Otto Griebling
Encyclopedia
Otto Griebling was a German
-born circus clown
who performed for many years with the Cole Brothers and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
es. He was one of four clowns given the title Master Clown by Irvin Feld
.
, Germany
. There he was introduced to the circus business, as well as ballet and opera. Following the death of his father, his mother emigrated to the United States ahead of her children. His older brother Emil (b. 1894) worked his way overseas on a boat, eventually working on Wall Street. Young Otto worked his way to the United States by boat in 1911.
After arriving in America, Griebling left home after reading an ad seeking apprentice bareback riders. He studied under and worked with Albert Joseph Henry Hodgini, Sr.
in Baraboo, Wisconsin
for several years, performing in Hodgini's act in the Sells Floto Circus
and other circuses.
Griebling changed his performance area in 1930 after suffering a serious fall. He developed a silent tramp clown character, an act that he would perform as a clown. He would walk around the circus holding a slab of ice asking for Miss Jones. When he didn't find her, he would come around again, this time the ice slab was smaller, finally he would find Miss jones but as he handed the ice to her, it would melt away right in her hand! His signing on as a clown with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
in 1932. He was a clown with the Cole Brothers Circus from their first tour in 1935, eventually becoming Cole Brothers' head clown before he joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
in 1951.
Griebling spent the rest of his circus career with Ringling, going on strike in 1956 with Emmett Kelly
and later teaching to the first few classes of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He appeared as Jimmy Durante's stunt double
in the 1962 film Jumbo
. In 1970 Otto had his larynx removed due to cancer, but it did not affect his silent act.
in 1961. She passed on in 2005. They had the following children:
in New York City
. He was buried at Sarasota Memorial Park in Sarasota, Florida
.
in 1989.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born circus clown
Circus clown
Clowns have always been an integral part of the circus, offering a source of amusement for patrons and providing relief from the array of animal acts and performances by acrobats and novelty artistes....
who performed for many years with the Cole Brothers and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
es. He was one of four clowns given the title Master Clown by Irvin Feld
Irvin Feld
Irvin Feld was the head of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and founder Feld Entertainment. He was a music promoter who is credited with discovering Paul Anka.-Biography:...
.
Early years
Otto Griebling was born April 28, 1896 in KoblenzKoblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. There he was introduced to the circus business, as well as ballet and opera. Following the death of his father, his mother emigrated to the United States ahead of her children. His older brother Emil (b. 1894) worked his way overseas on a boat, eventually working on Wall Street. Young Otto worked his way to the United States by boat in 1911.
After arriving in America, Griebling left home after reading an ad seeking apprentice bareback riders. He studied under and worked with Albert Joseph Henry Hodgini, Sr.
Albert Joseph Henry Hodgini, Sr.
-Biography:He was born in 1884 to an English family circus troupe, the Hodges, that Italianized their name to make it more exotic for their act. He attended a military and riding school in Germany and appeared with the Albert Schumann Circus in Berlin...
in Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo is the largest city in, and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. It is situated on the Baraboo River. Its 2010 population was 12,048 according to the US Census Bureau...
for several years, performing in Hodgini's act in the Sells Floto Circus
Sells Floto Circus
The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Floto Dog & Pony Show and the Sells Brothers Circus that toured with sideshow acts in the United States during the early 1900s.-History:...
and other circuses.
Griebling changed his performance area in 1930 after suffering a serious fall. He developed a silent tramp clown character, an act that he would perform as a clown. He would walk around the circus holding a slab of ice asking for Miss Jones. When he didn't find her, he would come around again, this time the ice slab was smaller, finally he would find Miss jones but as he handed the ice to her, it would melt away right in her hand! His signing on as a clown with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. At its peak, it was the second-largest circus in America next to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was based in Peru, Indiana....
in 1932. He was a clown with the Cole Brothers Circus from their first tour in 1935, eventually becoming Cole Brothers' head clown before he joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
in 1951.
Griebling spent the rest of his circus career with Ringling, going on strike in 1956 with Emmett Kelly
Emmett Kelly
Emmett Leo Kelly , 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.- Career development :...
and later teaching to the first few classes of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He appeared as Jimmy Durante's stunt double
Stunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
in the 1962 film Jumbo
Billy Rose's Jumbo (film)
Billy Rose's Jumbo is an American musical film produced by MGM in Panavision and Metrocolor, and starring Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Martha Raye, and Stephen Boyd. The film was directed by Charles Walters and featured Busby Berkeley's choreography...
. In 1970 Otto had his larynx removed due to cancer, but it did not affect his silent act.
Marriage
Otto Griebling, Sr. was married twice. His first wife, Hanna, was a fellow circus performer; they had three children together and divorced in 1948. His second wife, Anna, relocated with him to Venice, FloridaVenice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
in 1961. She passed on in 2005. They had the following children:
- Elsa Griebling Gable (?-1971)
- Joan Griebling Simons
- Otto Griebling, Jr.
Death
Otto Griebling died on April 19, 1972 from a stroke following a brief illness for which he was hospitalized at Saint Clare's HospitalSaint Clare's Hospital
*Saint Clare's Hospital at Boonton Township in New Jersey*Saint Clare's Hospital in Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was buried at Sarasota Memorial Park in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
.
Legacy
Griebling was inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1973. and the International Clown Hall of FameInternational Clown Hall of Fame
The International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center , located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA, is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of clown art and achievement...
in 1989.