Emmett Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emmett Kelly
Kelly ca. 1953
Born	Emmett Leo Kelly (1898-12-09)December 9, 1898 Sedan, Kansas, US
Died	March 28, 1979(1979-03-28) (aged 80) Sarasota, Florida, US
Resting place	Rest Haven Memorial Park, Lafayette, Indiana
Other names	Weary Willie
Occupation	Circus clown
Spouse(s)	Eva Mae Moore ​ ​ (m. 1923; div. 1935)​ Elvira Gebhardt ​ ​ (m. 1955; his death 1979)​
Children	Emmett Leo Kelly Jr. Patrick Kelly Stasia Kelly Monika Kelly
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Emmett Leo Kelly (born December 9, 1898 – died March 28, 1979) was a famous American circus performer. He created a very well-known clown character called "Weary Willie." This character was inspired by the "hobos" or homeless people during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Emmett Kelly's Early Life

Emmett Leo Kelly was born on December 9, 1898, in Sedan, Kansas. His father worked for the railroad. When Emmett was a child, his family moved to a farm in Missouri.

As a young person, his mother encouraged his artistic talent. He took a cartooning course by mail. In 1917, Kelly moved to Kansas City. He hoped to become a newspaper cartoonist there.

In Kansas City, he drew a cartoon of a tramp, which he first called "Old Dubey." He also started working for carnivals and circuses. He trained to be a trapeze artist.

Starting His Circus Career

Emmett Kelly's first professional job as a clown was on July 14, 1921. This was with Howe's Great London Circus in Mason City, Iowa. He first performed as a traditional white-face clown.

During that tour, he tried out his hobo character for the first time. A photo was taken of him as this tramp character. This picture would later be known as "Weary Willie."

In 1922, Kelly performed his trapeze act with the John Robinson Circus. The next year, he married Eva Moore, another trapeze artist. They began performing together. Their son, Emmett Kelly, Jr., was born in 1924.

In 1929, John Ringling bought several circuses, including the one Kelly worked for. When the economy struggled in 1930, many circuses closed. Kelly and his wife moved to the Sells-Floto circus.

In 1932, Kelly was hired as a white-face clown for the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus. A year later, his hobo character came to life. On April 21, 1933, the tramp clown first appeared in Chicago. Homeless people were common during the Great Depression.

In 1934, his second child, Patrick, was born. Kelly's wife, Eva, asked for a divorce. Kelly later said that his sadness at this time made the "Weary Willie" character even more touching.

In 1937, a writer named Hype Igho called the sad clown "Weary Willie." This name stuck, and the character became famous.

Signature Clown Act

In 1937, Kelly performed with the Bertram Mills Circus in London. There, he developed his most famous act. It started with him sweeping the circus ring. A spotlight would follow him. He would chase and sweep at the light with his broom.

After the spotlight act, Willie would blow up a balloon until it popped. Then, he would pretend to be sad and "bury" the balloon pieces in the sawdust. This routine showed the character's gentle sadness.

Broadway and Hollywood Roles

When World War II began in 1939, Kelly returned to the United States. He was cast in a Broadway musical called Keep off the Grass. He played one of several tramps in New York's Central Park.

The show did not do well, but a critic from Time magazine praised Kelly. The critic said Kelly's quiet act of eating a sandwich and brushing his teeth was the best part of the show.

After the musical closed, Emmett Kelly performed in nightclubs. He would draw cartoons while dressed as a tramp. He never spoke during these shows.

Joining Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

In 1941, Kelly joined the Cole Bros. Circus. He had become a very skilled performer. The circus called him "the world's funniest clown."

In 1942, he joined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the biggest circus. He stayed with them for 14 seasons. In 1944, his character, Weary Willie, was the star of a big show called Panto's Paradise. It was about a hobo's dream in a fairyland.

Hartford Circus Fire

On July 6, 1944, a terrible fire happened at the circus in Hartford, Connecticut. Kelly was getting ready for his act when someone yelled "fire." He grabbed a bucket of water and tried to help.

He saw flames near a generator wagon and tried to put them out. A photographer named Ralph Emerson took a famous picture of Kelly in his clown makeup, carrying a bucket of water. This photo was published in Life magazine.

The fire killed 168 people and deeply affected Kelly. The circus eventually continued its tour. Kelly believed it was important to keep entertaining people, especially during wartime.

Returning to Hollywood

In 1949, Kelly was offered a movie contract. He was 51 years old and excited to try a new career. He went to Hollywood, California.

