Emmett Kelly originally wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist. Unable to find any work with a newspaper syndicate or an animation studio, he joined a circus as a chalk talk artist (drawing pictures to help illustrate the stories that he told his audiences). Later on, Mr. Kelly became a trapeeze artist at the circus. Working with his first wife, he created and performed as several different clown characters, including a whiteface buffoon. He finally found success with his sad face hobo character: "Weary Willie".
Emmett Kelly wrote and published his memiors: "Clown" in l954. He was also a part of a nightclub comedy team with entertainer and radio/TV broadcaster, Linn Sheldon, during the l930s.
He was originally a member of the Knickerbocker Circus and helped rescue several children when the circus tent caught fire, killing a number of people. The event was known forever after as "the day when the clowns cried.".
Henry Fonda portrayed Emmett on "General Electric Theater: Season 3, Episode 25, The Clown" (1955), which was a short biographical piece.
His son, Emmett Kelly Jr. (d. 2006) followed in his footsteps to become a circus clown.
Inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians, 1996.
Inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989.