Original subtitles

Here comes the circus, marching down the street. Hear the thrilling beat.

The band, the band, the band is playing.

God bless you.

Every year, come spring, joyful news spreads up and down the land.

The circus is coming to town.

From the gaily colored train pour tons upon tons of equipment.

Hundreds of people and animals from all over the world.

Camels from Egypt.

Horses from Arabia.

Elephants from Africa.

And llamas from Peru.

Ponies, lions, tigers, monkeys, and maybe kangaroos.

Tons upon tons of food, for the circus gets hungry.

Tons of meat, hay, grain, and mountains of peanuts, popcorn, Cracker Jack, hot

dogs, and let's not forget pink lemonade.

A corps of pressmen have been sent ahead to Ballyhoo, the circus coming.

And in a hundred different towns, the kids will be up early and working,

setting up seats and hauling water for the elephants.

The big top will rise.

The deserted fairgrounds, the lonely parks and barren sandlots will become,

as if by magic, a place of laughter and thrills.

Man and beast all have work to do to build a house of fun.

The canvas boss and his roustabout crew work hard till the job is done, while

acrobats, jugglers, daredevils, freaks, pretty girls, trainers, clowns make

ready their acts of laughter and chills.

Their job?

To bring joy and happiness to the young and the old, the hopeful and despairing

throughout the land.

The circus is standing, the midway is filling, so strike up the band.

Let the show go on. The animals are ready, the people are ready. Ready to

give all they've got, because they are first and last.

People of the circus.

Some of them fortunate, others living in a memory.

I tell you, I'm not crazy, gentlemen.

I'm as sane as any of you here.

I know I did mad strange things after I received this.

This wound, an evil dreamer.

But I'm normal now, normal as any man alive.

You must realize that I am cured.

You tell us so many different stories, and we check and find you've told us a

pack of lies.

Perhaps you'd like to tell us something about this.

The attendants have often observed you talking to this picture.

A girl, circus performer.

I beg your pardon. Pardon.

You leave me so little privacy.

Yes,

I talk to her.

I often talk to her during the dull days and long nights.

But surely I'm not the first man to want to remember a woman and to wish to speak

with her again.

Now, if this be lunacy, gentlemen, a fence would have to be built around the

universe. Perhaps you'd like to talk to us about her.

It's not a new story.

I loved her.

But she married another man. If you'd elaborate, perhaps we could help you.

No, Doctor.

No man can ever recapture a dream.

You prefer not to elaborate.

As usual, you've shown us very little cooperation.

Lieutenant, you may escort the patient back to his room.

A room.

A cage.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Your recommendation, doctor?

No improvement.

Still hopeless.

Maximum security recommended.

Schizophrenic.

Maximum security recommended.

Could be homicidal.

Beautiful scenery from the eye. What's your...

All state police, all county municipal car.

J.P. driving a ton and a half truck painted green.

Approach with caution.

Known to be dangerous.

Good evening. Hi.

This town is strange to me.

Where's there a place around here a man with a little money can get a decent

meal? Star up on Main Street. I'm going up that way. I'll show you. Oh, thank

you very much.

Yeah, Star puts up a good blue plate for a dollar.

Sandy.

and now for the late flash of local news the mental patient who yesterday morning

escaped from the state institution was found dead late last night Ground to

bits under the wheels of a transcontinental limited on which he was

evidently attempting to steal a ride This is Wendell Niles saying good

morning to you after our before dawn newscast So you got would really have to

be nuts to try to flip the transcontinental pretty soon one of the

dispatchers just told me you kids gonna carry water for the elephants sure you

get it and I used to do that myself once when I was your size

Quiet. Yes, it is.

Been a long time, eh, Tritchie?

Yes, sure has.

It's been a long time since you and I was drunk that night together.

I remember that.

That was the night that Clyde had to get that cat off of you.

You know, I've been circusing a long time.

And I think that is the most exciting thing that I've ever seen in my life.

It was when you were crawling around on your hands and knees and Clyde was

holding the cat off.

and he was laughing all at the same time.

I'll never forget Beatty's laughter for as long as I live.

What'd you do? Come back to try to get a job with the show?

Clyde does need a director.

No.

No, I don't want a job. Not just yet.

Remember that night we were drunk? You told me how you hated Clyde.

Well, I just couldn't figure that out because I remember the time... He saved

your life, you know. People exchange confidences when they're drunk.

Still dream of that dead girl?

Dublin.

You haven't told anybody about that, have you?

Up to now, no.

Listen, my friend.

This cat gets loose tonight in the horse trailer. Gets loose because you open the

cage and you drive him in there.

Well, you talk like a lunatic.

I'll forgive you because you're illiterate.

In the king's English, a lunatic is a person who acts without a motive. I have

a motive, my friend.

Get out of these clothes. We're going into town. I've got plans to discuss

with you.

Get out of these clothes and hurry.

After Twitchy takes care of the training rope, you take care of Beatty.

Huh, kitty kitty?

What's up?

Our cat is losing the horse trailer. Shall I get Mr. Beatty? Beatty's in

town. Get a gun.

Carmela, Carmelita, luz de mis ojos.

Si tú me dieras, no habías de creer.

Recuerda, Carmen, frío.

