The Show

The film is about several thieves and murderers who travel with carnivals and prey on decent people--in this case, a man who brought his sheep to town to sell them and his overweight daughter. The man is shot and killed (by Lionel Barrymore) to get his money, though when it turns out his daughter has the money, another of these low-lives (John Gilber) tries to film-flam the money from her. While all a bit silly when you think about it, some of the tricks they tried to use to get the money were really cool. My favorite was when they re-staged the execution of John the Bapist (who, for some odd reason, they referred to him by some name I have never heard of before--NOT John). The fake chopping off the head and sticking it on a silver platter bit was really exciting to watch--BOTH times they staged it.

Back in 1927, I am sure this film was considered better than people today would assess it. Now I am not saying it's a bad film--it's pretty good. But, the melodramatic style of the film seems dated and the idea of evil "carnies" stealing and murdering was an accepted theme back in the 20s--but today it just seems kind of silly. But despite this and a very, very, very simplistic and moralistic plot, it is pretty good and a good film for silent movie buffs. But, overall, it's not one of John Gilbert's best films nor is it one that has especially lasting appeal.

Leapin' lizards! If you're a fan of director Tod Browning's work, you'll probably like this film, though it's probably not his very best. There are several dark moments, some camp, and nice performances from John Gilbert, Lionel Barrymore, and Renée Adorée, who are involved in a love triangle. Gilbert is a carnival barker at a freak show, ladies' man, and general rake. Adorée is a performer who shimmies about 'exotically' in an act as Salome, one that is complete with a beheading. Barrymore is a crook who is with Adorée, and resents her continued attraction to Gilbert, who she once dated.

This almost felt like two movies to me, but there is a thread of deception, of putting on 'a show' that runs throughout. The first half has Gilbert conning people into thinking they're seeing all sorts of oddities, e.g. Arachnida, a 'spiderwoman', which is simply a woman's head emerging through a curtain into a costume of a spider and in the middle of a web. He also puts on the Salome act with Adorée, and Browning cleverly shows how the beheading trick is done. Gilbert is also putting on act with a country girl in town with her father to sell some sheep; he woos her but is only interested in her money. There is real darkness in the performances, particularly in the first half. Lionel Barrymore is a cold-blooded killer, casting some truly ominous looks, and I don't think I've ever seen John Gilbert as evil as the moment he almost beats Adorée for spoiling his plans.

The film loses a bit of its momentum in the second half, when Gilbert is on the run and hides out at Adorée's place. Once there he also has to hide out from her blind father, and in a touching moment, finds out that Adorée has been tricking the old man into believing his son is doing well and getting promotions by reading him fake letters, when in reality he's on death row at the prison across the street. There are many deceptions here, but it's only when Gilbert moments of authenticity that he's transformed. Just compare his reaction to hearing that his "butterball's" father has been murdered in the first part, to his reaction to Adorée's father dying in the second. There is a mirror here between the two halves, and even if it's a little clumsily executed, the message comes through.

Oh, and you have to love the camp in some of these old films. Attempting murder via poisonous lizard is yet another variation of an interesting trope from Browning and the period - see 'He Who Gets Slapped' (1924) and 'Where East is East' (1929). Those films are both probably a teeny bit better than this one, but it's entertaining enough to see.

Although he was heading for a colossal fall from grace (thanks to both the advent of sound and the animosity of his boss, Louis B. Mayer), John Gilbert was riding high in 1927. His first release for the year, The Show, was a surprising success, despite its nightmarish carnival setting that echoes both Liliom and Nightmare Alley. Although Gilbert's part is totally unsympathetic, he handles it well, and easily manages to steal the film from his co-stars, Renée Adorée (who is most unflatteringly photographed and costumed), and Lionel Barrymore (who gives his heavy plenty of presence and charisma even though the role is disappointingly small). Mind you, Edward Connelly, who was so effective as Cardinal Richelieu in Gilbert's Bardelys the Magnificent (1926), does his hammy best to upstage the stars here and almost succeeds. But thanks to stacks of indulgent close-ups, John Gilbert wins the acting stakes all right. Nonetheless he is over-shadowed by cult director Tod Browning's many atmospherically noirish trappings and effects, including a staged John-the-Baptist beheading and a line-up of fake freaks such as a spider woman (Edna Tichenor), a mermaid (Betty Boyd) and a half-lady (Zalla Zarana). John Arnold, who was placed in charge of M-G-M's camera department in 1929, has photographed the film in an appropriate, heavily noir style.

