Tater*the MagicClown     

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Famous Tramp Clowns

  • Nat Wills "The Happy Tramp" (1873-1917)
  • Vitaly Lazarenko (-)
  • W.C. Fields “Great Tramp Juggler” (1880-1946)
  • "Little Tramp" Charlie Chaplain (1889-1977)
  • Otto Griebling (1896-1972)
  • Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Sr.(1898-1979)
  • "Happy" Harold Kellems (1905-1987)
  • Red "Freddie the Freeloader" Skelton (1913-1997)
  • Mark "Mark Anthony" Galkowski (1915-1990)
  • Irvin "Ricky the Clown" Romig (1920-2010)
  • Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Jr.(1923-2006)
  • "Homer" Don Burda (1935-2008)
  • Arthur "Vercoe" Pedlar (1932-present)
  • Jim Howle (1939-present)
  • W.D. "Curly" Robbins
  • "Charlie the Juggling Clown" Bruce Johnson
  • Kevin "Sneakers McSilly" Andrews (1964-present)


Made in America

The Tramp clown is a distinctly American invention, although he is now popular in European circuses as well. The most well-known Tramp is clearly Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp,"Red Skelton's "Freddy the Freeloader", or Emmett Kelly's "Weary Willie." The Tramp character assumes a "down-on-his-luck" approach to life. His costume appears tattered and torn, and things usually do not go well for him.


The hobo, on the other hand, has much more of a "devil-may-care" attitude. Although in the same position as the tramp, the hobo is not unhappy about his situation. He knows that everything will turn out all right. 



Red Skelton's  " Freddy the Freeloader  " 

“I get asked all the time; Where did you get the idea for Freddie the Freeloader, and who is Freddie really?

Well, I guess you might say that Freddie the Freeloader is a little bit of you, and a little bit of me, a little bit of all of us, you know.

He’s found out what love means. He knows the value of time. He knows that time is a glutton. We say we don’t have time to do this or do that. There’s plenty of time. The trick is to apply it. The greatest disease in the world today is procrastination.

And Freddie knows about all these things. And so do you.


He doesn’t ask anybody to provide for him, because it would be taken away from you. He doesn’t ask for equal rights if it’s going to give up some of yours.

And he knows one thing ... that patriotism is more powerful than guns.



He’s nice to everybody because he was taught that man is made in God’s image. He’s never met God in person and the next fella just might be him.

I would say that Freddie is a little bit of all of us.”




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