The Clown Hierarchy

by Craig Gustafson

My first exposure to clowns was watching the Chicago version of Bozo’s Circus as a child.

The original crew was comprised of the classic clown setup: Whiteface (Bozo), Auguste (Oliver O. Oliver), Tramp (Sandy) and Ringmaster (Ringmaster Ned). Since then, I’ve come to the conclusion that ALL successful comedians or comic actors can be stashed into one of these four classifications. And you can determine why some clowns are unsuccessful by studying the classifications.

For instance, with the Marx Brothers, you have Groucho (Whiteface), Chico (Auguste), Harpo (Tramp) and Margaret Dumont (Ringmaster). There simply was no niche left for Zeppo to fill.

Dean Martin stated that he might have been with Jerry Lewis forever if it hadn’t meant making those crappy movies. Why? On screen, Jerry was a Tramp and Dean was compelled to be a Ringmaster. If you see their TV shows, which were ten times funnier than any movie they ever made, it’s a revelation. With no one to hold Dean back, Jerry was still a Tramp, but Dean was a Whiteface. He was allowed to be just as funny as Jerry.

Last example: The first Black Adder was “sort of” successful. Just enough to bring it back, but retooled. In the first series, Edmund, Baldrick & Percy were three hapless Augustes. There wasn’t that much difference between them, except Edmund was a little smarter. For the succeeding series, Edmund was sharpened into a W.C. Fields Whiteface – sharp, misanthropic and mean; but smarter than everyone else around him and in constant danger of being capriciously killed. Baldrick was dumbed down to a Tramp and Percy (& later George) became a bumbling Auguste.

This theory is a reworking of one posed by Eric Idle in his unfortunate book The Road to Mars. He categorized comedians according to the European clown designations of Whiteface and Rednose. This is too limiting and led him to place several comics in the wrong category. He claims Phil Silvers as a sad sack Rednose, when Silvers is about the most aggressive Whiteface in history. Idle states that Stan Laurel is a Whiteface when Laurel is the epitome of the childlike Tramp.

To the typical Three Clown hierarchy of the American circus, I've added the fourth element -- the Ringmaster. Lou Costello needs Bud Abbott to keep him in line. Gracie Allen's space cadet needs the grounding of George Burns.

Whiteface

The Whiteface is just what the name implies – white makeup, crazy colorful hair, red ball nose and a bright, fanciful costume, many times with an Elizabethan ruff. He’s the wiseguy, the ringleader. Whitefaces cause trouble, it doesn’t befall them. The Whiteface is a take-charge kind of clown. Non Circus Whitefaces include Groucho Marx, Bobby Clark, Bugs Bunny. A variation is Moe Howard, leader of the Three Stooges, but deferring the comedic spotlight to Curly. Whitefaces throw pies, they don’t take the hit. If there were Circus Tarot Cards, the Whiteface is the symbol of the Wiseguy.

Auguste

The Auguste has a bright orange, nearly fleshtone makeup, with highlighting of the eyes & mouth, and usually a human-looking but distorted nose. Usually a bumpkin character, with strawlike hair. Costuming tends to be bright and more like normal clothing, but highly exaggerated. Big pants, oversized ties, undersized hats. Augustes are the ones who have pianos fall on their heads. They have hot soup spilled on them (Schlimazels). They attempt to cope with life, and it’s not a fair fight. Non Circus Augustes include Oliver Hardy (an Auguste who thinks he’s a Whiteface), Sid Caesar, Lucille Ball, Cheech Marin, Inspector Dreyfuss in the Pink Panther movies. There is a side category of the Buddy Auguste, who is just there to be a partner for whoever needs one in the Comic Scheme. Like Chico Marx, who could verbally joust with Groucho, then team up with Harpo. Or Larry Fine, who would side with either Moe or Curly, depending on the situation. For the most part though, Augustes get the pie in the face. Circus Tarot Symbol: The Auguste is the Poor Schnook.

