Trying to follow in his father's footsteps, the son of an ex-acrobat runs off and joins a circus, getting a job cleaning up after the animals.
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Title: The Circus Clown (1934)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Joe E. Brown | ... | Happy Howard | |
| Patricia Ellis | ... | Alice | |
| Dorothy Burgess | ... | Babe | |
| Don Dillaway | ... | Jack | |
| Gordon Westcott | ... | Frank | |
| Charles C. Wilson | ... | Sheldon (as Charles Wilson) | |
| Harry Woods | ... | Ajax | |
| Ronnie Cosby | ... | Dickie | |
| John Sheehan | ... | Moxley | |
| Spencer Charters | ... | Kingsley | |
| Tom Dugan | ... | Mac (scenes deleted) | |
| Earle Hodgins | ... | Circus Barker | |
 |
Gordon Evans | ... | Undetermined Role |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Trying to follow in his father's footsteps, the son of an ex-acrobat runs off and joins a circus, getting a job cleaning up after the animals.
Genres:
ComedyParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
30 June 1934 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Sawdust See more »Filming Locations:
Al G. Barnes Circus, El Monte, California, USACompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
(Turner library print)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(1912) (uncredited)
Music by Abe Holzmann
Played during the overhead shot of the circus after the trampoline scene
Also played the first time Ajax is performing his knife-throwing act
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Did You Know?
Trivia
A few cast members in studio records/casting call lists for this movie were not seen in the final print. These were (with their character names, if any): Bobby Caldwell (Happy as a Boy), William Demarest (Ringmaster), and William B. Davidson. Tom Dugan was also not seen in the print, but he was credited in position 11 as "Mac." See more »Soundtracks
Spirit of Independence(1912) (uncredited)
Music by Abe Holzmann
Played during the overhead shot of the circus after the trampoline scene
Also played the first time Ajax is performing his knife-throwing act
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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A pretty aerialist doesn't know that THE CIRCUS CLOWN who's taken her drunken brother's place on the trapeze is actually the goofy animal keeper who loves her.
Comic Joe E. Brown is in his element in the fantasy world of the circus. Not only does he get to play two roles--father & son--he also performs difficult & dangerous stunts on the trapeze, proves himself most proficient on the trampoline and works with lions, elephants and one very large hippo. In addition, Brown acts as the target for a highly jealous knife thrower. In short, he has a marvelous time, and, with the help of good production values and a little touch of sweet sentiment, he brings the viewers along for the fun.
In a story wrinkle which strangely forecasts Brown's involvement in SOME LIKE IT HOT decades later, Joe suffers a rather bizarre but heartfelt infatuation for a female impersonator, played by Donald Dilloway. Patricia Ellis provides the more acceptable romantics as the fetching high flyer.
Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Ward Bond as an unwisely opinionated spectator at the end of the film.