You going swimming?

No, serenading.

That's beautiful, I think, Mrs. Valeri. Thank you. In generica, I throw Bunsen

in your net once, and for one month I go around with my neck like this.

You've got to be careful playing in those nets, Gonzales. It takes lots of

training and practice not to get hurt.

Hi, Mr. Sendenes. Hello, Peter O'Hario. Hello, darling.

I see you got your timing back perfectly, huh? It's coming.

Darling, do you want to fix the rigging for the matinee, and I'll go along and

relieve the babysitter so she can eat. All right, sure.

Thank you. Take it easy, huh? Get a little rest.

Your wife is very pretty and very nice, I think, Mr. St. Denis. I think so, too,

Pedro.

Hey, Mr. Wallace.

Could I have some more advance on my pay?

What for?

You'd only blow down a dame, I think.

Well, that's what I mean.

Put the rope on him, boys.

You won't give up on that cat, will you, Clyde? Go work him a while on the

training harness.

Kind of feel him out.

Now, look.

If we can replace the cat on the show, we can't replace you. And that's a bad

one, you know that.

All good ones are like that.

I wouldn't give you a nickel for one without Splunk. You wouldn't, no? Well,

I would.

Okay, Floyd, let him in.

God bless you.

Why the bad rope?

That rope was brand new.

Hey, Mr. Wallace, you remember in ISU, you should let me learn how to be a line

tamer? Yeah.

Well, I'll take it back.

Your IQ has gone up.

IQ? I don't know.

I'll take it back, Mr. Wallace.

time beating.

Still trying to make a trained dog out of a mutt, I see, huh?

I thought you wasn't ever going to be seen on the lot again.

Until now, Twitchy, until now.

Couldn't you at least use a better brand?

How's your money holding out?

I wish you wouldn't make me do this.

Clyde's my friend.

A couple of times he paid for me to take the cure.

But it didn't work.

It wasn't his fault.

Clyde's my friend, I tell you.

He gave me a job when no other show in the country would have me.

He's my friend, a real friend.

I'm your real friend, too, Tucci.

Did I go to the police when I found out that you were wanted and what you were

wanted for?

How's it going?

All right up till now, but we're not through yet. What are you trying to do,

make something happen?

I'm getting as jumpy as the rest of the troupe. Well, settle down. You're the

ring director.

Keep it going. We're running behind.

There it is, gal. The jinx again.

Right in front of your eyes. All right, bring it up. Bring it up. Out.

Listen, Tilly, cut out that mumbo.

Mumbo? We knew in those cards you're giving everybody the creeps, including

me.

Sometimes give myself the creeps. Well, cut it out.

You're either the wardrobe mistress or an unemployed fortune teller. Now, make

up your mind.

What happened?

Oh, I don't know.

Some sort of a mix-up, Mr. Wallace.

We all seemed to get in each other's way, and there was a section of cage

fell right across his back. Go get an ambulance.

Yeah.

It's all right, Joe.

Take it easy. We'll have you fixed up in no time.

You tell me this show ain't jinxed. Wait a minute, you guys.

What are you talking about?

There's no jinx on this show. That was an accident, do you hear me?

Just an accident. It's all... Twitzy must be hitting the bottle again.

So can you tell me where I can find Clyde Beatty?

Go where you're bothering me.

How do you like that book?

How do I like that book? How do I like that book? Day and night, that's all.

Hey.

Ain't you Mickey Spillane?

Yeah, that's right.

I want to ask you a question.

Why don't you like me?

Never saw you before, did I?

You want to know something? You ruined my life.

I used to be a law-abiding citizen, minding my own business, good to my

mother, good to my family, made the best coffee on the midway. Then you come into

my life.

What happened?

What happened?

I'll show you what happened.

This is what happened.

That's all I ever do anymore. Read the books.

I don't even make coffee anymore.

Forty-two dollars I take in in three months.

I'll tell you what we do.

Let's get you started on another roll, sir. Here's the latest.

Fresh off the press.

Tonight I die.

But Mickey, I ain't even finished it.

Clyde doesn't want you worrying about all the grief we've had lately.

Such as?

Well, I'll give you a short rundown.

I think we were in Frankfurt.

One of the cats got out, got into the horse car, caught up about $10,000 of

the show horses.

Clyde wasn't here to get the cat out.

We had to shoot him, and there went a $10,000 tiger, just like that.

Then we're going from Roanoke to Charlotte.

Fire breaks out, part of the trailer, $20,000 of equipment all burned up.

Well, you think somebody's trying to sabotage you?

Definitely. I'm going to show you why.

It's part of a training harness for a cat.

The other day in the cage, the rope broke.

McLeod hadn't been the top man in his field. He'd never gotten out alive.

What do you think's the mainspring behind all this?

That's your racket.

That's why we hollered for it.

Yeah, get London for Mr. Wallace.

Well, smuggle me in a jug, will you? Ah, no.

Anybody who gets you drunk gets fired.

Oh, here, you keep the change.

Here, this is a sawbuck. You can make a fin for yourself. Come on, please, kid,

because I'm dying. Come on, come on. Where you get the money?

Never mind that. Come on, get me a jug, will you? You know, Mr. Beatty don't

give you money until the end of the season.

