A clown named Grock Autor(en): [s.n.] Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK Band (Jahr): - (1971) Heft 1626 PDF erstellt am: 29.09.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-689735 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch Che Swiss Obserixr Founded in 1919 by Paul F. Boehringer The Official Organ of the Swiss Colony in Great Britain Vol. 57 No. 1626 FRIDAY, 22nd OCTOBER, 1971 A CLOWN NAMED GROCK The Circus is an entertainment still as a child and performed as a major music hall of the country. He that practically almost belongs to the tumbler and violinist. His father sent and his, partner Antonnet drew the past. The Great Barnum Circus, Bert- hitfi to a watchmaker for a regular ap- tears from t|ie crowds massed at the ram Mills and many other household prenticeship. But the work bench did "Empire" and the "Coliseum" in Lon- names have found a lasting place in not suit Grock at all, and before long don. the history of entertainment. The only he left to seek adventure abroad, like after the he circuses that seem to survive are the so many Swiss of his day. Early war was being national companies. The Knie Circus paid up to £500 a week. Grock was a He left for where he good businessman. He started a music in Switzerland, for one, appears to sur- Hungary was in a noble two shop at 36 Cross Road with vive very well and returns with unfail- tutor family for years. Charing His debuts in the Circus made at a and wrote These ing regularity on the same square of were partner songs. were and came chance immensely successful and thousands of every major Swiss town each year. Budapest, quite by when a job as a partner was offered to soldiers coming home from the front The Music Hall is also a form of him. There followed a long life of wan- had them constantly on their lips. entertainment that has vanished. Many derings and living off expedients from Grock remained in until people still remember the days when Hamburg to Bucharest. He worked in England 1924. He loved the British but hated for a they could have a night small French circuses. He played the penny the dreariness of British out at one of the innumerable theatres piano in cafes and lead chequered and provincial towns and was disheartened by its found in every town of some import- hard beginnings. weather. His departure was hastened ance. These theatres have all closed It was towards 1903 that he by a disagreement with his down or been converted into cinemas. impressario formed an association with a fellow Oswald Stoll who had refused to im- was Hollywood and the new sound It clown called Rr/cfc who had made his the terms of his and films that killed the Music Hall. prove contract, name in a former partnership known was paying the three Marx ßrot/zm- The man who probably made the as "Brick and Brock". To keep up the almost twice as much as Grock. This most money and earned the greatest suggestion of this "trade mark", but was a time, Grock recalls, when the success in both media was a Swiss also to maintain his own individuality, Marx Brothers never filled a theatre known as GrocC He was a "Swiss Adrien Wettach changed his name to and hardly drew a laugh. abroad" and made his career in all the "Grock". Grock was thus created in Back on the Continent, Grock countries of Europe but Switzerland. the arenas of Nimes on 1st October, was immensely successful at the O/ywpzaT It was only at the end of his career, 1903. regular season in Paris. He performed after the second world war, that he He had and successful a long as- in every capital in Europe. He married began to tour Switzerland with his own sociation with Brick. He toured France, an Italian woman and built himself a more extensively. The British troup North Africa, South America. He later villa near San Remo. He has public who knew him well during the many formed other partnerships and con- tales of his encounters with which succeeded the first world every pub- years stantly enlarged his repertoire of gags. lie figure of that time. He made the war were unaware of his national orig- He was already a world-known enter- Queen of Spain laugh so much that ins. He was just their beloved enter- tainer when the war began. she birth prematurely. He made tainer. Winston Churchill told him one gave the clown the wiry little Dr. Goebbels laugh to day: "You are our best comic". With famous French H «tonnet, he toured England in 1911- tears. Hitler told him that he had Grock wrote his autobiography, 1912 and made his audience at the Pal- come to enjoy his pranks at least ten entitled Sans Wagwe/ in 1947. It is a ace Theatre in London choke with times. Charlie Chaplin travelled spe- most lively and entertaining account laughter. When the Sarajevo incident cially from Algiers to Marseilles to bearing the style of history's most fam- triggered off the first world war he applaud him. Maurice Chevalier was ous clown. His real name was C/zar/e? was touring in Russia. He returned an old-time buddy. Adrze« JLeffacTz. He was born at Mou- after a long and adventurous journey to Many of the Grock vintage gags lin de Loveresse, near Reconvilier, in Switzerland his national ser- to perform are still remembered today. The best the Bernese Jura, in 1880. His father vice. When he because was discharged known, but also one of the last ones to was a watchmaker and an amateur he Paris. of a hand injury left for be his of acrobat. perfected, was peculiar way After some time he came back to saying "Sans 2?/agwe?" How was it that Grock grew up with the love of England, and Grock appeared before he could unleash an explosion of laugh- the sawdust. He discovered the Circus the British public for a second time. ter each time that he pronounced this at an early age and never missed a He formed a lasting association with very banal French idiom? This was chance to watch the troups of jugglers, the theatre agent Percy Riess and ap- Grock's secret. Another famous gag gypsies and acrobats wandering across peared successively with the Oswald was to take out a ridiculously small the Jura. He joined them for odd jobs Stoll and the Syndicate Tours in every fiddle from a gigantic double-bass box, accountably landed in a yoga position and Vaud and which have been ex- CIk Swiss Obstruer atop the chair's back. This was the tracted from the Ghetto in which they accidental creation of acrobatic trick once were. At the extreme left are all Published Twice Monthly at an the 63/67 TABERNACLE STREET which Grock alone could perform. proponents of an overhaul of LONDON E.C.2 At 67, Grock could still do the society. However they refuse to play Tel: 01-253 2321 trick! He was still active an the saw- the electoral game from the outset. Stock London Telegrams: Paperwyse dust, on and off, until his last appear- these have their line PRESIDENT: Robert Keller All parties HON. ance in Berlin in 1954. He then retired EDITOR: Pierre-Michel Béguin of action. There are alliances and cam- in his villa at Oneglia, Italy, and died the aim of Advisory Council: paigns with pulling more on 14th July, 1959. He was an accom- Each Gottfried Keller (Chairman) political weight. party shall, acrobat, a musician 0. F. Boehringer, J.P. (Hon. Sec.) plished proficient depending on its financial means, ad- F. Burri, Eusebio, Dr. C. Jagmetti and a comic of genius. He had the vertise in all available media, its advan- (Press Attaché, Swiss Emb.) equipment of a complete clown, able tages as the elections get nearer and A. Kunz, R. M. Suess to thrill both Circus and Music Hall the voter will have to inform himself PREPAID SUBSCRIPTION RATES audiences. He was probably the great- in order to make his (POST FREE) diligently up est show-business star Switzerland has mind the candidate he choose. UNITED KINGDOM on will 24 issues £2.40 ever produced. The coming elections are the nearest 12 issues £1.25 thing in Switzerland to general 6 issues £0.65 elections. With this difference, how- SWITZERLAND & Elsewhere ever, that the Executive will not auto- 12 Frs.