thecircusblog | August 17, 2010
It isn’t too often you are blessed with two fine chimpanzees….Makimba was one of them. Bongie was my first but that doesn’t mean that the other chimps were not important to the act. For years Bongie carried the act with his comedy and later Makimba took over. In 1952 we started out with one chimp named Jackie. [...]
thecircusblog | August 17, 2010
In the late 1950’s Dad and I thought it might be a good idea to put together a brochure. This was a proto type for our cover. After countless hours we scrapped the idea. Dad said “lets just get some good 8 X 10’s made of the act and go from there”. As usual he [...]
thecircusblog | August 17, 2010
The Bongo drums were bigger than the chimp but Toby did his best to be heard. We were on the Hubert Castle show when this photo was taken and was at the Winterland Arena on Sutter St and Polk, San Fransisco 1966. I understand that the arena is no longer there.
thecircusblog | August 17, 2010
This photo of myself and Bongie was taken on the Al Mall International Circus, Spring dates 1968.
thecircusblog | August 17, 2010
This was usually our closing trick. Bongie every now and then would balance on his head and then let go of the gimmicks. I did not want him to do this and I would shake the perch pole just a bit to stop him. This day was one of those times. It was a great trick….. balancing without holding [...]
thecircusblog | August 14, 2010
Bongie was an extraordinary chimp. When he learned his head balance there was no end to the different tricks. He would balance himself exactly like a human. It was just pure luck to have a chimp with this much intelligence and dexterity. I would only think of what head balancing tricks I had seen and [...]
thecircusblog | August 14, 2010
As I was watching an act do the head to head it came to me that it might be a good trick to teach Bongie, but what did I know about head to head?…….nothing. I spoke to my Dad about it and he liked the idea. Dad taught both of us in 1955, The trick stayed in [...]
thecircusblog | August 14, 2010
For me the piano routine was the most exhausting part of my act. It was filled with numerous “monkey shines.” Toby throwing his piano chair, folding his arms and refusing to play his little grand piano all because he wanted his candelabra put on the piano before he played. Once the candelabra was placed, he would begin [...]
thecircusblog | August 14, 2010
Comedy is the greatest medicine that money can buy. I have always enjoyed watching it and being watched while a “chimp” made a “chump” out of me. I consider myself to be most fortunate to have been part of making people laugh while being used as a straight man by a chimp. Of all the animals [...]
thecircusblog | March 7, 2010
Ivan and MaKimba 1975 Great London Circus
