ON
THE SAWDUST TRAIL 12/99
by James Taylor & Kathleen Kotcher
Day of the Not So Dead
Well, November 1 may be Day of the Dead a bit south of the border, but here in Ol' B-More, 11-1-99 will go down in history as the opening day of the world's first museum devoted to novelty and variety entertainment (that's sideshow to you... sideshow and all that led to and came after it). That's right gang, Shocked and Amazed! has partnered with preeminent gaff maker Dick Horne to create what the business has needed for years: a 3D manifestation of all that's been written on dime museums, sideshow, vaudeville, burlesque, and "weirdness as entertainment." All for an admission price of just 30 thin dimes for the kiddies, 50 thin ones for their parents (well-behaved children under 6 free). Check out the American Dime Museum site for details too numerous to elaborate here.
Museum Directors James Taylor & Dick Horne
Mutter Director Gretchen Worden and the Ball 'o Ties
Opening night, however, we will comment on. In attendance were the crĖme de la crĖme of show fans and showfolk alike. Among the hundreds in attendance, from Florida there was Judy Rock, daughter of sideshow great Jeanie Tomaini; from Virginia it was showman John Bradshaw; down from Philadelphia were showmen Red Stuart and Furry Couch as were historian Rob Houston and Mutter Museum director Gretchen Worden; from Mass. came painter Amy Jonquist; and the Big Apple sent down swordswallower extraordinaire Johnny Fox.
James Taylor & showman Walt Hudson
Of course, no one could ignore the night's entertainment, introduced by American Dime Museum advisory board member, Shocked and Amazed! contributor and old-time showman Walt Hudson, and performed to the huge crowd - which watched breathless - by Dai Andrews and Harley Newman, old friends of Shocked and Amazed! and entertainers of the first rank. (You've likely seen swordswallower Andrews, aka Gidion, at assorted RenFests, and Newman's 4-nail nailboard was judged too dangerous to perform by the Guinness people, but he's performed it anyway on everything from Geraldo to Jenny Jones. And scared the hell out of them all too)
Showmen Dai Andrews & Harley Newman
And don't forget the American Dime Museum is just next door to Atomic Books, best bookstore in the world in our opinion.
Showtown Off Season
Normally, Gibsonton, FL, is home to all things carny year round. To us here at Shocked and Amazed! central, it's usually home but once a year - during the annual trade show (the Extravaganza to those of you with it and/or for it, held in February). Thanks to a few frequent flier miles put to use this November, we found ourselves in Showtown a bit early. As a triumph of desire over money and common sense, the trip was a roaring success. As always, a trip to Gibtown is a trip planned to the nth degree, those plans chucked within hours of arrival, only to be replaced with plans even more fulfilling. Witness this trip, ostensibly to photocopystand images in a number of collections and pay a few short visits to showfolk who might be in town prior to "home coming" in late November. Photo work done? Nada. Zilch. Bupkis. Visits that otherwise produced vital info for the open, ravenous maul that is the Shocked and Amazed! vortex? Well, all of them.
Above and beyond our visit (and stay over) with our favorite tombstone carver, Judy Rock (yes, daughter of the late sideshow great Jeanie Tomaini), we spent a lot of time this visit with upcoming vol. 6 cover girl Percilla Bejano, the Monkey Girl, helping work on preserving her photo collection and scrapbooks.
Showmen Bobby Reynolds, Bill Cadeaux & Eddie Sudan
When not with Percilla, it was cookouts with the Cadeauxs, Bill & Bev, frequent grind show operators, complete with a visit from showman Bobby Reynolds, performer Eddie Sudan (if you catch Eddie's appearance doing his fire act on an old Murder She Wrote, let us know; we need a copy for our files) banner painter and pitchman Wizard, and showman Dion Finch, the last American showman to exhibit the mummy of Julia Pastrana, the 19th Century monkey girl (in his judgement of the fact that he made nothing off that show, Finch said, "For 50 cents you could watch her die all over again").
There was a visit to the Meah household, to hear vol. 6 interviewee Johnny Meah talk about his next project in the works (you'll just have to wait to hear about that one; enough said that it will involve banner work of one stamp or another).
