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Emmett Leo Kelly (December 9, 1898March 28, 1979) was an American
circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
performer who created the
clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
character "Weary Willie", based on the hobos of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
in the 1930s.


Early life

Emmett Leo Kelly was born in Sedan, Kansas on December 9, 1898. His father, Thomas, was a section foreman for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad. While he was still a child, the family moved to Southern Missouri where his father had purchased a farm in Texas County, near the community of Houston, Missouri. In the summer of 1909, he attended both the Mighty Haag and M.L. Clark and Son's circuses. As a youth, he was enrolled by his mother, Mollie, in the Landon School of Cartooning, a correspondence school where he began developing his artistic skill. In 1917, Kelly moved to Kansas City, hoping to get a job as a newspaper cartoonist. It was there that he created a cartoon of a tramp that he originally named "Old Dubey". While in Kansas City, Kelly began working for carnivals and circuses and trained as a trapeze artist. In August 1920, Kelly returned to his adopted hometown of Houston, Missouri where he appeared as a "cartoonist and comedy specialist" at the town's annual "Old Settlers Reunion".


Early circus career

Kelly's first professional appearance as a clown was with Howe's Great London Circus on July 14, 1921, in Mason City, Iowa. Although he originally performed as a white-face clown, it was during that tour that he first appeared as a hobo character. After only a few performances as a tramp, Kelly returned to more traditional makeup, but not before a photograph was made of the character which would later be identified as "Weary Willie." The photo appeared in the Howe's Great London Route Book of 1921 above a caption that read: "Emmett Kelly, The Novelty Clown, Cartoonist, Tramp".John Dusch, Official Route Book Season 1921, Howe's Great London Circus, pp. 17, 28. At the end of the 1921 tour, the Howe's Great London Circus and Van Amburgh's Trained Wild Animal Show was acquired by the American Circus Corporation. In 1922 Kelly was assigned to perform his single trapeze act in the corporation's John Robinson Circus. Kelly returned to John Robinson in 1923 and was part of a program that included eight members of the Moore family. The large troupe appeared in several displays including a double trapeze act featuring sisters Mitzi and Eva. Kelly married Eva in
Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...
on July 21, 1923, and the pair began performing together on the trapeze. The couple returned to the show in 1924, and as the season progressed, Emmett and Eva learned that they were expecting a child. On November 24, the last day of the John Robinson season, Emmett Kelly Jr. was born in Dyersburg, Tennessee. On September 12, 1929, John Ringling purchased the American Circus Corporation. Included in the deal was the John Robinson show, along with the Al G. Barnes, Sparks, Sells-Floto and Hagenbeck-Wallace circuses. As the economy suffered in 1930, disposable income dried up, and for many, circus tickets became a luxury. The John Robinson Circus, the oldest in the United States, was among the first to close, giving its final performance on September 5 at the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln. Although fewer shows toured in 1931, The Aerial Kellys were among several acts that moved from John Robinson to the Ringling-owned Sells-Floto circus. Despite the fact that cowboy movie star Tom Mix was heavily promoted as a feature, Sells-Floto struggled. While the Kellys still considered themselves trapeze performers, Emmett was hired as a white-face clown with the Ringling-owned Hagenbeck-Wallace circus in 1932. A year later, the hobo character that had first been created on a drawing board in Kansas City came to life. Ragged homeless men were commonplace during the Depression, and on April 21, 1933, the tramp clown made his first appearance during a performance at the
Chicago Coliseum Chicago Coliseum was the name applied to three large indoor arenas, which stood at various times in Chicago, Illinois, from the 1860s to 1982. They served as venues for large national conventions, exhibition halls, sports events, and entertai ...
. In early 1934 a second child, Patrick, was born. At the end of the year, Hagenbeck-Wallace manager Jess Adkins, along with former Sells-Floto manager Zack Terrell, partnered to start their own show, the Cole Bros. and Clyde Beatty Combined Circus. Kelly was among those who made the jump from Hagenbeck-Wallace, although his wife Eva was not given a contract. Shortly after the season started, she asked for a divorce. Kelly later wrote that the sadness he experienced at the time worked its way into the character's persona. In 1937, newspaper writer Hype Igho described the sad clown as "Weary Willie." Igho had written about the act by using a term that originated decades earlier as a generic description for a nameless hobo. Kelly later said that Igho encouraged him to use the name and overnight, the character that had once referred to as Old Dubey became Weary Willie. During the winter of 1937–38, Kelly was hired to perform with the Bertram Mills Circus at the Olympia in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. It was at his European debut that he put his own spin on a routine that a veteran clown named Charlie "Shorty" Flem had performed years earlier at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
. The act, which would become Kelly's signature routine, began with him sweeping the ring. A spotlight followed him, and as it danced about, he slapped, swept, and chased the pool of light with his broom. Once he completed the spotlight routine, Willie blew up a balloon until it popped, and then pantomiming his sorrow, he buried the remains in the sawdust.


