From research notes for a book to be called 'A Century of Slapstick'


1937



Rainer Blaumann
Rue du Comediens, 13
Bruxelles
Belgium

26 xii 2000

Dear Mr Smith-Welsh,

From the book you write now you send to me a chapter with title - "Wet, Wet and Wet Again: The Water Clowning Acts Between The Wars" that has my family in it. It is good you do. I read this chapter most carefully and now if you please I make my comments.

(You must forgive I do not write good English).

You have write: "The "4 Blaumann" were four brothers from Hannover in Germany who were massively popular for their crazy water clowning act."

They are not all brothers. Only Eberhard and Eckbert are brothers. These are twins. Bruno was their uncle. You have write about the winter of 1936/37. At this time Hartwig Blaumann, Bruno's cousin, although more young than him, is not with the troupe because he is too ill from getting wet every night. This year the no.4 man was Andrzej. He is the young cousin of Bruno. He come from a circus family in Poland. Their family name is Kosko. I remember he is a handsome man.

I explain Bruno was my great uncle. I am with him and Eberhard, Eckbert and Andrzej in 1937, here in Bruxelles, when they are in the Ice Show, because my mother is trying for us to get away from Germany and we stay with them for many months. I was 13 then.

You have write: "They toured with all the major circuses in Europe and once with Barnum's in America. Their trademark was to use ordinary paraphernalia: funnels, buckets, hosepipes, stirrup pumps, ladders, ramps and troughs - and at each performance they would all get absolutely soaked.

In the winter of 1936/37 The 4 Blaumann weren't performing in a circus tent: for the first time they were part of the Ice Spectacular at Le Palais de Glace in Brussels. Ice shows were still a novelty then and securing the services of the leading clowns of the day was a great coup for the management."

No. What happens is Uncle Bruno hope Le Cirque d'Hiver in Paris make an invitation to them for that season but there is the disappointment, and because he must work all the time he go to the Ice Show in Bruxelles. I know that Auntie Berthe, his wife, not want them to do it. She knows it will be too hard. She always look after them very close.

You have write: "The Blaumanns went to great lengths to adapt their act for the ice rink [ - ] "

To be true they do not. They perform their usual act, 'Water Music', except they perform it on the top of the ice on a sheet next to the band. As normal Uncle Bruno is the proper musician in white tie and tails who try to play the cello but Eckbert come on he is a tramp in baggy suit and he play a flute that squirt water. Then Eberhard. He is the Grock-type clown in check trousers and he bring on buckets of water to wash the floor. At last Andrzej come - he wear the costume of Harlequin and he bring several water cans for his tiny flowerpot. Bruno get angry and they all argue and soon they pour water over each other in many different ways.

The best is when Andrzej fill Eckbert's bowler hat with water and balance it on a broomstick from his chin and when it fall it go over Eberhard. But the audience always shout 'Oh!' when the others throw 3 full buckets over Bruno because they do not think he can get wet ever in his smart suit.

" [ - ] but they played to riotous laughter and applause so it must have seemed like business as usual."

It is not like usual for them. The ice is hard, not soft like the sawdust in the circus ring and they have to fall over on it many times. And they must not use hot water in the buckets or it will melt the ice underneath the sheet where the skaters must skate afterwards. My uncle and cousins must only throw cold water over each other. They do not like it.

You have write: "They learned to ice-skate specially [ - ] "

Bruno and the twins never skate, they do not need to. But Andrzej learn to skate because he is also the clown in one of the musical numbers with the ice skaters. He is dressed in just his bathing costume playing the lazy fellow lying in the sun. He is actually on the ice - very cold. The skaters are skating round in a long line faster and faster and Andrzej try to catch them but when he nearly catch them he fall in to a big tub of water. The water cannot be warm there too. It is very cold and Andrzej must fall right in to it and when he get out he slide on his chest on the ice. The audience they all say, 'Oh! How can he do it? It must be so cold!' and it is true, Andrzej get cold every time.

" [ - ] and took to the ice like naturals, relishing their new environment."

Excuse me but no. For them it is hard. The building must not be warm or the ice will melt - even the audience wear their overcoats - and there is much snow this winter. When they finish their act they are wet all through, even their underclothes - because they pour water down funnels into their trouser which make people laugh very much. And they must go down 2 staircases then along a corridor in wet clothes to their dressing room.

Auntie Berthe worry their chests will get worse. Their costumes never dry out. Uncle Bruno's suits are rotting. There are two shows every night and they have two sets of costumes but they never are dry and on Saturdays there are three shows, so for show no.3 they must wear again the costumes that are wet all through. Auntie Berthe does as good as she can. She hang their costumes in front of the hot water pipe but you must see in those times their costumes are made from wool or cotton, even Andrzej's bathing suit that he wears to skate.

I remember it is in one piece - a leotard. The Ice Show boss only give him one to wear so it is always wet and he must wear it for many minutes while he puts on his skates. At this time he is 26 years - a fit young man - but after in the dressing room he shiver and he can not stop and then soon he has to do the water entree with the others and get wet again. I remember that his bathing suit is tight but I do not see his manhood. It disappear because he is so cold. I remember this well. It makes me think when I am 13 years old. I see that he suffer to make people laugh.

You have write: "The 4 Blaumann had a genius for conveying their delight in the watery anarchy they created in the ring."

Yes, they like to please the audience and they agree to make sacrifice with their health and with their comfort to do it. But to them it is a job and not a pleasure.

You have write: 'Sadly, they went their separate ways before the Second World War and audiences everywhere were deprived of some of the most inspired and zany slapstick ever."

I am surprised you do not know this but later in 1937 Bruno retire age 52 because he has chronic bronchitis. The act finish. Andrzej went missing in the war with the Dutch Resistance.

I hope my comments help you and that you may put them in your final draft.

Yours, etc.
Rainer Blaumann


[Letter received in reply from Rainer Blaumann (1924-2002), great-nephew of Bruno Blaumann (1885 - 1937), leader of Der Vier Blaumann, circus water slapstick artistes. ]