful journey. On September 3, whilst Elimar was at sea, England declared
war on Germany and Australia declared war the same day. The next port of call
for the Moloya was Bombay, India, a British Colony, where Elimar and the other
German passengers were interned for three weeks. The internment policy at that
time was quite relaxed, so the internees were released to continue their
journey to Australia after signing a document stating that they would take no
action to harm the British Empire. But
more drama ensued when Elimar got into an argument with a fellow passenger
about lights. Due to war time restrictions, all sea traffic had to travel in
darkness, so there were strict rules about smoking on board and lights in the
cabins. Elimar claimed that he had chastised a refugee for smoking in the open,
while others claimed that Elimar had ignored the order to dim the lights in his
cabin. The facts were disputed, but the German juggler and enemy alien was reprimanded,
and a record was kept of the incident.
He finally arrived in Australia in October 1939. For the first
three weeks he stayed in Melbourne and relaxed, then he appeared on the Tivoli
stage in November. He performed in a revue called, Carry On. The act was very
well received by the Tivoli audience.
He started on the
floor, proving to be a skilled juggler with his feet on the ground, then moved
to a slack wire and astonished the crowd with his abilities. Amongst his feats
were juggling 8 hoops whilst balancing on one leg, and the highlight, standing
on the loose rope, swinging a hoop on one leg, balancing a ball on a stick
suspended from his mouth, and juggling eight hoops at the same time. The
newspapers called him a ‘juggling genius’ and the ‘world’s greatest juggler on
a wire’. His feats were described as ‘truly miraculous’ and he was touted as
being ‘the only man in the world who has achieved what hitherto was termed
impossible.’
He spent five weeks at the Tivoli in Melbourne and six weeks
performing in Sydney. Tragedy struck the Tivoli circuit in January the next
year, when Frank Neil, the man who had hired Elimar, died, and new management
took over the theatre chain. Yet the performances continued. In February 1940
he juggled in Queensland at the Regent Theatre, entertaining between movies, in
March he appeared in South Australia, but it seems his Tivoli contract expired
shortly afterwards.
Elimar was a German alien in an Australia at war. Almost
immediately after war was declared, the Australian authorities had rounded up and
interned known fascists and members of the local Nazi party. Other enemy
aliens, including visitors such as Elimar, were subjected to stringent rules.
He was obliged to inform the authorities when he left the police district or
travelled more than 5 miles from his lodging, was required to visit the local
police station regularly and sign yet another document stating that he would
not do anything detrimental to the British Empire. However, in general, the
Australian government was quite casual about enemy aliens. There was no urgency
to intern them as facilities and money were an issue, and the authorities felt
that their round up of German fascists, who they had been watching for some
time, was sufficient to keep the country secure.
In April 1940, Elimar disobeyed the rules. He was lodging at
the Alexandra Hotel in Melbourne and reporting to the local police station as
required. One Monday after fulfilling his duty he was drinking at the hotel,
when his friend, George Nichols, Australian comedian, and fellow Tivoli performer,
invited him to go to Dimboola to shoot quail. Elimar thought this was a great
idea and spent almost a week in the country with George and a group of Germans,
to whom, on George’s advice, he posed as Danish. They
had an enjoyable trip and went to the annual military ball. However, when
Elimar returned to his hotel in Melbourne that Friday, a detective was waiting
for him. He was arrested and interned at Tatura internment camp for not informing
the authorities of his movements.
He was swiftly released and after paying a 10 pound fine,
was free to perform again.
Elimar from a newspaper 1940
In May 1940 he was touring Queensland with George Sorlie, a
local vaudevillian and aspiring impresario. Also on the tour were several local
performers including Buddy Morley, who was infatuated with Dawn Butler, a teenager,
who assisted Elimar during his act. They toured the north of Queensland under a
canvas tent and the group was warmly welcomed and applauded every night.
In Brisbane in July, Elimar gave an interview to a local
paper, where he claimed to be Danish, and told the story of being abducted in
Budapest.
That month, Elimar was happily performing with little care
for events in the outside world. But the situation with the Allies had changed,
the phoney war was over, and it was becoming increasingly real to Australians. Germany
had invaded Denmark, and France had signed an armistice with the Nazis. The Allies
situation looked bleak and somebody in the performing arts community did not
think Elimar was fully supporting their effort.