Broadway and Hollywood

When
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
broke out in September 1939, Kelly returned to the United States where he was cast in a new Broadway musical starring
Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side New York accent, accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...
and Ray Bolger. The show, titled '' Keep Off the Grass'', was set in New York's
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
, where Weary Willie appeared as one of several tramps, including an up-and-comer named
Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...
, who was also making his Broadway debut. Despite the star power of Durante and Bolger, ''Keep Off the Grass'' did not receive good notices. The only positive review came from the ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' critic who wrote: "...and there's a bum, Emmett Kelly, who would leisurely proceed to eat a ham sandwich out of a paper poke while a bunch of other bums sang a park bench song; then he would lazily brush his teeth with the dry stub of a toothbrush, which provides the one moment of an otherwise uninspired show." ''Keep off the Grass'' closed after only 44 performances, and Kelly returned to the nightclub circuit as a cartoonist dressed as a tramp. Even though he would appear in rooms that were often noisy, Willie never uttered a word, but, as one newspaper noted, "with lightning speed he would knock out about eight cartoons in less time than you can write your name."


Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

For a year and a half Emmett made his living performing in nightclubs and indoor circuses until early 1941, when he received offers from both Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and Cole Bros. After considering both opportunities, Kelly opted to go with Cole Bros., which promised a higher salary. In the five years since Kelly had appeared under canvas in the United States, he honed his craft and matured as a performer to the point that the Cole Bros. publicity department touted him as "the world's funniest clown." The stories that were placed in newspapers in advance of the circus described, and occasionally embellished, details associated with his tour of the United Kingdom. The positive reviews caught the attention of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and in 1942 he joined the circus for the first of fourteen seasons with the show. In 1944, the character that Kelly had created was cast as the star in the featured spectacle. ''Panto's Paradise'' was staged as a "dream of a hobo in fairyland."


Hartford circus fire

Although "Panto's Paradise" was Willie's big number in 1944, his first appearance occurred earlier in the program when the Wallendas were performing on the high wire. During the act, Willie would stand under their rigging, holding a small handkerchief as if to catch them should they fall. The gag had been getting laughs all season, and on July 6, while the circus was in
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
, there was no reason to believe that anything would be different. "As I was putting the finishing touches on my face, I could hear the band playing the waltz music that was my cue to amble into the center ring. At that instant someone ran past the dressing tent yelling ‘fire.’ I was trying to run in my big flapping shoes and suddenly realized that I was carrying a bucket of wash water I had grabbed when I left the dressing tent." Kelly said that when he saw the big top burning, he knew that he had to help the panicked crowd exit the tent. It was then that he spotted flames burning near one of the large generator wagons. As he tried to douse the small fire with his bucket of water, he nearly became a casualty himself. "One of the
Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
tractors came rumbling along to get that wagon – to hook on and pull it away from the crowd," he recalled. "It was almost on top of me before I realized what was happening, and as it swung around it did not miss running over me by more than an inch." Kelly's actions that day were immortalized by audience member Ralph Emerson, who took a photograph of Kelly in his full clown make-up and costume, carrying a single bucket of water. The photograph was published in ''
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' on July 17, 1944. The fire and the loss of 168 lives had a profound impact on Kelly. That night, after the victims had been transported to a temporary morgue, he reflected on what had happened. "Leaving the showgrounds, I walked past the ruins of the big top and saw some charred shoes and part of a clown doll lying on what had been the hippodrome track. That moment was when the tensions of the past hours broke over me in a wave and I could not keep from crying any longer." The fire investigation delayed the show's departure from Hartford for nine days, but on July 15 the trains were headed back to
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
, and within a month, the circus had resumed its tour, playing in stadiums and ballparks. Emmett was among those impressed by the resilience of the big show, telling a reporter "We must entertain. In war time it is more important than ever. It is going to be great in the open air."


