George Foottit (1864 –1921) was an English clown who found fame on the Paris circus scene. He is famous for being part of the clown duo "Foottit and Chocolat".[1][2]

George Foottit
Born24 April 1864
Manchester, England
Died (aged 57)
NationalityBritish
OccupationClown

He was born in Manchester, England on April 24, 1864 and his parents were George Foottit and Sarah Crockett, both circus performers. He began his career at the age of twelve. He went into exile in France where he quickly established himself as a clown.

In 1895, the clown duo, Foottit & Chocolat (Rafael Padilla) was formed. The two played together for twenty years.

After retiring, he ran a bar and restaurant near the Rond Point des Champs-Élysées. He died from cancer in Paris on 21 September 1921.[3]

In film

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Several skits by the duo Foottit and Chocolat were filmed by Auguste and Louis Lumière. Later Foottit appeared in short films.

In the 2016 biopic Chocolat, George Foottit is played by James Thiérrée.

Bibliography

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  • Noiriel, Gérard (2016). Chocolat, La véritable histoire de l'homme sans nom. Bayard. ISBN 978-2-747-06882-6.

References

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  1. ^ Noiriel (2016)
  2. ^ Banham, Martin (21 September 1995). The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge University Press. p. 383. ISBN 978-0-521-43437-9. George Foottit Chocolat.
  3. ^ "Foottit is Dead". The Baltimore Sun. Paris. 22 September 1921. p. 8. Retrieved 5 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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