THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH

UK, 1957, 81 minutes, Black and White.
Bill Travers, Virginia Mc Kenna, Leslie Phillips, Peter Sellers, Margaret Rutherford, Bernard Miles.
Directed by Basil Dearden

The Smallest Show on Earth is an entertaining comedy, nostalgia for the days of the movie theatres, even those called, as in this film, The Flea Pit.

The film was written by William Rose, an American who made an impact in British cinema in the 1950s with such films as Genevieve, The Maggie. In the United States he wrote screenplays for such films as It’s a Mad Mad World, The Russians Are Coming and won an Oscar for the screenplay for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

Real-life couple, Virginia Mc Kenna and Bill Travers (Born Free, The Barretts of Wimpole Street) inherit the old movie theatre only to find that it is debt-ridden and run by a group of old eccentrics led by Margaret Rutherford. Also on hand are Peter Sellers and Bernard Miles as well as a young Leslie Phillips. Sid James is there as well.

The film is humorous, relies very much on the screen presence of its stars. It was directed by Basil Dearden who directed many serious films including The Blue Lamp, The Square Ring, The Gentle Gunman, Sapphire, Victim, Life for Ruth. His few comedies include this film, The League of Gentlemen and Only When I Larf. He also directed the big-budget Khartoum.

1. This film in the British comic tradition and style? Its quality?

2. Comment on its brevity, black and white photography, its use of city locations and the presentation of the cinemas, the characterizations for comedy, the parody of ordinary situations? The quality of these contributions to comedy?

3. The irony of the title, the reference to circuses, indication of themes with an ironic and parody touch?

4. The presentation of Matt and Jean as the conventional hero and heroine, their straight forward characterizations and style, the comic situations in which they were placed? The presentation of marriage relationship, domestic comedy and situations and crises, work and money investment, feelings, love and anger? The presentation of the two as normal, for audience sympathy, a background for the comic characters?

5. The presentation of the Bijou Theatre, the old traditions of cinema and cinema-going that it represented, in England, in the town? Its look, its surroundings, its atmosphere, the humour in the way the films were projected, the type of audience that went, the way that they enjoyed films, audiences identifying with this ordinary looking cinema-going audience? Part of the comedy?

6. The humour of the visual presentation of the sessions, the screenings, things going wrong, the contribution of the staff?

7. How was the irony accentuated by the contrast with the Grand Theatre, its owners, their programmes, the appeal to the public, the lavish nature of the theatre, the various deals, the highhanded approach to Matt and Jean, the sabotage? Ironic elements of comedy and social comment?

8. The particular humour in the trio of the staff of the Bijou, as comic types, viewed with affection, presented in comedy situation and dialogue? What did Mr. Quill represent, the old-fashioned projectionist, Peter Sellers' style of impersonation, his drinking etc.? Old Tom and his shyness, and yet his saving the day by sabotage? Mrs. Fasackalee and Margaret Rutherford's
style, the humour of the lady who sells the tickets, her self-importance, awareness of her job? Her treatment of people? Which were the best humorous scenes in which these characters appeared?

9. The people of the town, the people who came to see the films, their reactions? Especially in view of the type of film shown, the traditions of Hollywood and the conventions of films and people's reactions?

10. The film as an example of British comedy in the fifties, a look at British characters and tradition, sentiment, the British working classes and moneyed classes, money etc.? How valid is social comment through comedy?