Clown

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A clown today is one of various types of comedic performers, on stage, television, in the circus and rodeo. Though not every clown is readily identifiable by appearance alone, clowns frequently appear in makeup and costume, as well as typically unusually large footwear, oversized or otherwise outlandish clothing, big or otherwise unusual nose, and enacting humorous sketches, usually in the interludes between major presentations. The clown's humor today is often visual and includes many elements of physical comedy or slapstick humor but not exclusively. For instance, Wavy Gravy's comedy is often cerebral, spiritual, or even political in nature.

Contents

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Word Origin

The word clown comes from words meaning "clot" or "clod" which came also to mean "clumsy fellow", according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Clown is both a noun and a verb, and can also be an adjective (clown bike, clown shoes, clown white, clown gag and so on). Clown is also used to refer to anyone who provides entertainment in a clownish manner. Among professional clowns, "clown" often refers to the character portrayed, rather than the performer. This usage is somewhat rare outside of the professional clown and/or theatrical community.

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History

Clowning is a form of entertainment which has appeared in some manner in virtually every culture. In most cultures the clown is a ritual character associated with festival or rites of passage and is often very different from the most popular western form. In Europe, up until as late as the 19th century the clown was a typical everyday character, and often appeared in carnivals. The performance is symbolic of liminality - being outside the rules of regular society the clown is able to subvert the normal order, and this basic premise is contemporarily used by many activists to point out social absurdity.

A popular early form of clown was the fool, a role that can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt and appears as the first card in the tarot deck. Most fools suffered from some physical or mental deformity, and were given to the local landlord as a charge, because their families were unable to look after them, and the surrounding communities often feared them. They were the butt of jokes, and their masters had the power to inflict violence upon them and even take their lives. However, being perceived 'idiots' they were often the only people in court who enjoyed free speech, and during the 16th century, especially in France, actors began to train as fools often in order to have the ability to make satirical comment. This is mainly where we get the contemporary idea of the court jester, immortalised and romanticised by actors such as Danny Kaye in The Court Jester. There is evidence of the 'wise fool' similar in function to the jester in many other cultures.

The clown of this era and eras previous to it were also associated with jugglers, who were seen as the pariahs of society alongside actors, prostitutes and lepers, and thus (at least in Europe) wore stripes, or motley - cloth associated with marginalised people such as the condemned, with strong associations of the devil. Jugglers often used attributes of the clown, and the later court jesters often danced, performed acrobatics and juggled.

During the 16th century the Commedia dell'arte also became a huge influence on perceptions of the clown in Europe, and influence which passed through pantomime, into vaudeville and on to the touring circuses of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Commedia took influences from the grotesque masked clowns of carnivals and mysteries, and began in market places as a way to sell vegetables. It became incredibly popular throughout Europe amongst both the general public and the courts. The stock characters of the commedia originally included the Zanni - peasant clowns, Pantalone, the old Miser, Il Dottore - The Banal Doctor, and then grew from there to incorporate the Lovers, Arlechinno, Pedrolino, and Brighella, who have survived into the twentieth century in one form or another.

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Three Basic Clown Types

There are three basic traditional types of clowns, The whiteface, the auguste and the character. In circus, each of these types can wear a makeup that is either neat (slightly exaggerated) or grotesque (wildly exaggerated). There is no single absolute definition of what constitutes each clown type, with international performers encompassing an extremely wide range of styles, not to mention the classical and modern variants of each type.

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The Whiteface Clown

Image:FrostyLittle.jpg

The whiteface (or white clown) is the highest status in the clown hierarchy and oldest of modern clown archetypes. When a whiteface is performing with other clowns they usually function as the straight man, the leader and the smartest of the group.

The whiteface clown uses "clown white" makeup to cover his or her entire face and neck with none of the underlying flesh color showing. Features are then usually painted on in either red or black.

The white clown is traditionally costumed far more extravangantly than the other two clown types. They are also the only type to wear the ruffled collar and pointed hat of what we think of as a "clown suit".