Mrs. Beatty shouldn't buy your clothes because you took money to buy a pair of

shoes and you bought some gin.

Shoes is better than jeans, I think.

I want $500 a week.

And a second Billy.

$500?

Who do you think you are, Lillian Leitzel?

And I want a compartment that ain't over the wheels.

Probably want your own privilege car, too.

Anything else, Your Majesty?

Yeah, I want to bring my husband along. Does the bum work?

Part of the time.

He's a Santa Claus in a department store. Well, that's a seasonal

occupation. Hi, Tiny.

Hello, Mr.

Beatty. Did you send her a telegram to join the show?

Yeah. She's asking for a lot of money.

She's worth it.

How'd you like to stand on your head on a trap piece 50 feet above the ground

without a safety net? I wouldn't like to do it without a hairnet.

Looks like you're in the show, kid.

See you.

You'd think all the blood would rush to her head and get her dizzy.

Well...

Oh, Clyde, how are you?

Dublin O'Malley.

You remember me, Frank, don't you?

With mixed emotions.

Mickey Spillane, Dublin O'Malley.

Used to be our ring director.

Oh, yes, you're the writer fellow, aren't you? I read some of your books.

How cleverly you catch those criminals.

That's changed a lot in the six years I've been gone, Clyde.

It's a great thrill to be back, though.

I was passing through a town the other day. I saw some of your papers standing

on the billboards. So I said to myself, you want a job?

Well, now, Clyde, I'm doing pretty well by myself.

But I suppose you never lose the smell of the circus in your blood, eh, Frank?

We need a director.

Do you want the job?

You're always a great one for interruption, eh, Clyde? Somebody has

to. What is it, yes or no?

Well, in a word, yes, Frank.

Come over to the office and I'll give you a contract.

Okay. I'll see you, Frank.

Nice to have met you, Mr. Spillane.

That's a windy character.

Yeah, he's windy and he's a character.

You don't seem to like this guy very much. I don't.

That's not the point. You used to be stuck on our top aerialist. Still is.

Now she's married to a jealous husband and there could be trouble.

Oh, hold it.

Uh-oh. Here comes a beef. I can smell him.

Mr. Wallace, that new polish they've been using on my swords tastes just

awful. Can I get some that taste like peppermint?

Okay. Go over to the prop department and tell them to give you some peppermint

polish. Thanks.

Oh, honey, this is Mickey Spillane. Hello, Mr. Spillane. Are you married?

Slips my mind at the moment.

Nice to have met you.

Slips his mind?

Well, that's a new answer.

Hi. Hi. Hi, Frank.

Hi, Tix.

Mario. Hello, Frank.

You three boys should have that canvas standing three and a half minutes ago.

Now, get that pressed, will you?

We're not burying two tractors held us up some dope left the plugs out of the

crankcase when they changed the oil Sure standing boss your show. Mr. Director

take over Be sure it's not three and a half minutes late when you tear it down.

I'm gonna take a gander at the stand Hey you spot that hatred over behind the

menagerie What a

beautiful child a beautiful mother to Dublin O'Malley Back from the wars, ma

'am. You've got a very beautiful daughter, Valerie.

Yes, she is.

Little lady, come here to me.

People are always asking one of you a size. What's your name?

Now, that must get very boring.

So I tell you what I'll do.

I'll give you a name and we'll keep it just between ourselves.

No matter what other people call you, I'll always call you Angel.

And you'll call me Dublin.

Hey, Douglas.

Hey, sweetheart.

Susie, you come along with me until your mother's through with the matinee.

Bye-bye, Angel.

Bye, Douglas.

Bye-bye.

You're back with the show?

Yeah, ring director.

You know, I always wanted a daughter.

It's funny because most men, when they think of children, they think of sons.

How old is she, Valerie?

Five, the 6th of June.

I wonder if you ever knew my husband.

I'm on St. Denis.

He came with the troop when Ben got arthritis.

It was right after you went in the army.

Hey, get those gillies moving!

Come on, I walk with you as far as the front of the show.

Must be a wonderful thing to have your daughter come bouncing into the bed in

the morning, waking you up, and you maybe with a bit of a hangover.

I'm very happy.

My husband and I think that we're... Hey, you!

If you ever cramp a cat cage in such a short turn again, I'll pay you off in

two things.

Now ease that wagon back in the line again, like as if you were moving eggs.

Often when my husband and I are talking circus, I tell him you were the best

circus director I ever knew.

You ever think of me, Valerie?

I don't understand.

Of course you understand.

I often thought of you out there on the foxholes.

I thought a lot of things about you.

That night when we were playing Buffalo and after the show, you remember?

We took the rowboat, went out on the lake.

Dublin.

Yes?

My husband's a wonderful fellow.

And we're happy.

He's very much in love with me and with Suzette.

Well, I... What are you trying to tell me, Valerie?

Please, don't make it so he finds out about us.

He's very jealous.

Because before he even met you, another man found you entrancing?

That's a very narrow way to look at things.

We should think that no man would want a wife that hadn't been found attractive

to other men.

Why, Valerie, you look as if you're on the verge of tears.

Why is it something to make you unhappy?

If so, I'm heartfelt sorry.

