Medrano

Géronimo Medrano , artist of Circus, Clown, born with Madrid in 1849, deceased with Paris in 1912. It renewed comic clowns and founded the Cirque Medrano .

“Bang Bang! ”

Of Spanish origin, Géronimo Medrano is initially Danseur in England then air acrobat in the Troop of Leopold Salonne, in particular with the Circus of the Fields-Élysées, Paris. In 1874, Fernando, the director of the Parisian circus of the same name, offers to him a place of Clown. It is pointed out by its famous exclamation “Bang boom! ” addressed to the leader. Enjoué, nimble, vêtu of a shirt decorated with flowers and butterflies embroidered, it has the enfariné face and carries a wig of hemp roughcast of houppettes. It is very popular near the women and especially of the children, whom it does not frighten, unlike much of clowns of the time…

The New Circus, he plays then in various interludes, in particular with Chocolat then at the beginning of his career. When the Fernando circus, located at 63, Boulevard Rochechouart, with the angle of the street of the Martyrs, has problems in 1897, Medrano repurchases it, its name gives him and becomes the director about it.

With him, the Medrano circus becomes " the circus of the clowns". It imposes a new style, that of the popular, comic and light clowneries “Latin”. The three clowns Fratellini are engaged in Medrano from September 1st, 1915 to June 29th, 1923 and obtain a phenomenal success. Grock (volunteer in 1904), Footit and Chocolat, Oporto, Pipo, Rum, Achille Zavatta will follow one another it, without forgetting the juggler Rastelli, the trapezist androgyne Barbette, the equilibrist Miss Lala. Artists of passage also occur there, like Buster Keaton in 1947, with Beby Frediani, then in 1952 with his wife Eleanor Norris, then last once in 1954, and Fernand Raynaud (1956). Medrano inspired by many artists of Pigalle: Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, Renoir, Derain, Van Dongen or Picasso.

But the disaffection of the public the constrained one to cease its activities at the dawn of the Sixties, on January 7th, 1963 exactly. At the end of 1963, the old Medrano circus reopens its doors under the name of " Circus of Montmartre" direction Bouglione juniors. Discounted success is not with go and the building is demolished in 1973.

Begun again by Jean Richard, in 1978 (which puts the trio of clowns " the Bario " in the high-speed motorboat), then by Raoul Gibault, the Medrano Circus, from now on travelling, continues it to furrow France.

To note

The coffee " To go artistes" , located at the n° 1 boulevard de Clichy, just opposite the old site of Medrano, the presence of the circus recalls.

Sources

Program of Medrano of 1954, with Buster Keaton in the high-speed motorboat
History of the district Pigalle
Card of Quid on Medrano
Site of the current circus Medrano
Burial of Geronomo Medrano to the cemetery of Montmartre (2 {{E}} division)

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