Shorty Flemm

Emmett Kelly's spotlight gag and Otto Griebling's pie plate come-in may have their origins in the same location. Shorty Flemm (listed as Shorty Flynn in some books) was a fixture on the Ringling show as well as at Shrine circuses for many years. He did a come-in gag similar to Otto's in that he played one side of the arena against the other for their applause. Instead of pie plates, Shorty used a broom and his gag included a bit about being chased by the spotlight.

After Shorty passed away, come-in was done, in similar fashion by Bluch Landolf but without any mention of a spotlight bit. Did two of the best known clown gags of the 20th century actually begin as a single gag by a largely forgotten clown?

Photo by Betty Sheets from John McConnell's book, A History of the Shrine Circus

Shorty Flemm

(in the book EYE-LIGHT Shorty Flemm is reffered to as Shorty Flynn)

"Only a little more than a season ago Shorty Flynn went his way to that final "Happy Hunting Ground".

Shorty Flynn was a real clown. He was one of the last of that great Victorian group.

For many years little Shorty opened the Big Show in Madison Square Garden, NY, clad in realistic policeman uniform, decorated with medals, badges and buttons from many leading cities of the world and from all over our great American cities, of which he was especially proud.

Shorty and his broom always brought cheers as he bravely attempted to outrun the searching spotlight.

Shorty Flynn was featured in all forms of show business. Silent movies and the early talkies knew him as the princely little policeman who actually got his man and who always won the sympathy of the audience. Shorty was also a familiar figure on Broadway and the old Orpheum circuit when vaudeville was really vaudeville and didn't need a W.W. to prove it.

Shorty's last years of show business were confined chiefly to clowning with the Big Show in New York and Boston and for Hollywood where Shorty admitted honestly that he enjoyed living comfortably since he "wasn't as young as he had been " when any mattress was a bed."

~ From EYES-LIGHT by B. Boyd Blount, a BOBBEE book