Lillian Leitzel

Lillian Leitzel

Lillian Leitzel (January 2, 1892 – February 15, 1931) born Leopoldina Alitza Pelikan in Breslau, Germany, was an acrobat and strongwoman for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Early life

Leitzel was born in a family of circus performers, her father was a Hungarian army officer and theater performer. Her mother was a Czech circus acrobat. Although she had been well-educated and had prepared to pursue a career as a concert pianist, she joined her mother's aerobatic circus group, the Leamy Ladies.

In 1910, she came to the United States with the circus troupe and performed with Barnum and Bailey. The group later dissolved and its member returned to Europe, but Lillian continued to attempt to perform in the American vaudeville circuit. In South Bend, Indiana, she was seen by an agent of the Ringling Brothers who offered her a contract. When Ringling and Barnum and Bailey merged, she became a huge star and a headline performer for the circus.

Act and personality

Leitzel's act included one-armed planges, momentarily dislocating the shoulder during each plange.Fact|date=May 2007 She would flip her body over her shoulder repeatedly, sometimes hundreds of times in a feat of endurance, encouraging the audience to count each one in unison. She was best known for her flirting rapport with the audience.

Only four feet, nine inches, she was also famous for her demanding personality and temper. Leitzel was the first performer in history to command her own private Pullman car completely furnished with her own baby grand piano. Her quick temper was legendary. It was not uncommon to witness Leitzel cursing or slapping a roustabout who did not adjust her rigging exactly to her liking. Further, Leitzel was known to fly off the handle and fire and rehire her personal maid, Mabel Cummings several times a day. In sharp contrast, it was the same hot tempered prima donna who was known to the children on the show as "Auntie Leitzel" and who would hold birthday parties for her fellow performers in her private dressing tent.

Although pursued by many wealthy suitors, she married a series of circus individuals and never had any children. She first married a minor circus stagehand, then the side show manager Clyde Ingalls (ending in divorce in 1924), and finally the circus trapeze performer Alfredo Codona in 1928.

Accident and death

On February 13, 1931, she fell to the ground from her rigging while performing in Copenhagen, Denmark when the swivel that held the rope in place crystalized and snapped. She and Codona had been performing in Europe separately, and he rushed to Copenhagen. They boarded a train to return to Berlin where Codona had a commitment. However, she died on February 15, two days after the fall. In 1937, Codona shot his new wife, Vera Bruce and committed suicide.

Honors

Lillian Leitzel was the first inductee elected into the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1958. [cite web |url=http://circushof.com/halloffame.html |title=International Circus Hall of Fame |accessdate=2008-08-04 |quote= |publisher=International Circus Hall of Fame ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ringling.com/explore/history/legend/lleitzel.aspx Lillian Leitzel] biography at the official Ringling Bros. website
* [http://www.trivia-library.com/b/biography-of-queen-of-the-circus-lillian-leitzel-part-1.htm Biography of Queen of the Circus Lillian Leitzel part 1] [http://www.trivia-library.com/b/biography-of-queen-of-the-circus-lillian-leitzel-part-2.htm 2] [http://www.trivia-library.com/b/biography-of-queen-of-the-circus-lillian-leitzel-part-3.htm 3] at Trivia Library
* [http://www.cemeteryguide.com/codonaleitzel.html Leitzel's memorial] built by Codona at Inglewood Park Cemetery


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