Return to Hollywood

In 1949, after a charity circus performance in Los Angeles, Emmett was approached by an agent representing
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...
. On October 8, while Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey was in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, Kelly signed an exclusive one-year contract. At the age of 51, the idea of starting a new career in motion pictures appealed to Kelly, and when the circus closed in
Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
on November 25, he immediately left for California and Hollywood. In the months that followed various ideas were pitched, until finally he was given a script based on a radio mystery series titled ''The Fat Man.'' In the film, Kelly would be cast as the villain. Although the idea intrigued him, as he read the script, he became concerned. The storyline called for the character to murder three people, then take money that he had stolen from one of the victims and start a circus where he would hide behind his clown makeup. And they wanted Emmett to appear in the film as Willie. The idea of turning his beloved character into a murderer was unacceptable. The producer and director of the film agreed that the killer should not depict the same character that Emmett had spent his career developing. In its review of the film, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', praised Kelly's acting ability and noted, "As the ex-convict clown, Mr. Kelly herein demonstrates that circus rings need not be his sole field." Following the release of '' The Fat Man'', Kelly's agent reached out to Cecil B. DeMille who was in Sarasota filming early scenes for '' The Greatest Show on Earth''. The circus allowed Emmett to leave the tour for 15 weeks so that he could join James Stewart and Betty Hutton on the
Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...
backlot. Unlike his featured role in ''The Fat Man'', Kelly speaks only one word in the DeMille epic. In the middle of the train wreck scene, Hutton told Emmett to get the clowns ready for the parade, and Kelly responded, "Parade?" According to Emmett, it took two takes to get it right. Willie appeared in several other scenes that were shot on the Hollywood soundstage, including a number with Hutton and Stewart where the three bounced on a trampoline. In the scene Willie unsuccessfully tried to eat a sandwich as Stewart and Hutton sang the song "Be a Jumping Jack." Emmett said that his favorite scene in the film was the segment that showed him playing solitaire on top of a wagon as the circus paraded through the streets of Sarasota. As Willie placed his cards down, his game was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind. Emmett said the effect was accomplished by the blast of an air hose as he played cards against a yellow screen. The special effect was then matched against the parade sequence that had been filmed in February before the season started. Although Kelly accompanied the Hollywood cast to Washington, D.C. and
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
for the scenes filmed there, the only scenes where he appeared under canvas were during a clown walkaround, the Zoppe riding act, and the aerial ballet. In the big production number filmed on May 22, 1951, Willie strummed a ukulele as Dorothy Lamour sang "Lovely Luawana Lady". The rest of his scenes were filmed at Paramount in Hollywood.


