Frank Bartlet Adler (better known by his stage name Felix Adler) was an American circus performer and entertainer known as "The King of Clowns" who performed for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey for 20 years.
Background
Felix Adler was born on June 17, 1897 in Clinton, Iowa, United States. He was the son of
Joseph Adler and Minette Neugent.
At the age of nine he saw his first circus and was inspired by the tightrope walkers; he repeatedly broke his mother's clothesline in his attempts to learn the skill.
He left home at an early age to become an acrobat, but his clumsiness in performing acrobatic feats made the audience laugh, so he decided to become a clown instead. His father agreed to let him stay with the circus if he promised to attend school and work with the circus only in the summer until he graduated from high school.
Education
Adler was educated at a local school of Clinton.
Career
His first job was as water boy for the elephants, but he soon became fascinated with the clowns, whom he observed closely, studying their mannerisms, techniques, and costumes. Upon graduation from high school, he wrote Charles Ringling for a job and was hired as a clown. Adler was with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1910 to 1959, during which time he became famous as a "producing clown, " one who originates gags and props. His most famous props included a pair of spotted balloon trousers that inflated, a tiny hat with a long flower, and a red nose that lit up.
Another costume he created was that of the Big Bad Wolf, for which he draped a coat and hat over his tights and held a miniature umbrella. But Adler was best known for his baby pig acts. He trained hundreds of baby pigs to climb ladders, glide down slides, drink from baby bottles, stand on their hind legs, prance around him, or follow on a leash.
Adler made so many appearances before presidents (Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt) that he earned the title "White House Clown. "
He was also an author, radio performer, and the first clown to appear on television.
In addition to his circus performances, he also entertained children in hospitals across the country.
Adler loved the circus, but in May 1959, after bus and truck convoys had begun replacing the famous circus train, he decided to quit. He then signed a contract with the International Circus at Palisades Amusement Park.
He died in New York City three months before he was to have opened in New Jersey.
Achievements
Throughout his long career, Adler was one of America's best-known and most beloved clowns.
He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989.
Views
Quotations:
"The simpler the trick the better, so long as it contains an element of surprise. "
Connections
On March 6, 1948, Adler married Amelia Irwin; they had no children. She subsequently became the only woman clown with the circus. Although she loved the work, she admitted, "It's not in my blood, like with Felix. "