‘Actors’ in the vaudeville community reported him to the
authorities. Apparently Elimar had said ‘you will all be speaking German soon’,
had openly made comments supporting Germany, and was having arguments about the
war with fellow performers. Elimar
subsequently denied these allegations and suggested that professional jealousy
may have caused some ill will. His salary was enormous compared to the wages of
local performers. However, the
authorities decided that there was enough evidence of Nazi sympathies, and he
was detained again.
In July, he was arrested in Brisbane and interned in
Gaythorne internment camp, where he remained until October. From there he was transported to Tatura
internment camp in Victoria. He was to spend the next six years in Tatura as a
prisoner of the Australian government.
I am unable to sing- Elimar the juggler Part 2
This is part two of a three part article on Elimar the juggler. This mainly concerns his imprisonment in an Australian internment camp. There is very little information particularly about Elimar in the camp, but the transcript of his appeal is available through the Australian National Archives. Most of the information here comes from that document. Some files about Elimar are still sealed.
Tatura is a beautiful town in country Victoria, it was a
perfect site for an internment camp because of its isolation. It was a bare
bones camp, there were corrugated iron huts with bunk beds but no insulation, sitting close together on a large flat plain, barbed wire surrounded the
housing and armed soldiers guarded the perimeter. The internees were treated as
prisoners of war, there were set food times and menus, daily parades and roll
calls. For a travelling performer in particular, the lack of freedom of
movement would have been excruciating.
Camp 1 was the male camp. In October 1940 it was populated
by a group of German men who were mostly members of the Australian Nazi party
and had been rounded up almost immediately after the outbreak of war. In the
camp they had their own regulations and enforcement, Nazi ideology was celebrated,
and they openly supported Germany during the war.
This was the atmosphere that awaited 23-year-old Elimar
Clemens Buschmann as he entered the camp that was to be his home for the next 6
years.
When arrested Elimar possessed his juggling and slack wire
walking outfits and a leather bag full of personal property. The personal
property was undoubtedly his juggling props. He also had 30 shillings in cash,
but as he later sadly admitted, he had not saved any of his handsome salary, so
the 30 shillings was not enough to sustain him during his long imprisonment.
Fortunately, there were some things to do in Tatura. The
prisoners had arranged lectures and performances, and one prisoner had a
personal projector for films. Elimar spent time practising juggling, although
it was difficult. The terrain was windy, and the roofs of the huts and communal
areas were low. When speaking about being unable to juggle, Elimar said ‘Unfortunately
I feel like an encaged bird, so that I am unable to sing’
He could and did receive letters from his family in Germany,
and he was surrounded by his countrymen. However, it is unlikely that he agreed
with the dominant fascist ideology of the camp.
In 1941 the Australian government allowed internees to lodge
an appeal against their internment and Elimar travelled to Melbourne to plead
his case. He did not have any legal representation and had to rely on his own
wits to try and persuade the Tribunal that he could be released into the
community.
When deciding to free an internee, the government considered
several different issues. Amongst these were the age of the internee, (being
military age was a disadvantage), the subject’s commitment to their home
country, the possibility of disruption in the community, and whether they could
be blackmailed by their home government. The questions the Tribunal put to
Elimar during the appeal reflected their concern with these matters.
Elimar was young, and of military age, in addition, both his
brothers were doing war work for Germany. One was on active duty. When asked if
he would work for Germany if he was a resident there, he replied
‘Of course, I would have to obey the laws of the country’
When it was suggested that the German government could
threaten his parents if he did not do their bidding in Australia, Elimar
insisted ‘I would not believe that they would make my parents suffer for
anything I would do wrong here.’ He also said that he would honour the
commitment he made not to do anything to injure the British empire
Elimar insisted that ‘I am really international in a way, as
I am just a performer to the audiences of the world.’ Although he did admit
that he had sympathies with his parents who were in Germany, when asked if he
wanted Germany to win the war.
Oddly Elimar seemed to have no inkling that a fellow
performer had informed on him. He insisted that he was on good terms with
everybody in the profession, that he had no arguments about the war, and that
he was confident that he could obtain work with either his former employer
George Sorlie or the Tivoli or even Wirth’s Circus if released.
