Emmett Kelly (December 9, 1898 – March 28, 1979), a native of Sedan, Kansas, was an American circus performer, who created the memorable clown figure "Weary Willie," based on the hobos of the Depression era. Kelly began his career as a trapeze artist. By 1923, Emmett Kelly was working his trapeze act with John Robinson's circus when he met and married Eva Moore, another circus trapeze artist. They later performed together as the "Aerial Kellys" with Emmett still performing occasionally as a white face clown. December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (88th in leap years). ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Sedan is the largest city and county seat of Chautauqua County, Kansas. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A performance artist dressed as a hobo Hobo is a term that refers to a subculture of wandering homeless people, particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. ... The Great Depression was a time of economic down turn, which started after the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ... An acrobat below a balloon Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. ...

Career development

He only started working as a clown full-time in 1931, and it was only after years of attempting to persuade the management that he was able to switch from a white face clown to the hobo hi clown that he had sketched ten years earlier while working at an art firm. "Weary Willie" was a tragic figure: a clown, who could usually be seen sweeping up the circus rings after the other performers. He tried but failed to sweep up the pool of light of a spotlight. His routine was revolutionary at the time: traditionally, clowns wore white face and performed slapstick stunts intended to make people laugh. Kelly did perform stunts too—one of his most famous acts was trying to crack a peanut with a sledgehammer—but as a tramp, he also appealed to the sympathy of his audience. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ... Binomial name Arachis hypogaea L. The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the legume family Fabaceae native to South America. ...

From 1942–1956 Kelly performed with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, where he was a major attraction, though he took the 1956 season off to perform as the mascot for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. He also landed a number of Broadway and film roles, including Federico Fellini's I Clowns, and the role of "Willie" in Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Furthermore, he also appeared in the Bertram Mills Circus. 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ringling Bros. ... Millie, once mascot of the City of Brampton, is now the Brampton Arts Councils representative. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Cecil B. DeMille on August 27, 1934 cover of Time Magazine Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was one of the most successful filmmakers during the first half of the 20th century. ... The Greatest Show on Earth is the slogan for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Kelly is depicted in a famous photograph, still in full clown make-up and costume, trying to extinguish the flames of the devastating Hartford Circus Fire that struck the Circus on July 6th 1944, and killed 167 people during the afternoon performance in Hartford, Connecticut^{[citation needed]} For the rest of his career, Kelly commemorated those who died in the fire by painting a teardrop on his face as part of his clown make-up. The Hartford Circus Fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. ...

Emmett Kelly died at the age of 80 of a heart attack on March 28, 1979, at his home in Sarasota, Florida. Emmett Kelly is buried in the Rest Haven Memorial Park, in Lafayette, Indiana. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Lafayette (IPA: ) is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 63 miles (101 km) northwest of Indianapolis. ...

The Emmett Kelly Museum is located in Sedan, Kansas. The Emmett Kelly Museum in Sedan, Kansas, nominally honors their native son, the famed circus clown. ... Sedan is the largest city and county seat of Chautauqua County, Kansas. ...

His son, Emmett Kelly, Jr., also did a similar "Weary Willie" character; the two were in deed estranged for many years, as a result. Kelly, Jr. claimed that his version of Willie was "less sad", but they seemed quite similar to most observers. Emmett Kelly, Jr. died November 29, 2006, in Sierra Vista, Arizona, at age 83. He had been a resident of Tombstone, Arizona. November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

External links

• Emmett Kelly at findagrave
• Detailed biography of Emmett Kelly Sr. from Clown-Ministry.com
• Squire Rushnell tells Daughter of Emmett Kelly, Stasia Kelly's Story