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John Gilbert plays Cock Robin in this very archetypal Tod Browning melodrama. Robin is a showman whose act includes having his head chopped off and whose show includes a mermaid, a woman's head pinned on a spider web and the living hand of Cleopatra, which conveniently collects the tickets of the patrons.

Lionel Barrymore is an evil character named the Greek, who tries to pin a murder he commits out of greed, on Robin, who despite being innocent is a rough, energetic man who looks out for himself first. Robin's girl named Salome, well-played by Renee Adoree, is not quite the unsympathetic vamp he thinks her to be. She has a secret that will in the end lead him to a true purpose for his life.

This is really one of Browning's best films. His direction is inspired. The sets and design are meticulous and create a perfectly sinful world for the heroes to live in. He uses some surprising low and high camera angles and the cutting is fast-paced.

While the story is similar to most Browning-Chaney films of the period, this one comes off better. John Gilbert is excellent and proves an asset whereas if Chaney had played the part, he probably would have made it too much Chaney. Robin is a handsome, fiery man and Gilbert is perfect for the part.

This is one of only two MGM silents that Browning made without Chaney and it's a shame he didn't make more solo efforts. Not that their collaboration was not great, but this film seems to have freed up Browning just a bit more for him to be a little more creative in his own ways. Freaks may be the penultimate Browning film, but this one ranks right near the top of his catalog.

JOHN GILBERT was toward the end of his career as a romantic leading man at the age of 27 in THE SHOW, co-starring once again with his leading lady from THE BIG PARADE, RENEE ADOREE.

*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*****

The story has moments of interest when it deals with Gilbert's role as a circus barker for side shows that attract curious crowds with their freakish overtones. He himself is involved in an act that involves the deft use of trickery when Salome (danced by Adoree) requests his head on a silver platter. The act requires a fake sword to be substituted for the real thing and a trap door that lets him escape the executioner's ax. Meanwhile, Gilbert has arranged to take care of the money entrusted to him by a love-struck girl whose father has been murdered by scheming LIONEL BARRYMORE. For bad guy Gilbert, guarding the money is like taking candy from a baby and doesn't fool his sweetheart, RENEE ADOREE who questions his motives.

LIONEL BARRYMORE is the stage colleague intent on stealing the money for his own selfish goals. His scheme eventually backfires and, for the love of an honest woman, Gilbert returns the stolen money to the police in time for a happy ending.

It's all done in the usual melodramatic style associated with silent films of this period, but the story maintains interest throughout and builds to a satisfying conclusion with Gilbert and Adoree in a final clinch.

Summing up: Not quite as bold and startling in nature as some of Browning's other works, but very watchable. Gilbert is intense as the morally bankrupt anti-hero who is reformed by the love of a good woman. It's not his usual romantic role and he was reportedly not too happy with the assignment. At this point in his career, he and MGM head Louis B. Mayer were not on good terms personally.

Trivia note: Interesting to see an ambulatory Barrymore before arthritis crippled him. The story is not quite strong enough if it's shock appeal you're looking for.

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.

Show, The (1927)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Rare and nearly forgotten film from Tod Browning that would play a major influence on his film Freaks. Set inside a Budapest carnival, a love triangle develops between a handsome actor (John Gilbert), a crazy Greek (Lionel Barrymore) and the woman (Renee Adoree) they both love. Browning's direction is top notch here and I might go as far to say this is the best directing I've seen from him. As usual with his silent pictures, the mood and atmosphere is very rich and thick. The meanness and weirdness of the characters and story leaps right off the screen with some very memorable scenes including a decapitation. There's a scene on the stage where Barrymore plots to kill Gilbert that is highly intense and perfectly staged. The three leads are all terrific and the inside jokes about Gilbert's good looks are funny as well. "Freaks" like the Human Spider, the Half Woman and a mermaid also make an appearance.

Tod Browning, who directed many of the most bizarre films of the silent era, comes through again with this look at carnival performers. Cock Robin (John Gilbert) is the handsome barker and showman at a minor Budapest sideshow carnival. He's caught the eye of Salome (Renee Adoree), the dancing girl whose "dance of the seven veils" serves as the show highlight. The show magician, known as the Greek (Lionel Barrymore) is jealous and longs for Salome's affections, so he plots Robin's demise. Meanwhile, Salome cares for a blind old man (Edward Connelly) who longs for word from his missing soldier son. Also featuring Edna Tichenor as Arachnida the Human-Spider.

