Rice, Dan

Rice, Dan (b. Daniel McLaren)

(1823–1900) clown; born in New York City. Originally a stableboy and jockey, Rice's act featured his trick horse, Excelsior, weight lifting, and homespun orations during his heyday in the 1860s and 1870s. His crackerboy commentaries on the contemporary scene prefigured many later comedians' routines.