It's just the way it was before, when we were together before I was married.

The words you say aren't the words you mean.

And you always kept me so, so tormented.

Tormented? I thought we were very happy when we...

As you phrase it, we're together.

Oh, fine.

I'm very glad that you're happy with your handsome husband and beautiful

little daughter.

All right, you joy, step it up there.

You're half a minute late in your entrance already.

Hello, Dublin.

Don't take any extra bows, will you? We're a minute late already.

Right. Dublin, I want you to meet my husband, Armand Dublin O'Malley.

I'm very happy to meet you, sir. How do you do?

You have a very beautiful daughter.

Oh, I'll have to agree with you on that.

And if I may say so, a very beautiful wife, too.

See, I guess.

And if you'll excuse me.

And now, high above the center ring,

The Clyde Beatty Circus proudly presents the absolute acme in aerial artistry.

Introducing the Flying St. Denis Troop.

Ladies and gentlemen, St. Denis will attempt a feat that no other person has

ever dared to do.

A daring flip, catching the free-flying trapeze and returning without the use of

a net or safety device of any kind.

Let all eyes be on the great St.

Denis.

Attention, please. Will all the vendors stop selling and retire to the seats.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.

directing your attention to the big steel arena where you are about to

witness one of the largest and finest group of jungle-bred wild animals ever

to appear at one time.

Black-maned African lions, trained and now presented by the world's

greatest wild animal trainer, the one, the only, Clyde Beattie!

Thank you.

Clyde, you've been getting in that cage for 20 years. Does it ever get boring?

Boring? It's always a kick. I don't take my kicks out of scotch.

Hey, did you tell me where I could find Mr. Wallace? You found him.

My name is Martin.

I'm from Signet Books.

I have a letter here from my editor.

Glad to know you, Mr. Martin. This is Clyde Beatty.

There's a great show there, Mr. Beatty. Mickey Spillane. Are you the Mickey

Spillane, the writer? Yeah. I read your stuff.

Quite a character you got there. Sure is.

Well, as I understand it, your magazine wants to run a series of articles on our

show, is that it? Yeah, I'd like to travel right along with you and meet all

the people. And, of course, my magazine will re-abush you for all my expenses.

Won't be necessary.

Moving and feeding one more person won't matter. On the other hand, his magazine

can write all his expenses. Is that right, Mr. Martin? Quite an item, huh?

Thanks a world's champion string saver. Don't save any money. I gotta save

something.

Come on over to the office, Frank, and I'll sign those papers you've been

hounding me about.

Make yourself at home, Mr. Martin.

Sure thing. Thanks.

See ya.

Just leave me alone, you bum.

You want me to get you all steamed up?

I was real happy back at my desk in the city with a raft of hired hands doing my

detecting for me. Signed me to give you all the credentials you needed?

Yeah, just like you told me.

Look, I've caught all the thieves and killers I'm going to. From now on, I'm

going to relax. Oh, relax.

Oh, Dublin?

Dublin O'Malley, this is Paul Martin.

Dublin's the show's director.

Hi. Glad to meet you. I'd like to have a few minutes of your time on doing some

articles on the circus.

Sure, sir. Anytime you say. Look, I got to run now. I'll see you later, huh?

You got any suspects?

Yeah, about 300 of them. That's the number of people who travel with the

show. Fine.

That's all except O'Malley. He joined up after the trouble had already started.

That's just great.

One out of 300 eliminated.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, above ring number three, Clyde Beattie

presents the queen of balance and control, the lovely Maria Kutting.

Tonight, Beattie Circus proudly presents the only herd of hind-legged marching

elephants in the world.

Trained by Richard Shipley and presented by Malunga Klein.

I never saw so many sevens and elevens in my life.

I saw so many sevens and elevens, I think.

Well, the crap came out.

Please, Mr. Wallace, I'm not a stulpician.

Mr. Wallace, do me a favor.

I wish to be rich.

Well, don't.

Here, Mr. Wallace, you save this for me, please.

A buck.

Yeah, I think I will be rich when I have one million dollars.

So every day, I give you a dollar. And in one million days... I will have one

million dollars. You don't have many days of answer?

No.

300 years.

Seven months.

48 days.

That's a long time, I think.

But I will be patient.

That's it.

Good morning, Dublin.

Good morning. How are you? Good morning, Millie.

Darling, you run along with Millie to the commissary. And Mom will come get

you when you're through eating. All right?

Okay.

There you go.

Bye-bye, Angel.

Bye, Dudley. You're good now, huh?

Okay.

Oh, I made the most beautiful shot of the child.

Her darling little head framed by those clouds up there. When I develop it, I'll

let you have a color print of it, Valerie.

Thanks. You always were a genius with a camera.

I used to wonder why you didn't go into it professionally.

Leave the circus that I love these people that I love?

I couldn't do that, Valerie.

Hey, you look wonderful this morning.

Tell you what, let me make a picture of you, huh?

Um, here.

Stand right over here.

That's just fine now.

A fine cross slide here.

See what we got here.

You remember the study I made of you in Miami and a pier in Biscayne Bay?

The trade winds whipping around us, your hair tossing in the breeze, globes of

spray on your cheek like small glistening pearls.

