Connie Clausen
Encyclopedia
Connie Clausen was an actress, author, and literary agent.
Connie Clausen's career began in 1942 at the age of 19 when she was approached by John Ringling North
on Main Street in Sarasota, Florida
(then the winter quarters for Ringling Brothers Circus), who told her that her long hair would make her a perfect "Alice in Wonderland" in the following season's "fairy tale" themed grand finale. She joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and performed as an acrobat in an elephant act. Her experiences in the circus later provided material for her memoir "I Love You Honey, but the Season's Over" (Holt, Reinhart & Winston, 1961), in which she discussed, amongst other issues, the "significant gap" between what women did within the circus ring and their treatment outside of it.
After leaving the circus, she worked as a magazine and television writer and started with MGM studios in Hollywood as Director of Special Promotions. Encouraged by an MGM studio photographer, she moved to New York
to begin a career as a Conover Model and as a successful Broadway and television actress. She appeared on Broadway in "The Gambler" with Alfred Drake
and appeared in hundreds of television shows and commercials in the 1950s and 1960s. She was a television spokeswoman for Beech-nut Baby Foods and Westinghouse, and was a regular featured guest on "The Doctor Spock Show" with her twin sons.
In 1971 Connie Clausen began a new career in publishing. As an assistant Vice President of Macmillan, she helped launch two of the company's best sellers, "Watership Down
" and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull
". In 1978 she started her own literary agency, Connie Clausen & Associates, which had a series of best sellers, including the beauty books by the photographerFrancesco Scavullo
, the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Jackson Pollock
: An American Saga" by Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith, "Eat to Win", "The Rules" and many others. She was also the long-time American agent for the British author Quentin Crisp
.
The role of Connie Clausen in the ITV film production of "An Englishman in New York (film)
" (a sequel to "The Naked Civil Servant") is played by the actress Swoosie Kurtz
.
Connie Clausen's career began in 1942 at the age of 19 when she was approached by John Ringling North
John Ringling North
John Ringling North was the owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1937 to 1943 and from 1947 to 1967. In 1967 he sold the circus to Irvin Feld.-Biography:...
on Main Street in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
(then the winter quarters for Ringling Brothers Circus), who told her that her long hair would make her a perfect "Alice in Wonderland" in the following season's "fairy tale" themed grand finale. She joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and performed as an acrobat in an elephant act. Her experiences in the circus later provided material for her memoir "I Love You Honey, but the Season's Over" (Holt, Reinhart & Winston, 1961), in which she discussed, amongst other issues, the "significant gap" between what women did within the circus ring and their treatment outside of it.
After leaving the circus, she worked as a magazine and television writer and started with MGM studios in Hollywood as Director of Special Promotions. Encouraged by an MGM studio photographer, she moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to begin a career as a Conover Model and as a successful Broadway and television actress. She appeared on Broadway in "The Gambler" with Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake was an American actor and singer.-Biography:Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Brooklyn College...
and appeared in hundreds of television shows and commercials in the 1950s and 1960s. She was a television spokeswoman for Beech-nut Baby Foods and Westinghouse, and was a regular featured guest on "The Doctor Spock Show" with her twin sons.
In 1971 Connie Clausen began a new career in publishing. As an assistant Vice President of Macmillan, she helped launch two of the company's best sellers, "Watership Down
Watership Down
Watership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
" and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, written by Richard Bach, is a fable in novella form about a seagull learning about life and flight, and a homily about self-perfection...
". In 1978 she started her own literary agency, Connie Clausen & Associates, which had a series of best sellers, including the beauty books by the photographerFrancesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits.-Biography:...
, the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
: An American Saga" by Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith, "Eat to Win", "The Rules" and many others. She was also the long-time American agent for the British author Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp , was an English writer and raconteur. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant.- Early life :...
.
The role of Connie Clausen in the ITV film production of "An Englishman in New York (film)
An Englishman in New York (film)
An Englishman in New York is a 2009 biographical drama film that chronicles the English gay writer Quentin Crisp's later years spent in New York City. It is a follow-up to the 1975 TV movie The Naked Civil Servant with John Hurt reprising his role as Crisp...
" (a sequel to "The Naked Civil Servant") is played by the actress Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
.
External links
- Photos of Connie Clausen
- I Love You Honey, but the Seasons's Over
- Connie Clausen on Quentin Crisp controversial remarks
- I Love You Honey, but the Season's Over as an example of "Chick Lit"
- Connie Clausen portrayed in "An Englishman in New York"
- Connie Clausen on "Watership Down"
- video clips from Connie Clausen's television career