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THE CLOWNS

-What's that? - The Circus

If you don't behave, I'll let those gypsies take you away.

Equestrian Circus

Everyone gather around!

Our dear and beloved audience,

the circus is here to present the greatest of spectacles!

We have a completely civilized savage!

We have dwarves and clowns.... the wackiest clowns in the world!

We have the world's strongestwoman... A gladiatress!

No man can beat her!

The biggest circuses wanted her,

but I wouldn't sell her!

Come on in, ladies and gentlemen!

Our wondrous spectacle is about to begin.

For the first time ever:

A half-ton cannon...

...will be dropped on Robor's back!

A dangerous exercise!

Look at the strain of those two men...

... lifting the cannon.

Easy, careful now!

The strength of 10 men and 5 horses...

couldn't lift it!

May I ask you for absolute silence.

Diablo will jump on the see-saw!

God help us!

Fantastic!

I want to do it too!

What do you want, mousling? Are you ready?

Ready!

All ready!

You're scaring me!

Do me a favour...

Hold this for me.

My head!

Better than lamb! A fresh dwarf roast!

Here I am! Ready for the feast!

Enjoy your meal!

And now, may I ask anyone that is sensitive to leave.

Aramis the wrestler has dared to defy the Female Hercules, Miss Matilda!

We're offering 10 lire to anyone who can defeat Miss Matilda!

I'll do it!

- What?! - Shut up!

I repeat! The reward is 10 lire!

- I'll do it! - Forget it!

Sit down!

A woman!

Miss, this is very dangerous. It could be deadly!

An extraordinary contest, Miss Tarzan against Miss Matilda!

Music, maestro!

Here is a member of the Kalihor Hindu sect, Burmah the fakir,

with his incredible act...

He will be locked up in this sealed crystal coffin,

buried a meter deep,

and stay there for 40 days, without eating, drinking or breathing.

Buried alive.

In 40 days, we will reopen his tomb.

Close it

Good luck to fakir Burmah with his superhuman feat.

And yet another wonder, a real siren!

It is the siren Neptuna, fished out from northern seas!

Our dwarf Adriano is madly in love with her!

but she has no interest in him: all fish have cold blood.

Here the rarest phenomenon: the Siamese twins Jim and John!

Show them to the public.

See how nature has united these creatures unto death!

Do you like them dear? Isn't that pretty?

That's for us! To your place!

A riddle:

That is not my brother... I nearly fell over

That's not my brother...

That's not my sister...

But it is a child of my mom and dad.

Who is it?

Tap Tap, you like honey?

Sure do!

Then you must play the queen bee!

- You are the queen bee! - I am the queen bee!

See how the queen bee flies!

Where am I flying to?

Around me... the flower!

What a fine fish!

I'll have it fried. Bring me a barbecue!

How dare you hit my little fish!

Could you hold this little nail for me, sir.

No, not there.

Here!

Who knocked? I'll open the door.

Hold it here please!

The cow has escaped!

Run for cover!

Why are you crying, Grouch?

We'll talk about this at home.

The evening finished brutally.

The clowns didn't amuse me. In fact they scared me.

Their made-up faces and enigmatic expressions

the maskes of drunkards,

the shouting, wild laughs, idiotic and cruel jokes...

reminded me of some strange and weird people...

that you see all over the district.

Giovannone, for example,

a miserable tramp and performer...

who would woo the peasants in his own way.

Come here! I'll show you!

Dirty pig!

They pretended to be annoyed,

deep down, the harmless antics of Giovannone amused them.

And there was a dwarf nun.

She was like... a foot tall.

Talking to herself, always in a hurry

She was doing everything, because the angels could only rely on her.

She alternated between the asylum and the convent.

Wretched people!

Let the devil take you away! And me too, for marrying you.

I'll throw you in the ditch...

To the rats!

An amputee from the Great War, another one to be terrified of.

He often went around with Zigzag in his fascist uniform,

and Madame In�s, who knew all Mussolini's speeches.

