The original Little Allright was Hamaikari Umekichi (b 1853/4) who came to Britain with Risley’s Imperial Japanese Troupe in 1867. He performed on ladders and on descent would shout “All right!”.
It’s possible Umekichi stayed on in Europe, recorded in the 1871 British census as aged 18, staying with Hamaikari Denkichi (b 1850), who had also been in Risley’s troupe, in a hotel in Soho.
Tannaker Buhicrosan claimed to have a Little Allright in his troupes from October 1872 through to 1889. This may have been Umekichi at the beginning, but the name was used for a small child from at least 1875, possibly Tannaker’s daughter Tani. The act was tub spinning and balancing, with Little Allright appearing from inside one of the tubs.
From 1886 another Little Allright appeared in Britain and Europe, performing the Slide for Life until 1891.
Another Little Allright appeared in 1889, when Kondo Torakichi used Little Allright for his own son, until 1893, for their tub and ladder balancing act.
From 1899 a Little Allright performs with The Andos. May be the same person as Matsumoto, who performs a slide for life.
TIMELINE
1872 October – TANNAKER’S JAPANESE TROUPE, Twelve males and females, Tommy the Wolf, Little All-right, a Lady Rope and Wire Walker, Balancer, Tub and Door Spinner, and Ten other artists.
1873 September – advertisement in The Era ” JAPANESE (TANNAKER’S) LITTLE ALL RIGHT AND TOMMY THE WOLF TROUPE as well as Tannaker’s Great Dragon Troupe of Japanese. Tannaker has only two troupes of real Japanese in this country. Claims both names are registered and that Tannaker’s New Entertainment “will shortly arrive”
1875 Little All Right in Tannaker’s troupe falls: “Little All Right, a boy of five years of age fell off high ladder and broke a rib and was much bruised” This was probably Tannaker’s daughter Tani.
To May 1889 – Tannaker has an Allright in his troupes and villages
1886 Little All-right advertisement by Warner agency
1887 May The original Little Allright in his marvellous Slide for Life – Crystal Palace
1888 September – December – Little All-Right Japanese Ascensionist being advertised in The Era by Parravicini, along with Katsnoshin Awata and other acts
1888 December – Little All-Right the Japanese ascensionist being advertised by Parravicini along with Awata, King Kalkasa Japanese juggler
1889 February – Little All-Right – engaged by this Agency of Berlin and Vienna – along with Katsnoshin Awata the Japanese court juggler, engaged by this agency for a continental tour, Kinghko (engaged by this agency for a tour on the continent), Prince Kokin, engaged by this agency to appear in Paris Torricata Troupe re-engaged by this agency for London – Parravicini ad in The Era),
1889 December Kondo Torakichi is “Conda Torra and Little Allright in Reading.”
1890 February – Hengler’s Grand Cirque – special engagement of the great and original Japanese marvel Little Allright in his extraordinary feats of equilibrium and slide for life.
1890 March – Parravicini advertisement also including Three Mitsutas, Prince Kokin, King Kalkasa, Torikata Troupe.
1890 November- Little Allright advertised by Parravicini
1891 Little Allright in Newcastle on Tyne
1891 September – Little All-Right Japanese wonder, Shields
1890 – Condo and Son/Condo the Japanese and Little Allright tour Britain, appear at the Folies Bergeres in Paris and Edinburgh International Exhibition
1891 Condo and Little Allright, the Real Japanese Wonders
1892 Condo and Little Allright, the Japanese wonders
1893 March – Condo and Little Allright – last usage by Kondo Torakichi. From 1894 are The Condos, with a female assistant, with Little Miss Una. Three or four.
1897 – Little Allright mentioned by agent, Tom Claxton
1899 October – November – Little Allright performing in Leeds with M Ando.
1900 March – The Ando Troupe of Japanese acrobats give what is certainly one of the most exciting and sensational turns ever seen at the Zoo; Little Allright, Matsu-moto, the Gregorys, Ando, Moto, and Ochhano.
Matsu-moto also performs slide for life.
1901 September – At the Scottish Zoo Little Allright is performing his marvellous slide. The foot-equilibristic feats of the Ando-Imperial Japanese are clever.
1902 February – M. Ando’s Imperial Japanese Troupe, head balancers, contortionists, and gymnasts, the sensational feature of the general performance being the slide for life” by Little Allright – Liverpool
1905 Sada Vernon Ogino is Little Allright in the Ando’s Troupe
1907 December – LITTLE ALLRIGHT, The Original Japanese Wonder Hartlepool
1908 January-March Little Allright – Sheffield, Staffordshire, Derbyshire Japanese Wonder “well sustains the Japanese reputation for balancing”
1911 Little Allright/Sada Vernon Ogino is in the Banzai Troupe – census in Southampton.
Ninjin 