Some non-circus examples of a "white clown":

  • Moe Howard of the Three Stooges
  • Oliver Hardy of Laurel & Hardy
  • Bud Abbott of Abbott & Costello
  • Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners
  • Dean Martin of Martin & Lewis
  • Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy
  • Dick Smothers of The Smothers Brothers
  • Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld
  • Ren on Ren & Stimpy
  • Bert of Sesame Street's Ernie & Bert
  • Squidward on Spongebob Squarepants
  • Looney Tunes' Bugs Bunny

Some circus examples include Pipo Sossman, Francios Fratellini, Felix Adler, Paul Jung, Harry Dann, Chuck Burnes, Albert White, Ernie Burch, Bobby Kaye, Jack and Jackie LeClaire, Joe and Chester Sherman, Keith Crary, Charlie Bell, Mike Snyder, Tim Tegge, Jimmy James, Kenny Dodd, Frankie Saluto, Tammy Parrish, Pennywise, and Prince Paul Albert.

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The Auguste

Accompanying the white clown there is usually another much broader and sillier type known as an Auguste, or red clown. In classical European circus the auguste wasn't even considered a clown because, technically, his or her role is different.

The white clown almost always gets the better of the auguste. The auguste is the one who gets the pie in the face, is squirted with water, is knocked down on their backside, sits in the wet paint or has his or her pants ripped off.

The base color for the makeup is red or flesh tone. The eyes and the mouth are encircled in white and the features are highlighted, again, traditionally in red and black .

The auguste is usually costumed in baggy plaids accented with colorful polka dots or loud stripes with wide collared shirts, long neck ties, wild wigs and oversized noses and shoes.

Some non-circus examples of "red clowns":

  • Curly Howard of the Three Stooges
  • Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers
  • Stan Laurel of Laurel & Hardy
  • Lou Costello of Abbott & Costello
  • Ed Norton on the Honeymooners
  • Jerry Lewis of Martin & Lewis
  • Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy
  • Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers
  • Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld
  • Stimpy on Ren & Stimpy
  • Ernie of Sesame Street's Ernie & Bert
  • Spongebob on Spongebob Squarepants
  • Looney Tunes' Daffy Duck

Some circus examples include Albert Fratellini, Lou Jacobs, Jeff Gordon, Greg and Karen DeSanto, Tom Parrish, Billy Vaughn, Chesty Mortimer, Gijon Polidor, Nicolai and Michael "Coco" Polikov, Charlie Rivel, Alfredo Rastelli, Chuck Sidlow, Toto Johnson and Mitch Freddes.

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The Character Clown

The character clown, adopts an eccentric character of some type, such as a butcher, a baker, a policeman, a housewife or hobo. Prime examples of this type of clown are the circus tramps Otto Griebling and Emmett Kelly. Red Skelton, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin would all fit the definition of a character clown.

The character clown makeup is a comic slant on the standard human face. Their makeup starts with a flesh tone base and may make use of anything from glasses, mustaches and beards to freckles, warts, big ears or strange haircuts. The most prevalent character clown in the American circus is the tramp or hobo clown.

When working in traditional trio situation the character will play "contre-auguste" (2nd, less wild auguste) and can side with either the white or red clown.

Some non-circus examples of character clowns:

  • W.C. Fields
  • Joe Penner
  • Pinky Lee
  • Paul Reubens' Pee-Wee Herman
  • Ed Wynn
  • Bob Einstein's Super Dave Osbourne
  • Jim Varney's Ernest P. Worell
  • Don Novello's Fr. Guido Sarducci
  • Lily Tomlin' Ernestine the Telephone Operator
  • Andrew Silverstein's Andrew Dice Clay
  • George Costanza on Seinfeld
  • Patrick Starfish on Spongebob Squarepants
  • Bill Irwin's Mr. Noodle on Elmo's World

Some circus examples include Barry Lubin, Tom Dougherty, Bill Irwin, David Shiner, Geoff Hoyle, John Gilkey, Peter Shub, Poodles Hanneford, Bluch Landolf, Larry Pisoni, John Lepiarz, Bobo Barnett, Happy Kellams, Fumagalli, Charlie Cairoli, Bebe, Jojo Lewis, Abe Goldstein, Rhum, David Larible, Oleg Popov, Rik Gern and Bello Nock.