Author and later career

In 1954, Kelly met a 21-year-old acrobat named Evi Gebhardt who was part of an act known as The Four Whirlwinds. Their courtship coincided with the release of his autobiography, ''Clown, My Life in Tatters and Smiles,'' co-authored with Ringling press agent F. Beverly Kelley. The story, published by
Prentice-Hall Prentice Hall was a major American educational publisher. It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of the twentieth century. In its last few years it ...
, started appearing in bookstores while the circus was at Madison Square Garden that spring. As part of the promotion, Kelly made numerous appearances at bookstores and on radio, and on March 26, 1954, he was one of the first guests to be interviewed on Edward R. Murrow’s new CBS television program '' Person to Person''. One of those who was captivated by Emmett's life story was actor Henry Fonda, who had read the book while he was filming '' Mister Roberts'' in the spring of 1954. By that summer, Fonda acquired the film rights and began making plans to produce the story, either as a television program or a full-length motion picture. Because Emmett's entire life story could not be told in a half-hour, the program focused on his transition from trapeze artist to clown, with Fonda wearing Willie's makeup and actress Dorothy Malone playing Kelly's first wife, Eva. ''Clown'' appeared on the CBS television network on March 27, 1955, and was hosted by
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
. The program was filmed on a soundstage at
Republic Studios Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...
and used the equipment of Herbert Weber's Circo Flamante. During the program, Weber performed on the wire along with the DeWayne teeterboard troupe, Hap Hadley's elephant, and Winston's seals. Faye and Rosie Alexander doubled for Emmett and Eva during the flying return sequence. As part of the publicity blitz for Ringling's 1955 New York engagement, Emmett appeared on another CBS program less than a month later. On April 20, Weary Willie and the Four Whirlwinds appeared on '' I've Got a Secret''. Emmett's secret was the fact that he was getting married the next day to one of the girls in the Whirlwinds’ tumbling act, Evi Gebhardt. When, on November 6, Evi gave birth to their daughter Stasia, a news photographer named Frank Beatty snapped a picture of a grinning Weary Willie as he spoke by telephone to the new mother. At the same time Beatty was shooting his picture of Emmett, a separate photographer had been dispatched to Sarasota where a photo of Evi and Stasia was also recorded, capturing both sides of the touching telephone conversation. After 14 years with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, 1955 was Emmett's last season with the circus. Although he was already the most recognized clown in America, his family responsibilities, along with myriad new opportunities, were the catalysts that propelled his career to new heights. In the winter of 1956, Kelly was hired to play the role of Willie Voight in an upcoming television program titled ''The Captain from Kopenick''. Under the terms of his 1956 circus contract, Kelly would appear with Ringling only during the indoor dates in New York and at the Boston Garden. On March 11, 1956, the sad-faced Willie was the first guest on the hit television show '' What's My Line?'' Because the character was so well known, each of the panelists was required to put on a mask before Willie appeared on camera. The interview segment that followed was a classic as Emmett stayed in character throughout, never speaking and responding only with a grunt. After Arlene Francis peppered Willie with questions for five minutes, she correctly identified his occupation as a clown and said, while still blindfolded, "The only clown's name that comes to my mind is Emmett Kelly". The circus was plagued with labor problems in 1956, and prior to its New York premiere, a picket line was set up outside of Madison Square Garden by both the
Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is a trade union, labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union, the union now represents a di ...
and the American Guild of Variety Artists. Many performers loyal to the circus were conflicted because of their membership in AGVA. Kelly, as well as clown Felix Adler and ringmaster Harold Ronk, chose not to cross the picket line, and their contracts were terminated. Within weeks, Weary Willie was appearing in a 45-minute stage show at New York's Roxy Theatre. ''Circus'' preceded a feature film and included acrobats, animal acts, and trapeze artists, along with performers on ice skates.


Brooklyn Dodgers

In 1957, attendance for the Brooklyn Dodgers was declining, and owner Walter O'Malley was considering moving the team to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. In early January, O'Malley hired Kelly as the official mascot of the team, and in his role, Weary Willie would "characterize all of Brooklyn when the team loses, and a happy bum when the team wins." Late in the 1957 season, on the same day that the Dodgers lost the opener during what would be the "Bums" final homestand ever in Brooklyn, Evi Kelly gave birth in New York to their second daughter, Monika.