Throughout the hearing he showed an eagerness to return to
work and most of his answers concerned his desire to return to performance. He
was obviously frustrated with his position, and anxious to pursue his career as
a juggler. Overall, his answers suggested a young man who cared more about professional
juggling than politics.
The Tribunal regarded Elimar favourably. They described him
as an’ honest and decent chap’, an attractive youth who impressed them with his
character and demeanour. However, there were several points against him. He was
of military age, he had undoubted sympathies and connections with Germany, and
he could be blackmailed because his parents still lived there. However, the
factor that most weighed against him was the risk that he could cause
disruption in the performing arts community.
It was suggested that this could be ameliorated if he had a
contract upon release, but this was countered with the fact that his fellow
actors had denounced him. It seemed there was fear that, given his high-profile
profession, his release would cause unfavourable publicity, and dissension
within the community. There was also the
possibility, not mentioned but implied, that Elimar could be in some personal
danger if he left the protection of the camp.
Elimar was returned to Tatura.
Tatura was developing its own community. By July 1941 camp 1
had a hairdresser, a tailor, a garden, a carpentry shop, a school, a newspaper,
illicit liquor, and the inmates were performing concerts and shows. There were
several skilled musicians, a few actors and some writers at Tatura and
entertainment was a feature of the camp’s life. According to Elmar’s family, he
played a major role on the entertainment committee.
Regular shows which lampooned the internee’s situation were
part of life at Tatura and Elimar participated in at least two of these. In
1943 Die Klage Sal, with a ‘new variety program organised by the corrugated
iron company under the direction of E Buschmann’, was prominently advertised in
a handmade program. The reference to corrugated iron was an obvious nod to the
omnipresent huts surrounding the audience. Similarly,
at Easter 1944, E Buschmann was a featured player in the performance of Die
Strape nach Dover, another show at the camp theatre.
Part of a programme from Tatura Internment Camp- E Buschmann on left hand side
There were also conflicts in the camp. Internees were
organised according to nationality so fascists and anti-fascists, Jewish
refugees and anti Semites could be in proximity. This caused dissension and
occasional violence amongst the inmates.
Some of the inhabitants who had
no income relied on handouts from the German government, which was contingent
on expressions of loyalty, whilst day to day living depended on the whims of
men who were devoted followers of Hitler.
When several internees, amongst them Elimar declared their
intention to remain in Australia, the Nazis in the camp were ferocious in their
condemnation. Elimar had told the Tribunal that he intended to make Australia
his permanent home and this determination did not change despite his perilous
circumstances.
The atmosphere of
claustrophobia caused by constant monitoring of mail, movements and activities
for six years must have taken a psychological toll on everybody who experienced
it. For Elimar, who came to the camp as an aspiring 23-year-old juggler of elite
ability with a promising future, the lack of practice, experience, networking, activity,
and stimulation must have been an ordeal.
The war ended in 1945 with the defeat of Germany and the
victory of the Allied forces, amongst them Australia. The inmates at Tatura
were released slowly. They were shown movies of the liberation of Belsen to illustrate
the reality of the Nazi regime and thoroughly vetted and cross examined before
being released to the community. Many who were irredeemable fascists were deported.
Elimar was released in May 1946, he was 29 years old and eager to continue his career, but he was to face more obstacles.
I am just a performer to the audiences of the world.- Elimar Part 3
This third part of the story of Elimar is sourced from newspapers and from Actor Equity files held in Sydney. I am trying to discover more about the Equity case through files in Melbourne- however I cannot access these without permission, which I am trying to obtain. Once again thanks to Robyn, Elimar's daughter, for sharing her memories.
After six years of internment, Elimar Clemens Buschmann,
juggler, was released from Tatura camp in March 1946. He headed to Melbourne
and in April made his reappearance on stage in a charity performance at St
Kilda Town Hall. Later that month he was preparing for a return to professional
performance in a Tivoli revue called Forbidden City.
Elimar in 1946 from the Forbidden City Programme
Forbidden City starred a roll call of Australian performers
who had been popular during the war. Amongst them were Val Jellay, Iris and Ron
Shand, Lulla Fanning, Babby Le Brun, Summer Lock Elliott and Elimar’s old
friend George Nichols. George had never gained the fame of his sister Joy, who
was a War time superstar, but he had been employed steadily on the Tivoli
circuit during the war where his impersonations and comedy made him a household
name.