And of course there was the long awaited visit to the newly acquired home of showmen Ward Hall and Chris Christ, their first official winterquarters in many years. Their digs include an in-ground pool, among other amenities. When questioned why they'd continue to rent space elsewhere for their show equipment, Christ put it best: "Nine months out of the year you live with the show. You look out your window and you see it. Just imagine yourself sleeping at your office. You have to get away from it."
And did we mention the side visits to Billy Rodgers at his Pirate's Treasure Cove (the best place in Gibtown to get theatrical supplies and books) or with showmen Dean Potter? We'll still be there for the trade show in February, but more than once a year in Gibtown is almost more than a sideshow lover can withstand.
The Big Lot in the Sky
While the tone of this column is usually a bit flip and gossipy (and we're damn proud of it), there's really no way for that to apply here. Within a three month span, the outdoor amusement business lost two great spirits, and Shocked and Amazed! lost two of its guiding lights
On August 15, sideshow great Jeanie Tomaini passed away in Tampa. Those of you who knew Jeanie or know of her from these columns, our interview with her in vol. 2, or her many appearances on tv (most notably on the Learning Channel's Sideshow - Alive on the Inside), know how important she was to her family, the Gibsonton community, and to making Shocked and Amazed! what it is. She and husband Al, c/o their Giant's Camp, as much as invented Gibsonton as a carnival capital. No better legacy exists than to be remembered and remembered well. We know of no one who remembers ill of Jeanie.
On a sad note even closer to home, Jerome "Jerry" Farrow, carnival owner and horseman, passed away on Oct. 1 after the sudden onset of lung cancer, an illness he fought like the life gambler most showfolk are. He started in the business with Prell's Broadway Shows, was a major horse auctioneer here in Maryland, and operated Jerry's Rides, Funtime Amusements and Farrow Enterprises over the years. More than anyone else, his hilarious jackpots inspired the early showfolk interviews that became Shocked and Amazed! He worked more and harder than anyone we ever met, up to the end. May he rest in death who seldom did in life.
Me and My Mutter
Red Stuart, Gretchen Worden, Harley Newman & Rob Houston
It's back from the dead and damn well it should be, too. After a several year hiatus, the Mutter Museum Calendar is back. That's right: the best calendar in the world from the best museum in the world. For those who have been to the Mutter Museum, this is no news; to those who haven't, what's your problem? Book passage, hope a freight, catch the next flight: the Mutter has more bodily education - up front in all its frightening, stripped-to-the-bone glory - than any four years of med school. The year 2000 calendar, which features art photography by Joel-Peter Witkin, Scott Lindgren, Rosamond Purcell, Max Aguilera-Hellweg, Olivia Parker and Arne Svenson, has been sorely missed by all friends of the outrČ, and the publication release festivities held at the Mutter itself were in line with the imagery.
Red & Harley in the act...
Tying sideshow to medicine, director Gretchen Worden intro'ed both John "Red" Stuart and Harley Newman to the crowd of laymen and medico's, all of whom found out that sideshow is magic... and science. And it'll make your hair stand on end about as fast as the medical exhibits for which the Mutter is world renowned.
Atomic Books' Scott Huffines always is getting stepped upon...
A Rose by Any Other Name
And after all the talk about Jim Rose's retirement (after his interview confirming same and his web site saying as much) the verdict is... maybe not quite. Well, for whatever reasons that bit of press is out there, the Jim Rose Circus seems far from calling it quits. We caught Jim and the gang a few weeks back in Philadelphia, along with Mutter director Gretchen Worden and show friend Angela Stump. Sandwiched between rock bands (one of which was Godsmack, we'll have you know), old timers to the Rose show felt right at home: Though Enigma and Lifto have departed recently, the new show features the Amazing Amago (the human snake - tattooed, horned and fork tongued), Bushwacker (balancing a running lawnmower on his face to make a concert-hall-sized toss salad) and, of course, showmen Jim Rose, Bebe the Circus Queen, and Jeff, the Armenian Rubber Man. Look for them in the new millennium with more surprises.
Short Takes
Well, we at Shocked and Amazed! central try, but we just can't catch everything. Regardless, locally and otherwise, some items of note: The ever-touring Bindlestiff Family Circus hit town for an invitation-only event (we look forward to seeing them in Baltimore again soon, something we can get into!). Tim Cridland and his Zamora's Touring Stunt Show played Johns Hopkins for a free show that drew a huge crowd of students and fans, many of whom wanted a second show. And showman Johnny Fox has recently opened his own wonderfully freakish showplace in New York, the Freakatorium, devoted to all things odd.