"For the English, the Mediterranean may be just a shortcut,"

"but for us Italians, it is the life itself."

The railway porters faught all the time..

An Austrian woman...

At the Grand H�tel, we made love all night long!

She is divorcing and taking me to Vienna.

Yeah, she'll take you to a shithole!

You're starting again! I'll rip your heart out, you bastard!

I'll gauge your eyes! Your wife's and your bitch sister's, too!

Your insults are crying to heaven.

The fists and whips were flying

until the Stationmaster, called 'the Sausage Head', arrived.

Stop that! Where do you think you are? At the circus?

You savage! What's your name?

I'll report you to the authorities!

I'll have you all thrown in jail!

I knew your father!

I'll punch your guts in!!

I'm going to see the authorities!

And then there was Giudizio,

who kept the score at endless billiard games.

He stuttered, you couldn't understand anything he said.

but he was a good egg.

Do you have German or French champagne?

- Pardon? - Sekt or champagne.

There's no champagne.

You're out of it?

I'm sorry. We have cognac.

French?

No... but just as good.

If that blond gave me just five minutes I'd ...you know what!

I saw her last year, in a bathing suit!

You've seen that babe in a bathing suit...? You!?

It's my turn.

You're going to win!

It was said that Giudizio was the quiet type.

But after he saw a war film he lost his head.

He put on his uniform, went out of his saddlery,

and crawled along walls, thinking it was war.

A bomb!

Giudizio, go back home!

Watch out for my cakes!

Let him be, he's just a silly old bugger.

Attention, the Austrians are here!

Charge!

Don't be silly, come and have a drink.

"Where are the clowns of my childhood? Are they still alive?

"And that violent yet comic sense? That rowdy exhil..."

...eration!

That exhilerating buffoonery, does it still make people laugh?

The world it represented no longer exists.

- The theatres raising the arenas... - You're going too fast.

...brilliant decor, naives,

public's childish credulity, all of that are things of the past.

The circus of today is just an elusive and heart-rending remnant.

That's what we are investigating.

Gasparino, you can leave tonight.

I'm bringing nails, boards, I have everything!

And here is my troupe.

Gasparino is the stage-setter.

I can leave now, everything's ready.

This is alvaro, the sound man. His mother is dressmaker and hairdresser.

Maya is our script girl.

This young man is our cameraman. His name is Roy. He is English.

We should start our clown research

in one of the biggest Italian circuses.

The one run by Liana, Rinaldo and Nandino Orfei.

Welcome to the circus of Liana, Nando and Rinaldo Orfei!

Let's take a closer look. She's driving me crazy!

It's Anita Ekberg!

What are you doing here?

I want to buy a panther.

To guard my house.

I have to buy the trainer as well.

- They're dangerous! - But I love them!

Senor Fellini, Would you like to know about

the stories behind the injuries in my career as a trainer?

A total of 280 injuries all over my body.

Torn muscles, perforated armpits,

head sewn back together, damaged spinal column,

Broken clavicle, punctured lung...

I have taken him out of the cage four times.

Next time I'll leave him there.

There'll be some mincemeat around!

Is it true that Cicus Orfei's founder was a priest?

The old clown wishes bon appetit to the whole company.

How's your leg?

I have to put on compresses.

But not soaked in wine!

I'm not sure that'd work better!

Good night.

The owners want to cut back on the number of clowns.

Ten minutes to start making them laugh!

It's not true, the tiger shouldn't eat before the show.

I was four and a half years old and called Meatball.

That sort of humour is outdated.

Today the clown should make you laugh...

My father was really funny.

The elephants always seem sad.

Night training session for a tiger that has just arrived.

The atmosphere is tense...

Total silence.

One of the Orfeis has a loaded rifle, just in case.

He wags his tail.

The trainer gives his orders in German.

Apparently, German is the only language these animals understand.

Augusto entertains the public while the cages are being put up.

Why this name? Who created this persona?

