So I deviated from my normal course. All of the previous movies I've reviewed are from the Drive-In Movie Classics 50 Pack so last night I decided to try something new and broke out the Comedy Classics 50 Pack. That's when I realized my problem.
The Drive-In Classics movies are generally pretty bad. They range from "so bad they're good" to "so bad they're almost unwatchable". I've seen 2 of 12 DVDs in the Comedy Classics pack in the past and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. I like old timey things, and I'm not exactly sure why. Early cinema fascinates me, but so does the early 19th century in general. You're talking to a guy whose favorite "attraction" at Disneyland is the Penny Arcade on Main Street, followed closely by the old time theater which shows old Disney shorts. Hell, you're talking to a guy whose last.fm is currently playing the Boswell Sisters.
Why am I telling you this? Mostly because I'm wondering if I can write an objective review on something I'm so enamored with. The answer is probably no, but I'm going to go ahead and give it a try. On with the show.
The Smallest Show on Earth is a good movie, and I'm not saying that just because of everything I said above. It truly is a good movie.
Jean and Matt Spenser receive a letter telling them that Matt's uncle has died and left Matt The Bijou, his movie theater. They head off on the first train to the city to claim their inheritance. Well the movie would be fairly boring if the theater was in pristine condition and everything was running well, thankfully for us it's not. The Bijou is nicknamed "The Flea Pit", and is currently being run by three very eccentric workers. One of them being Peter Sellers... how can you not love Peter Sellers?
So the movie theater is a bust, but they're hope is restored when they learn that the villainous man who owns the other theater in town once offered the uncle 5000 pounds for his theater. Except now he's only offering 500... so they hatch a plan. If they can pretend that they're going to reopen the The Bijou perhaps they can get him to sell at higher price rather than compete for customers. Unfortunately their plan is discovered before they can even get it off the ground. So they come up with a new plan... what if they actually open the theater?
I'm not going to spoil anymore of the movie because you might actually want to see this one. Sure, it's not the funniest movie I've ever seen and it's certainly not Peter Sellers greatest role, but it's a good movie. Everyone in it is very good, and overall it has some very funny parts. If you don't enjoy old comedies and their humor you probably won't enjoy the movie as much as I did, but if you do I think you'll enjoy this movie.
Squid.
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