However, there were rumblings amongst the cast about the
German Juggler and his loyalties. It seems this was prompted in part by
Elimar’s application for membership of the union, Actors Equity. Without that
membership he would be unable to perform, as the arts industry in Australia was
a closed shop at that time.
Forbidden City opened to rave reviews but the principals in
the cast were unhappy with Elimar’s presence and threatened to walk out. They
held a meeting where they agreed that Elimar should leave the show when it
moved to Sydney, or they would boycott the production. They complained to
Actors Equity and were assured of support if they decided to make the show
‘black.’ They were outraged that an alleged Nazi sympathiser was working when
former soldiers and Australian performers were unemployed.
In early June the storm broke and the tabloid newspaper, The
Truth, was reporting the scandalous fact that a German, a man who had been
interned during the war as a suspected Nazi, was performing on the Australian
stage. Somebody had informed on Elimar- again.
Elimar was front page news, the fact that he had been
interned for the whole duration of the war was a red flag for the newspapers,
who assumed this was due to his Nazi sympathies. Equity stated that
‘The background of the war against Nazism seems to have been
forgotten by the Melbourne Tivoli manager Mr Jack Martin, He appears quite
content to use any measure to ensure profits for his company. Mr Martin appears
to have forgotten Buchenwald and numerous other Nazi torture camps. A member of
Equity, Max Pearce, died in one of these hell holes and a number of our members
were killed in the war against Nazism’.
David Martin the managing director of the Tivoli defended the juggler
‘He is not replacing any other performer, and I do not think
there is another artist in the world, and definitely not Australia whose work
may be compared to his.’
Indeed, Charles Waller who probably saw Elimar during this
run said that
‘His work and manner showed tremendous improvement since his
last appearance at the The Tivoli. With this act he was fit to star on any
programme.’
Six years of internment had perhaps made Elimar a more
mindful, and creative performer.
Nonetheless, the improvement in skill and presentation meant
nothing if he was banned from joining Equity. In late June Elimar was subjected
to an investigation by the union. He and those who had ‘denounced’ him were
summoned to the union offices in Victoria and Elimar was asked a series of
questions regarding his loyalties.
The union called general meetings in July so that the
membership could vote on his application for membership. The investigation had
determined that
‘It is our firm opinion and belief that at no time was
Elimar a Nazi or Nazi sympathiser and he is completely exonerated after full
and thorough enquiry.’
The motion to accept his application for membership was approved
by 195 votes to 14.
Elimar proceeded to work in Sydney in Forbidden City, he was
described as one of the ‘bright spots’ of the show and received a good
reception from the Sydney audience.
Despite being cleared by equity and enjoying success, he was
still subject to some animosity from his fellow performers. Val Jellay an
Australian Tivoli performer who was one of his on-stage assistants in Forbidden
City and knew him around this time said.
‘Elimar was so demanding of himself. Whenever possible he
would rig his slack wire working for hours and if he missed a trick, he would
slap his own face with force and real venom yelling and swearing in German. The
result was a sensational act. …. because of his nationality he was shunned and
made to feel an enemy. Even fellow artists would turn from him. Elimar was a gentleman,
that was all I knew. ‘
His other assistant was Dawn Butler, real name Sadie Dawn
Butler. Dawn and Elimar had met in Brisbane before the war when she was still a
teenager. During the war Sadie had been constantly employed as a member of the
famous Tivoli ballet, she also worked as a choreographer for the Tivoli shows.
Elimar and Dawn Butler (aka Sadie Dawn Butler) From a newspaper 1940
Dawn’s war time experiences included some ill-fated
romances. In 1942, she went through a marriage ceremony with comedian Buddy
Morley, who had accompanied Elimar on the Queensland tour with George Sorlie in
1940. Early in the war Morley had joined the Australian Infantry Force (AIF)
and toured the Middle East, upon his return in 1942, he and Dawn got married
and lived as husband and wife for 9 months. However, Buddy had not divorced his
previous wife. He was a bigamist. He was charged with bigamy and gaoled. Dawn
was left to fend for herself at the Tivoli.
