Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/297477
"I staged two-and-a-half-minute brawls," he said, "so that we wouldn't be late for class." At Atlantic City's Steel Pier, he idolized pro- fessional wrestlers Mr. Fuji, Lonnie "Moon Dog" Mayne and Dean Ho, who taught him arena entertainment and body control. "Thanks to them," Sidlow told me, "I was dubbed one of the best 'fall men' in the busi- ness. These wrestlers may have been villains in the ring but were very kind to young peo- ple on the way up." On graduation day, his teachers urged him to audition for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He did — and won a coveted place at Clown College, in Venice, FL. There, he studied with famed clown/writer/artist Bill Ballantine, who considered Sidlow "my most diligent student." Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus hired Sidlow after he completed the pro- gram, and he soon became the "youngest boss clown" ever, he says, in charge of 28 clowns, 16 crates and 33 trunks (crammed with orange wigs, unicycles and other come- dic accessories). They visited 52 cities in 11-and-a-half months. "I learned to adapt to different situations, nationalities, personali- ties and animals," Sidlow pointed out. The Associated Press reported that "in addi- tion to originating good gags and being a natural comic, Chuck Sidlow has a flair for keeping things organized." BORN TO ROAM THE WORLD In early circuses, clowns were generally skilled performers who brought outrageous- ness (and costumes) to genuine acrobatic, juggling and equestrian feats. Then they began to speak, sing and even play musi- cal instruments. Slapstick clowning became prominent later to suit the size of American circuses." Noel Daniel Sidlow in 'Charlie Chaplin mode.' Contributed p h o t o f r o m C h u c k S i d l o w 's w e b s i t e , Worldofchucko.com Chuck Sidlow as Groucho Marx. Contributed p h o t o f r o m C h u c k S i d l o w 's w e b s i t e , Worldofchucko.com Sarasota News Leader April 18, 2014 Page 107