Incoming! Incoming!
So the number one question of 1999? No, here at this end it wasn't whether Y2K was going to do us in. It was, "So where's vol. 6?" For those of you who get our Net Freak Alerts, you know our watchwords throughout '99 have been time and money. Sadly, we've had precious little of either of late. Much has gone into the American Dime Museum and building the Shocked and Amazed! archives, but much is needed for vol. 6, a package that promises to be 50% bigger than previous volumes and to include the first ever color insert in Shocked and Amazed! Look for more interviews, more pictures, more... well, everything. See ya on the midway.
--James Taylor
Meet and Greet Mr. Feat Feet!
One of the best reasons for this job is the mailbag. I get some of the best mail ever and this letter was one of the best. So without further ado, please meet Moses Latham, Mr. Feat Feet.
PERSONAL: 38 years old; Married 13 years (spouse Felicia); one son (Trey), age 6, he also can turn his feet around, but not as far as I can. I can at 180 degrees, he can only at 120 degrees.
MY TALENT: I discovered my unique ability when I was 14 years old. While horse-playing with some class mates in gym class, I fell in to a unique, but painless position. My friends thought that I had either dislocated a joint, or broken a leg. I began to test my flexibility, to see what my limitations were. I discovered that I could rotate my lower limbs until my feet were pointing directly behind me. I also can 'twist' my lower limbs in to various positions while sitting on the floor.
MY PHYSICIAN: I had my family physician examine me, for I was concerned that possibly I may have arthritis at an early age because of my flexibility. The exam showed that I had been born with double the ligaments and cartilage within the joints of my ankles, knees, and hips, that allows me to rotate my joints within the sockets (without dislocating anything) painlessly, and freely. My physician also added that since I was born with these 'extras', and that it was all natural, I would not have arthitis due to my talent.
GETTING A LAUGH: I had the desire to entertain people with my talent. I would perform for local telethons, charities, and fund raisers. As a gag, I would put a suit, tie, and shoes on backwards, and stand at a phone booth and carry on a conversation on the phone., just to watch the reactions, and see the expressions, of passer-byers. In their eyes, they seen the illusion of a man with his head on backwards!
A POSSIBLE CAREER?: In 1997, I sent videos to the television programs "Americas Funniest Videos" and the "Worlds Funniest". Both programs aired my tapes, and then the calls slowly began coming in. I have appeared in several local television news programs, and local newspapers, but the publicity did not stop there. I felt that I could find a career in the entertainment field. Whether labled a 'freak' or a 'contortionist', I was able to do something that no one else could.
THE MEDIA ATTENTION: I have appeared in two tabloids, the 'National Enquirer' and 'The Sun'; Three magazines, Great Britains "Bizarre", Poland's "CKM", and Holland's "Aktueel"; I have been featured in the "Ripleys Believe It Or Not" cartoon, and made a live appearance at the "Ripley's" museum in Myrtle Beach; I was also featured on the ABC Radio program "Paul Harvey News..And Now The Rest Of The Story"; Other television appearances include: FOX's "Real TV"; Comedy Central's "The Daily Show": Two appearances in Germany, SAT-TVs "The Harald Schmidt Show", and RTV-TVs "Explosiv!" (which my son made his debut on this program, also); Also ARENA-TV's "The Hub" in Austrailia.
FUTURE BOOKINGS: I will be appearing live on "Mike Feldman's 'What d'ya Know' Show" on August 7th in Madison, Wisconsin (This show is also going to broadcasting live by radio, too bad for the listening audience, but the studio audience will consist of 300) I will also be appearing live on WGN-TVs "The Morning Show" on August 9th in Chicago.
NO, THANK YOU: I have been turned down by 'Guinness' for they felt that my talent was not 'dramatic' enough. I have been turned down by Jay Leno, due to 'no interest'. I also have been turned down by David Letterman, because I have appeared on Germanys 'Harald Schmidt' show (lame excuses!). I was booked to appear live on the 'Crook & Chase Show' in Nashville, but when I arrived for the scheduled date, I was told that there was a miscommunication among producers, thus my segment was cancelled, at my expense.
THE NAME: I chose the name "Mr. Feet-Feat" from the title of the very first article that appeared in my home town newspaper in 1975, concerning my talent.
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