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The Circus Clippings 200/376

Film Daily, New York, January 22, 1928.

Strand Theatre, exterior by day, marquee „No No Nanette,“

New York, 1930, broadwayworld.com 

„Large harlequin heads, peeking through the curtain“

Editorial content. „Novel Animal Prologue

      at Strand for Circus  

      Mechanical menagerie is the prologue used by Joseph

Plunkett for The Circus at the Mark Strand, New York,

consisting of a menagerie that is entirely mechanical with each

of the 12 animals being of full size and very life-like

in movement.

      In the menagerie, each standing on a suitable pedestal,

are a zebra, giraffe, ape, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tiger, bison,

bear, camel, kangaroo, a white elephant and a baby

elephant. The animals were made by Messmore & Damon

and were authenticated by the American Academy

of Natural History. Their life-strike movements are controlled

by electric motors, and each works independently

of the others.

      The only live thing on the stage is the ring master,

in regulation circus costume, white pants, red coat and long

whip, who poses as an automaton, whipping the

animals into action. From him is supposed to come the

ballyhoo, which precedes the showing of the

picture, but which really is said from back stage through

amplifiers placed throughout the theater and which

further gives the impression of being mechanical.

      On either side of the proscenium arch, near the base,

Plunkett has placed large harlequin heads, peeking

through the curtain, and still in front of these are big clown

heads and spinning tops. These are all spotted from

the front.“

      Strand Theatre, 1579 B‘way (at 47th St.), New York.

      The Circus is released by United

      Artists in New York January 6, 1928.

Redaktioneller Inhalt

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