Her adventures were not over. As a Tivoli ballet girl, she
had many admirers, one however, was braver than the others. One night after returning
home exhausted from another show, Dawn discovered a pair of men’s shoes under
her bed, attached to them were the legs of Russell Maher, an admirer who hoped
‘to sneak a kiss’. Dawn ran outside screaming and called the police. Maher was imprisoned
for two months.
Dawn was now
performing on stage with Elimar, the gentleman, every evening, and a romance
developed. In July, the romance became a marriage. The pair married in July
after Elimar was cleared by Equity and proceeded to develop a double act that
they took around the world.
1947 saw Elimar and Sadie in New Zealand on tour with a
Tivoli revue called, It’s Foolish but it’s fun. Elimar juggled hoops and balls
on the floor and on the slack wire but the most popular part of his turn was
the audience interaction.
‘No one was more popular with the audience than Elimar the
juggler, not so much with his brilliant juggling either on the floor or on a
slack wire as with the way he brought the stalls, circle, and gallery into his
act. He kicked or threw a ball to them and when they returned it gave a
remarkable display of retrieving.’
Elimar would catch the ball on a mouth stick, balancing and
swaying and making both the audience member and himself look good. The company
also performed at a Food for Britain charity event on this tour. There was no
press mention of Elmar’s war time record.
In New Zealand, Elimar was advertised as ‘The International
Juggling Genius’ which suggests that it was around this time that he was filmed by Tex Glanville, a fellow juggler.
In 1950, Elimar was contracted to star in Ice Follie, a revue performed on ice. Elimar had never skated and according to family legend hired an ice-skating rink for a few nights so he could learn the skill. When the show opened in Perth, he juggled on ice skates for part of the act and for the other half wore soft slippers which resulted in very wet feet.
Elimar and Sadie Dawn spent most of the early 1950s touring
the world. In 1951 they appeared at the London Palladium. According to
Billboard in July that year
‘Best of the bunch was Elimar. Starting off at stage level
juggling 8 hoops, balancing a ball on his head and waving a band around his leg
he mounted onto a wire tightrope and did the same things there to great
applause.’
In 1951 he was back on skates in Chicago the Billboard
reviewer said
‘He was the first skating juggler used here. His juggling of
a tennis racket between two juggling sticks was the big bit…. his closer with a
maze of strobe rings going in different directions was highly effective
visually.’
Elimar from a Harlem Globetrotters Programme 1955
By 1954 he was performing in the Harlem Globetrotters floor show. It was a time of segregation, and the Globetrotters were subject to its discriminatory practices. They were refused accommodation in hotels, played to segregated audiences and were often abused by racist comments from their audiences. Before 1950, when the American National Basketball Association (NBA) was desegregated, they were one of the few opportunities for professional and paid appearances for talented African American basketballers. By the time Elimar joined them they were increasingly becoming more entertainment focused.
By 1958 Elimar had returned to Australia and was performing in
Sydney. In 1959 he appeared in the revue Many Happy Returns, which starred
Australia’s most popular performer Gladys Moncrief. Also in this show was a
young singer, Louise Matheson.
Louise born 1934 in Queensland was a talented performer who
had appeared in several Australian legitimate theatre shows. In 1955/56 she
performed in the long running and tremendously popular show Kismet. It ran for
a year, and the next year she was in the Pyjama Game, another popular
production.
In 1959 she was part of the singing chorus in Many Happy
Returns, and it was here that she and Elimar probably met. They would spend the
next 15 years together.
Louis Matheson, in White Dress from the newspapers
In the early 60s Elimar and Louise toured with the Harlem
Globetrotters. Their daughter remembers,
They were billed as "Elimar and Louise"……
Mum and Dad's act comprised three sections. First Dad would juggle using balls,
tennis rackets, and clubs and do a routine with a bunch wooden cube. Mum would
toss him stuff. Then Mum would sing, her style a fusion of Shirley Bassey,
Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland with some French songs thrown in for good
measure, while the rig was set up behind the curtain. Then Dad would perform on
his wire, juggling and using numerous small hoops on his arms and one leg. Again,
Mum would toss the rings, he would get them all spinning then do a bit where he
would throw a ball to the audience, and they would throw it back for him to
catch on a stick held in his mouth.