Some examples of the contre-auguste character in non-circus trios:

  • Larry Fine of the Three Stooges
  • Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers

Sources:

Clowns and Pantomimes by Maurice W. Disher ISBN: 0405084463 Publisher: Beaufort Books - June, 1968

Clowns By: John H. Towsen ISBN: 0801539625 Publisher: E P Dutton - 1976-11

Clown Alley by Bill Ballantine ISBN: 0316079588 Publisher: Little Brown & Co (T) - April, 1982

Clown for Circus and Stage by Mark Stolzenberg ISBN: 0806970340 Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc - May, 1981

The Physical Comedy Handbook by Davis Rider Robinson ISBN: 0325001146 Publisher: Reed Elsevier Incorporated - May 1999

The Pickle Clowns: New American Circus Comedy by Joel Schechter ISBN: 0809323567 Publisher: Southern Illinois Univ Pr (Tx) - August, 2001

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Styles

In Europe there is a tradition of "entree clowning" where the troupe of clowns usually comprising of "whiteface", "auguste" and a "character" perform a set routine; "The Busy Bee" (in German, "Beinchen Beinchen Gib Mir Honig"), "The Bon Bon", or "the Ghost" are just a few regularly performed in European Circus. Water entrees and Paste (soap) entrees are also staple diets for these audiences. Up until the eighties reprise clowns in Europe were very traditional, but lately they are showing more versatility with a range of different styles and presentations involving audience participation and more inventive "gags" rather than relying on the old faithfuls. The main difference with the U.S. is that usually European shows have one ring and the clown has the complete attention of the audience; in the States, where multiple rings are the norm, there are more clowns, each working a different section of the public.

Image:Rastellis.jpg

There was for many years a tradition of families of clowns all working together (such as the Rastellis, the Francescos, The Alexis, and many more), but with the economics changing, it is no longer viable for many shows to afford a large family unit. These are slowly disappearing.

Circuses have recently been faced with stiff pressure from animal rights groups for alleged abuse and mistreatment of animals, as well as the competetive pressure from popular new live action versions of children's television programs. In response, American circuses at least, have begun to lean towards shows based specifically around the clown as a marketable character and personality. This has promoted a new class of "Celebrity Clowns" like The Big Apple Circus' Barry Lubin (Grandma), Bello Knock or David Larible, headlining recent Ringling Brothers tours, and garnering significantly larger shares of the a shows's operating budget than their fellow performers. This return to clown as central theme in circus is mirrored in the likes of Cirque du Soleil, which commonly uses clowns as a central thread to link their acts and give their shows structure. The myriad smaller independent and underground circuses around the world have always relied upon the clown as the primary staple in their retinue.

Sources:

"The Power Clown" Wall Street Journal Aug 12th 2005

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Clown skills

Image:Fratellini.jpg

It has been said "clowns can do anything", mostly because clowns have such wildly varying performances. "Everyone knows" a clown can do magic, juggle, balance things on his nose and do backflips, but clowns might be called on to do just about anything.

In the circus, a clown might be convinced to perform another circus role:

  • Walk a tightrope, a highwire, a slack rope, or a piece of rope on the ground, though in the last case, the predictably unpredictable clown might be just as likely to wrestle around on the ground with it, as if it were a boa constrictor.
  • Ride a horse, a zebra, a donkey, an elephant, or even an ostrich.
  • Substitute himself in the role of "lion tamer".
  • Act as "emcee", from M.C. or Master of Ceremonies, the preferred term for a clown taking on the role of "Ringmaster".
  • "Sit in" with the orchestra, perhaps in a "pin spot" in the center ring, or from a seat in the audience.
  • Anything any other circus performer might do. It is not uncommon for an acrobat, a horse-back rider, or a lion tamer to secretly stand in for the clown, the "switch" taking place in a brief moment offstage.
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"The Code"

As with any ancient artform clowns and other related artists have developed many widely held customs and traditions regarding their chosen avocation. The most fundamental of these holds that each individual clown has the informal, exclusive right to their costume, makeup and other unique performance attributes that contribute to their particular character and that must not be infringed by other clowns. Despite no enforcement through intellectual property or similar laws, this code of non-infringement is nonetheless respected by professionals. This practice is of such great importance that it is often referred to by clowns as simply "The Code."

