Clarence Melvin Burkhart was born in
Atlanta on February 16, 1907, and grew up in several places throughout the southern US, principally
New Orleans. He dropped out of school in his early teens and moved to
Louisville, Kentucky where he worked as a field hand by day and in
burlesque halls by night. At the age of 20, he joined a small one-ring circus, Mr. Leroy Easter's Traveling Family Circus, as a contortionist. In 1934, he joined
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performing five acts. In 1939, he went to New York to perform at
Robert Ripley's Odditorium in New York City, before returning to work with Ringling Brothers. Burkhart performed a variety of acts, including a
human blockhead routine, magic tricks, an electric chair illusion, and a snake-wrestling show. He was also able to suck in his abdomen to an extreme degree, becoming known as the "Man Without a Stomach". == Legacy ==