During our recent telephone conversation, Jackie Le Claire told me that his father thought that Paul Jerome was, hands downs, the funniest of anyone in the classic Ringling Clown Alley.
?
I find that extremely surprising based on the fact that I can't think of a single bit or gag that Jerome is remembered for other than his light up costume pieces.
He had a series of wires running through his costume that allowed him to have the tip of his nose light up (which is more often than not attributed to Felix Adler) or cause a giant heart to blink on and off. That's about it.
Jack LeClair had a very long career, created several classic gags and must have seen loads of clowns in his lifetime. I wouldn't question his judgement on this one so I'm going to agree with his call and say that Paul Jerome must have known how to work those light up gimmicks pretty darn well.
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