Wheeler the Clown Presents . . .

First of May Clown Quiz

(easy) The Answers

1.	How did famous circus owner P. T. Barnum finish the following statement; elephants and clowns are. . .?
	b.	*The pegs upon which the circus is hung*

2.	Most people recognize four distinct clown types. Can you name them?
	c.	*Tramp, Whiteface, Auguste, and Character*

3.	What is the only clown type that originated in the United States?
	b.	*Tramp*

4.	What circus sponsored the most famous "clown college" in the United States?
	b.	*Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus*

5.	Circus clown Lou Jacobs often appeared with a partner named Knucklehead. Who or what was Knucklehead?
	c.	*A chihuahua dog*

6.	What rodeo event created the need for the rodeo clown?
	a.	*Bull Riding*

7.	What movie star portrayed Buttons the Clown *in the 1952 Academy Award Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth?*
	c.	*Jimmy Stewart*

8.	Who was the first female clown to graduate from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College?
	c.	*Peggy Williams in 1970*

9.	Which of the following clowns was born and died in the United States?
	b.	*Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Sr. was born in Kansas in 1898 and died in Florida in 1979*

10.	Which of the following movies did not have a clown as one of its main characters?
	b.	Roustabout, starring Elvis Presley and Barbara Stanwyck, was set in a carnival and did not include a clown character. (At least not a costumed one)

11.	Who was the first person to portray television clown Ronald McDonald?
	c.	*Willard Scott, back in 1962. Although he as portrayed both Ronald McDonald and Bozo, Willard's biggest fame is as a television weatherman.*

12.	Who was the first person to portray Bozo the Clown in children's records and television?
	b.	*Pinto Colvig Sr.*

13.	Who was billed during his career as "The King of Clowns?"
	b.	*Felix Adler*

14.	Which of the following television clowns has only had one person behind the makeup?
	a.	Rebo, who was played for over five years by Bev Bergeron. Three persons donned the Clarabelle costume and makeup, and numerous persons have portrayed Ronald McDonald and Bozo over the years.

15.	In 1946, clown Lou Jacobs began using his most famous prop. What was it?
	d.	A miniature automobile (2x3) into which Lou would squeeze his 6 foot body

16.	In the early days of the American circus, which of the following skills was an absolute must for the Circus Clown?
	c.	Horseback riding was a vital skill, since most of the early circuses were mostly trained horse shows.

17.	Which of the following "little people" (dwarf / midget performers) is / was not a circus clown?
	b.	Commodore Nutt was exhibited by P.T. Barnum billed strictly as an oddity due to his size (2 feet 5 inches tall). He never performed as a clown.

18.	Which of the following circus clowns is / was not one of the "little people?"
	c.	Leon McBryde, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall.

19.	Which of the following famous Clowns is not a descendent of another Clown?
	a.	Gene "Cousin Otto" Lee is a first generation clown, despite taking his name from Otto Griebling, whom he said made him feel like family. Red Skelton's father was a circus clown, as was Michael "Coco" Poliakov's father, Nikolai "Coco" Poliakov. Anni Fratellini's grandfather, Paul Fratellini, was a theatrical Auguste clown.

20.	Which of the following famous Clowns never regularly performed in a circus?
	a.	*Red "Freddie the Freeloader" Skelton, although the son of a circus* clown, performed on stage, movies, and television, but was never employed by a circus.

21.	Who is most often referred to as "the father of Clowning?"
	b.	*Joseph "Joey" Grimaldi*

22.	French mime Marcel Marceau calls his silent character...?
	c.	*Bip*

23.	Clarabelle Hornblower was a clown character on what children's television show?
	b.	*The Howdy Doody Show*

24.	*The first man behind the makeup* of Clarabelle the Clo**wn is most famous for portraying what children's show character?
	a.	The first man behind Clarabelle's makeup was, of course, the late Bob Keeshan, best known to children and adults as Captain Kangaroo

25.	When Lou Jacobs was first hired by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, it was as a. . . ?
	c.	*tumbler / contortionist*

26.	What circus clown was an employee of Walt Disney?
	d.	*Pinto Colvig, Sr., who was the original voice of such Disney animated stars as Pluto, Goofy, and the dwarfs Grumpy (left) and Sleepy .*

Score 1 pt. for each correct answer. How did you do?