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Circus Clown Lingo

  • Basket Animal — An costume made with a basket in the middle, looking as if the performer were riding a horse or other animal. Suspenders hold the costume around the performer's waist.
  • Blow Off — The visual "punchline" of a clown gag.
  • Boss Clown - The clown responsible for coordinating both the clowns and the various gags in a show.
  • "Bump a Nose" — Some people cite this as the "good luck" phrase clowns use to each other before a performance, rather like actors' "break a leg." In reality, it’s not likely it was ever used by circus professionals.
  • Caring Clown — Non circus term used to refer to clowns who specialize in hospital visits.
  • Carpet Clown — A clown who works among the audience.
  • Charivari — A raucous acrobatic clown routine, typically done by a large group of clowns, consisting of a series of fast-paced acrobatic maneuvers and comedy jumps off of a mini trampoline, over a vaulting horse and into a mat.
  • Circus Report — Name of a bi-weekly circus trade magazine.
  • Chase - a quick run around the hippodrome track, usually with one clown literally chasing another.
  • Clown Alley — The clowns' dressing and prop area.
  • Come In — The period an hour before showtime when the public is entering the arena before the circus begins. Elephant and camel rides are offered for a fee during come in; butchers are selling their wares, and clowns are on the arena floor and in the seats. Some clowns specialized and only performed during come in.
  • First of May — A term also used in the carnival, meaning a novice performer in his first season on a show. Shows used to leave winter quarters for their opening spot on the first of May, and there are always some new workers hired on the first of May who have never worked shows before.
  • Gag — The American term for a clown’s act. European’s refer to this as an “entrée”. Amateur clowns refer to these as a “skit” or "sketch". These are the clown's written and rehearsed performances. They can take place in the ring (a ring gag or production gag), on the track (a track gag or a walkaround) or in the seats. They can be done solo, with the ringmaster, with other clowns or with audience volunteers. They have a beginning, middle and end and finish with a "blow off". Gag can also refer to the specialized or gimmicked props clowns may use.

Some famous gags include:

  • The Boxing Gag - made famous by Otto Griebling and Freddie Freeman
  • The Clown Car - brought to the circus by Otto Griebling
  • The Adam Smasher - created by Paul Jung
  • The Midget Car - made famous by Lou Jacobs
  • The Washerwomen
  • The Firehouse - THE classic production gag of the American circus
  • The Army Gag - created by Paul Jung
  • The Levitation
  • Soap Gags - where shaving cream is used for pies, cakes or paint
  • Dead or Alive - a classic European gag
  • The Baseball Gag - created by Paul Jung
  • The Busy Bee - signature sketch of Michael "Coco" Polikov

Image:Head to head clowns.jpg

  • Hippodrome Track — The oval area between the rings and audience.
  • Joey — A clown (derived from Joseph Grimaldi, a famous clown in 18th-century England.) Some sources say it only refers to an acrobatic clown, others say it is a non-circus term and was never used by professionals.
  • Knockabout Act — Comedy act involving physical humor and exaggerated mock violence.
  • Producing Clown - The clown who writes, directs and procures props and costumes for a gag.
  • Production Gag – A large scale ring gag.
  • Shows - The overall production that a clown is a part of, it may or may not include elements other than clowning, such as in a circus show. In a circus context, clown shows are typically made up of some combination of Ring Gags, Track Gags, Walkarounds and Chases.
  • "Stars and Stripes Forever" — The band reserved this Sousa march as a signal that an emergency had come up calling for the clowns to come running out from the Alley directing public attention away from the emergency or for the audience to be evacuated.
  • Suitcase Gag — A visual pun that is carried inside of a suitcase and used during walkarounds. The set-up is written on the front and the suitcase is opened to reveal the punchline.
  • Trouper — A person who has spent at least one full season with the circus, and whose response to the demands of life and work on the road are those of a seasoned veteran. Also used in vaudeville (and in theatre in general) to mean a veteran performer.
  • Walkarounds — A clown feature in which they stroll the hippodrome track performing very brief visual gags that can be easily picked up, moved and performed again for another section of the audience.