Do you remember that?

Yes, I remember.

Oh, that's the look I want. Right like that.

I didn't like that one after all. Let me try another one, huh?

Why don't you turn your body right around to me like that?

Yes, that's fine.

You know, I've often thought of that study I made that day in Miami.

Let me have it back for a bit.

I'll make myself a copy of it.

I... It got lost.

Lost?

Oh, what a pity, Valerie.

Yes, I'm sorry.

Look, Dublin, after we had that talk last week, I... I had a feeling of being

frightened.

Then I thought about us, you know, before.

I realized I didn't have to be frightened, because after what was

between us, you wouldn't do anything to hurt me, would you?

Hurt you?

Why, Valerie...

Oh, I knew it.

I guess I was frightened because, well, I have everything I want now.

I'm in love, Dublin.

So much so, it's a little bit terrifying.

My heart stops when Armand's in the air and doesn't start again till he's made

his catch.

You know, Valerie, this is a man I envy.

Hi.

Hello, darling.

Getting your picture taken?

Mm-hmm.

Couldn't find it prettier, Sophie, could you, Dublin?

Say Dublin, why not take a picture of the two of us together?

Wish I'd be delighted to.

We'd have to stand a little closer together, though.

Well, how's this? Does this suit you? Yes.

It's fine composition.

You know, some fine philosopher once said that lovers should always gaze upon

each other as if it was their last hour on earth.

I hope the lens in this camera is good enough to capture the looks on your

faces because it's there.

Thank you Devlin. Come on, honey. We have to go

You got me, huh?

Look, I'll make a fair trade with you.

I'll give you three passes for the big top and three passes for the sideshow.

Is that a deal?

Sure. You got him.

Thanks! Hey, boy.

Hello, Frank.

Hi, Dublin.

I used to be great at this racket when I was a kid.

Paymaster's looking for you.

Looks like with you and that cat, it's hate at first sight, isn't it? Yeah,

seems like it, doesn't it?

Clyde see you doing that, he'll split your hair with a tent spike.

I wish this was a high-powered rifle.

I'd let him have one right between those gleaming yellow eyes of his.

Trouble you is, the cat's proved to you you're yellow.

If you had any teeth, you'd lose them right now.

You don't scare me. I saw you screaming like a scared woman the night that Clyde

grabbed you out of that cage in time.

Here comes Clyde now.

Maybe you'd like to tell him you got a beef about me.

I settle my own beefs.

Good morning, Mickey.

Hi, Paul.

Hi, Clyde. It's about time we cleaned up on this thing, Clyde. His name isn't

Paul. It's Jack Stang. He's a hotshot copper out of New York.

You don't mean... That's right. He's the one.

That's up for you, Clyde.

Ran your rope test through my lab back east.

Segment of rope put through Wilson test.

Fibers were weakened by saturation in hyposulfite of soda.

Best film developer.

Jack says it has a hundred uses.

Well, we better go check the lockers. See if we can find some of this stuff.

Shall we?

You know, I've had a hundred pictures made of Suzette. This is the best ever.

Oh, thank you very much.

You know, an odd thing. Did you notice? Your nose is straight like a ruler.

Valerie's nose is like a compass course.

Shortest distance between two points. But Angel's nose has got a little tilt

to it. A cute little Irish tilt.

You know, he's right. Both Bonosas are straight.

And she does have a little tilt. A little pug nose.

You're very observant, Dublin. Oh, it's a gift with me. I like to look at faces.

Fortunately, nobody likes to look at mine.

Can't get over that little tilt, though.

It is cute.

On a girl, but I don't think so on a man.

I once had a girl.

Well, I shouldn't say I had her, really, because she preferred another man.

But she, uh... Excuse me. Mr. St.

Dennis, would you like to take a look at your trailer, see if it's spotted right?

Oh, okay.

Excuse me a moment, honey.

Thanks, Dublin. Oh, you're welcome.

I'm going to go ride by myself.

Valerie, the look on your face, you'd think you were scared of me. Dublin, I

don't want any more of those double-meaning remarks with that vile

inference. Vile inference?

What do you mean, Valerie?

Couldn't bring myself to put it into words.

But if you ever made that plain to my husband, he might kill you.

Hey, Mr. Wallace.

Mr. Wallace, I want you to watch this.

Maybe you can give me a raise.

Maybe I can. Let's see it.

Foul!

Pedro, tell the paymaster to give the kangaroo a raise.

Two heads of lettuce a week.

On this show, we only buy winners.

I'm sorry about you. You ruined me after I loved you so much. The

very idea of eating such a sweet, harmless thing

serves you right.

Milret, you better start looking for somebody else because I'm going to

divorce you.

Oh, they're looking all over for you. Yeah.

Funny places.

You mind if we talk a little business?

No, go ahead. What's up?

Look, Mick.

This routine of interviewing people for a magazine doesn't seem to get us any

place. I agree.

Of all the people I've talked to, not one indicated any motive in wanting to

cause trouble.

They all love Beatty. Could be this rat you're looking for. Knows you're on a

prowl that's trying to cover up, huh?

Well, I'm doing a pretty good job of it.

We're no further ahead in this case than we were a week ago.

Did you have to interview him yet?