There is a story that towards the end of the 19th century,

there was a man with a very funny and ugly hand,

who made everybody laugh. His name was Augusto.

But the first great clown who created the persona of Augusto,

was the Frenchman Jim Guillon.

It's a great story.

He was a great artist.

He could cover his nose with his lower lip.

But he drank, he was an alchoholic.

He ended his life in a hospital bed forgotten by all.

On one occassion,

he learned that Footit and Chocolat, were in town.

Two famous clowns.

He had never seen them so he sneaked out of the hospital.

We are in Paris where the circus has become a truly artistic spectacle.

It's the birthplace of Le Cirque d'Hiver, Le Nouveau Cirque and Le Cirque Medrano.

In Paris, talented clowns...

...are famous and are worshipped.

Here we are at the Caf� Curieux, at Les Halles in Paris.

The proprietor is an old sailor who keeps his seafaring mementos there.

We're waiting for Tristan R�my, the greatest circus historian.

Some important 'White Clowns' are waiting for him with us.

The difference between a 'White Clown' and an 'Augusto' is this:

The 'White Clown' wears a conical hat like a sugar-loaf.

Tristan R�my will explain it better.

Let me introduce our guests.

Alex (73 years old), is a typical authoritarian 'White Clown'.

Nino is a sweet-tempered 'White Clown" in the style of Fran�ois Fratellini.

Ludo is the only dwarf 'White Clown'.

Ma��s is showing a true relic:

one of the fabulous costumes nof Antonet.

Hey, careful with my photos!

We now discuss Antonet, the most celebrated 'White Clown'.

The discussion gets lively.

R�my supports the idea that with Antonet, the 'White Clown' ceased to be funny

by becoming an authority figure who screams at and mistreats Augusto.

A director with a hot temper.

But Alex, Nino and Ma�s assert

that Antonet was also making people laugh.

According to them, he was an incomparable comic stuntman.

R�my scowls and says that he's never seen Antonet take a tumble..

The dwarf placated, another discussion gets underway.

Who are the creators of the 'White Clown' costume?

Alex and Nino say that it's always been the domain of clowns' wives.

R�my states that they were always designed

and created by prominent dressmakers.

The white clowns could not agree as to the most beautiful costume

R�my says to me

"Why are you making a film about clowns?

"The world of circus no longer exists. The real clowns are all gone.

"The circus no longer makes any sense to the real world.

"and it should finish like that"

Le Cirque d'Hiver, like the M�drano,

is a Paris circus built of stone.

Le M�drano has been transformed into a Bavarian beer hall.

Le Cirque d'Hiver is still open, three days a week.

In the photos from the Belle �poque, it is glittering with lights.

Now it seems smaller.

Its audience is mainly children.

There is a feeling that the party is over, the show obsolete.

What a funnny face! You just have to be been born that way!

Are you th one who wants to see Mr. Bouglione??

I'm sorry, he's busy and can only spare five minutes.

Please read the note on Bouglione.

- "Le Cirque d'Hiver is open..." - Not that, you've already read it!

Bouglione, an old-time tamer and a legend, is the last surviving

master of the traditional circus.

He is auditioning two young clowns who hope to be engaged.

His name is Baptiste, he is a psychiatrist.

He started his career in a centre for the mentally ill.

- That's Chaplin's daughter! - She doesn't want to be recognised.

His dream is to travel all over France with a circus..

He wants to bring back the tradition of 'clowns' entry'.

The young lady with him is Charlie Chaplin's daughter.

Please read the note on Captain Houcke.

- I can't find it. - Hurry up!

Jan Houcke, at 93, is the oldest circus director in the world.

He has discovered some of the greatest circus talents, such as Bario and Dario

For the past 35 years he has led Le Cirque d'Amiens.

Next Sunday, the town will make him an Honorary Citizen.

Bravo!

You always make fun of me!

He has lived in this hospice for the last 4 years.

Don't drag on,

our star is tired.

I'll ask about clowns.

You have directed a number of circuses over the years.

