Grock

Grock (of its true name Charles Adrien Wettach ), born the January 10th 1880 with Loveresse, Canton of Bern, Swiss and deceased the July 14th 1959 with Imperia, Italy, was a Clown Suisse.

Grock is regarded by its pars as the largest musical clown of the 20th century. Started from nothing, it conquered in 60 years of world variety, 15 languages and on as many instruments, some 35 million spectators well before the invasion of the TV. It composed more than 2.500 melodies.

Biography

Childhood

1880 Birth with Loveresse
Dec. 1880 - April 1882: Neuveville
April 1882 - autumn: Landeron, Mill-of-the-Turn
autumn 1882 - October 1885: Landeron, Street of Soleure 4
October 1885 - 1887 Locle, Street of France 12
1887 - at the end of 1889 Collar-of-Rocks, National Coffee and postal office held by the mother. Fascinated by the Wetzel circus, he plays circus for his buddies.
at the end of 1889 - summer 1891: Replattes
be 1891 - 1892 springs Bienne, High Street 9
1892 springs - February 1893: Bienne, Street of the Medium 49

First spectacle (it is 13 years old)

February 1893 - April 1894: Bienne, coffee “Paradiesli”, Suburb of the lake 19

1st representations with his/her sister Jeanne, the “Paradiesli-Madnesses”

musical number while striking bottles more or less filled with water
man snake
piece of acrobatics with his/her sister with the piano
eats a portion of spaghetti with the feet

April 1894 - May 1895 Villeret, Auberge of the Stag
1894 it makes some training courses with the Weitzel circus, which has its winter quarters in the area; it observes the artists
May 1894: It crosses the place of the new market of Bienne while going on a cable.

Beginning of a training of clock and watch maker (6 weeks)

May 1895 - July 1895 Villeret, small the copè
July 1895 - July 1896 Malleray, street Schäublin 3
1896 - October 1897 Bienne, Frank Street 29
1896 1st round with his/her Jeanne sister with Bern, Lucerne, Zurich, Saint-Gall, Schaffhouse and Soleure

Hungary

July 1897 Departure with his/her Jeanne sister for Hungary.

1897 French Professor for 3 wire of a baron.
1899 Works with Budapest in a manufacturer of instruments and as violonist.

First steps of clown

1900 - First steps like partner of the clown Alfred Prinz under the name of “Alfrediamos”

Winter: Tuner of itinerant piano.
Engaged by the Krateily circus with Prinz

1902 - End of work with Prinz, which Marie.

Lyon with Achilles Conche. Circus of the Barazetta brothers.

1903 - Swiss National circus as cash clerk, then number with Marius Galante who had had success with Spanish Brock. It is not enthusiastic of this name, it changes it into Grock

October with Nimes: in the arenas, 1st representation of Brig and Grock

1904 - Brig and Grock are engaged by the circus Medrano

1906 - April Buenos Aires where it meets famous Antonet (1st clown of the “Circus of Paris”) and little Walter

1907 : He falls in love with Ines Della Casa, an Italian singer 17 years (with whom he will marry later). He falls in love with Louise Bullot, artist of Paris.

Marseilles Grock & Antonet gains a large success. Round in Spain

1909 : It can negotiate its success, the pledges increase. It buys a luxury car of mark “Gregoire”.
1911: Purchase for his/her parents of a residence with Saint-Maur-of-Ditches close to Paris.

Variety and variety

Variety hall August 1911 of Berlin “Wintergarten”. The first is a disaster. Grock alters the program, after one month they are attraction.

Dec. 1912 Madnesses Shepherdess in Paris

1913 Meets with Géo Lolé which takes the role of “lecturer of serious”. Round on the basis of Copenhagen and then Germany, Hungary and Austria.

1914 Round in Russia, stopped because the war bursts.
Marriage August 1914 with Spitz on Copenhagen and return in Switzerland (where he is declared inapt for the military service)
1914 travels to Paris in his/her parents.
1914 Christmas Olympia (musical Hall then close to the bankruptcy) with Paris and round in province. Large success, Olympia is saved.

Sept. 1915 - May 1916 Engagement with Hayem Friedmann (which will be mobilized) in the “Coliseum” in London
1916 Foundation with the musician Leon Silbermann of the publisher “L. Silbermann & A. Grock”. Grock writes all the songs of which some ones will be interpreted by stars English

1916 His/her sister Jeanne Marie with her former partner Geo Lolé who is on the face.

May 1916 Meets with the Dutchman max van Embden (21 years). Grock & max make a round in England and Scotland.

1918 September 4th, his Loulou wife dies of tuberculosis.

1919 Again the “Madnesses Shepherdess”, Grock & max make a triumph. Loneliness weighs to him, he remembers of Ines Della Casa that he had liked in 1907 in South America and who lives separate of her husband, he will not be able will marry it only in 1923.