He's one guy that you told me wasn't a suspect, but I keep him on ice anyway.

You better throw him out. Could be he's just our man.

Yeah, just like it happened to the book, sir.

Well, he's got a camera. He could have hyposulfate soda, too.

He could also have a good reason for wanting to wreck the baby's show.

Sure.

That's all we gotta do is prove these little items. Come on, let's go see

Little Boy Blue, huh? Right.

After the war, I became a drifter of sorts.

Like so many more of my type, I found it difficult to adjust to the ways of peace

for a while.

I went to sea, went halfway around the world, but always the truth of the old

saying came back to me.

Once circus, always circus.

I bet you never could give any blood to the Red Cross.

Too much sawdust in it.

Tell me, how does the circus stack up to pre-war days?

Oh, well, there have been some improvements and some changes,

naturally, but Clyde always is a good show.

Where was Clyde these days? He changed any?

Well, apart from a few more scars, I'd say... No.

Not one speck.

He seems like a pretty good Joe. Of course, I don't know him like you do. He

is, as you say, a pretty good Joe.

You know, it's too bad that he's been having such a run of ill luck lately.

A close call and that training room's broke.

Yes, indeed. Wasn't that a frightful thing?

Do you think that's more that so-called jinx dog in a circus?

Is there any other explanation?

Yeah. It could have been rigged.

Good heavens, man.

You don't think anybody would do a thing like that deliberately, not to Clyde.

Does he think so?

No, it was one of the ideas my friend Mr. Spillane cooked up.

Right or wrong, that's the way it goes in my book.

Oh, I heard you were here down gathering material for your new book.

It's no secret.

We should get together, Michael.

I'd love to.

Would you excuse me for a moment, please?

Angel, come on over here. I got a birthday present for you. Come on.

Turn your back. Close your eyes.

What is it, Dublin? Well, open your eyes and you'll see.

A doll.

Yes, a doll. Do you like it? Yes, I love it, Dublin.

Do you love me?

Yes, Dublin.

How much?

Oh, you're a sweetheart.

Hello, Valerie.

Hello.

Look, Mama, for my birthday from Dublin.

Oh, it's lovely.

Did you thank Dublin?

Indeed she did, with kisses.

Perhaps you'd like to show your lovely doll to Millie. Okay.

All right, darling.

Bye-bye, sweetheart.

Bye, Dublin.

What's the matter, Valerie?

Surely you can't disapprove of a man giving a birthday present to a child.

I do.

But that wouldn't have stopped you.

There's something I want to get straight, Dublin.

This is a program from Baraboo, Wisconsin.

It was the only time we ever played Baraboo.

That was seven years ago.

And you left between the matinee and the evening performance.

Seven years ago. Have you got that straight?

There's an old saying, Valerie, and a true one, too.

Liars can figure, and figures can lie.

Hello, honey.

What's the matter? Oh, it's nothing the matter.

Oh, yeah?

It's the second time I've seen tears in your eyes around this guy.

It is, um... Some nostalgic memories brought the tears to her eyes.

Yeah?

I couldn't harm anything that you find precious.

Take me home, I will, please.

Okay.

I wonder what's the beef.

The guy's wife, probably.

Wallace told me that she and O'Malley were old pals.

Or something.

And this is where you've been hiding out between performances, huh?

Well, it's secluded and smelly.

It'll poke your eyes out the way you're shaking.

It must have a fine hangover.

I feel awful.

But it ain't just the hangover.

It's what you made me do to Clyde.

You used to be an aerialist, didn't you, Twitchy?

Yeah. With the big shows?

Yeah, the Flying Dejanonis.

My two brothers and myself.

Until you lost your nerve, huh?

Yes, I did.

You still help rig the aerialist act, Twitchy?

Yes, they all know that I'm hip to the rigging.

Fine.

At today's performance, St. Denis' second catch bar will break right after

he hits it from the trapeze.

No, I ain't gonna do that now.

San Jose, wasn't it? What you were telling me about.

San Jose's in California, isn't it? I tell you, I ain't gonna do it now. In

California, the death penalty is cyanide gas.

Put you in a small glass cubicle and the witnesses are out there watching you.

And the machine drops these cyanide pellets into a tub of ammonia.

The fumes come up slowly, slowly.

You try to hold your breath because you know what's going to happen. All these

long months you've been thinking of it. But finally you have to breathe. Look,

Dublin, Dublin, will you... Finally you have to breathe.

The cyanide fumes go deep down into your lungs. And the witnesses out there watch

as your face turns blue.

Your mouth opens wide to gasp for that oxygen that might mean life to you.

For the love of God, will you, Dublin, will you quit? Dear Twitchy, I was only

telling you what might happen.

Dublin, he's a nice guy.

And she's a mighty fine woman, and they have a pretty baby.

Yeah, but I don't want... Today's performance, eh, Twitchy?

Dublin, huh?

And now, high above the center ring, the Clyde Beatty Circus proudly presents the

absolute acme in aerial artistry.

Introducing the Flying St. Denis Troop.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

the great St. Denis will attempt a feat that no other person has ever dared to

do. A daring flip, catching the free-swinging trapeze, and returning

without the aid of a net or safety device of any kind.

