Samaroff and Sonia
Donat Butowick Born: May 4, 1877 Samara, Russia Died: October 6, 1960 Muskegon, MI |
Ella Bluhmfield Butowick Born: April 29, 1881 Died: June 25, 1968 Muskegon, MI |
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Alphons P. Butowick Born: June 23, 1901, Chicago, IL Died: April, 1968 |
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Donat Butowick, also known as
The Great Bedini and, in later years, as Samaroff, delighted thousands
from stages around the world for over 40 years. The Russian performer
left home at the age of eight, working with a Chek organ grinder as an
acrobat and contortionist. Two years later, he joined a circus in
Rostoff, and performed acrobatic tight wire acting and trick horse
riding. In 1898, Butowick fled his homeland to avoid mandatory
four-years of service in the Czar's Army. |
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In 1906, he came to the United States to play
the vaudeville circuit. While performing in California in 1908 he met Ella Blumenfield, a German acrobat
performing with her sisters under the name Ella Bellatzer. The couple was married three
weeks later, on January 21, 1908 in Los Angeles. Together, they toured
the world as Samaroff and Sonia, an act of national dancing, acrobatics
and acrobatic dogs. In 1913, Samaroff performed before King George V in
London. |
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The couple came to Muskegon in 1917 to visit the
Grubers, and soon
purchased a home in the Actors Colony. They continued performing. |
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In 1937, an automobile accident in
Chicago caused serious injury to Mrs. Butowick and the act was disbanded. In 1938, couple announced the sale of five animals to the DeWaldo's Circus of Crosby, Minn. A
brief return to show business in later years was short lived and the
couple retired to their Bluffton home. The couple had one son and
one grandson at the time of Ella's death in 1968. She was the last
colony member still living in Bluffton at the time. |
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