Tramp

The Tramp is the Eternal Innocent, not quite connected to reality. Similar makeup to the Auguste, but with a burnt cork five o’clock shadow and ragged, patchwork clothes. If the Tramp is on his own, things usually turn out badly (Charlie Chaplin; Jackie Gleason’s Poor Soul), but when teamed with the others, he wins out over the Auguste and occasionally even the Whiteface. He has innocence and occasional magic ability (Stan Laurel lighting his thumb; Curly Howard producing a bigger pencil every time Moe takes one away). Frequently works in silence (Teller; Gromit). If he’s with an Auguste, the Auguste is in for a sad time (every Laurel & Hardy movie). If the Auguste is the Schlimazel, the Tramp is the Schlemiel – the one who spills the hot soup on the Auguste. Non Circus Tramps in addition to those named above: Gracie Allen, Lou Costello, Buster Keaton, Inspector Clouseau. Tramps duck the pie aimed at them so it hits the Auguste. Circus Tarot Symbol: The Tramp is the Smiling Child.

Ringmaster

Dapper, with red tailcoat and top hat, the Ringmaster is the straight man. The boss. The authority the clowns are rebelling against. Ned Locke was the perfect Ringmaster for Bozo’s Circus, because he had this Irish Cop fury that would have been perfect in a Three Stooges short. The show jumped the shark when he retired and was replaced by the kinder, gentler Frazier Thomas. Non Circus Ringmasters – Bud Abbott, George Burns, Audrey Meadows, Paul Ford. The Ringmaster interrupts the pie fight and gets hit with seven or eight pies, resulting in the phrase, “Why, I oughta… !!!” Circus Tarot Card: The Ringmaster is the Frowning Parent.

There are two more side categories:

Renaissance Men

These are the guys who can do it all, and there are only three of them.

Jackie Gleason was a Whiteface as Reggie Van Gleason III, an Auguste as Ralph Kramden, a Tramp as the Poor Soul and a Ringmaster as Joe the Bartender.

W.C. Fields could play an ingenious con man (Whiteface), a henpecked husband (Auguste) or silent juggler (Tramp).

Rowan Atkinson has Edmund Blackadder (Whiteface), Inspector Fowler (Auguste) and Mr. Bean (Tramp).

THE UNSEEN CLOWN

In Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon are often referred to as tramps, because of their clothing. They’re not Tramps in the comedic sense, they’re Augustes, bearing everything life tosses at them in a Laurel & Hardylike way while waiting for Godot to come and save them.

So is Godot a Ringmaster?

Nope – Pozzo’s a Ringmaster. He’s an authority figure who ends up blind and kicked around in Act Two.

The Boy? He’s an Auguste; he’ll grow up to be like Vladimir & Estragon.

Lucky is a Tramp. Downtrodden, seemingly the lowest of the low, but resourceful (kicking Estragon) and once he gets going (his speech), magically unstoppable.

Did you see the cartoon Duck Amuck, where an unseen cartoonist makes Daffy Duck’s life on the screen a living hell by changing the scenery & the sound effects on him? The cartoonist is never seen by Daffy, but we pull back at the end to see Bugs Bunny at the drawing board chuckling evilly and saying, “Ain’t I a stinker?”

That’s Godot. The ultimate Whiteface.

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This theory can be applied to any comedian or comic movie. Let me know what you think (at Craig@Bozolisand.com). Come up with your own categorizing or let me know if you think I’ve mislabeled someone. For instance, I placed Lucille Ball as an Auguste, while many of you would put her as a Tramp (for her pantomime) or a Whiteface (for her constant schemes). But she copes with life with more difficulty than a Tramp (Buster Keaton is magically agile; Gracie Allen is on another planet). And Whitefaces are basically assertive winners. Augustes have to keep begging Ricky for a chance to perform at the Copa.

Agree? Disagree? Don’t give a shit? Let me know.

