Grock
Swiss clown once the highest-paid entertainer in Europe.
Last updated
Department of State. Agency for International Development. 1961-10/1/1979 · Public domain
Called "the king of clowns" and "the greatest of Europe's clowns," he was once the most highly paid entertainer in Europe.
Lore & Background
Grock was born in Loveresse, a village in the Bernese Jura in the Canton of Bern. He started early as a performer, learning musicianship and acrobatic skills from his father. When a caravan of Roma passed through, he joined them, learning more instruments and gaining confidence.
This second act aimed to transition from circus to more lucrative music hall stages. Refining their performances according to audience response, Grock came to dominate the act, and they eventually split up. He performed throughout Europe and in the United States, commanding ever higher fees.
Reader's Guide
Grock's significance lies in his transformation of clowning from circus spectacle to a refined music-hall act blending pantomime and musical blunders. His partnership with Antonet and later solo career made him a household name across Europe and the United States, commanding the highest fees of any entertainer on the continent.
Several of his performances survive on film, including silent and sound films, and a biopic featured him as himself. His autobiography, 'Grock. Nit mö-ö-ö-glich. The Villa Grock in Imperia, Italy, stands as a physical monument to his success.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Grock (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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