The first time it was in nineteen hun...

They want you to tell them about clowns!

The most famous...?

I don't remember.

Old Houcke loses his memory now and again!

That's not true, he remembers everything.

He doesn't talk about anything else..

He wants to buy the old arenas

and make a circus of the future.

It will be called Le Cirque du Futur. Gigli and Tito Schipa will sing there.

Will you sing too?

No, but once I could.

The King of Sweden, Laurel and Hardy, Benjamino Gigli and Grock.

All friends.

We are at Charlie Rivel's, the celebrated 74 year old Spanish Augusto.

Grock and him are the only clowns that became rich.

He has been received in all the courts of Europe.

He created a grotesque Augusto dressed up in red.

Grab him by the head!

For this clown, Rivel got his inspiration

from the way children acted.

I was born in a public place.

My mother started getting her pains while she was dancing on the tightrope.

At six years of age, i was already a tightrope walker.

My father told me that was normal

because I'd already learned it in my mother's stomach.

The Spanish circus is still doing well. You can catch it at the Plaza de Toros.

Child, I have seen a terible thing.

A top class trapeze artist

was doing his balloon act.

Suddenly a steel cable severed his leg.

The blood spraying all over the audience.

Do we have to laugh?

The government should open a Clown school.

I could teach tumbling to get applause

You think it's easy to slap someone?

It's quite difficult.

Some things can only be done by masters.

I don't entirely agree.

He's funny!

What a guy!

He's strong!

That's Pierre Etaix, a producer and comedian.

He married Annie Fratellini,

daughter of Gustave, himself the son of Paul Fratellini,

one of the three celebrated brothers, who, between the wars,

enjoyed a success that's never been equalled.

Pierre Etaix made a film in 1924 about Fratellinis.

He has invited us to his place to see it.

In father Gustave's bass drum, there's a special projector

because the film had been made in reduced format.

I'm afraid that in your film you say that clowns no longer exist.

They haven't disappeared - it's just that people don't know how to laugh any more.

Thanks to clowns, everyone used to have a need to laugh.

That's my father on the right, Paul Fratellini,

the other two are my uncles, Albert and Fran�ois.

We'll be ready in two minutes.

Is that the whole circus Fratellini troup?

The film has broken.

I don't know how to help you.

What's this instrument?

A xylophone.

Fran�ois invented it didn't he?

- The sound is great. - Fantastic!

This machine is just as dilapidated as I am!

The noise bugs me a bit.

Payback!

We have time, it will ...

We haven't been able to seee the film.

In compensation, Annie will show us an old album of sketches

done by a fan of the Fratellinis.

He said that one evening he forgot to put on his wooden wig...

and that Paul cut his head off with his axe.

My father was making it...

Was Augusto, as invented by Albert, derived from an English concept?

And the White Clown was making Francois look like Antonet?

My uncle Fran�ois was different, a nice dancer...

They were telling us at lenght about Paul, Albert and Fran�ois.

About their great kindness.

They would do free shows

in trenches, in hospitals.

Expelled from the arena from that point on, these old guys...

hid themselves out in the suburbs.

The city is unaware of these old ghosts living within it.

That's him.

Thanks, we've found him!

Excuse me...

I'm off to a higher level!

I know Rome well!

Excuse our intrusion.

I was received by Pope Pius X.

Here is my secretary...

I'm going to make you listen to one of my old records.

Read the biography of Loriot, facing the camera.

The real name of Loriot senior was Georges Bazot.

85 years old, 68 in the job.

He started as an Augusto under the name of Bauden.

For 28 years, he was Augusto at the Cirque d'Hiver

and all the greatest clowns,

Bario, Porto, Rhum, Mimil, Zavatta worked with him.

He still sometimes

makes an appearance in a suburban circus.

Every morning he goes cycling for 2 hours.

In Rome, nobody was laughing.

Then I went to the director to ask what was happening.

He said to me "It's very good." But nobody's laughing" I said.

Then he said "But they never laugh."

