Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-31
AGir| Who
ISUnderSfudu
For Death

n
~ Centre three hours every day between II a. and
U p. m, Elsie Bubbles Ricardo 1.-THE young blonde
with long gets SIS week Although she is in
the health fun of energy everyone from her
employer TO the office boy is most anxious that she do no
work.
This sounds like an easy Job and Mr. George A. Hamd
who gave Bubbles has similar openings Yet far,
there have been takers, for g must have unusual
qualifications and plenty of to fill position that
literally 'understudy for DEATH
ffaid manages than thousand daredeviis of the
trapeze rings; high wire and like attractions at crcuses
parks, and carnvals throughout the country. He
keeps Bubbles in his office from II to two daily and his
fingers because that when the manager of
outdoor exposition in Seattle or circus in San Antonio
may that featured performer has landed hos
pta undertalers paor instead of net and unless
substitute Immediately forthcoming the entire attrac
ton will have to be cancelled
When message like that does come IN Bubbles grabs
the always packed bag of tights that she keeps the
office boards the first plane to double for the unor
tunate performer
Curiousy enough Bubbles occupation created be-
the For the past several months Hamid has
lots Of trouble supplying aerial acts because many
composed Of foreigners who couldn't get out OF Europe 10
complicate matters when accident occurred to mem
already this country the complete booking
had be cancelled because he didn't have enough acts to
fill in all the engagements.
Then occurred to him that the thrill act
,ndcrstudies lust as much as the legitimate theatre
remembered that two years ago when Mike Cshill
aerial star had accidentally dropped from Ills perch while
doing cloud swing at Rye Beach, New York he had
T1ar1aEcd get daring young Bubbles Ricardo 10 substitute
and finish the engagement
So recently he approached the idea Of being the
pioneer the "undersudy death" She to get SO
week for not working and great deal more when she
did Being accomplished aeralst herself since the
seven, she had ideal qualifications.
AT present know 325 different aerial tricks, any
number may called upon this unique
Job explained In many have to know all the
tricks of each member of the different troupes
study and troupes have many as SIX or seven
members
only recently had to Boston to substitute
injured member Of the Peaches Sky Revue Among
other oupes for whom undcrstudy are the Sensa
Waldos Walcndas Dctcros Sensation Flying Otaris
Crotofeuts and my family the Rjcardos
The difficult part of my job is to be able to
syuChronize the performance my tricks with the differ
ent acts undcrstudy and whose individual members know
anothers little habits and signals so Wei that they
work absolute harmony like so many parts of we'll
oiled machine Therefore, time during the year /
and work with the different acts dong all
their tricks with them"
Mr. Hand periodically sends Bubbles Atlantic city
"refresher" Ed Rooney who used TO
teach aerial tricks to ballet the old Barnum and
Bailey Circus and who of the outstanding aerial IN
strUctors the country
i have to keep posted on al the newest
I may fit in with any act Bubbles IF this sounds
complicated should explain that lot of the same tricks
be done with different apparatus the trapeze rope
pole rings and web When flying act comes into the
picture however precise sphsccond timing is another
factor which must be considered
Mr. Hamid would like 10 find more girls like Bubbles
they appear TO be- He points out that they must
had plenty OF experience IN acrobatcs and be strong
well as have plenty OF nerve. Some applicants he has
interviewed have the necessary skill but lack tho strength
TO also rudcrstudy tho undcr-sandcr which that
OF the troupe who holds all the others mp down.
when they near "Aleyoop''
Bubbles can do that. as she demonstrated recently
when she swung girls from trapezc while pinch
hitting in Boston She also keeps her muscles timber 10y
tnaine LID family tho El4ua Ricataas
Park Coney Island New York. each evening when not
otherwise engaged.
Just the other evening when working with them she had
experience that demonstrated the need for her parcu
lar kind profession. Il preparing 70 swing
the tfareze 80 feet their heads she
said had gotten that the place soEgy with of
Coney Island fogs II got The bar slippery that
just managed hold Nh one hand II the nearest
thing 20 an accident ] ever had
.Iho rcx' morning Hc tlamid office told them that
bavir created en- tHdersfdy cob IT, night also be good