"I do a lot of thinking about my other self the little hobo ... and so help me I’m beginning to like the little guy better than I like myself! ... I kinda’ hope he feels the same way about me." Emmet Kelly Jr.

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Emmet Kelly and Emmet Kelly Jr. have brought the wealth of the Clod, the clown, the fool, the jester and Parsifal to the masses.

Emmet Kelly, immortalized in Flambo, tried many thousands of times without success to sweep the elusive shadow, in the form of a moving spot, into a dustpan. To the delight of the audience, this man dressed like a hobo, acted out their frustrations, symbolized in the act of this simple, earthy gesture. Comedy touching the heart, way down deep where it counts, not easily dismissed, was way this artist worked. He showed people that he understood. The Little Hobo made the affluent dig deep into their pockets.

Well educated, Emmet took up space in a front office at his father's firm. He soon became bored. It became a more interesting pastime to turn his chair and watch out the window, to listen to the noise of the traffic. He heard newspaper boys calling out the dreary news of the depression, children playing and the loud grumbling of the many men gathering on the corner each day because they had no work. He noted the number of mothers begging for money to feed hungry, crying babies. Sometimes he threw coins.

Putting cases of food into the limousine he and his chauffeur distributed supplies to the suspicious and wary families camped by the railroad track. He felt the pain and misery and knew that if he were to help further he would have to do so in a different manner. The Little Hobo was born. For months, he returned to his office, but time spent as a hobo increased more than the time spent at his desk.

Searching for an umbrella when the son was out of the office, his father opened the closet, noticing the grimy, smoky outfit. The company President stated in no uncertain terms that taking time from duties and spending company funds - must stop!

Emmet repeated his journeys and repeated warnings went unheeded and he found himself out on the street in disbelief.

While travelling the rails he found he had a gift for making people laugh. He begged and danced on street corners for food, distributing much to those less fortunate.

He found the circus and took his talents into the ring, cleaning up behind the animals with a shovel and pail. To ease the boredom of manual labour he tumbled and tripped, clowning like a clod farmer he had seen portrayed on the Broadway stage. He suffered love for the pretty girls on the high wire and mimed his inner pain to the audience who rolled in laughter. The ringmaster employed the Little Hobo to do what he loved most.

Investing his wages into profitable circus shares, the circus with Kelly's help, initiated foundations for impoverished children, keeping them in school rather than submitting them to child labor, sponsoring many children himself.

The Emmet Kelly Foundation formed the Schools for Circus Clowns. Emmet Kelly, Jr. stepped into his father's shoes following the old clown's death. It continues today.

Emmet Kelly used healing humour to turn the most serious and painful times in life into situations that could be handled through joy and laughter. He took the everyday tribulations that people faced, by illusion he made them manageable by taking their minds off their troubles for a few hours. He turned the mundane into a magical experience; showing that they could have hope for the future by believing in the fairy tale vision of the young at heart - even if for the moment that it takes for a soap bubble to burst.

Doris Small: inclass@nanaimo.ark.com

Engl290-4