Elimar in 1954
In 1965, Elimar stopped touring and returned to
Australia to work on the ‘fringes of carnie life’. In 1977 he had a home in
Sydney.
Elimar passed away in Sydney in 1999, after a life
of tribulation and juggling. He was an incredible performer, a talented juggler,
and a man who crossed cultural boundaries to entertain people around the world.
‘
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Cinquevalli 1909
Friday, September 23, 2022
The Amazing Sparkling life of Frank P Littlejohn- Juggler
Frank Littlejohn, juggler, inventor, parachutist and acrobat
had an eventful life that spread across
two world wars, a depression and the 1960s social revolution. Frank was an inveterate
traveller and skilful performer who juggled his entire life.
Frank Price Littlejohn was born in California in October
1890, his father was a farmer, but Frank obviously felt that farming was not
his forte. He apparently had other, bigger, plans.
By the time he was 19, Frank was living in Oregon with the
Brennon family. That same year he married 20 year old Clara Brennon. It’s not
clear how or why Frank decided to become a juggler, but by 1913 he and Clara
were juggling as ‘The Littlejohns’ on the variety circuit.
Not only was he juggling, but Frank had patented his own
juggling club design.
In 1914 Frank submitted a design for an Indian club with a
difference, it reflected light and was decorated with rhinestones. Frank’s 40
year juggling career was subsequently built on this invention.
Frank’s Juggling Club Patent.
Shortly after the club was patented, the Littlejohns were
seen on stage in Chicago by Australian entrepreneur Ben Fuller, who invited
them to Australia for a tour.
The pair readily accepted and in 1916 arrived in the country.
Their act was a ‘sparkling’ turn, filled with flashing props
and shining costumes.
Axes and clubs set with crystals spun through the air whilst
Frank and Clara balanced on a white shining wire. Clara balanced and juggled on
a large mirror ball whilst Frank spun plates studded with rhinestones. The
effect was a radiant flashy sequence of lights on stage, thrilling the audience
with visual wonder
The pair toured the whole country, visiting Melbourne,
Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and regional areas such as Newcastle in New South Wales.
Clara was pregnant and gave birth to their son Robert when the
pair were in Sydney.
They remained in the country until February 1917, when they
returned to the United States. While in Australia Frank had registered another
patent, this time a method of attaching sparkling gems to flexible materials. This too formed the basis of his long career.
In 1919, Frank and Clara applied for passports for another
tour which included Australia. By this time they had two children, Frank and
Robert.
Their intention was to travel to Japan, China, South Africa,
India, England, Australia and Egypt. They arrived in China in 1920, but tragedy
struck. Clara died shortly after giving birth to their third child, who it seems
did not survive.
Frank decided to continue and he eventually ended up in
Australia.
According to the Australian government, in 1920 he arrived with another woman who he said was his wife. In December 1920 he
and this woman were performing in the Sinbad the Sailor pantomime in Melbourne
for the Tait Brothers.
It seems that Frank often arrived in random countries
without work contracts, hoping for the best. He seemed to have good contacts
and a fine reputation amongst Australian managers and readily found work at this
time.
The act stayed with the pantomime until February 1921 when
it appears Frank returned to the United States for a time. The highlight of the
performance in the pantomime according to the papers was the ‘balancing’.
When Frank returned to Australia in May 1921, he brought
another lady with him. But this relationship did not last, because Frank had
met Melba May Wilmott who became his juggling partner in the ‘Littlejohns’.
They briefly appeared on the Tivoli circuit, but there was
little publicity or work available. According to the trade magazines,
‘Littlejohn laid off quite a while in this country waiting for an adequate
salary. When it wasn’t forthcoming he decided to beat it.’
Shortly afterwards, they travelled to the United States, to
play the vaudeville circuit.
According to Frank, during this period they also performed
in Japan during an earthquake. As the last act on stage they had to abruptly
leave when the quake hit. When they returned over 1000 rhinestones were
missing. The manager apparently explained that this was the audience’s way of
showing appreciation.
In 1923 they returned to Australia. They were engaged to Fullers
for a period of 28 weeks from August for a dual salary of 40 pounds per week.
It was, at this time, at the beginning of the roaring twenties, that the Littlejohns reached the pinnacle of their fame. Their bright, iridescent act fitted perfectly with the excitement, joy and exuberance of the era, and their high energy light show reflected the optimism of the age.