Hollywood, nightclubs and featured clown

When the baseball season ended and the announcement was made that the Dodgers would be moving to Los Angeles, Kelly was cast in the film '' Wind Across the Everglades'', a movie that was written, produced, and directed by Budd Schulberg, the same filmmaker who had won Best Picture with ''
On the Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning and Eva Marie Saint in her film de ...
'' in 1954. The story was set in the early 20th century and told the true tale of poachers who would hunt for egrets and other birds so that they could sell their plumes for women's hats. Emmett was part of an eclectic ne reviewer said "preposterous" cast which included singer
Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American Folk music, folk singer and actor with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his o ...
, stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, boxer Tony Galento, singer Chana Eden, Christopher Plummer, and
Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...
. In the film, Emmett played the role of Bigamy Bob, a cutthroat who escaped to the Everglades to get away from his many wives. With another film credit under his belt, Emmett reiterated that he no intention of retiring his classic character and that he planned "to bring Willie to the public for as long as I can". The opportunity to return to the circus ring presented itself in the spring of 1958, when amusement park owner Irving Rosenthal convinced George Hamid and Jerry Collins to combine forces and present the Clyde Beatty & Hamid-Morton Combined Circus under canvas. The show was set up at Rosenthal's Palisades Amusement Park in
Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...
and competed directly against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
. With no contract that tied him to any individual show, when Beatty-Hamid-Morton closed at Palisades Park, Emmett was hired by the Cristiani Bros. Circus to appear at its big stands in Philadelphia and Chicago in 1958. The success that Palisades Park in 1958 encouraged Irving Rosenthal to buy out the newly-titled Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for six weeks in 1959. For Emmett it was a busy year. After spending five days in January with Cristiani Bros. in Miami, he traveled to both New York and Chicago in February where he made appearances at the big auto shows in those cities. In March, Emmett returned to Palisades Park for the 45-day Beatty-Cole engagement, which again was presented day-and-date against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at Madison Square Garden. The following year, Emmett was back at Palisades Park with the "Royal International Circus," produced by Hunt Bros., and when Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. opened its 1961 season, he was a featured attraction for the first three dates of the season, opening indoors at Commack, Long Island, followed by the New Haven Arena, and then back under canvas at Palisades Park. In 1958, CBS built a new 28-acre amusement park on the
Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
beach. Pacific Ocean Park was created to compete directly with
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
, and in the summer of 1959, Emmett Kelly was hired for 19 weeks to serve as "Vice President in Charge of Fun." The idea of performing in one place for an extended period appealed to Emmett and Evi, and in 1962, Kelly began a long-term relationship with casino owner Bill Harrah. For the next 15 years, Weary Willie was a regular at the South Shore Room at Harrah's in
Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...
, co-starring with celebrities including Sammy Davis Jr.,
Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...
, Jack Benny,
Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
, the
Smothers Brothers The Smothers Brothers were the American duo of brothers Tom Smothers, Tom and Dick Smothers, who performed folk singer, folk singing, music, and comedy. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on Steel-string guitar, a ...
, Ed Sullivan and Carol Channing. At John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Reno, he and Red Skelton performed together and established a strong friendship. In 1967, he starred in a musical motion picture titled ''The Clown and the Kids.'' The movie was filmed in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. As Emmett grew older, his acting ability, along with the complexity of his character, made him a favorite for producers looking to evoke emotion from their audience. In 1973, at the age of 74, Willie was cast in the Boston Opera production of '' The Bartered Bride''. The producer, Sarah Caldwell, was renowned for creating variations of standard operas, and this was no exception. The opera, which was punctuated by scenes of Soviet tanks entering
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and images of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
, also included an important circus scene where Willie performed both the spotlight routine and made a solo appearance which involved a balloon, a dove, and a pistol. Emmett's association with the avant-garde opera generated headlines nationwide. ''The New York Times'' said, "Mr. Kelly, like any great performer, has the kind of tact not to seem intrusive even while clowning. His nibbling at a cabbage leaf while he listened to stuttering Vasek's lament was unforgettable." Although Emmett Kelly had been a household name for decades, it was television that exposed Willie to millions of people who never would have attended the circus. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, a new generation came to know the tramp character through those appearances – among them, a guest spot on Bette Midler’s first network television special which aired just before Christmas 1977. The NBC program was produced by Aaron Russo, one of Hollywood's biggest producers at the time. The program included the spotlight routine and a poignant segment where Midler sang the sentimental song "Hello in There" to Willie. Although he never retired, he could now be very selective in his public appearances, and that flexibility allowed Emmett and Evi to become prominent citizens in Sarasota while at the same time embracing the area's circus heritage. When Karl Wallenda produced the first Showfolks Circus in 1967, Willie and the spotlight were a featured act. In the years that followed, Emmett became a sought-after speaker at circus symposia, and in 1976, he appeared in a one-man show at the new Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, accompanied by the Sarasota Concert Band. While Willie was still regularly seen on television commercials and special programs, his last appearances in the circus ring came in a pair of shows produced by Paul Kaye in 1974 at the Capital Centre arena in Landover, Maryland. The all-star production, Circus America, featured The Wallendas, Carol and Wayne Zacchini, Tarzan Zerbini, and The Nerveless Nocks, but the star of the show was Emmett Kelly. After the Circus America date, Paul Kaye hired Emmett to appear in another show that nearly ended in tragedy. The circus was to be held in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
at the Honolulu International Center. As the troupe was checking luggage at Los Angeles International Airport, a terrorist bomb went off in a nearby locker. "At first I thought it was a joke," Emmett told a reporter. "Then when I saw the smoke and flying glass, I got scared as hell." The explosion killed three people and injured 36 others. Despite the bombing, the performers eventually made their way to Honolulu. Not long after, investigators arrested a Yugoslavian immigrant who was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.