This presages Browning's 1932 masterpiece Freaks, but it lacks the real-life physical "oddities" of that film. In fact, this sideshow is all fake-outs, with sleight-of-hand and tricks of perspective standing in for deformities. Gilbert is different here than in the last few movies that I've seen him in, more unpredictable and even sadistic. The love triangle is full of perverse undertones, while the other lovely ladies of the sideshow are a highlight. The newly commissioned music used in the version I saw sounded like a Danny Elfman/Tim Burton score, which would please all involved, I think.

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.

This one, directed by Tod Browning, is a perfect Gilbert silent. It takes place in the sort of sordid and atmospheric world Browning loved -- in this case in Budapest, surrounding a "Palace of Illusions" (an urban sideshow).

Gilbert is re-teamed with Renee Adoree, and once again they work extremely well together. He's the barker and all-round utility performer (he has to be John the Baptist and take part in the beheading trick that's part of their little Salome play). It's part of the fable-quality of the story that he's simply given the name Cock Robin, from the nursery rhyme:

Who killed Cock Robin? I, said the sparrow, With my little bow and arrow ....

Adoree is the cooch dancer who plays Salome, and that's what she's called too. Lionel Barrymore is "The Greek," a brutal thief and murderer, who has taken on the role of her boyfriend. It isn't very clear how far this has gone, but it seems to be something new. He is basically forcing himself on her. She used to be involved with Gilbert, and still carries a torch for him. The jealous and dangerous Greek has a watchful eye out for any signs of rekindling, and a knife at the ready (Gilbert has a knife too; I said it was sordid).

Gilbert is a womanizer with no respect whatsoever for the female sex: he's perfectly willing to marry a stupid country girl who has just been orphaned, to get hold of her father's "whole hillsides of sheep." He's catnip to the female sex, and every woman in the movie desires him (this was the height of Gilbert's career and MGM was still handling him just right).

The story is compelling and very well plotted. You only have to accept a conveniently timed melodrama natural death and (this is only a problem now, with nature docs on TV) that a perfectly ordinary iguana is actually an extremely poisonous lizard from Madagascar. Everything else is pretty convincing. You think for a considerable time that you're in an early Von Stroheim film, a colorful movie in a convincing European setting, without a heart. You begin to think there's not a speck of redeemable stuff in Gilbert.

But the movie has something up its sleeve, and in the second half you may find yourself sobbing.

Nobody in silent films ever looked at a woman the way Gilbert did. The cynical look where he's on to the dame and her games, undresses her with his eyes, and sees all the bad in her .... that Valentino could do. But the other look, where he comprehends a woman in all her power and goodness, or absorbs all her allure like a blow, is Gilbert's alone.

To know something of his history is to know that his mother was a popular actress who abandoned him to relatives and strangers while she went on seedy tours with a repertory company. He never had a loving mother or, it would seem, a loving substitute. His first girlfriend, another actress, died horribly at Ince studios when a balcony set collapsed.

Gilbert was a ladies' man, and there were a lot of women in his life, but he seems to have genuinely adored them and always relied on their kindness and warmth to him. Women dug him right back, in life and on the screen. He's able to put all his emotional need into one intense look from those dark and brooding eyes.

Adoree isn't our present idea of a beauty. She has -- as we see in her Salome dance in a two piece Harem outfit -- no waist. But it doesn't matter a speck here, as it adds to the ordinariness and seediness of this claustrophobic world of the urban poor. And her acting is highly effective. Actually, so is all the acting. There's an ensemble of very able players in a lot of colorful and distinctive parts.

The print TCM showed is terrific, and it has an unusually effective new orchestral score by Darrell Raby. This one was well worth copying and will be well worth keeping.

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.

Down from the hills of Hungary, handsome John Gilbert (as Cock Robin), a carnival's "ballyhoo man," enthralls patrons with a parade of freakish females - including a woman suspended in mid-air, the disembodied hand of Cleopatra, a "half lady" (she never gets "cold feet"), a human-headed spider woman, and a submerged mermaid queen. "Now I know why the divers go down," quips Mr. Gilbert when presenting the latter. A highlight of "The Show" is its reenactment of the legendary "Salome" story...