I've taken my small photo album.

Professeur Tournesol, in the film 'Tintin'...

I created a personality.

Rhum... a 'grand artist'. A creator. The best clown.

Here I'm with my wife after the World War I

Yes, that's my wife. That was my wife.

She's gone, poor thing. We were together for 53 years.

To her memory.

And that, is that a circus?

M�drano. It's a brewery nowadays.

Quiet, I want to film.

You knew a clown called Rhum?

How nice to see you!

Can I speak Italian?

How's Mr Bario?

Come...

Bario... another great French circus name.

His name was Manrico Meschi.

He left Livorno 70 years ago with his brothers.

Like R�my, he created a likeable Augusto who was pleasing to everyone.

A drunken bum, childish and boistrous.

There's nothing we can do... He refuses to come down.

He left Italy long time ago,

he gets unsettled when he sees Italians.

Give it a try...perhaps you'll convince him.

Do you have a photo album, madame?

From the time when you were working together in the circus?

I have some of those here.

May I see them?

- Are these are your children? - Yes.

- Where are they now?? - In Lille.

That's Bario.

Is that your daughter?

That's me as a child. I had a dog act.

Do you regret leaving the circus?

Are you nostalgic about that life?

One is always nostalgic about one's past youth...

We really have had a wonderful life.

We were born to the circus. The nostalgia is huge.

-You've never spoken to the young lady? -Never.

Doesn't matter, I'll be prompting you.

Repeat:

"Miss, since I first laid my eyes on you, I haven't been able to eat."

But there's nothing to eat!

Idiot! Just repeat after me...

Continue! "Because of you I cannot sleep."

You're making me talk nonsense!

Women are captivated by that sort of thing!

"I am ready to die for you!"

- Doesn't make sense? - But it's romantic!

I'd never die for a good-for-nothing crook!

Help!

I have to sit down, I'm very tired.

You insisted...

on interviewing me here at my place.

but it pains me to talk about the circus.

It's just that the circus...

was my whole life.

I started with one of my brothers.

The other didn't fancy it.

I spent 60 there. And then I retired.

I have a quiet life.

I often tune in, night and day, to Italy.

Because I can never forget Italy.

But how do you pass your days?

Every day I feed my canary.

And then there's my wife...

A quiet life... I try to forget.

But I can't forget the circus.

Truly, I can't.

Thank you for your visit.

It hurts me. Old age is a terrible thing...

Good luck!

R�my spoke to me about Rhum, a different sort of clown,

for his low-key makeup and his creativity.

He told me about his unhappy life.

He drank because women didn't love him.

And the tipsyness let him create the weirdest gags.

He's just died. There should be a collection for his burial.

Driven by curiosity about this great clown

we drove to the French TV offices,

to see a rare document.

A short film which showed Rhum.

The somewhat sad atmosphere

was perfect for researching a lost world.

A sort of voyage into another dimension,

travelling through a an unfamiliar Paris.

My name is Fellini.

But that's not Rhum.

There, that's him.

That's all there is?

I was feeling ill at ease, as if faced by defeat,

a journey to nowhere.

Tristan R�my is right perhaps: The clown is dead forever.

- What's happened? - He's dead.

Poor thing!

What joy!

What do you mean, "what joy"? You know who is dead?

Who?

- Whistle! - Really?

Yes, a corpse!

Just when we were going to play poker!

Bravo! Your grief has made my day!

I was going to kill him but he died on his own instead!

- A little respect for the dead. - I've brought the beer.

I've brought the beer!

Beer for everyone!

Who's there?

How are you?

- What's happening? - Mr. Director ...

- Who let you in? - My hat!

At last, don't you know something terrible has happened?

Poor Mr Whistle is dead!

Have some respect for a poor widow.

Black suits me well. It shows me off to advantage!

Here...

Isn't he handsome!

She's chickened out!

What are you doing? Are you mad? Fix this candle.

When I was a kid I ate candles.

Papa!

Why have you left me all alone?

This is my heritage!

