The Day the Clown Cried (1972)

User Rating:

(awaiting 5 votes)

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Joan O'Brien (story) and
Charles Denton (story) ...

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A circus clown is imprisoned by the Nazis and goes with Jewish children to their deaths.

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Nazi | Unreleased Film | Holocaust | Based On Novel

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Helmut Doork
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Ahlm	...	1st New Prisoner
Lars Amble	...	Guard
Harriet Andersson	...	Ada Doork
Jonas Bergström	...	Franz
Claude Bolling
Tomas Bolme	...	Adolf
Curt Broberg	...	Galt
Bo Brundin	...	Ludwig
Johnny Cacao
Anton Diffring	...	Captain Curt Runkel
Pierre Étaix
Victor Fratellini
Serge Gainsbourg
Michel Garland
Ronald F. Hoiseck	...	Uhlmann
Sven Lindberg
Lars Lind	...	2nd New Prisoner
Åke Lindman	...	Stout Prisoner
Michael Mansson	...	Prisoner
Sandy Mansson	...	Prisoner
Armand Mestral
Fredrik Ohlsson	...	Herman
Ulf Palme	...	Johann Keltner
Roberto

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Europa Studios, Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Trivia:

Jerry Lewis lost close to 40 pounds to play the role.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Brother's Light (2002)

"Open the vault, Jerry"

No, I haven't seen "The Day the Clown Cried." For years, though, I've heard about it. There have been many articles and evaluations made in terms of its quality--judgments sometimes from others who haven't seen the film either.

I tend to agree with registered IMDb member "dvdtrkr," in stating that all these opinions don't mean much, and are irrelevant next to the opportunity for at least a portion of the public to judge for themselves. He suggests a festival or special engagement occasion as an appropriate venue.

As for controversy, if they could release "Birth of a Nation" and "Triumph of the Will," it seems that this little effort by Jerry could be seen without "demoralizing" its viewers.

Besides, look who heads the cast: the fine, accomplished Harriet Anderson, one of Ingmar Bergman's protégés, for whom he especially wrote "Sommared me Monika' ('53) and later starred her in some his best works: "Gycklaras afton" ('53) "Sasom i en spegel" ('61) and "Fanny och Alexander" ('83).

Lewis managed to amass a considerable audience, both in the U. S. and abroad, with his cinematic efforts. The French took him very seriously as a comedic craftsman, and here's a chance to view a different side of him--significant if only for research/historical purposes . . . completing the portrait of an artist.

So, it's time to open up that vault where the film lies dormant, for a special festival viewing of a work that Lewis not only considered making--but actually took the time, energy and money to bring it to near-final fruition.