Painting the Statue 1958





The Cast

Ringmaster: Henry Lytton

Painters: Charlie Cairoli, Little Jimmy, Jock Moran

Whiteface Clown: Paul Friedman

Ballerina: a Circusette  (unnamed)

Synopsis

It was the first decorating entrée I had ever seen that used a ballerina in the ring—although similar ideas had appeared on stage with performers such as Lori Lupino Lane and George Truzzi. The sketch was placed near the end of the second half of the show. The mat had already been removed in preparation for the water finale, and the ring boys were busy setting the fountains.

Henry, inspecting their work, was not satisfied. The fountains were clearly in need of a coat of paint. Spotting the ballerina, he sent her out with a message: the Tower “house painters” were required.

Enter the team.

Charlie and Jimmy arrived in boiler suits; Jock—Charlie’s Scottish prop man—wore a kilt under a painter’s white coat. They brought with them a double ladder, trestles and a plank, a trolley of paint pots, and a wheelbarrow full of white slush.

Once everything was set, Charlie picked up his brush. The temptation was too strong—and with the audience’s approval—someone was bound to get splashed.

Enter Paul, dressed in a special rubber whiteface clown costume (easy to clean after every show), carrying his violin. Charlie wanted him out; Paul refused. Charlie “missed” the violin with his paint, and Paul retaliated by messing Charlie’s boiler suit.

Henry rushed in to stop the mayhem, only for his top hat to become the next victim. He ordered the painters firmly back to work.

Charlie climbed the double ladder in front of the fountain, carrying a full bucket. At the top he turned—upsetting the entire contents over his own head.

Meanwhile, Jimmy had wheeled the barrow to the foot of the ladder. As Charlie stepped down he put both feet straight into it. Jimmy, the picture of innocence, was spreading slush from the wheelbarrow onto the plank.

Charlie saw his chance. Jimmy sat on one end of the plank while Jock positioned the wheelbarrow beneath the opposite end. Charlie lifted Jimmy’s end; Jimmy slid gracefully down the plank and landed squarely in the wheelbarrow.

For his trouble, Jock received a lapful of slush, the result of Jimmy’s sudden arrival. Jimmy climbed out, and while Jock bent over to scoop the slush back into the barrow, Jimmy dipped his brush, lifted the Scot’s kilt, and painted his bottom!

The chaos escalated. Henry returned with the ballerina, determined to put a stop to it all—but seeing the state of the “painters,” the ballerina burst into laughter. This, with that particular team, was unwise. She ended up seated in the remains of the slush in the wheelbarrow and was triumphantly wheeled out of the ring as the finale to the gag.

Many clowns would later copy this entrée, but none, I believe, ever included so many gags.

—Daniel Potier