The Texas Trio
The Ross Sisters
Who were the Amazing Ross Sisters and what made them so amazing?
Betsy Ann Ross, Dixie Jewel Ross, and Veda Victoria Ross, known as Aggie, Elmira, and Maggie respectively, were three Texas born sisters who had moderate success in showbiz in the 1940’s.
They were known for snazzy dances that incorporated incredible contorted moves.
The video up top is a MUST WATCH!
It is from the 1944 film, Broadway Rhythm, and it features the three Ross Sisters in a rendition of Solid Potato Salad. I’m not exactly sure what “solid potato salad” means, but the song is spectacular nonetheless.
The dance starts of innocuous enough until you get to about the one minute mark. That’s when the mind-blowing body contortions begin!
Words cannot adequately describe what happens next, so I will just say it again- YOU MUST WATCH!
The Ripley Connection
Ripley’s has a rich history of featuring spectacular performers similar to the Ross Sisters. Take a look at our gallery below which gives you a little sneak peek into our archives!
Jaqueline Terry
At age 17, Jaqueline Terry,of Montgomery, Alabama, could perform this rare and difficult jaw balance.
THE HUMAN BELT
Los Angeles dancer Miss Renee DeLue and her partner, Ruby Dale, demonstrate their version of a human belt.
Appreciative audiences put them on a pedestal for many years (August 29, 1946)
LORRAINE CHEVALIER
Lorrain Chevalier
A direct descendant of the Chevalier Troupe of acrobats, Lorraine Chevalier of Philadelphia, PA, was actually able to sit on her own head!
The family claims that in 200 years only one person per generation of Chevaliers was suited for this type of work.
ALMA YNCLAN
Alma was known as The Living Cross. She could contort he body into almost any position.
F. VELEZ CAMPOS
F. Velez Campos, dislocationist, strikes a peculiar pose in Fortuna, Puerto Rico (September 23, 1933)
THE HUMAN FLAGPOLE
Perry L Biddle of DeFuniak Springs, FL, hoists himself up into a human flag position on his ninetieth birthday!
Perry L Biddle
Amazing……..!!!!!!!!!!
Unbelievable to say the least!!!!! Simply and utterly amazing!
whhhhhoooowww
FYI… The song title “Solid Potato Salad” is a joking allusion to a real-life incident that happened to singer/trumpeter Louis Armstrong in the early 1940s. One of Armstrong’s jazz-inspired catch phrases back then was “Solid!” (an enthusiatic affirmative response); so, Armstrong was always saying “Solid!” to show his approval or agreement with something. According to Armstrong, he was on tour in Europe and, as he checked in at his hotel in Switzerland, a hotel porter asked him if he’d like dinner brought to his room. Armstrong quickly replied, “Solid, man!” Fifteen minutes later, the porter delivered a SALAD to Armstrong’s room (mistaking “solid” as a request for “salad”). That true story brought a lot of laughs in the early 1940s. So, the “Solid Potato Salad” song was a humorous reference to the Armstrong story.
I’m excited to see more extrodinary things