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A Thousand Clowns

  • 19651965
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
22,974
69
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
POPULARITY
22,974
69
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Fred Coe
    • Writer
      • Herb Gardner(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jason Robards
      • Barbara Harris
      • Martin Balsam
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Fred Coe
    • Writer
      • Herb Gardner(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jason Robards
      • Barbara Harris
      • Martin Balsam
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 80User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 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

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This movie features a scene where Jason Robards walks in front of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during its construction.
    • 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 reviews80

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    I Tried to be Murray Burns, but I Did Snap Out of it!
    I first saw it years ago as an idealistic college student who did not want to become one of the great gray working millions, saddled with a job I didn't like, a huge mortgage, etc.. At that time, I fell in love with the movie and the characters. That's the problem. The movie cast a spell over me and sprinkled some weird kind of fairy dust over me. I wanted to be Murray Burns: a nonconformist, a smart ass, a non-contributor, a guy who ALWAYS did ONLY what HE ALONE wanted to do. And so, for a few years, that's what I did.

    Those years, I must admit, were not very happy ones for me. Self-indulgence is a dead-end. I needed to be working hard, towards a goal, with a family, for me to feel truly fulfilled. And I think that is the case with most of us.

    Murray Burns and his world are totally unrealistic AND unhealthy. Do not try to emulate him. It is a trap and a prison. It's like smoking dope all the time: you lose your drive and you increase your cynicism.

    But perhaps I'm being too serious. Murray does have the kid, and he seems to fall in love at the end, so maybe there is hope for him. The movie has some great lines and funny characters. The black and white scenes of NYNY in the 1960's are wonderful, Martin Balsam as Murray's brother is one of our greatest actors, Barbara Harris is great, William Daniels is great, Barry Gordon as Rafael Sabattini, etc., is great.

    See it and enjoy it but don't take it to heart like I did.

    Alexander Hamilton imitations???
    helpful•31
    13
    • givnaw
    • Oct 10, 2002

    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
    • 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

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