Let all eyes be on the great St.

Denis.

I don't think so.

It's just my hands are burning.

That wasn't part of the act. He could have been killed.

Who do you think that would make real happy? Come on.

Listen, they think it's part of the act.

Find whoever made the final check in that rig and then run them off.

And add some words.

If I do, I'll add knuckles.

Twitchy checks the rigging.

Twitchy? Yeah.

We've gone as far as we could with him.

Pay him off.

Pedro.

Yeah. Find Twitchy for me.

I said find him for me. All right.

I never saw it happen in this show or any other show that I know of.

Those guy wires are checked six ways from Monday by anyone who gets even a

foot off the ground.

Who in charge of the rigging?

Twitchy, the little clown. He does all the rigging.

He's done it enough to spot a defect in a second. He missed one this time.

Oh, I don't know, Mickey.

I'm beginning to think there's something in this jinx business after all.

Well, there is.

Only when we find it, we'll find two arms, two legs, two feet.

Maybe no teeth, because this jinx won't get taken easily.

So let's see if our jinx wears a clown suit, okay?

See you later, Frank.

Yeah.

If I had any class, I'd get another job.

I looked in the Joey's coffee. I waited for hours.

Well, I've been hiding back there because Mr. Wallace and Clyde had been

hunting for me. Oh.

I brought you back a bottle.

Oh, did you?

Yeah. I had a bottle back there, but it slipped and broke.

It was off of hiding back there in the dark with nothing to drink.

I know.

Yeah. But maybe you wouldn't want to give me a drink after I tell you what

I'm going to do.

What's that?

Well... I'm going to Clyde and I'm going to tell him everything.

You got your mind made up about this? Yes, my mind is made up.

But I wanted to come to you first before I told Clyde so that you could get a

head start.

Because Clyde would kill you.

He might.

He would.

I don't want to see Clyde get in any kind of trouble.

Oh, I thought it wasn't me you were worried about.

Oh, then you ain't going to give me a drink now, huh?

Sure. Really?

Yes.

I asked the man for the strongest stuff there is, 160 proof rum.

Yes. He said he'll knock your head right off. Do you mind if I go first? Oh, no,

you go right ahead.

Thank you.

It's wonderful.

It burns them out, though, a little bit.

Blind filtered water for the precious cats.

Now, can I have mine now? Can I have one? Oh, sure.

Much obliged.

Hey, that is strong, ain't it?

There's your chaser.

I almost pulled the plug, I think.

Uh-oh.

One little twist, and I face the latest figure.

Mr. Waller!

Mr. Waller!

Mr. Waller!

Looks like your jinx didn't wear a clown suit after all, pal.

Oh, when is this gonna stop?

What else can happen?

One thing more.

Maybe we won't have to wait now.

This top will fold up like a busted balloon.

This is horrible, Frank. I just heard about it outside. When did it happen?

Post-mortem will show that.

I'd sort of know how it happened.

Poor Tucci.

Poor little guy. He never even heard to flee.

We pretty near killed St. Denis.

What?

Tucci. He rigged that kill swing and got paid off the hard way.

I wonder.

Why?

I just can't see him getting paid off like that.

Who'd kill anybody that way?

Nobody but a madman.

No.

Twitchy might have rigged it, but Twitchy's a drinking man, and he'd have

to be all gouged up with that joy juice to pull that stunt.

That doesn't get him drowned, Mr. Wallace. Oh, I've seen him dunk his head

in there many a time just to sober up.

Hey, was that faucet running when you come in here?

Si, all the way.

The tank was overfooling.

I go turn it off.

Then I see Twitchy. I get scared.

And I run like for Mr. Wallace.

Yeah, and he'd been over too far.

I wish we could be sure that he was drunk.

We'll get the answers to that when the medical examiner makes his post-mortem.

In the meantime, somebody with a nose for a lot of little details can check up

on movements until Twitch's desk starts to make a little sense.

Yeah, well, that's not going to be so easy, not around here.

Why? Well, have you ever watched people in the circus?

What do you think they're looking at?

Somebody sneaking in the side entrance? No, they're looking at the axe.

That's what you mean. What about the acts themselves?

No, they're too busy with their own specialties, warming up, making last

-minute adjustments and all that, you know.

And here's what our little friend in the drink got over-primed on.

Watch those prints.

Looks like we're not going to need them post-mortem.

Hey, that's a little rich for Twitchy's blood, isn't it? I don't say it's a

little rich for Twitchy's blood. That bottle belongs to me.

There isn't another soul in the lot that drinks that brand but me.

Did you leave it here, fella?

No, Mr. Spillane. I haven't been in here all evening.

I bet I can guess how it got in here.

Poor old Twitchy had a taste for this.

I had a locker full of it in my trailer.

I think I'd better get a call in to the police.

I already did. They'll be here in a few minutes.

So who left it here?

The murdered or the murderer?

Hi, W.

Ah, gentlemen, I was just on my way to get the police.

I guess.

There was something in there and really tore it.

A lock, huh? But the wood's sputtered off.

Did you find out what he used to do it with, O'Malley?

No, no, I didn't find anything.

Apparently, whatever he used, he took it away with him.

Yeah, he'd do that, wouldn't he?

