Sad-Faced Facts About Emmett Kelly, The Original Tramp Clown
Clowns can be delightful, hilarious, and sometimes even terrifying. Emmett Kelly took his Weary Willie in an entirely different direction and entertained with sadness.
1. He Was The OG
Many people find their work depressing, but Emmet Kelly made his living by being sad. Kelly was the original “sad tramp clown”, and he pivoted his Weary Willie character from the circus to Broadway, from motion pictures to TV. Heck, this clown even did opera. So, what was there to be so sad about? Among other things, a horrible betrayal by his own son.
2. He Made A Move
Emmett Kelly was born on December 9, 1898, in Sedan, Kansas. Kelly’s dad was as far from show business as you could get, The Missouri-Pacific Railroad employed him as a section foreman. But Mr Kelly had other dreams, and this meant uprooting the family to Texas County, Missouri.
Moving to a farm wouldn’t get Emmett Kelly closer to show business, but there would be one big advantage.
Arthur Fellig/International Center of Photography, Getty Images
3. He Saw Two
Living near Houston, Missouri meant that Kelly could attend the circus. When he was 11 years old he managed to visit two major circuses. It could be, at this young age, that something clicked with Kelly and the circus. Maybe he was already envisioning a future under the big tent. Unfortunately, his mom had other plans.
4. He Didn’t Tell His Mom
If Kelly was already thinking of working in the circus, he certainly didn’t tell his mom. Instead, she enrolled him in a correspondence course in drawing cartoons. This was the Landon School of Cartooning, and Kelly worked hard to hone his skills. Kelly‘s mom had set her son on a career trajectory of her choice. Kelly felt obligated to give it his best effort.
