201:
209:
267:
175:'s travelling circus. He became a clown, working first with another performer named Brick in 1903, adopting the name "Grock," and then going on to partner with the famous clown Antonet (Umberto Guillaum). This second act was developed with the aim of making the transition from
183:
stages, which were more lucrative. While not initially successful, Antonet and Grock did manage to secure a London engagement in 1911. Refining their performances according to audience response, Grock came to dominate the act, and they eventually split up.
224:. He performed throughout Europe and in the United States, commanding ever higher fees, and his continuing success enabled him to establish his own circus in 1951, with which he toured until his final performance in Hamburg on 30 October 1954.
51:
193:
216:
By 1913, Grock's fame had spread, his act having developed into the mixture of pantomime and musical blunders for which he is now remembered. With the outbreak of
670:
200:
278:, an annual competition for young circus artists which first took place in 2003. This competition has been discontinued since 2008.
507:
138:. Called "the king of clowns" and "the greatest of Europe's clowns", Grock was once the most highly paid entertainer in Europe.
454:
258:
In retirement, he made some appearances on
Italian television. He also wrote several books, including an autobiography.
255:(1950), featured Grock as himself, with Adrien Osperi and Ted Rémy playing Grock as a boy and young man, respectively.
431:
227:
He retired to the Villa Bianca (now named "Villa Grock"), a 50-room house he had constructed for him in the 1920s in
171:
passed through, he joined them, learning more instruments and gaining confidence with them. In 1894, he debuted with
632:
675:
323:
31:
665:
660:
578:
172:
221:
308:
553:
624:
411:
636:
449:
399:
239:
Some of Grock's performances have been preserved on film. He made the 1927 silent movie
160:
82:
511:
654:
168:
365:"Grock. Nit mö-ö-ö-glich. Die Memoiren des Königs der Clowns", autobiography (1956)
294:
275:
156:
20:
217:
27:
299:
180:
164:
220:, he made Britain his base, remaining there until 1924, when he returned to
152:
78:
533:
436:
Google Books. Routledge (2007) pp. 462–463. Retrieved 22 April 2011
208:
620:
228:
101:
50:
317:
307:(1931), French version of the German film directed by Carl Boese and
248:
176:
266:
192:
629:
265:
207:
199:
135:
645:
538:
163:. He started early as a performer, learning musicianship and
402:
Clown Alley (blog). (24 August 2006). Retrieved 22 April 2011
554:
https://www.filmblatt.de/2005/12/02/grock-d-1931-carl-boese/
612:
19:
This article is about the entertainer. For the film, see
604:
418:
magazine (15 November 1954). Retrieved 22 April 2011.
430:Frank Cullen, Florence Hackman and Donald McNeilly
117:
109:
90:
60:
41:
311:, three other language versions have been produced
369:; English version: "Grock, King of Clowns" (1957)
386:Some sources give this as "Karl Adrian Wettach".
134:; 10 January 1880 – 14 July 1959) was a Swiss
243:, and French and German language versions of
8:
394:
392:
167:skills from his father. When a caravan of
49:
38:
274:Grock's career is commemorated with the
191:
510:. Association Grockland. Archived from
379:
444:
442:
426:
424:
412:"Life on the Newsfronts of the World"
7:
639:FilmArts Productions, Zurich (2006)
630:"Grock - Seltsamer als die Wahrheit"
508:"Le 5e Grock d'Or part pour Genève"
341:Fünf Sequenzen aus Grocks Programm
14:
569:Law, M. D., ed. (1950). "Grock".
305:Grock (La vie d'un grand artiste)
298:(1931), German drama directed by
455:Britannica Online Encyclopedia
347:Grock – König hinter der Maske
316:A 1939 revue film produced by
1:
573:. George Newnes. p. 600.
496:. Phaidon Press. p. 103.
335:Le dernier spectacle de Grock
26:. For the radio station, see
671:People from the Bernese Jura
204:Grock with wife, Berlin 1930
113:Clown, music hall performer
692:
18:
458:. Encyclopædia Britannica
433:Vaudeville, Old & New
231:, where he died in 1959.
48:
571:Chambers's Encyclopaedia
477:Wettach, Adrien (1957).
353:Grock – König der Clowns
288:Grock – son premier film
270:The Grock d'Or statuette
635:18 October 2020 at the
481:. Methuen. p. 219.
331:Grocks letzter Auftritt
16:Swiss clown (1880–1959)
492:Bullock, Alan (1980).