1919 December 3rd, round in the USA with Ines and max until the end of December 1920. It is disappointed of the American public. “. For the Yankees I was too soft, too not very excited and exciting…”
1921 Great Britain until April 21st, 1924 (departure because of tax problems).
1922 It builds a villa for his/her parents-in-law with Oneglia/Imperia in Italy. It will live there since 1924.

1922 Round in France and Germany while starting with the Empire in Paris, it begins again like Lolé partner.

1925 Film under the setting in scene of Jean Kemm.

1927 It plays again with Max. Their number is filmed and they leave a disc.

It must separate from max which require greater fee. He plays again with Lolé.

1927, Meets with the manufacturer of accordion Hohner which requires of him to make its number with this instrument. He says agreement provided that this last has a keyboard of piano. Hohner develops such an instrument.

1930 Removal in the house which it was made build with Oneglia district of Imperia in Italy, the villa Bianca (name of his/her adoptive daughter). This construction is a Persian mixture of style, baroque, liberty and rococo surrounded by an attractive garden.

1930 Fall, beginning of the turning of a film produced by itself in 5 languages.
1931 February 24th, first in Berlin.
July 1931 it realizes that the owners of the distributive firm left with its money. Its film cannot be distributed in Great Britain because of these tax arrears. It is covered with debts.

Pre-war period

1934 - January 24th, Hitler sees its spectacle in “Deutsche Theater” in Munich and congratulates it. It returns 13 times! Grock hangs portraits of Hitler in its villa.

1934 - Christmas the Nazis do not like Lolé, which leaves to his wife to Paris
1938 Turning an advertizing film color for Hohner. Grock can present film only on the condition of presenting a “certificate of arianity”. Hitler starts to displease to him.

The war

1939 May 6th, it decides to put an end to its career, it is withdrawn in its villa.

1940 April 17th, Goebbels requires of him to make representations in the hospitals of war.
1943 Oneglia is bombarded but its villa is saved.
1944 August 31st, escape in safety in Switzerland in Zurich.
1944 Fall, it goes up on scene.
January 1945, Lausanne where it takes residence.

Post-war period

1945 May 8th, capitulation of the Nazi Germany, it takes again her rounds, large success in spite of the charges of Nazism.

1946 It is close to the ruin, its fortune in German marks and Italian liras is not worth anything any more.
1950 New film “Goodbye, Mr. Grock”. 1st world with the cinema Metropolis with Lausanne in the same building where he lives.

1951 Creation of a circus of variety, thanks to a turning horse-gear 9 meters in diameter (4 500 places) which makes it possible to see it on all the sides. First with Hamburg on March 24th, 1951 with Schatz, large success.

May 1953, in Zurich begins its last round in Switzerland.

1954 October 10th, last representation in its horse-gear with Hamburg.

1957 Representations on television Italian.

The man

It usually speaks 6 languages: French (nursery school), English, Italian, German, Spanish and Hungarian.
It plays of 24 instruments in particular the miniature violin.
Of its native Bernese Jura, it keeps a formation of Sourcier, which it will use from time to time.
Set on cars, it will ruin, have several more or less serious accidents there.

Family

His/her father Jean Adolphe Wettach, (Reconvilier 1853 - France 1921) clock making, landlord, innkeeper (singer of jodle, guitarist,…), had been distinguished young person to make the acrobat and the clown

1876-1880 Horloger repairer and peasant
1891 Bienne, Horloger fitter at Brandt & Co (future Omega)
1893 Bienne, Restaurant Paradiesli bankruptcy in 1894
1894 Villeret, Hôtel of the Stag
1895 Malleray,
1896 Bienne,
as of 1896 pas d' employment fixes
1911 St Maur of the Ditches France

His/her mother Cécile born Péquegnat (Loveresse 1853-Oneglia 1951)
Her sister Jeanne (1881-1971)

makes piano in the café concerts in Russia
will work in its publisher
His/her brother-in-law and partner Geo Lolé (- 1969) (Marie its Jeanne sister in 1916)

His/her sister Fanny (1883-1955) Lucerne at which it lives in autumn 1944

His/her niece Madeleine (Zurich in whom it lives in summer 1944)

her small nephew Raymond Naef (1948-) (wrote “Grock ein Wiederentdeckung of the Clowns”)

Its sister Cecile (1889-1970) Marie Georges Bessire
His brother Adolphe (1891-1892), who drowned in a brook
His 1st wife Louise Bullot known as Loulou (1875- September 4th, 1918)
His 2nd wife Ines Della Casa (1890-1974) born Ospiri