Death

On December 9, 1978, Emmett Kelly celebrated his 80th birthday, and although he had been growing visibly weaker, he never stopped working. In February 1979, Emmett appeared in a segment on NBC's ''Today'' Show, and director Mario Pellegrini cast him in a film with
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
. ''A Gift of Love'' was scheduled to begin production in Sarasota on April 2, 1979, and although the picture was later dedicated to Emmett, he did not appear in it. On March 28, 1979, four days before filming was scheduled to begin, the man who had described himself as "just a farm boy," who had become a world-wide icon, died of a heart attack in the front yard of his home. As the news spread, tributes began rushing in. Among those sending condolences was comedienne Carol Burnett, a favorite of Emmett's with whom he had shared the stage on several occasions. "I had the amazing pleasure and privilege of working with Emmett Kelly," she said, "and I considered him to be a truly gentle clown." His long-time friend Red Skelton was saddened. "Emmett was humanity himself," he said, adding, "You know it is funny such a beautiful leaf fell in the spring. I think we can look at it kind of like he is going out on tour. I guess the angels needed a laugh."


Honors

On August 9, 1956 the Kelly family visited his adopted hometown of Houston, Missouri when the town renamed the open area where he gave his first performance at the "Old Settlers Reunion" in 1920 as "Emmett Kelly Park" in his honor. Nineteen years later Kelly returned to Houston for a final time when Governor Christopher Bond recognized Houston's former resident by declaring October 9, 1975 as "Emmett Kelly Day" in Missouri. Since then the annual "Emmett Kelly Clown Festival" has attracted clowns from across the region, including Kelly's grandson, Joey Kelly, who returned to perform as a special guest in 2007. Although the festival ended its original 21-year run in May 2008, it returned in April 2022 when Kelly's daughter, Stasia, was presented with a key to the city. Kelly was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame in
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
in 1988 and International Circus Hall of Fame in Peru, Indiana in 1994. On May 1, 1996, a bust of Kelly was dedicated in the "Hall of Famous Missourians" at the state capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri.


Legacy

Kelly's son, Emmett Kelly Jr., performed a similar "Weary Willie" character and as a result the two were estranged for many years. Kelly Jr. died in 2006. According to the documentary ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
Unmasked'', the choice for the mask of the film's fictional serial killer Michael Myers was down to two: a modified Captain Kirk mask and an Emmett Kelly mask. While the Emmett Kelly mask was unsettling and eerie, it did not quite evoke the creepy feeling they were seeking. The Kirk mask did, resulting in the crew selecting it for the film. In 2023, Emmett Kelly became the protagonist of the award-winning short documentary
Who Is Weary Willie?
' directed by Constanza H. Hevia and produced by filmmaker and scholar Daniel L. Bernardi.


Gallery

File:Chana Eden and Emmett Kelly on the set of "Wind Across the Everglades," Everglades National Park.jpg, Kelly and Chana Eden in 1958 on set of '' Wind Across the Everglades'' File:Ringling Circus clown Emmett Kelly in a bubble bath Sarasota, Florida.jpg, Kelly in a bubble bath (photo by Joseph Janney Steinmetz) File:Ringling Circus clown Emmett Kelly- Sarasota, Florida (8530293955).jpg, Emmett Kelly as Weary Willie File:Emmett Kelly 1953.jpg, Emmett Kelly in his ''Weary Willie'' persona (center) with two Ringling Bros. whiteface clowns in a 1953 advertisement for the Pan-American Coffee Bureau File:Ringling Circus clown Emmett Kelly getting ready for the show- Sarasota, Florida (8531415356).jpg, Emmett Kelly getting ready for the show – Sarasota, Florida File:Emmett Kelly, Bell Telephone System advertisement 1949.jpg, Emmett Kelly, Bell Telephone System advertisement 1949 File:Kay Hernan and Emmett Kelly in Florida 1948.jpg, Kay Hernan and Emmett Kelly in Florida 1948 File:Emmett Kelly attends dedication of Emmett Kelly Park. Houston, MO Aug 9, 1956. Missouri State Archives-CID Box44 Folder291-1024x702.jpg, Houston, Missouri, Aug 9, 1956


Footnotes


References

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Further reading

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External links


www.willieandme.com


in Sedan, Kansas
Squire Rushnell tells Stasia Kelly's story
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Emmett 1898 births 1979 deaths American clowns People from Houston, Missouri People from Sarasota, Florida People from Sedan, Kansas Trapeze artists American cartoonists American humorists