Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

A Thousand Clowns

  • 19651965
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
A Thousand Clowns (1965)
ComedyDramaRomance
A middle-aged iconoclast, doggedly avoiding the tedium of employment and conventional life, faces the prospect of losing custody of his young ward.A middle-aged iconoclast, doggedly avoiding the tedium of employment and conventional life, faces the prospect of losing custody of his young ward.A middle-aged iconoclast, doggedly avoiding the tedium of employment and conventional life, faces the prospect of losing custody of his young ward.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Fred Coe
  • Writer
    • Herb Gardner(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jason Robards
    • Barbara Harris
    • Martin Balsam
  • Director
    • Fred Coe
  • Writer
    • Herb Gardner(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jason Robards
    • Barbara Harris
    • Martin Balsam
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 82User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 7 nominations total

    Photos14

    "Thousand Clowns, A" Jason Robards, Barry Gordon 1965 UA / MPTV
    Barbara Harris in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barbara Harris in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barbara Harris in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barbara Harris in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barbara Harris in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barry Gordon in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barry Gordon in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Jason Robards and Barry Gordon in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    William Daniels in A Thousand Clowns (1965)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jason Robards
    Jason Robards
    • Murray
    Barbara Harris
    Barbara Harris
    • Sandra
    Martin Balsam
    Martin Balsam
    • Arnold
    Gene Saks
    Gene Saks
    • Leo
    William Daniels
    William Daniels
    • Albert
    Philip Bruns
    Philip Bruns
    • The Man in the Restaurant
    • (as Phil Bruns)
    John McMartin
    John McMartin
    • The Man in the Office
    • (as John MacMartin)
    Barry Gordon
    Barry Gordon
    • Nick Burns…
    Garrett Cassell
    • News Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    Barry Pearl
    Barry Pearl
    • Nick Burns' Double
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Fred Coe
    • Writer
      • Herb Gardner(screenplay) (based on his original play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Ship of Fools
    7.0
    Ship of Fools
    Sons and Lovers
    7.1
    Sons and Lovers
    Darling
    7.0
    Darling
    The Dresser
    7.5
    The Dresser
    A Patch of Blue
    8.0
    A Patch of Blue
    The V.I.P.s
    6.3
    The V.I.P.s
    Rachel, Rachel
    7.1
    Rachel, Rachel
    The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming
    7.0
    The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming
    Becket
    7.8
    Becket
    The Pawnbroker
    7.7
    The Pawnbroker
    A Touch of Class
    6.5
    A Touch of Class
    America America
    7.7
    America America

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Two of the names Nick adopted temporarily are those of specific real people. Dr. Morris Fishbein was the very controversial editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) from 1924 to 1950. In 1947 Time Magazine described him as "the nation's most ubiquitous, the most widely maligned, and perhaps most influential medico." Rafael Sabatini was an author, and a few of his most popular novels were adapted for film. These films include Captain Blood (1935) and Scaramouche (1952).
    • Goofs
      After Leo leaves the apartment, two different cardboard cutouts of him are used, with different facial appearances.
    • Quotes

      Murray: I just want him to stay with me until I can be sure he won't turn into Norman Nothing. I want to be sure he'll know when he's chickening out on himself. I want him to get to know exactly the special thing he is or else he won't notice it when it starts to go. I want him to stay awake and know who the phonies are, I want him to know how to holler and put up an argument, I want a little guts to show before I can let him go. I want to be sure he sees all the wild possibilities. I want him to know it's worth all the trouble just to give the world a little goosing when you get the chance. And I want him to know the subtle, sneaky, important reason why he was born a human being and not a chair.

    • Crazy credits
      In opening credits: and introducing Barry Gordon as Nick. In the end credits, Gordon is credited to all the different names his character has tried: Nick Burns, Wilbur Malcome Burns, Theodore Burns, Raphael Sabatini, Dr. Morris Fishbein, Woodrow Burns, Chevrolet Burns, Big Sam Burns and Lefty Burns. In the film, however, he is called Nick, Nicky, and Nicholas.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      A Thousand Clowns
      (1965)

      Written by Judy Holliday and Gerry Mulligan

      Sung by Rita Gardner

      [Played before the opening titles]

    User reviews82

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    one of the great ones
    A choice movie, and an original. The writing is sharp, the characters well played. Highlight is Martin Balsam's defense of "getting along," climaxing in "I am the best possible Arnold Burns." Robards holds it all together, but the supporting cast, especially Daniels and Sax, deserve lots of credit. And of course young Barry Gordon was perfect. Movie makers everywhere take note: It's the script, stupid!
    helpful•37
    4
    • Fred-36
    • Sep 9, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 9, 1966 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tausend Clowns
    • Filming locations
      • Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - Columbus Avenue & 61st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(construction site)
    • Production company
      • Harrell
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,232,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    A Thousand Clowns (1965)
    Top Gap
    By what name was A Thousand Clowns (1965) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.