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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL HATFIELD

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Jitterbug Acrobatics

One day, Paul walked into the gym and saw three guys doing Jitterbug Acrobatics. He said, "that's for me!" Being an acrobat required no doctor's exam, and six months later, he was a pro. In the beginning, Paul did lifts with his partner, Bill Weiderfeld. But then he went solo, first with a hand-balancing act of his own design, followed by a dancing dummies act which was such a hit that he kept doing it for years.

 

An Upside down World

Here's Paul skating on his hands down Saint Paul Street (appropriate, no?) in Baltimore, MD, on Sunday, February 19, 1956 (part of a newspaper clipping from the Baltimore Sun). He said, "in that time, I liked to do different things. Nobody was doing it, and I said, well, why can't I skate on my hands? So I made a piece of wood on the skates, wrapped 'em, and waited for the green light, and I hit the skates, and [I was] going down St. Paul St., and cars are [going by, and people are] driving with their mouths open."

 

The Kingpin

Paul is balancing on a small "bowling ball" which is balanced on a bowling pin. Paul later dropped this from his act.

 

The Mike Douglas Show

Here's Paul posing with Mike Douglas for a publicity shot. Paul has the dummy suit strapped around his waist with a thick belt and is in the position that he ends up in after dancing around the crowd with the dummies and revealing to them that he is inside. He played the Mike Douglas show, the Ed Sullivan Show, the Merv Griffin Show, and many others.

 

The Kooky Board

Click on the photo to see a series of photos of Paul demonstrating the proper use of the Kooky Board. These photos were also taken at the Days Inn in 1996.

ABOUT

All About Paul Leroy Hatfield, a legend in his own time.

THE ENTERTAINER

Paul's show business career spanned three decades. Click on the photo above to read all about it!

SKY HIGH

My father's nickname was "Sky High". Click on the link above to find out why!

REALLY SKY HIGH

My dad's nickname "Sky High" followed him as a pilot. Click on the picture above and take off! - "Clear!"

On July 7th, 2000, at approximately 7:30 PM EDT, Paul Hatfield passed from this life to the next. He was 72 years old. This web site is dedicated with lots of love to you, Dad. You'll always be "Sky High" to me! I know you're flying high now, and your spirit lives on in this web site...