A son of County Cork in Ireland, Emmett Kelly possesses a bright smile which few showmen have seen in the past 30 years. His whole life hidden behind grease paint, he looked like this checking into Universal-International1s makeup department to create a clown character for "The Fat Man." Clowning is Serious Business! - The funny face of the clown oft masks a serious face and heart, as every audience of "I Pagliacci" knows. Perhaps the greatest exemplar extant, outside of the classic halls on opera and inside the realm of real life, is Emmett Kelly, who has kept circus fans in stitches for 30 years with his sad and solemn clowning. Creator of "Weary Willie," he is America's Number One clown, but he discusses his craft with the seriousness of a nuclear scientist talking over the atom bomb. January 01, 1950.