His adopted girl Bianca (1909-1978) girl of Ines Della Casa

Suit courses to the academy of Turin
His small daughter Adrienne

Partners

His/her sister Jeanne (1893- August 1897).
Alfred Prinz “duet Alfrediamos” (1899- March 1900)
Marius Gallant said Brig Brig & Grock (Oct. 1903- June 1907)
Umberto Guillaume says Antonet (Sept. 1907-sept. 1913)
Georges Laulhé says Lolé (Sept. 1913- June 1914), in 1914 mobilized, 1916 Marie her Jeanne sister, (1924-1926) (1927-1935)
Moretti (Dec. 1914- June 1915)
Hayem Friedmann (June 1915 - May 1916)
Belin Fante (May 1916 - June 1916)
max von Embden (June 1915 - April 1924) Grock & max

Lolé (Sept. 1924 - seven 1925)
Louis Allary (Sept. 1925 - DEC 1926)
max von Embden (janv 1927-Févr 1932) Grock & max
“professor” Jean Niard (1932-1945) (replacement)
Lolé (March 1932 - Dec. 1935)
Alfred Schatz (janv 1936 - April 1939)
Jerome Medrano (janv 1937 - Oct. 1937) (replacement)
Alfred Schatz (autumn 1941 - spring 42) (camps of wounded)
Sisto Lorrenzoni (1944- April 1945)
max von Embden (Christmas 1945) Grock & max
max von Embden (March 1947 - March 1949) Grock & max
Louis Corn (March 1949 - Oct. 1949)
Alfred Schatz (Nov. 1949 - Oct. 1954)
max von Embden (August-seven 1957) 5 shows Italian TV

Business managers

1911 Marinelli
1914 Percy Riess
1924 Henri Lartigue

Companies

the publisher “L. Silbermann und A. Grock” founded with the musician Leon Silbermann in 1916. His/her Jeanne sister works there.
Its horse-gear turning -9 m in diameter - 4500 places (found by its nephew Jean-Jacques Bessire) + a tent with 4 chechmates, 14 roulottes, 7 tractors, a crane and some trucks.
the Perfectone company in Bienne, specialist out of acoustic apparatuses in precision, created by nephews Henri and Jean-Jacques Bessire, he is the principal shareholder.

Gags

its expression “Without joke…”
its number: to be upright in a night-commode, by a jump it is found sitted on the file, a foot on the edge of the chair and the other leg on the knees.
Before putting themselves at the piano, bringing closer this last instead of pushing the chair.
the small violin which it takes in an immense bag.

Do-it-yourself, inventions

Machine to mix the charts
the accordion with quiet keys, too expensive to be manufactured!
the idea to add a keyboard of piano to a Accordion, carried out by Hohner
the revolving track of its circus
its lock theft protection device
and others

Houses

Purchase for his/her parents of a residence in the Holy Park Maur France
1922 Construction of a Villa with Oneglia/Imperia
1928 Purchase of the close property to avoid the construction of tulle in front of its house which it transforms into park.
1930 Construction of a new Villa (50 rooms) (" Bianca" villa; name of his/her daughter)
1944 Occupation by the Nazis
1945 Occupation by the partisans
1975 Sale by his/her Bianca daughter.
1999 The Grock Foundation tries to save the house which is given up and was vandalisée

Cars

1908 Gregoire.
1912 Berliet convertible torpedo
1915 Daimler Benz
1924 Isotta Fraschini
1920~ Lancia
1930~ Mercedes-Benz
1930-1940 Citroen
1950 Studebaker
and others

Films

Its films

Grock - its first film (1926) silent film
Grock, life of a large artist (1931)
Review-Film der Akkordeon-Fabrik Hohner (1939) color film
Goodbye, Mr. Grock (1949)
the last spectacle of Grock (1954)
5 sequences of the program of Grock (Italian television SPOKE 1957)

Films on him

Grock - König hinter der Maske (German television ZDF 1965)
Grock - king of the clowns (television Switzerland 2003)
'David Larible has large Villa Grock It più clown LED 2000 will incontra it più large clown del Novecento' a film di Roberto Bianchin E Silvio Giulietti

Discs

Several discs produces by the house Odeon

Literature

Grock a destiny except standard (1999) of Laurent Diercksen, Reference book
Grock told by Grock
Without joke! My career of clown
My life of clown - Without bla-have-have-ford!
Grock tells its life of clown
Grock told by Grock

Music

It will compose more than 2500 melodies
Of many songs published by its publisher “L. Silbermann und A. Grock”, by Hohner
These songs will be sung by large high-speed motorboats: Fred Barnes, Emilie Beam, Florrie Forde, George d' Albert,…

Organizations

Association of the Friends of Grock CH-2732 Loveresse (Swiss)
Grockland Association, organizing of the contest " the Grock of gold "

External bonds

Article in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland

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