Charlie Cairoli tributes?

[Splattella]

When I was a kid probably the biggest influence on my love of WAM was Charlie Cairoli, a clown based in Blackpool who had various TV shows of his own and appeared on many others. His acts were characterised by a lot of water and slosh fights in which everyone just stood there and got covered in mess. The fabulous Clown Julie seems to have taken something from him (or else all great clowns think alike). I always wanted to be in his troupe when I grew up just so I could have the pleasure of standing there and taking pie after pie. But he passed away before I ever had a chance to see him live (and apply for a job!)

Anyway, I've been trying to find online tributes and info on this great performer and there seems to be very little out there ... just a couple of old clips and a few short pages. Surely there must be more about this man, and some more of his act available in some format or other? Books, articles, videos, anything ... Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Splattella

[mr angry]

I vaguely remember freading somewhere that his son, Charlie Junior took over his act and kept his routines going after his father died. Charlie Junior, if I remember correctly, incorporated a girl (his wife) in the routines and she regularly got pied

[BillShipton]

My reply disappeared! Probably my fault. Clown Julie is the person for this. She is an expert on CC and his work. I can confirm that CC Jnr and his wife Claudi did continue the act and I have an ancient VHS tape of them on Crackerjack (I am sure Julie has put stills up from this somewhere). I have no material of Charlie Snr though which is a shame (and none on Youtube either!).

[Lizzie_Claymore]

<shouts>
CRA-KER-JACK
</shouts>

[richard99]

I can remember Charlie Cairoli and I am surprised at how little of his work seems to be out there.

He had his own slosh recipe and seems to be able to pull some clever tricks with it. You can't do this with ordinary shaving cream...

http://www.circopedia.org/index.php/Cha ... ree_-_1966

PS - My first post. Hi everyone!

[Richard]

Hi Richard99, welcome to the forum. I never saw Charlie Cairoli live but can remember some of the elements of that stage act when his performance at Blackpool Tower Circus was shown on B&W television. The Tower circus was an occasional bank holiday treat on TV and I remember the ring floor beiong lowered and flooded to form a large pool for everyone to get wet in!

[Richard]

Re: the 'special slosh'; at a London meet a couple of years ago, 'WetMar' had some wonderful stuff in an aerosol container; it looked like shaving foam but it came out dry and could be moulded into all sorts of shapes. I never did find out what it was.

[Splattella]

Thanks for that link, Richard99, that's exactly the sort of pie sketch that I used to watch avidly as he was so good at it. A lot of the gags are unexpected and brilliantly conceived, which is probably what made him such a great entertainer. The clip seems to end prematurely and I recall Little Jimmy once trying to get back up through the hole in the centre of a similarly wrecked table and receiving a giant pie in the mush. Actually, all his various pie fights round a table were the best of his output (for a splosh fan, that is).

Oh, and a big Hello, by the way.

Looks like Charlie's foam was what Wetmar may have had, Richard.

Keep the info coming

Splattella
xx

[BillShipton]

As I am sure Julie will confirm CC used Erasmic shaving sticks to whip up buckets of slosh but I believe he mixed gelatine in to get the firmness and wobble! Aerosol cans would have been out of the question!

[ClownJulie]

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[ClownJulie]

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[Splattella]

Thanks for the info on the earlier thread, Julie. I've been enjoying the younger generation's take on Cairoli Slosh Scenes.

Any chance, do you think, of reviving a Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society? God knows what their annual general meeting would be like? After an out-of-tune rendition of "Lily the PInk" everyone would immediately end up sharing out the party food in well-choreographed mayhem! (Just like any Saturday night in Blackpool!)

Any more info on Signor Cairoli out there?

S x

[messyjojo]

Not necessarily info, but I do remeber our yearly holidays to Blackpool in the 1970's and seeing Charlie, together with Norman Barret and his performing budgies! I think we went the year Charlie Snr died, coz they had to change the circus programme and Charlie Jr did the show instead while Snr was ill. I also remember there being an exhibition in the Tower some years ago dedicated to CC Sr, which showed his costumes and props, along with other stuff about the TV shows and specials he appeared in - Aahhh - the happy days of youth.........

[happysplosher]

Like Julie, I was also once a member of the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society and still have a few papers and pictures from that time (1995/6). If you'd like them I'd be pleased to forward them to you free of charge and with my compliments if you'll pm me your postal address.

[BillShipton]

If you like we could scan them in as an item in the Free House. If you send them to us, we'd send them on to whoever you want.