Sources :

Step Right Up!: The Adventure of Circus in America by LaVahn G Hoh ISBN: 1558701400 Publisher: Betterway Publications - 1990

Two Hundred Years of the American Circus: From ABA-Daba to the Zoppe-Zavatta Troupe by Tom Ogden Albert F. House ISBN: 0816026114 Publisher: Facts on File, Incorporated - January 1993

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Famous Circus-Style Clowns

  • Achille Zavatta (1915 - 1993).
  • Batatinha (literally Little Potato), from Portugal. A very well-known clown.
  • Bim Bom, a famous clown of Revolutionary Russian, executed by the Cheka for his Bolshevik satires.
  • Charlie Rivel - Other than Grock perhaps the most beloved and respected of all European clowns.
  • Coco the Clown (Nicolai Poliakoff), Longtime star clown of the Bertram Mills Circus.
  • David Konyot, 4 times winner best clown (U K) Hungarian circus festival, Polish circus Festival.
  • The Chickys, classic European clown act.
  • Emmett Kelly - Extremely well-known American tramp clown.
  • Francesco Caroli.
  • The Fratellinis, a dynasty of French clowns.
  • George Carl - American clown who found great success in Europe. Performed "Royal Command Performance" for the Queen at the Paladium in London. He also received the coveted "Golden Clown" award from Princess Grace, (Grace Kelly) at the Circus Festival of Monte Carlo.
  • Glen "Frosty" Little, America's only living Master Clown and longtime "Boss Clown" with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
  • Grock (Adrian Wettach).
  • Joe Jackson Sr & Jr. - famous tramp clown entree with a breakaway bicycle.
  • Karandash (Mikhail Nikolayevich Rumyantsev).
  • Lou Jacobs - During his 60 years in the American circus Master Clown Lou Jacobs came to be known as one of the most famous clowns in the world through his innovative comic routines, compassion for others and strong dedication to his work.
  • Oleg Popov, Greatly admired clown from the Soviet Union.
  • Otto Griebling - Prolific and influential Master Clown with the Cole Bros. and Ringling circuses. The single most admired and respected American circus clown of the 20th century.
  • The Rastellis - European clown act
  • Remi, "Puerto Rico's Greatest Clown".
  • Yuri Nikulin, Russian clown and actor.

Sources:

Here Come the Clowns: A Cavalcade of Comedy from Antiquity To the Present by Lowell Swortzell ISBN: 0670368741 Publisher: Viking Press; 1st ed edition (1978)

Clowning Through by Frank Foster and Willan G. Bosworth Publisher: Heath Cranston LTD London - 1937

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Contemporary Circus-Style Clowns

  • Barry Lubin - "Grandma", star clown of theBig Apple Circus
  • Jeff "Gordoon" Gordon - "Le Clown Gordoon", star clown with the Big Apple Circus
  • David Shiner - Tony Award-winning American born mime and circus clown who has appeared on Broadway and with several prominent European circuses.
  • Steve Smith - "T.J. Tatters"; longtime director of Ringling Clown College
  • Greg and Karen DeSanto - Husband and wife clown/comedy team.
  • John Gilkey, American clown and comic juggler who has appeared with the New Pickle Circus and Cirque du Soleil.
  • Denis Lacombe - Star clown with Cirque du Soleil and Big Apple best known for his comedy conductor gag.
  • Pat Cashin - American clown and "Comedy Ringmaster" with the Shrine Circuses.
  • Rik Gern - Bonzo Crunch: Fool at Large; a popular circus and event clown from Austin, Tx.
  • Jason T. and Kristen Stewart - Husband & wife team formerly with RBB&B. They are the founders of the Seaside Clowns (which also includes Aaron Tucker, Darren Burrell, Bryan Fulton, and Andrew Scharff, all Ringling alumni and all excellent clowns in their own right) clowning at resorts in Myrtle Beach, SC.
  • Bob "Doodles" Kelmer - Appearing daily 2006 at the Circus World Museum, Baraboo, WI.
  • Timothy Noel Tegge - American whiteface clown and ringmaster with the Shrine Circus.
  • Fumagalli, European star clown soon to appear with the Big Apple Circus
  • Chris and Gina Allison - "Bucky and Gigi"; Husband and wife clown team and founders of Cirque du Jour
  • Aaron Rider - Melvino the Wonder Nerd, unicycling, bagpiping, juggling clown currently with the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus
  • Bill Machtel - Mr. Bill, longtime clown at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI
  • Giovanni Zoppe - Youngest performer ever to be inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame.
  • Ernest Borgnine, the American film and television actor, enjoys performing as a clown in parades, particularly in New York City.
  • Cepillín, a Mexican clown.
  • VeeKay the Zoot Suit Clown - Circus clown and official greeter at the Orange County Fair in Orange County, California.
  • Buffo, claimed to be the worlds strongest clown.
  • Jorn 'Erasorhead' Barger - from Hoboken, a hobo-clown in the tradition of Freddy the Freeloader of Red Skelton fame.