They entered a stage decorated with blue velvet curtains
with elaborate decorations outlined in shining gems. Above them was a
spinning vase reflecting a rainbow of lights.
Frank and Melba juggled on large multihued spheres and manipulated
axes, dice, plates and their patented
sparkling clubs while dressed head to toe in bedazzled costumes.
It was the visual glamour of the setting that enchanted
audiences and embodied the ethos of the age. The reviews concentrated on the
set more than their juggling skills, although both performers were
acknowledged as talented jugglers.
As one newspaper described it
‘The stage, the
costumes and every item employed in the act are eye dazzling in a myriad of
colours’
The pair were also praised for their prop making skills with
Frank claiming to have worked in rhinestones for over 18 years. Frank said that
he had provided special props for Broadway productions, circuses and more than
a thousand vaudeville acts. He told one newspaper that he had a production
house in New York where he paid workers one pound per 1000 rhinestones set.
After their contract with Fullers expired they put together
their own touring company which travelled the regions of Queensland. Then in 1925, the Littlejohn revue company
travelled to Asia.
It seems that Frank,
as usual, had not arranged any firm bookings for the company before leaving
Australia and without these, the performers were left without money and occupation.
Members of the company started leaving. Albert Rees, the pianist quit, Ivy
Nicholls left in Hong Kong, whilst Bessie Lester also left. A later report from
the Australian government stated that two Australian women were deserted in the
Phillipines by the Littlejohns.
The advance manager for the show, Jack Emsworth told a trade
magazine that,
‘I am sorry for Littlejohn, he lost a pot of money.’
Frank and Melba cancelled the tour and travelled to the
United States. There they performed on the vaudeville circuit. They also ran
advertisements in Variety Magazine for Littlejohns Inc, 254 W 46th
Street New York. Littlejohns Inc sold 100 rhinestones for two dollars. The
price included instructions on a patented method of attaching rhinestones to
any material. Littlejohns Inc also offered to rhinestone shoes for 35 dollars a
pair. Clearly Frank was trying to make up for his losses from the tour.
In 1929 Frank and Melba returned to Australia to little fanfare.
Their exploits in 1925 may have soured the local community against them and the
dire economic situation was not promising for theatrical endeavours. The pair
had a brief pantomime appearance and then toured Queensland and New Zealand
with another company formed from local talent.
In 1930 Frank tried to arrange passports for the troupe to tour overseas, but ran into some difficulties with the authorities. An official Australian government report referred to a 1924 investigation that found that Frank’s ‘moral reputation had little to recommend it.’
Given this and that one of the troupe, 18 year old Winnie May Miller, was under age, the government investigated Frank again. It found that he
had no firm bookings in Asia and was inclined to deny permission for the passports
However, Frank provided evidence of good character. He
deposited money for a return fare for the women of the group and obtained
permission from Winnie’s mother to take her abroad. In addition the Actors Union
supported his application, saying they had received no complaints about his
behaviour.
Finally the government approved the application for
passports, but Frank decided not to proceed. The depression had decimated the
theatrical industry. Instead, Frank, with Melba and 18 year old Winnie, travelled
to the United States.
Presumably the three of them performed there.
The Littlejohns in the 1940s
Frank and Melba returned to Australia in 1935 for a run with
the Tivoli circuit and another Queensland tour with a revue company. They
returned again in 1941. The lack of performers during the war led to a mini
revival in their Australian career and they spent most of it making sporadic
appearances at the Tivoli.
A 1940s Tivoli Program
Frank and Melba continued the travelling life for the next decade. When in Australia and not performing they stayed at Melba’s family home in Milson’s Point in Sydney.
It was there that Frank’s children visited him. One remembers
visiting his father around this time.
He lived at Milsons Point in Sydney and kept all
his juggling equipment and props in his garage, I would visit after school and
we would juggle and roll out the big rhinestone balls on a canvas sheet on the
grass. good fun when you are a Kid
Frank continued travelling and performing well into
the 1950s. It seems he could not stay in one place for too long. However, it
was in Australia that he died in 1967, and despite never becoming a citizen, it
was here that he stayed and worked most often.
Frank still has descendants in Australia and the
United States who take a lively interest in the adventures of their famous
juggler ancestor.