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Charlie Cairoli

Charlie Cairoli
Pseudonym Carletto
Born (1910-02-15)15 February 1910
Affori, Milan, Italy
Died 17 February 1980(1980-02-17) (aged 70)
Blackpool, England
Medium circus, theatre, television
Nationality Italian Briton
Years active 1917-1979
Spouse Violetta Fratellini

Hubert Jean Charles "Charlie" Cairoli (15 February 1910 – 17 February 1980) was an Italian-English clown, impressionist and musician.

Born in Affori, Milan, Italy to a travelling circus family of French origin, he began his performing career at the age of seven, under the name "Carletto". He met Violetta Fratellini, who was also from a circus family, in 1934 when they were both working at the Cirque Medrano at Montmartre: he was with his father in a clown act, and she was in a knockabout acrobatic act, "The Tomboys Girls". While she watched him perform he spotted her, and serenaded her on his clarinet. By Christmas that same year they were married.

In early 1939 the Cairolis appeared at the Circus Krone in Munich, in a special performance attended by Adolf Hitler, who afterward presented Cairoli with a watch. In September, when World War II broke out, Cairoli was performing at the Blackpool Tower Circus for the first time; in response to the news of war, he walked to the end of North Pier in Blackpool and threw the watch into the Irish Sea. He chose to stay in the town, where he lived for the rest of his life.

In 1943 he appeared in Happidrome a film based on the radio series of the same name. In 1952 he appeared in the crime drama film, Secret People. On 11 and 25 November 1962 he performed his clown act on the American television variety show, The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS. On 1 January 1966 he appeared on David Nixon's Comedy Bandbox. He also appeared on the American television variety show on ABC The Hollywood Palace twice in 1966, first on 8 January, performing as Charles Cairoli and Company then on 7 May when he was introduced as a "British Comic Pantomimist".


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