He was offered a role as a villain in a movie called The Fat Man. Kelly was worried because he didn't want his beloved character to be a murderer. The filmmakers agreed that the killer should not be Weary Willie. The New York Times praised Kelly's acting in the film.

After this, Kelly's agent contacted Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille was making a movie about the circus called The Greatest Show on Earth. Kelly got to leave the circus for 15 weeks to film. He appeared with stars like James Stewart and Betty Hutton.

In the movie, Kelly mostly performed his silent acts. He only spoke one word: "Parade?" He said it took two tries to get it right. His favorite scene showed him playing solitaire on a wagon during a parade.

Author and Later Career

In 1954, Kelly met Evi Gebhardt, an acrobat. Their relationship grew as his autobiography, Clown, My Life in Tatters and Smiles, was released. He made many appearances to promote the book. He was one of the first guests on Edward R. Murrow’s new TV show Person to Person.

Actor Henry Fonda read Kelly's book and bought the rights to make it into a TV show or movie. In 1955, a TV program called Clown aired on CBS. It focused on Kelly's journey from trapeze artist to clown.

In 1955, Emmett Kelly appeared on the TV show I’ve Got a Secret. His secret was that he was marrying Evi Gebhardt the next day. They had two daughters, Stasia and Monika.

After 14 years, 1955 was Kelly's last season with Ringling Bros. He had many new opportunities.

Brooklyn Dodgers Mascot

In 1957, the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team hired Kelly as their official mascot. Weary Willie would show how Brooklyn felt when the team won or lost. He would be sad when they lost and happy when they won.

Hollywood, Nightclubs, and Featured Clown

After the baseball season, Kelly was cast in the film Wind Across the Everglades. He played a character named Bigamy Bob. This character was a tough man who escaped to the Everglades to get away from his many wives.

Kelly continued to perform as Weary Willie. He said he planned to bring Willie to the public for as long as he could. He performed in various circuses and amusement parks.

In 1959, Kelly worked as "Vice President in Charge of Fun" at Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica. This was an amusement park built to compete with Disneyland.

For 15 years, Kelly was a regular performer at Harrah's casino in Lake Tahoe. He co-starred with many famous people like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jack Benny. He also performed with Red Skelton in Reno, and they became good friends.

In 1967, he starred in a musical movie called The Clown and the Kids, filmed in Bulgaria.

In 1973, at age 74, Willie performed in the Boston Opera's production of The Bartered Bride. He performed his spotlight routine and another act with a balloon. His performance earned him praise from The New York Times.

Television helped millions more people see Weary Willie. He appeared on many TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. One of his last TV appearances was on Bette Midler’s Christmas special in 1977.

Kelly never officially retired. He became a speaker at circus events. His last circus performances were in 1974 in Maryland and Hawaii. In Hawaii, he was at the airport when a terrorist bomb went off nearby. He was scared but unharmed.

Emmett Kelly's Death

On December 9, 1978, Emmett Kelly celebrated his 80th birthday. He was growing weaker but still worked. In February 1979, he appeared on NBC's Today Show. He was also cast in a film with Tony Bennett.

The film was supposed to start on April 2, 1979. However, Emmett Kelly died of a heart attack on March 28, 1979. He passed away in his front yard.

Many people shared their sadness. Comedienne Carol Burnett called him "a truly gentle clown." His friend Red Skelton said, "Emmett was humanity himself."

Emmett Kelly's Legacy

Kelly's son, Emmett Kelly Jr., also performed a similar "Weary Willie" character.

Emmett Kelly's hometown of Houston, Missouri, named Emmett Kelly Park in his honor. They also held an annual Emmett Kelly Clown Festival. Clowns from all over came to perform, including Kelly's grandson, Joey Kelly. The festival ran for 21 years and returned in 2022.

Images for kids

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  Kelly and Chana Eden in 1958 on set of Wind Across the Everglades

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  Kelly in a bubble bath (photo by Joseph Janney Steinmetz)

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  Emmett Kelly as Weary Willie

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  Emmett Kelly in his Weary Willie persona (center) with two Ringling Bros. whiteface clowns in a 1953 advertisement for the Pan-American Coffee Bureau

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  Emmett Kelly getting ready for the show- Sarasota, Florida

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  Emmett Kelly, Bell Telephone System advertisement 1949

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  Kay Hernan and Emmett Kelly in Florida 1948

See also

In Spanish: Emmett Kelly para niños