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Circus Today
Directed by Tex Avery
Release Date:
June 22, 1940
Main Character(s):
None
Summary:
A series of gags at the circus.
That’s Not All, Folks:
The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “It Looks Like a Big Night Tonight” played under the opening credits:
Supervision: Fred Avery
Story: Jack Miller
Animation: Sid Sutherland
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling
Additionally, the original title card also exists, albeit in poor quality.
Several performers are named after staff members. Gamer the Glutton is named after effects animator AC Gamer, Captain Clampett is obviously named after Bob Clampett, Hot Foot Hogan is named after storyman Rich Hogan, and lion tamer Clyde Binder is named after Henry Binder.
What I Like About This One:
A balloon salesman selling balloons not realizing he’s walking in mid-air until he looks down and yells, “HELP!” upon realizing where he is.
Gamer the Glutton eating every utensil possible and as he takes his bows and walks away, everything rattles inside his stomach.
Hot Foot Hogan has done the act of walking across a bed of hot coals in his bare feet 10 times daily for the past 17 years. As he starts to walk across, he shouts in pain all the way.
Captain Clampett, the human cannonball being shot out all around the world and coming back seconds later with his rear end covered in travel stickers.
A man attempting to feed a monkey which is against the rules. But the monkey is a stickler for the rules and yells for the police about a lawbreaker.
A stork getting yet another call from Eddie Cantor asking him for a boy.
A seemingly mean gorilla (“200 pounds of hate and fury”) walking up to the camera menacingly before asking in a friendly tone, “How do you do?”
The “Flying Cadenzas” flying around like birds. When doing a trapeze act, one of the Cadenzas fails to catch another Cadenza on the trapeze and crashes to the ground offscreen. The Cadenza then sadly hangs up a “Partner Wanted” sign on the trapeze.
Stunt rider Dixie Dare losing her teeth when attempting to catch a handkerchief with said teeth.
Lion tamer Clyde Binder getting so much applause after putting his head in the lion’s mouth that the lion then puts his head in the tamer’s mouth.
The elephant trainer, Professor Ignatz Ignatzavich being attached to the end of the elephants via his teeth. He then attempts to perform a dangerous stunt by having one of the elephants sit on his head. But the elephant can’t go through with it and breaks down, sobbing.
In the final gag, Count Morris Leapoff goes up to perform a high-diving act. The band plays an appropriate tune as Leapoff makes his way up to the ladder and then play a drum roll once he jumps off. After the end result happens offscreen, the bandleader tells the trumpet player, Joe, to “take it”. The band players sadly remove their hats as Joe plays “Taps”, implying that Leapoff missed the tank.
Where Can I Watch It?
At archive.org!
Carrot Rating:
🥕🥕🥕🥕