271:
213:
205:
197:
132:Charles Adrien Wettach
65:Charles Adrien Wettach
30:. For other uses, see
613:Association Grockland
563:Additional references
479:Grock, King of Clowns
324:Farewell Mister Grock
269:
211:
203:
195:
188:Career and later life
32:Grok (disambiguation)
155:, a village in the
494:The Faces of Europe
253:Au revoir, M. Grock
212:Villa Grock in 2007
583:www.steffi-line.de
272:
222:continental Europe
214:
206:
198:
196:Signature of Grock
151:Grock was born in
514:on 6 October 2011
125:
124:
118:Years active
683:
642:
617:
609:
594:
592:
590:
574:
556:
550:
544:
543:
530:
524:
523:
521:
519:
504:
498:
497:
489:
483:
482:
474:
468:
467:
465:
463:
446:
437:
428:
419:
409:
403:
396:
387:
384:
368:
97:
74:
72:
53:
39:
691:
690:
686:
685:
684:
682:
681:
680:
651:
650:
646:Museo del Clown
640:
637:Wayback Machine
615:
607:
601:
588:
586:
577:
568:
565:
560:
559:
551:
547:
532:
531:
527:
517:
515:
506:
505:
501:
491:
490:
486:
476:
475:
471:
461:
459:
448:
447:
440:
429:
422:
410:
406:
397:
390:
385:
381:
376:
366:
362:
284:
264:
237:
190:
149:
144:
105:
99:
95:
86:
76:
75:10 January 1880
70:
68:
67:
66:
56:
44:
35:
17:
12:
11:
5:
689:
687:
679:
678:
673:
668:
663:
653:
652:
649:
648:
643:
627:
618:
610:
600:
599:External links
597:
596:
595:
575:
564:
561:
558:
557:
545:
525:
499:
484:
469:
438:
420:
414:Google Books.
404:
388:
378:
377:
375:
372:
371:
370:
361:
358:
357:
356:
350:
344:
338:
328:
320:
314:
313:
312:
291:
283:
280:
263:
260:
236:
233:
229:Imperia, Italy
189:
186:
161:Canton of Bern
148:
145:
143:
140:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
100:
98:(aged 79)
92:
88:
87:
83:Canton of Bern
77:
64:
62:
58:
57:
54:
46:
45:
42:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
688:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
658:
656:
647:
644:
638:
634:
631:
628:
626:
622:
619:
614:
611:
606:
603:
602:
598:
584:
580:
576:
572:
567:
566:
562:
555:
549:
546:
541:
540:
535:
529:
526:
513:
509:
503:
500:
495:
488:
485:
480:
473:
470:
457:
456:
451:
445:
443:
439:
435:
434:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
408:
405:
401:
395:
393:
389:
383:
380:
373:
364:
363:
359:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
332:
329:
326:
325:
321:
319:
315:
310:
306:
303:
302:
301:
297:
296:
292:
289:
286:
285:
281:
279:
277:
268:
261:
259:
256:
254:
250:
246:
242:
234:
232:
230:
225:
223:
219:
210:
202:
194:
187:
185:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
146:
141:
139:
137:
133:
129:
120:
116:
112:
110:Occupation(s)
108:
103:
93:
89:
85:, Switzerland
84:
80:
63:
59:
55:Grock in 1903
52:
47:
40:
37:
33:
29:
25:
23:
676:Swiss clowns
587:. Retrieved
582:
570:
548:
537:
528:
516:. Retrieved
512:the original
502:
493:
487:
478:
472:
460:. Retrieved
453:
432:
415:
407:
398:Pat Cashin,
382:
352:
346:
340:
334:
330:
322:
304:
293:
287:
273:
257:
252:
247:in 1931. A
244:
240:
238:
226:
215:
173:Fiame Wetzel
157:Bernese Jura
150:
131:
127:
126:
96:(1959-07-14)
94:14 July 1959
36:
21:
666:1959 deaths
661:1880 births
641:(in German)
616:(in French)
608:(in German)
589:20 December
585:(in German)
518:20 December
462:20 December
367:(in German)
282:Filmography
218:World War I
28:Grock Radio
655:Categories
605:Grock-News
309:Joë Hamman
300:Carl Boese
276:Grock d'Or
181:music hall
147:Early life
121:1890s–1954
71:1880-01-10
552:(German)
241:What For?
165:acrobatic
153:Loveresse
142:Biography
79:Loveresse
633:Archived
579:"Grock"
534:"Grock"
450:"Grock"
159:in the
104:, Italy
102:Imperia
355:(2003)
349:(1965)
343:(1957)
337:(1954)
327:(1950)
318:Hohner
290:(1926)
262:Legacy
249:biopic
177:circus
130:(born
24:(film)
621:Grock
400:Grock
374:Notes
360:Books
295:Grock
245:Grock
235:Media
136:clown
128:Grock
43:Grock
22:Grock
625:IMDb
591:2008
539:IMDb
520:2008
464:2008
416:Life
169:Roma
91:Died
61:Born
623:at
179:to
657::
581:.
536:.
452:.
441:^
423:^
391:^
333:/
251:,
81:,
593:.
542:.
522:.
466:.
73:)
69:(
34:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.