Turner Classic Movies presented this silent film on TV for the first time because their was a musical sound track added which made the silent film more interesting and enjoyable. John Gilbert,(Cock Robin),"The Captain Hates the Sea" is part of a Circus Show that presents a skit involving some magical tricks with a lady disappearing and being raised in the air. The gal in the film is Renee Adoree,(Salome),"All of the Flesh" who works in the circus act as a belly dancer and requests the head of a certain man on a platter which is quickly arranged in this skit for the circus audiences. Lionel Barrymore, (The Greek),"Dragon Seed" plays the evil guy with piercing eyes and sinister looks and money crazy. John Gilbert in real life had a torrid affair with Greta Garbo and was left at the alter which devastated John and his career went down hill and MGM made sure his career was over. John was the next Rudolph Valentino and was adored by all the young ladies during this period of time. Enjoyable film Classic with great veteran actors from the past. Enjoy

Wilkommen to Hungary, to Budapest more precisely, during the old times when the circus shows flourished in Centre Europe, those special, bizarre and popular amusements that the common people liked very much. There is in the town one of those special circus shows, "The Palace Of Illusions", where the coarse masses can enjoy strange attractions like the little lady suspended in mid-air, the living hand of Cleopatra (!) or the great Terpsichorean tragedy with Salome dancing before King Herod and not to mention the chance to watch freaks as Zela, the half lady, Arachnida, the human spider and Neptuna, the queen of the mermaids.

The ballyhoo man at "The Palace Of Illusions" is Herr Cock Robin ( Herr John Gilbert ); he will lead the audience into the mysteries and strange performances of the show, an irresistible master of ceremonies who is the object of desire of every woman, including the other circus performers, and he is not troubled if those yearning for him are half women, prostitutes or peasants.

"The Show",directed by Herr Tod Browning in the silent year of 1927, is one of those silent delicatessen treats that this German count appreciates more and more each time that it is shown at the Schloss theatre; it is not necessary to say at this German point that the binomials circus show/Tod Browning is a unique film genre that this German aristocrat savours as if it were Beluga caviar.

The film has many elements that make it special; an impeccably decadent atmosphere both in the circus show and the Budapest streets and a gloomy, menacing mood in the film story, all expertly supported by the art direction of Herr Richard Day and Herr Cedric Gibbons and the cinematography of Herr John Arnold. The main character of the film, Cock Robin, played by Herr John Gilbert suits him especially well ( it seems that the American actor didn't like very much this obscure role, a contrast indeed with his popular roles as a matinée idol ) as an unscrupulous riffraff who only cares for himself and uses the women for his own selfish purposes, economic as well as sexual, leaving aside trifles as love and such minor kinds of things; that is to say, his ethics are the same as this German count but in the Hungarian style.

Herr Gilbert 's character astonishes the audience with his wickedness, selfishness and even brutality, a character who gives no chance to regeneration during the whole film until the end of the oeuvre when some kind of human feeling finally appears thanks to the tenacity of his circus show companion, Dame Salome ( Dame Renée Adorée ) The ending, by the way, seems abrupt and imposed, and contrary to the gloomy essence of the story.

The film also scores with the disturbing presence of Herr Lionel Barrymore as "The Greek", the wicked owner of the circus show who will hatch an evil and bloody scheme against Herr Robin who is distracted by problems with money and women. Herr Barrymore uses some circus show tricks in order to get rid of his rival but when the one plan fails, the "Greek" will have to use another simple but effective method, this time with the help of a restless lizard.

Once the circus show has ended, don't forget to pay tribute, after having paid the tickets, natürlich!…, to Herr Browning and his wonderful circus films full of outsiders, wicked people and indescribable freaks, the perfect and thrilling companion for a bored aristocrat, indeed!.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must go on with the silent show.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/