I'm delighted to read on this site that this wonderful, and now little-known movie has a community of devoted fans. So here's my interpretation of the resolution. An important theme is Nick's coming of age. He's twelve, almost bar mitzvah age, when a Jewish boy becomes a man. He's trying on different identities, demonstrated by his trying on different names. Near the end of the play, he adopts the name "Murray", but his uncle is not happy about this, realizing that maybe "Murray" isn't the best role model, although he has done his best to inculcate the free spirit thing in his nephew. The turning point comes at the visit of Leo Herman (Chuckles) with his cardboard statue. Nick turns on the phony condescending Leo and urges Murray not to compromise. At this point, Murray understands that he has taught Nick well. Nick now knows what it is to be human. And now that Nick has come of age as a fully aware human, it's okay for Murray to go back to work.
Review of A Thousand Clowns
