We bring you the circus.
The pied piper, whose magic tunes
lead children of all ages, from 6 to 60,
into a tinsel and spun-candy world
of reckless beauty
and mounting laughter, whirling thrills,
the rhythm, excitement and grace
of daring and blaring and dance,
of high-stepping horses
and high-flying stars.
But behind all this,
the circus is a massive machine
whose very life depends on
discipline, motion and speed.
A mechanized army on wheels
that rolls over any obstacle in its path,
that meets calamity again and again,
but always comes up smiling.
A place where disaster and tragedy
stalk the big top,
haunt the backyard
and ride the circus train,
where death is constantly watching
for one frayed rope, one weak link,
or one trace of fear.
A fierce, primitive fighting force
that smashes relentlessly forward
against impossible odds,
that is the circus.
And this is the story
of the biggest of the big tops
and of the men and women who fight
to make it the greatest show on earth.
- Morning, Mr Braden.
- Morning, Nick.
- When's the new hor'se arriving, Brad?
- Tomorrow, Chuck.
Dont rub them thin, Jimmy.
Tho'se bell's are 60 year's old.
Theyve rung in 'some good 'show's.
- Hi.
- Hi, Mr Braden.
How are the kid's?
Oh, ju'st fine, except they were playing
with Randy Concello a few day's ago.
That's nice.
Ye's, but Randy came down
with the mump's thi's morning.
What? No. Any 'sign's?
No, not yet,
but baby gorilla's do get the mump's.
Ill have Higgin's give them
a 'shot of immune 'serum
and double their cod liver oil.
Give them plenty of 'spinach.
You 'stay healthy now, boy, you hear?
Say, i's it true were only gonna play
a 'short 'sea'son thi's year?
Dont believe all you hear.
- See?
- Go back to Mama now.
I told you there wa's nothing to it.
- How's Myrtle?
- Stomach.
Give her 'some gin and ginger.
- Any new's about a full 'sea'son?
- Youll get a full 'sea'son.
Be 'sure Myrtle get's all the gin.
- Same old trouble?
- Yeah. Sore throat. All of it.
Well, get a billiard cue and 'swab it out.
Better feed your bird, Lou.
Hey, Brad, Betty in the cookhou'se 'said
were only gonna play
the big citie's thi's year.
And then clo'se up like a mi'ser's heart.
Well, if theyre giving odd's,
bet a buck for me.
Why the rehear'sal
ju'st for makeup, Brad?
Becau'se you left off your eyela'she's
la'st performance la'st 'sea'son.
Youre gonna need an extra 'shoe
walking back from Kalamazoo.
Im 'suppo'sed to be
looking for you, Brad.
Well, are you 'suppo'sed to find me?
Big bra's's hollering for you up front.
You found me.
Hey, Brad, thi's might help.
Too 'small.
Skim off the cream.
Let the little 'show's 'scramble
for the thin milk.
Dont forget what circu's day mean's
to a 'small town.
John North, youre ju'st
'soft about the circu's.
It's 'suicide to play
thi's whole tour thi's year.
- You gonna tell that to Brad?
- Ye's.
A good circu's bo's's carrie's out order's.
My vote i's 10 week's
and back to Sara'sota.
But for 80 year's...
That order about keeping the ground's
clean goe's for the top bra's's, too.
- Hi, Brad. Im 'sorry about that.
- Good morning.
Ive 'seen happier head's on cane's.
We 'sent for you, Brad, to tell you
weve got to pa's's up
the 'small citie's and town's.
- Time's have changed.
- Kid's havent.
- Price's have.
- Well 'stay in the black.
You hope.
Look, Brad,
here's the tour for thi's 'sea'son.
That's only 10 week's.
Sixty percent of our money come's
from the big citie's in the fir'st 10 week's.
The world's up'side down, Brad.
We cant take the ri'sk...
Our people ri'sk their neck's twice a day.
Well have a 'short 'sea'son,
no red ink and no trouble.
Trouble's part of the circu's.
They 'said Barnum wa's in trouble
when he lo'st Tom Thumb.
They 'said he wa's through
when Jumbo died.
Were the greate'st 'show on earth, and
you cant put 1,400 people out of work
becau'se the world ha's a 'stomach ache.
And you cant