As you may recall, after a veiled dance, "King Herod" promises to grant the sexy damsel's any desire. Of course, Renée Adorée (as Salome) asks to be served the head of "Jokanaan" (aka John the Baptist) on a sliver platter. And so Gilbert, disguised with wig and beard as the Biblical hero, appears to be decapitated (through stage trickery)...

Off stage, Mr. Gilbert attracts many women. After Ms. Adorée increases her amorous off-stage plays for him, boyfriend Lionel Barrymore (as "The Greek") gets jealous. Under Tod Browning's obviously skilled direction, Mr. Barrymore plots to make Gilbert's illusion of decapitation a reality. Barrymore has also murdered the wealthy sheep-herding father of Gilbert's girlfriend Gertrude Short (as Lena), and gets Gilbert blamed for the crime...

"You were expecting Lon Chaney..." but, Gilbert is excellent as the handsome pitchman and performer. In this story, he was probably a better pick than Mr. Chaney - although director Browning and company could have conceivably altered it for the man of a thousand faces. Both actors were riding waves of popularity, rising to at #5 (Chaney) and #9 (Gilbert) in 1927's annual "Quigley Poll" of box office stars. Also watch for Polly Moran as an expressive carnival spectator.

******* The Show (1/22/27) Tod Browning ~ John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Connelly

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/

Lionel Barrymore was already 49 in this silent from 1927, but he actually looks younger.... and its a rare occurrence that he looks YOUNGER... we're so used to seeing him in all those well-known talkies. IMDb lists his first film appearance as 1908, while wikipedia says 1911. God he's been around Hollywood forever. Of course, star John Gilbert had been around silents a while, but died quite young 1in 1936. He also must have been hard to live with... he had four wives, and was STILL dead at age 36. According to wikipedia, he also would have married Garbo, but she forgot to show up. As far as the plot... the iguana steals the show in this story of murder and intrigue in this story of circus performers from Budapest. Barrymore is the evil, behind the scenes manipulator, but a lot of it is based on his expressions of intent, from behind a curtain, looking this way and that. Its all right. You have to have a lot of patience to watch the silents, and I can usually only take about one or two of these in a row, before switching to something more contemporary. Historically, its very interesting to see these early pioneers of film (now presented on television) in their craft. Was surprised that one of the actors even says "Christ!" (on the title card), which is a rare form a swearing in the early films. Shown occasionally on Turner Classics.

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

There was a time not that long ago that when Tod Browning was remembered, it was for either directing the Bela Lugosi DRACULA (1931) - (to which all the credit was given to Lugosi) or as the man responsible for FREAKS (1932) a horror film that featured real deformed carnival performers and was a notorious failure (it virtually ended his career even though he lived another 30 years) until it was championed by photographer Diane Arbus in the early 1960s. Then, as more of his silent films were uncovered, he was remembered as the director of several bizarre Lon Chaney melodramas for which Chaney received the credit. While I am in no way downgrading Lugosi and Chaney's contributions, THE SHOW (1927) proves that there was a lot more to Browning than he is usually given credit for.

Before getting into movies as an occasional performer and assistant director to D. W. Griffith, Tod Browning had worked in several circuses as a carnival barker and side show attraction. He loved this tawdry low budget world and frequently recalled it in several of his movies. While THE UNKNOWN (also 1927) with Lon Chaney and a young Joan Crawford is much better known, THE SHOW proves that it was Browning who transformed the performers rather than the other way around. John Gilbert was MGM's biggest star at the time. He specialized in romantic leads and yet here is transformed into the highly unglamorous yet still seductive Cock Robin (how's that for a name!) who does a number of very unromantic things. He is again paired with French actress Rene Adoree (his co-star in the hugely successful THE BIG PARADE) and a younger Lionel Barrymore who strangely resembles Jared Harris here. None of the principal characters are really likeable but they engage you.

THE SHOW showcases Browning at his stylistic peak. Shadows prevail, the characters' body language is extraordinary, and the faces (especially Barrymore's) are devilish and malevolent. The camerawork is remarkable and the film is edited for maximum impact. Fortunately, after being lost for many years, the TCM print is in very good shape and the new background score is suitably appropriate. The simple story is straightforward enough. Street criminal Barrymore loves carnival performer Adoree who loves fellow performer Gilbert who loves only money. Of special interest is seeing how the carnival illusions are carried out as the story of Salome is re-enacted (take a close look at the cover) on a side show stage. It isn't his best, but THE SHOW has proven to be my favorite Tod Browning silent movie...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.