... acted the part of a monkey or forty years during thirty of which he was the greatest comic figure before the public Joseph Grimaldi fascinated rich and poor learned and simple alike Shrieks of laughter shook the building from the moment he made his appear ...

... respect of the role of Columbine In the principal London pantomime of 1814 the title role'of Robinson Crusoe was taken by Joseph Grimaldi with hia more famous son then a boy of twelve as Man riday But what audience would tolerate a middle-aged man as Crusoe ...