Score:

0 - 5 Do you even know what a Clown is?

6 - 11 You call yourself a joey?

12 - 17 Maybe You're Serious About Clowning

18 - 23 You're a joey all right!

24 - 26 Congratulations - You've got greasepaint in your veins! Ready for the novice test? Click here or

Click Here to Return to Clown Main Menu

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 Wheeler the Clown & Company
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   This Website was updated on: 07/20/2004

Wheeler the Clown Presents . . .

First of May Clown Quiz

1.

How did famous circus owner P. T. Barnum finish the following statement; elephants and clowns are. . .?

b.

The pegs upon which the circus is hung

2.

Most people recognize four distinct clown types. Can you name them?

c.

Tramp, Whiteface, Auguste, and Character

3.

What is the only clown type that originated in the United States?

b.

Tramp

4.

What circus sponsored the most famous "clown college" in the United States?

b.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus

5.

Circus clown Lou Jacobs often appeared with a partner named Knucklehead. Who or what was Knucklehead?

c.

A chihuahua dog

6.

What rodeo event created the need for the rodeo clown?

a.

Bull Riding

7.

What movie star portrayed Buttons the Clown in the 1952 Academy Award Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth?

c.

Jimmy Stewart

8.

Who was the first female clown to graduate from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College?

c.

Peggy Williams in 1970

9.

Which of the following clowns was born and died in the United States?

b.

Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Sr. was born in Kansas in 1898 and died in Florida in 1979

10.

Which of the following movies did not have a clown as one of its main characters?

b.

Roustabout, starring Elvis Presley and Barbara Stanwyck, was set in a carnival and did not include a clown character. (At least not a costumed one)

11.

Who was the first person to portray television clown Ronald McDonald?

c.

Willard Scott, back in 1962. Although he as portrayed both Ronald McDonald and Bozo, Willard's biggest fame is as a television weatherman.

12.

Who was the first person to portray Bozo the Clown in children's records and television?

b.

Pinto Colvig Sr.

13.

Who was billed during his career as "The King of Clowns?"

b.

Felix Adler

14.

Which of the following television clowns has only had one person behind the makeup?

a.

Rebo, who was played for over five years by Bev Bergeron. Three persons donned the Clarabelle costume and makeup, and numerous persons have portrayed Ronald McDonald and Bozo over the years.

15.

In 1946, clown Lou Jacobs began using his most famous prop. What was it?

d.

A miniature automobile (2x3) into which Lou would squeeze his 6 foot body

16.

In the early days of the American circus, which of the following skills was an absolute must for the Circus Clown?

c.

Horseback riding was a vital skill, since most of the early circuses were mostly trained horse shows.

17.

Which of the following "little people" (dwarf / midget performers) is / was not a circus clown?

b.

Commodore Nutt was exhibited by P.T. Barnum billed strictly as an oddity due to his size (2 feet 5 inches tall). He never performed as a clown.

18.

Which of the following circus clowns is / was not one of the "little people?"

c.

Leon McBryde, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall.

Which of the following famous Clowns is not a descendent of another Clown?

a.

Gene "Cousin Otto" Lee is a first generation clown, despite taking his name from Otto Griebling, whom he said made him feel like family.

Red Skelton's father was a circus clown, as was Michael "Coco" Poliakov's father, Nikolai "Coco" Poliakov. Anni Fratellini's grandfather, Paul Fratellini, was a theatrical Auguste clown.

20.

Which of the following famous Clowns never regularly performed in a circus?

What movie star portrayed Buttons the Clown **in the 1952 Academy Award Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth?**

**The first man behind the makeup of Clarabelle the Clo**wn is most famous for portraying what children's show character?