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 Earl
Chaney a.k.a.
"Mr. Clown"
Earl Chaney is a legend, one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining
lecturers and performers in clowning today. Originally from
Oklahoma
City, Chaney knew he wanted to be a clown when he was only six years
old
after receiving a circus model as a Christmas present. He would stare
into
the big top each night at bedtime and dream about a future in the
circus.
“By the time he was nine, Chaney had performed as a ventriloquist and
won
a national clown makeup contest. During his childhood he taught himself
to
juggle, do magic, and walk a wire. In his teens and twenties, he worked
rodeos
and did amateur clowning whenever he could.”1 Considering most
circus
performers are born into the lifestyle, his perseverance was impressive
and
did not go without recognition.Continuing the pursuit of his dream,
Chaney
read about Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in Life
Magazine
in 1968. He was one of 45 applicants out of 7,200 who were accepted and
one
of only nine students who received contracts at the end of the
curriculum.
Chaney immediately joined the circus, earning $185 a week for non-stop,
year-round
work with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He lived in a
train
car with 26 other performers and traveled for seven years, performing
with
such tramp clown legends as Emmet Kelly and Otto Griebling.1
During
his impressive career, Earl Chaney has appeared in over 8,000 clown
performances
as Mr. Clown, was one of the first and only clowns to play The
Smithsonian
Theater in Washington D.C. and performed at the White House on two
separate
occasions.After leaving the circus, he relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada,
where
he produced and starred in the children’s television show Mr.
Clown’s
Clown Alley. Though the show ran for only a year, marketing
executives
in the McDonald’s empire saw the show and asked Chaney to become Ronald
McDonald,
a role he would play for 20 years. Chaney’s love for innovation and
invention
encouraged his development of promotional items, gags and props for
Ronald’s
public performances. He set model practice standards for other Ronald
McDonald
clowns around the world.2 Chaney also appeared as Mac Tonight in
special
McDonald’s promotions and is also credited for his national television
appearances
as Woodsy Owl, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Forest Service.
Earl Chaney continues to
reside in Las Vegas where he owns a thriving magic shop called Planet
Mirth Productions. He was inducted into the prestigious Clown Hall of
Fame in 2003.
R E F E R E N C E S
1 Edwards, Megan.
Las Vegas Weekly. “Upfront: The Clown’s Clown. Meet Earl Chaney, Leader
of
the Rubber-nose Pack,” (February 1, 2001)
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/departmants/2001_02_01/upfront4.html
(February 2005)
2 Quinlan, Tim.
Inside Magic. “Magic News: Earl Chaney - Master Clown & Magic
Mentor,” (January 17, 2004)
http://insidemagic.com/artman/publish/printer_476.shtml (February 2005)
From Venice to Vegas
is presented through the generosity of the many friends of the Castle
Gallery and The College of New Rochelle.
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