Preface

“But, Papa, why can’t you let one of the poodles take my place in the act?” Papa wasn’t convinced. “The Billboard” had stated that Maud, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clemens Belling, novelty act, was marrying a non-pro on June 19, 1943.

How good a Mrs. Non-pro would I be? I could juggle, dance and turn somersaults, but how would all this fit in with a marriage to a scientific man? Can one get scientific about a somersault? The first treatise on the “Salot-Motale” was published in 1599 by Guiseppe Chiarini. The American College Dictionary defines the somersault as an acrobatic movement of the body in which it turns a complete revolution, heels over head. The Italian acrobats appropriately name it salto-motale, meaning death leap. The French call it saut perilleux when backwards and casse-cou when turning forwards. How will all this information help me cook a meal? It was so easy for Papa to continue the act without me. I was replaced by a poodle, just like I had replaced the donkey when the silly ass inconveniently died the night before we opened at the New York Hippodrome.

But what really annoyed Papa was that I was breaking circus tradition by deserting all the magnificent wanderers - the Fratellinis, a family of clowns; the talented Colleano Family which included Con Colleano, who turned difficult forward somersaults on the slack wire, and Maurice Colleano, who turned a double somersault floor to floor; the Swiss musical clown, Grock; Jules Leotard, who became the rage of Paris after inventing the swinging trapeze; the juggler, Enrice Rastelli; Les clowns “Rivels”; the high-wire Wallendas; and Poodles Hannaford, a clown who performed on a broad backed Percheron. I was leaving this grand entourage of famous names for the Smiths and the Browns.

I had fallen head over heels in love and so juggled my last hat, turned my last somersault and took my last bow. STEP RIGHT UP, FOLKS, AND SEE FIVE GENERATIONS OF THE BELLINGS PARADING PASS.... FROM CIRCUS TO VAUDEVILLE TO TELEVISION....DECORATED IN TRADITION AND SPANGLES....AND I, ON THE END, SNEAKING AWAY WITH A FEW SPANGLES AND SAWDUST LEFT ON MY APRON STRINGS THAT CANNOT BE WASHED OFF.