It's me!

Stop! I am the notary!

The notary with the testament.

Where is it...?

The true testament, written and signed by the deceased

before he knew he was dead.

I the undersigned, Whistle Whistler,

I say and affirm that if I had

a garden full of trees,

I would have left it to my faithful dog

to perform his needs.

But as I have neither house nor garden,

I leave my trombone to my friend B�b�,

and my empty suitcase to my friend Bobo.

And for me? Nothing?

Don't move!

- What's happening? - Check it first.

- It's all ready. - Why isn't it working?

We can film! Great!

- Check it again. - Maybe it's wet.

Check the wires.

Go. Put down the boards now...

It's working! Roll film, now!

Clou...

You've taken the best I had!

You're wrong!

You're still wrong!

Tasty.

Good...

Better!

Mr Fellini, what is your film's message?

I would like to help understand...

...a sort of opposition...

You are totally wrong!

Ladies and gentlemen,

another sad news is in the air.

Monsieur Augusto the Clown

has gone, left, departed... He is dead.

His few friends and many creditors are weeping at his sudden departure

at the tender age of 200.

It couldn't be said that he was handsome, or intelligent. Not at all,

because every time he opened his mouth it was only to splutter!

Go back to your place!

Go back to your place!

I would like to say a few words

about the deceased,

to leave with you all a nice memory of him.

But it is a hopeless task.

What is there to say that is good?

It's impossible to find a single thing,

in the course of his colourful life which could inspire us to say...

"Deep down he was a good man."

But not to me!

Go back to your place and hold on!

He was always a good-for-nothing, an idle drunkard,

a quibbler, a card cheat,

unreliable, a thorn in the side of his employer and taxman.

But we still cry now that he is dead,

even though we'd prefer he had never been born.

He dedicated his miserable life to throwing buckets of water over people,

braking eggs on their heads and stuffing soap in their mouths.

He played the trombone with his feet and danced the tango with his ears.

He was making other children laugh... but his own he made cry.

As a white clown, I was his fraternal enemy,

I tried to teach him with trick blows to the head,

treading on his toes and rabbit blows to the neck.

But Augusto, refusing my advice,

carried on with his drunkenness,

bringing on himself a rain of brakish watter and rotten eggs.

He died smothered by an ostrich egg.

Stuffed up his nose,

it wedged itself in the carotide of the left pharynx

causing lung failure and the discharge of his soul out of his ear.

He is no more. But happily I'm still here..

Weep my brothers.

As for me, I already wept all my tears

when I had to suffer him on my side of the arena.

Amen.

The end of a great team, The Whistle whistles no more.

Go back to your place!

We've done our 8 hours.

Enough of this slave-work!

Go back to your place!

Maestro! We're starting!

Where are you going?

I've twisted my ankle.

Keep going! Come on, no slowing down!

What's Fumagalli doing here?

He can't do it anymore.

Faster!

He doesn't feel good.

I can't...

Load the cannon!

I will count to three then shoot bullets at your head!

One... two... three!

I like this a lot.

You can switch off, it's over.

Good night.

Can I come back?

- Are you feeling better? - Yes.

Mr. Fellini,

I once had an act with my partner.

He was called Frou-Frou.

We pretended he was dead.

I would come into the ring and say "Where is Frou-Frou?"

The director would reply: "He's dead."

I would reply: "How did he die?"

"He owes me ten wieners and the candle that he took from me."

"Ben, he's dead", said the director.

"Where can I find him?"

"I just told you, he's dead, idiot!"

But I wasn't one to give up.

He didn't say anything.

"Is he really truly dead?"

"And if he's dead how can I find him?"

"He must be somewhere, he can't have disappeared."

Then an idea struck me.

"I'd call him with my trumpet like I used to when we worked together."

I got my trumpet.

I played the first notes. I waited... nothing.

Then I tried again.

It was a beautiful song that brought tears to eyes.

That's how it was...

Subtitles: Richard Brett Corrected by quequetz

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