Sources:

Circus Report Format: Magazine Publisher: Graphics 2000 ASIN: B00006K8X5

Spectacle Format: Magazine . Publisher: Circus Plus Publications ASIN: B00006KXUX

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Famous Film Clowns

  • Charlie Chaplin - (April 16, 1889 – December 25, 1977) British born comedian. The most famous actor in early to mid Hollywood cinema era, he acted in, directed, scripted, produced, and eventually scored his own films. His principal character was "The Little Tramp".
  • Buster Keaton - (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) The Great Stoneface. His innovative work as both a comedian and a director made great contributions to the development of the art of cinema.
  • Harry Langdon - (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American silent film comedianand a first class mime.
  • Laurel & Hardy - perhaps the most famous comedy duo in film history.
  • Ben Turpin (September 19, 1869 - July 1, 1940) cross-eyed comedian, best remembered for his work in silent films.
  • Chester Conklin (January 11, 1886 - October 11, 1971) American comedian and actor.
  • Snub Pollard (November 9, 1889, Melbourne, Australia, - January 19, 1962) was a silent movie comedian, popular in the 1920s.
  • Keystone Cops incompetent group of policemen created by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917.
  • Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) One of the most popular actors of his era, but is best known today for his central role in the so-called "Fatty Arbuckle scandal."
  • W.C. Fields - (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. Fields created one of the great American comic personas of the first half of the 20th century
  • The Marx Brothers - a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television.
  • The Three Stooges - starred in many short features that consisted of masterful ways of showcasing their extremely physical brand of slapstick comedy.
  • Abbott & Costello (William (Bud) Abbott, 1897-1974); Louis Costello, 1906-1959) American comedy duo whose mastery of the white clown (straight man) /red clown (comic) relationship made them one of the most popular and respected teams in American comedy history.
  • Martin & Lewis - an American comedy duo, comprised of singer Dean Martin (as the "straight man") and comedian Jerry Lewis (as his stooge).
  • Jacques Tati - (October 9, 1908 – November 5, 1982) was a French comedian, mime and filmmaker best known as the socially inept Monsieur Hulot.
  • Peter Sellers - (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980) Extremely versatile and talented English comedian and actor best remembered for the character of Inspector Clouseu.
  • Jim Carrey - a contemporary film star and comic actor best known for his lead roles in The Mask, Liar Liar and many more movies.

Sources:

The Silent Clowns by Walter Kerr ISBN: 0394469070 Publisher: Knopf - 1975

Comedy Is a Man in Trouble: Slapstick in American Movies by Alan S. Dale ISBN: 0816636575 Publisher: University of Minnesota Press - 08 September, 2000

The Encyclopedia of Film Comedy By Larry Langman ISBN: 0824084969 Publisher: Taylor & Francis November 1987

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Famous Television Clowns

Sources:

Great Clowns of American Television by Karin Adir ISBN: 0786413034 Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers - December 2001

