French postcard, no. 27. Photo: Comoedia. Collection: Marlene Pilaete. From left to right,
Albert,
François and
Paolo (Paul) Fratellini.
Les Fratellini were three French, Italian-born circus clowns. They were members of the Fratellini Family. Their engagement at the Circus Medrano in Paris, France, after World War I was so successful that it sparked a strong resurgence of interest in the circus. The wit, charm, and superb acting techniques of the three Fratellini brothers were widely admired. By 1923, the Fratellini brothers had become the darlings of the Parisian intellectuals. They were lauded in print and worshipped by adoring fans who would show up at the circus just in time for the Fratellini entree, which sometimes ran as long as forty-five minutes. The three brothers starred together in the French silent film
Rêves de clowns (René Hervouin, Madame Vigier de Maisonneuve, 1924) in which they played three famous clowns who are puzzled by a single woman in the audience who seems to find their act not funny.
Sources: Wikipedia, and IMDb.
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