Yeah, well, now, if you don't mind, I think I should tell the police about

this.

I think you should.

Here.

My great watch, Charles.

Quite as long as you wear them outside your skin.

I don't mind your moving, Mr. Wallace.

I just want to be sure that you don't leave the state.

Why don't you give him a certified copy of your itinerary, Mr. Wallace?

That'll satisfy the commissioner.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

I don't want to close the show just for a lack of motion.

Come on over to the office. We'll get the whole thing straightened out. Come

on.

Coming? No, I hate business.

You go ahead. I'll sap up some sun.

Something new happening in the case?

Nope. All the uniforms want us to be sure of where they can get to any time

they want us.

Oh, I see. I thought perhaps we...

Let's have a killer man Dublin.

I'm looking for a killer, Dublin.

Think you found him, Michael?

I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

Me, hmm?

Yeah, Dublin.

Dublin with the pretty speeches and the flavored tongue of the old side.

This makes me a killer, huh?

Well, there are a few other things called facts.

There's some other things called suspicions.

And one other thing called intuition.

I think you're mad.

Me?

All right, Micah.

What are your facts?

I guess you're entitled to hear them.

You're entitled to keep them on your mind right up to that minute when you're

trying to scream your last scream that a rope around your neck won't let come

out.

The facts, Dublin.

The target's training rope, saturated hypersulfide of soda.

Treat it so it would break and a man be killed. This you have in your

possession.

The facts, Dublin.

The day of Twitchy's death, that water tank had just been painted. It wasn't

quite dry.

The killer who held Twitchy under that water leaned hard against that tank.

Look.

So... The facts seem in order, Michael.

May I ask what your suspicions are?

A bottle of liquor lying beside a drowned clown?

Who put it there, the clown or the killer?

You yourself saw that, Captain. In my mind, I see a fast-thinking killer with

a quick tongue off the explanation first, imposing the problem afterward.

I see you prying that cabinet door open yourself, Dublin.

Those are wonderful suspicions, Michael. Well thought out.

Then, of course, I forgot.

You have a mind for those things, don't you?

May I ask what your final point of analysis is?

This thing that you call intuition, too.

Yeah.

Yeah. Your eyes, Dublin.

They belong to a homicidal maniac.

Yours, Michael.

Yours belong to a blind man.

Your intuitions.

Your intuitions, Mr.

Spillane.

Beautifully pulled out facts.

Intuitions. See what they've done for you now? See where they've got you?

You... Do you, that blundering, unconscious idiot, Joe.

Hey, Frank. Yeah, seen Mick?

A while ago.

I want to know if you were back from town with that telegram.

Here it is.

You put on the prints on the rum bottle.

Holy cats, Dublin O'Malley.

Yep.

Homicidal maniac on the loose.

Better find Clyde. Mickey might be with him.

You go. I'm going to tell O'Malley.

They're probably in the big top.

Don't move, Micah.

Don't do any little thing that might make me have to kill you right now.

You see, I didn't mind your facts. I didn't even mind your suspicions, but it

was your intuition that I hated.

You saw it in my eyes, didn't you, Micah?

Yes, I'm mad, but it was people like you that made me this way.

Well, take one last good look at my eyes now, because it's the last thing you're

ever going to see.

You can lie there and hear yourself scream as this acid bathes your eyes.

And wish, perhaps, that you'd never come to a circus in your life.

Take one last good look at my eyes, Mr.

Spillane.

You know what I ought to do?

Do what?

I ought to leave you here.

Valerie, I'm sorry.

We just got news that Dublin is a kill-happy maniac.

What?

Dublin was our trouble, honey.

All the time we thought he was away, he was in an institution.

He's insane.

He killed him. That's right.

He killed.

We've got to stop him before he kills again.

Armand.

Armand.

Armand!

Oh, Armand, my darling, it's so good to be home.

So safe.

Did you hear about Dublin?

He was mad.

He was mad all the time.

He killed.

Killed people that he said he loved.

You can still be safe, my lovely.

One last kiss for all time.

Or perhaps one that says everything is new again.

For you, there is no madness, my darling.

No madness.

Love.

The kind of a love that no other man could ever give you.

We had it once, Valerie.

No. No.

It's my guess he's making tracks away from the lot.

We better be sure.

Oh, it's you.

Frank Dublin?

We had him, but he got off the hook. Cops will be here in a minute. It's

going all around the lot. If he's holed up someplace, we can dig him out. We'll

find him standing here. Let's find out and start digging.

Douglas is missing the animal tent and he's letting the big cat out.

We better get that cat. If he gets out of that tent, God knows what will

happen.

Stay here. No one will get hurt. I've got to get that cat back in the cage.

That cat gets in the town.

Uh

-oh,

there he goes.

Spread out and take it easy.

Don't get too close to Clyde.

Oh, that baby has something on his mind.

If you get a chance, maybe you better use it.

with the caboose down to stop that train.

Blake!

That's Dublin.

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Come spring, the country will be greening up and there will be a new crop

of kids.

And the circus will roll again because that's what the circus is for.

To make happy the hearts of the young and of the old.

Every girl and boy, come on, come on, the party's waiting. Here comes the

circus, join the big parade for the day.