HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.
Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!
I was told as a "First of May", that I came into the Circus too late, I don't think so because I saw & worked with a lot of great people with great acts. In this case it is true, I wish I could have seen this one. Described as "The Greatest Unicyclist Of All", who is he????
posted by 24-HOUR-MAN | 7:23 AM
11 Comments:
Mel Hall...... Mr. Lee
Yes, Mel Hall --- Father of the Whiz Kids, Bobby Whaling was also a top notch Unicyclist.
Coming form a bicycle act. I feel embarrassed of saying I havent the slightes idea of whoom is this unicycle performer, but like Bill' I would had loved to see him performing.
I'm perhaps a tad prejudiced... I'd have to say Mel Hall is, from what Nini and Ervin have told me, and from what I saw of Mr. Hall's performance in a section of "Sensations of 1945" where he appeared along with Hubert Castle and other greats. (Mr. Hall did an upside-down on a giraffe unicycle)
I don't think I recognize this gentleman, though this is a great looking publicity shot.
YES! He did a shoulder stand in the saddle & pedelled with his hands. I also have heard he didn't use a ladder, but had steps on the cycle just climbed up them.
How about it Jimmy, are you there?
Don;t think he had any steps on the bike.. But Jimmy will have to confirm.. He just ran up the back and hit the peddles. The man was truley remarkable. How sad that so many only dwell on his difficulty with life and the inner demons that tortured him. But for the grace of God it could happen to anyone. He was the best of the best, Cause the best say he was!! Mr. Lee
MR....LEE...
YOU...ARE...RIHGT...
NO...NEED...STEPS...ON...THIS....
UNICYCLE...
NOT....THAT...HIGH...ENOUGH...
....ALSO...RIGHT...ON...VERY...GOOD...PERFORMER.....
You won't have to wait for my brother, Jimmy to confirm. I can do that for you. Daddy never used a ladder. He mounted it by stepping into the gap between the fork and the tire, next hit a step welded to the shaft, then hit a brake, then another step, then mounted the seat, or went into the upside-down on the nine-footer.
Mr. Lee, thank you for the compliment about Daddy. I, too, think he was the greatest.
Mr. Biil, if you have an original of this publicity photo, I sure would like to have one. My email is ninisrun@yahoo.com. Look forward to hearing from you, sir, and thanks again for the picture of my father.
-- Nini Hall Lavender
Hey Nini,, Glad you here!! Mr. Lee
From what I just read of mr Hall.
Waooooo''' I again I say' I would loved to have seing him performed, for knowing well how hard it is the high unicycle. It is always a great sactifaction to see some one able to do so great tricks on some props that one is scare of. As I was on the high unicycle.
To the 24Hr Man: The old man once showed me the first upside-down unicycle he learned on. A low one, no chain, hand grips were the pedals. I might ad it had a wooden rim 20" wheel.A lot of his wheels had wooden rims back then. He did mount the high one without the assist of a ladder. The first step was the tire then second to a step that locked the wheel then to a third step where he stood and rocked a second with his hands on the pedal grips, then kicked up into the upside down. The shot in the "Sensations" movie was the short version of the bike. It was made like a perch pole. It had three heights for the different night clubs he worked way back when.
To quote one of my dad's sayings, in regards of such things," I am not sure that was the greatest but I believe it was the best I have seen".
P.S. In my opinion, as Mr Lee puts it, at least four of his inner demons all put together could not pick a hair on the old mans talent.
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