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Famous Theatrical Clowns

  • Will Kemp (fl c 1589–1600) actor dancer and clown who worked with Shakespeare.
  • Joseph Grimaldi credited with being "the first whiteface clown" — in an homage to Grimaldi, circus clowns began referring to them selves and each other as "Joey"s, and the term 'joey' is now a synonym for clown.
  • George Washington Lafayette Fox, perhaps the most famous American stage clown during the 19th century and one of the first known performers to become typecast in a role.
  • W. C. Fields - Vaudeville comedy star who mastered the variety as well as the legitimate stage, silent and talking films, print and radio.
  • Ed Wynn - The Perfect Fool
  • Clark & McCullough - Bobby Clark & Paul McCullough started as circus clowns and progressed to be stars of stage and screen.
  • Olsen & Johnson - Stars of Broadway's Hellzapoppin'
  • Willie, West & McGinty - Fast-paced Irish-American vaudeville knockabout act about 3 laborers building a house
  • Tommy Cooper - British comedy magician
  • A. Robbins - Vaudeville's "The Banana Man" and "One Man Music Shop"
  • Spike Jones and his City Slickers - Murdered the classics with their "Musical Depreciation Revue"; versatile American musical act featuring slapstick circus-style comedy
  • Carl Ballantine - Amercan comedy magician
  • Andy Kaufman American comic and one of the most famous practitioners of anti-humor
  • George Carl - Longtime star of the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris

Sources:

The Great Clowns of Broadway by Stanley Green Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA September 1, 1984 ISBN: 0195034716

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Contemporary Theatrical Clowns

  • Drew Richardson - The Dramatic Fool
  • Hilary Chaplain - Versatile NYC stage clown.
  • Bill Irwin - Tony award winning clown known for his new vaudeville-style performances.
  • Avner Eisenberg, a.k.a. Avner the Eccentric a "Broadway" clown.
  • Slava Polunin - Russian-born clown and creator of "Slava's Snowshow," a theatrical experience currently running at Union Square Theater in New York, New York.
  • Blue Man Group - Trio of silent characters that perform covered in blue paint.
  • Dario Fo - Capo Comicio - creator of "Mistero Buffo" & "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" winner of 1997 Nobel prize for literature, takes Arlecchino as base for his stage persona, political activist.
  • Dan "Sylvester the Jester" Sylvester - The Human Cartoon
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Fictional Clowns

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Selected Reading

Image:Mike & Billy.jpg

  • Poor Clown by Charlie Rivel
  • Behind My Greasepaint by Coco
  • Bert Williams - A Biography of the Pioneer Black Comedian by Eric Ledell Smith
  • The Book Of Clown by George Speaight
  • Bring On The Clowns by Beryl Hugil
  • Clown, My Life In Tatters and Smiles by Emmett Kelly and F. Beverly Kelly
  • The Clown In Times (Volumes 1-6) by Bruce Johnson
  • Clowns by Douglas Newton
  • Clowns by John Towsen
  • Clowns Of The Hope - Tradition Keepers and Delight Makers by Barton Wright
  • Felix Adler by Anne Aull Bowber
  • The Fool and His Scepter by William Willeford
  • Fools and Jesters At The English Court by John Southworth
  • Greasepaint Matadors - The Unsung Heroes of Rodeo by Jeanne Joy Hatnagle-Taylor
  • Grimaldi - King of Clowns by Richard Findlater
  • Grock - King of Clowns by Grock
  • Here Come The Clowns by Lowell Swortzell
  • Jest In Time: A Clown Chronology by Bruce Johnson
  • Life's A Lark by Grock
  • A Ring, A Horse And A Clown by John H. McConnell
  • Russian Clown by Oleg Popov
  • The Tramp Tradition by Bruce Johnson
  • Hammond, J.
  • Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma (book review) [1]
  • Handelman, D., Models and Mirrors: Towards an Anthropology of Public Events [2]
  • Little, K., Clown Performance in the European One-Ring Circus. Culture, 1981. 2(1):61-72.[http://www.publicanthropology.org/Archive/AnthCACult1981.htm
  • Rudlin, J., Commedia Dell'Arte; An Actors Handbook[3]
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See also

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External links

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Clown Organizations

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Clown Training

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Clown Ministry

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