Reporting on the 1950 IJA Third Annual Festival in Jamestown, N.Y.

Jim Rinehart of San Diego was in one corner doing a five ball bouncing cascade. Henry Rurr from Saskatoon Sask. Canada,  showed us his idea of doing devil sticks with a badminton  racquet, besides regular club juggling, hoops, balls, etc., while he did a graceful dancing sort of walk. Henry is a new member and  was our only Canadian member at the convention, and a  we  teased him by telling him that he spoke very good English for a Canadian... 

Charles Carrer showed us some trick balancing with chairs which  amazed us, then he and Bill Talent did some marvelous ball  juggling - showering balls together, and then each did their version  of juggling eight balls, which many of us had never seen done... 

Harry Lind was trying to build up some sort of a record of  juggling with every girl juggler he can add to his list. (IJA Newsletter, July 1950)

It has come to my attention in the last few months where jugglers  appear on TV they are accorded very little build-up by the MC. In two instances Truzzi and Francis Brunn were added to the program as just something to fill in the time while waiting for something more important to happen. 

In the case of Truzzi, the MC at the end of his act merely said, 'That was Truzzi!' No announcement beforehand that he was a star attraction with the Greatest Show on Earth. Francis Brunn had an introduction like he was just a fillerin. They were both on the Ken Murray Show - Budweiser. 

To me, it was a crying shame. There were two of the outstanding jugs of all time treated like a couple of amateurs looking for a handout, while some husky male would get a buildup like they were introducing the president of the United States for singing a song that any well-brought-up male would be ashamed to warble.  Or some dame would prance out and sing a little worthless song that sounded like she was dying. All this for singers of songs, while a master juggler goes unannounced.  There is nothing I can do about it but bring it to the attention of the IJA members, so that they can demand in their contracts that they get a proper introduction, not only on TV but on any show they appear on. Don't get me wrong on the singing angle. I like singing, but to see great jugglers like the two mentioned above and many more like them belittled, grates on my nerves. 

I think that we have an organization with a large membership, that something be done to bring out to the public that jugglers are just as important as any other line in the entertainment world. In fact, wherever I go downtown to talk to the boys, about the only think they talk to me about is , "Did you see that juggler on the TV last night?" Surely from what the audiences at the IJA convention "Big Toss-Up" show in the way of applause - and mind you, act after act nearly rolls them in the aisles - it shows that juggling deserves top rating in the show world.  I could go on forever on this subject, but better quit before it gets tiresome... Letter from Jack Greene (IJA Newsletter, May 1951)

Reporting on the 1951 Fourth Third Annual Festival in Williamsport, Penn.

The hall was still jumping with all sorts of juggling props when Francine Rose, our youngest toss juggler, came in and showed us some of her three and four ball and hoop routine. Francie is 10-years-old and with her sister, Rita, who is only 8-years-old, do a very polished act. Rita does some very fine rolling globe work - she even jumps rope on the globe. They put their act on  for both shows - almost stopping both of them..

For the Rotary Club Show Harry Lind was drafted into a demonstration of club swinging, using George's lights, clubs, and what someone called a jacket. Even with the jacket Harry did a wonderful job!..

On Monday evening Winton Edwards and Stuart Raynolds opened the show doing four club takeaway. Then Stuart did an excellent job with his five clubs.

Joe Boyle delighted the jugglers with some of his three ball routines. Joe had many tricks and moves that were new to many of those present. Extremely flashy is his finish when he catches all the balls in his hat. (IJA Newsletter, July 1951)

Stuart Reynolds played a week at the Capital Theater in Washington. He won this chance from playing on an amateur TV program (this chance, plus a gold watch, plus $50), and the write-up in the Washington papers and in "Variety" were all very favorable. He went under the name "Ray Stuart." They had a big production number called "Going Native" and wrote special music for Stuart's juggling, and costumed him also and gave him a girl assistant  to hand him his props. (IJA Newsletter, October 1951)

Bobby May, "The Juggler," has just left here. He was with Holiday on Ice, has a good place in the performance and goes over big! Three balls, three and four clubs, stand on head, bouncing five balls, on drums, then has electrical finish in dark, balancing big ball on head, hoop around leg, then juggling five balls lit up!  (IJA Newsletter, October 1951)

Reminiscence from Lorette, the Original Dancing Juggler

In my early days I saw a wonderful and spectacular show for that period entitled "The Black Crook." Fielding, a clown juggler, was featured novelty with the show, and was very clever. I never saw or met him afterward, but I believe he was a native American.

He was very clever with high hat and cigar; did a good routine with a ball tube and two silvered balls; clever rolling of a cannon ball from hand to hand across the chest, then with arms spread apart, all the way across over back and as it reached the far hand, stopped it on the butt end of a bottle held in that hand. Outstanding moves with two bottles made of glass, probably champagne bottles of that decade. One on back of each hand and turning them different ways and catching them simultaneously, forward and backward, and single and double turns always finishing with one on back of each hand.

He was also a good ball juggler. Did six with ease, which in those days was considered good. He also did pleasing routines with three and four balls bouncing on the floor. He finished his act with a three ball routine, doing about all the clever moves that were done at that time, and finished by chasing the three off the stage.  His last move in his routine before chasing the three off was two balls on one side and one on the other, gradually increasing the distance between them, until it seemed almost impossible to retrieve them, and it got his a tremendous hand. I do not remember seeing this move presented again until Rastelli appeared in America. (IJA Newsletter, November 1951)

Denver was impressed with the performances of Francis Brunn, juggler colossal... One impressive act given by Mr. Brunn was one in which he juggled three beach balls, at the same time passing one beach ball from foot to foot, while at the same time skipping a rope. Harriet Dimmitt (IJA Newsletter, November 1951)

Whitey Fields, cousin of W.C. Fields, worked a show for the Boumi Temple Shrine in Baltimore and I had the pleasure of meeting him with a nice visit. He does many tricks with hats, cigar boxes, hat cane and cigar, all reminiscent of the Great WC. Fields. Vin Carey (IJA Newsletter, November 1951)

Marcello Truzzi

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