ACT	WHITEFACE	AUGUSTE	TRAMP	RINGMASTER
*Bozo’s Circus*	Bozo	Oliver O. Oliver	Sandy	Ringmaster Ned
Abbott & Costello			Lou Costello	Bud Abbott
Bert Lahr		Bert Lahr
*Black Adder*		Prince Edmund, Percy, Baldrick		King Richard IV
*Blackadder II*	Lord Blackadder	Percy	Baldrick	Queen Elizabeth
*Blackadder the 3^rd*	Mr. Blackadder	Prince George	Baldrick
*Blackadder Goes Fourth*	Capt. Blackadder	Lt. George	Pvt. Baldrick	Col. Melchett, Capt. Darling
Bowery Boys	Leo Gorcey	Huntz Hall		Bernard Gorcey
*Burns & Allen Show*	George Burns (double category)	Harry Von Zell Bea Benedaret	Gracie Allen	George Burns
Buster Keaton			Buster Keaton	Joe Roberts
Charlie Chaplin		Eric Campbell	Charlie Chaplin
Cheech & Chong		Cheech Marin	Tommy Chong
Clark & McCullough	Bobby Clark	Paul McCullough
Cook & Moore	Peter Cook	Dudley Moore
Daffy Duck	Daffy Duck (original loony character)	Daffy Duck (50’s Chuck Jones version)
*Rabbit Fire*	Bugs Bunny	Daffy Duck		Elmer Fudd
*Duffy’s Tavern*	Archie	Eddie	Finnegan	Miss Duffy
*Honeymooners*		Jackie Gleason	Art Carney	Audrey Meadows
*I Love Lucy*		Lucille Ball		Desi Arnaz
*In-Laws*	Peter Falk	Alan Arkin
*Jack Benny Program*	Eddie Anderson Phil Harris	Jack Benny	Dennis Day	Don Wilson
Jay & Silent Bob		Jason Mewes	Kevin Smith
Laurel & Hardy	The World	Oliver Hardy	Stan Laurel	James Finlayson, Edgar Kennedy, Mae Busch, Anita Garvin, etc.
Mae West	Mae West
Martin & Lewis (Movies)			Jerry Lewis	Dean Martin
Martin & Lewis (TV)	Dean Martin		Jerry Lewis
Marx Brothers	Groucho Marx	Chico Marx	Harpo Marx	Margaret Dumont
Monty Python	John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle	Michael Palin, Terry Jones	Terry Gilliam	Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth
*Mr. Bean*			Mr. Bean
Nichols & May	Mike Nichols, Elaine May
Penn & Teller	Penn Jillette		Teller
*Phil Silvers Show*	Phil Silvers (Sgt. Bilko)	Joe E. Ross (Ritzik), Jimmy Little (Grover)	Maurice Gosfield (Doberman)	Paul Ford (Col. Hall)
*Pink Panther* movies		Dreyfuss	Clouseau
Reiner & Brooks	Mel Brooks			Carl Reiner
Ritz Brothers	Harry Ritz, Jimmy Ritz, Al Ritz
*Road* Movies	Bing Crosby	Bob Hope		Dorothy Lamour
Rowan & Martin			Dick Martin	Dan Rowan
*S.O.B.*	William Holden	Robert Webber	Robert Preston	Richard Mulligan
*South Park*	Cartman	Kyle	Kenny	Stan
Three Stooges	Moe Howard	Larry Fine	Curly Howard	Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison, etc.
W.C. Fields	W C. Fields (con-man mode)	W C. Fields (husband mode)	W C. Fields (juggler mode)
*Waiting for Godot*	Godot	Vladimir Estragon Boy	Lucky	Pozzo
Wallace & Gromit		Wallace	Gromit
Wheeler & Woolsey	Robert Woolsey	Bert Wheeler
What’s Up, Doc?	Barbra Streisand	Ryan O’Neal		Madeline Kahn
Woody Allen		Woody Allen
*Your Show of Shows*		Sid Caesar	Imogene Coca, Howard Morris	Carl Reiner
Bert Williams			Bert Williams
Smothers Brothers			Tom Smothers	Dick Smothers

For more information on Clowns & Clown History:
The International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center
Clown College
Clown Supplies
And of course...