Poobah
Pete “Poobah”
Terhurne
only wore the bag on his
head on the bally of "The
Pygmy Village:
in which as the star he
juggled articles, (tennis
balls etc.) while
standing on his head. He did
sword ladder, glass dance,
iron tongue. wrestled a big
snake and had the knives
thrown around him,
(impalement act) He has
performed in burlesque in
theatres and clubs, in
theatre variety shows,
indoor and big top circuses
as clown, (seven years
:clowned at Madison Square
Garden N. Y. with Ringling
Bros, and Barnum and Bailey,
and a special showing
(clown)
with RBBB at Wash. D C in
1973; He co-starred in the
theatre musical "Phineas"
Was the murder victim in 2
Broadway musicals: "Million
Dollar Doll" 1962, and
"Saigon Doll" 1995.
He has appeared on TV with
Jay Leno :"Tonight", Tom
Snyder "Tomorrow", Joan
Rivers show, P M Magazine,
Entertainment Tonight,
Entertainment This Week" ,
Weird America", "Small Town
Secrets" and ten TV
documentaries, and well over
100 local newscasts.
For many years he is a front
page photo subject for fairs
across the U S and Canada.
He has been profiled in 19
published books and many
magazine articles. He will
be the official (clown
greeter at the IISA charity
circus Gibsonton on Jan 19
which post he has
occupied for 26 years...
He is a forty year member of
the International
Independent Showmen's Assn.;
a member of Circus Fans
Assn, of America, and Award
recipient of The Sideshow
Gathering.
He performed 1980, 81, 82,
83 at Smithsonian
Institution, Wash DC. At a
private party in Palm Beach
Fl. in 1956 he was
photographed with the Joseph
Kennedy family, including
the young Kennedy sons John,
Robert, and Ted;
The Mellons of Pittsburgh,
John Rockefeller Jr, and
brothers Jay and Nelson. and
many other of the nations
top socialites.
He was in movies "The Dare
devil" "Beware The Black
Widow" and in three
different children's movies
for Trans International
Films as "Puss In Boots". He
was featured in "Carny" with
Jody Foster and Gary Busey.
These are the things I
remember in what has been a
long and successful career.
Asked where he enjoyed
working best , he'll reply
"New York first and Hawaii
second".
What he liked the least was
touring with "Dr. Miracles
Wondercade" on the Caribbean
Islands. On that tour the
was looked on with the
admiration shown a Rock
star, with
screaming, wanting to touch
him etc, it was frightening
to him.
Ward Hall
1 Pete
Terhune, by
Lori Ballard
©2007 All rights reserved
2 Jody Foster and Gary Busey
BW image from Carny
