The Show (1927 film)

1927 film

The Show

Film poster

Directed by| Tod Browning
Written by| Joseph Farnham
Screenplay by| Waldemar Young
Based on| The Day of Souls
by Charles Tenney Jackson
Produced by| Tod Browning
Starring| John Gilbert
Renée Adorée
Lionel Barrymore
Zalla Zarana
Cinematography| John Arnold
Edited by| Errol Taggart
Distributed by| MGM

Release date

* January 22, 1927 (1927-01-22)

Running time

| 76 minutes
Country| United States
Language| Silent (English intertitles)

The Show is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Tod Browning, based upon Charles Tenney Jackson's 1910 novel The Day of Souls.[1][2][3]

Full film

## Plot

[edit]

Cock Robin (John Gilbert) is a sideshow barker in Budapest. He also participates in one of the acts; his former girlfriend Salome (Renée Adorée) dances before Herod in exchange for the head of "Jokanaan". As Jokanaan, Robin has his head seemingly chopped off and presented to the dancer on a platter, much to the delight of the audience.

Salome wants to get back together with Robin, but he has his sights set on Lena (Gertrude Short), the daughter of a well-off sheep merchant. He lets the smitten Lena buy him things. The Greek (Lionel Barrymore), Salome's current boyfriend, becomes angered when he learns of her feelings. The Greek and his henchman, the Ferret, also try to steal Lena's father's money, but fail to find it after they murder him.

That night, a heartbroken Lena tells Robin that her father has been killed. She trustingly shows him the substantial amount of money she had been holding for her father; when Robin ascertains that she has no brothers and that she has many more sheep, he becomes very interested. However, Salome eavesdrops, bursts in and warns Lena that Robin is only after her for her wealth. Lena flees, without her money. Robin is furious and can barely restrain himself from beating Salome.

When Lena shows up at the sideshow with a policeman, Salome has Robin hide in her attic. One day, an old blind man (Edward Connelly), another resident of the building, comes to Salome to have her read to him another letter from his son; Salome tells him that the man has been promoted to captain and received a decoration. She assures the old man that his son will return someday with his regiment. Later, however, she reveals to Robin that the son is actually in the prison across the street, scheduled to be hanged the next morning. That morning, the old man hears voices in Salome's room and assumes his son has finally come home. Bursting with joy, he mistakes Robin for his son and takes him to his room, where he puts on his old uniform. Then, just after his real son is executed, he passes away.

The Greek first tries to rid himself of his romantic rival by taking the place of the "executioner" and using a real sword to lop off Robin's head, but Salome sees through his disguise and stops him. When Robin goes into hiding, the Greek steals another sideshow attraction, a poisonous lizard, and plants it in Salome's attic.

An official calls on Salome to inform her that she can claim her brother's possessions at the prison; Robin then realizes that the old man was her father. Thoroughly ashamed of himself, Robin reconciles with her. However, the official had spotted him hiding behind the door. When a policeman comes to arrest him, Robin hides in the attic, where the Greek has also been trapped. In the ensuing scuffle, the Greek is bitten by the lizard. Robin takes the money from his dead body and gives it to the policeman. For returning it voluntarily, Robin is let off. He and Salome return to the sideshow. When next they perform the act, she kisses him while his head is on the platter.

## Cast

[edit]

* John Gilbert as Cock Robin
* Renée Adorée as Salome
* Lionel Barrymore as The Greek
* Edward Connelly as The Soldier
* Gertrude Short as Lena
* Andy MacLennan as The Ferret, The Greek's Henchman
* Agostino Borgato as Snake Oil Salesman (uncredited)
* Betty Boyd as Neptuna, Mermaids Queen (uncredited)
* Barbara Bozoky as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* Jules Cowles as Robin's Dressing Aide (uncredited)
* Jacqueline Gadsden as Blonde Barmaid (uncredited)
* Cecil Holland as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* Bobbie Mack as Sideshow Spectator (uncredited)
* Ida May as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* Polly Moran as Lady in front in carnival crowd (uncredited)
* Russ Powell as Konrad Driskai, Lena's Father (uncredited)
* Francis Powers as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* Billy Seay as Little Boy (uncredited)
* Dorothy Seay as Little Girl (uncredited)
* Dorothy Sebastian as Salvation Army Worker (uncredited)
* Eddie Sturgis as Man bitten at snakeshow (uncredited)
* Edna Tichenor as Arachnida, The Human-Spider (uncredited)
* Kit Wain as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* Zalla Zarana as Zela, the Half-Lady (uncredited)

## Preservation

[edit]

A print of The Show was donated by MGM to the George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Lionel Barrymore filmography

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Progressive Silent Film List: The Show". Silent Era. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
2. ^ "Tod Browning's The Show (1927)". 366weirdmovies. May 26, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
3. ^ "The Show (1927)". Silent Movie Crazy. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
4. ^ Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: The Show

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Show (1927 film).

* The Show at IMDb
* The Show is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* The Show at the TCM Movie Database
* The Show at AllMovie
* The Show at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* The Show (1927) on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Tod Browning

1910s|

* The Lucky Transfer (1915)
* The Slave Girl (1915)
* An Image of the Past (1915)
* The Highbinders (1915)
* The Story of a Story (1915)
* The Spell of the Poppy (1915)
* The Electric Alarm (1915)
* The Living Death (1915)
* The Burned Hand (1915)
* The Woman from Warren's (1915)
* Little Marie (1915)
* The Fatal Glass of Beer (1916)
* Everybody's Doing It (1916)
* Puppets (1916)
* Jim Bludso (1917)
* A Love Sublime (1917)
* Hands Up! (1917)
* Peggy, the Will O' the Wisp (1917)
* The Jury of Fate (1917)
* The Legion of Death (1918)
* The Eyes of Mystery (1918)
* Revenge (1918)
* Which Woman? (1918)
* The Deciding Kiss (1918)
* The Brazen Beauty (1918)
* Set Free (1918)
* The Wicked Darling (1919)
* The Exquisite Thief (1919)
* The Unpainted Woman (1919)
* The Petal on the Current (1919)
* Bonnie, Bonnie Lassie (1919)

1920s|

* The Virgin of Stamboul (1920)
* Outside the Law (1920)
* No Woman Knows (1921)
* The Wise Kid (1922)
* Man Under Cover (1922)
* Under Two Flags (1922)
* Drifting (1923)
* The Day of Faith (1923)
* White Tiger (1923)
* The Dangerous Flirt (1924)
* Silk Stocking Sal (1924)
* The Unholy Three (1925)
* The Mystic (1925)
* Dollar Down (1925)
* The Blackbird (1926)
* The Road to Mandalay (1926)
* The Show (1927)
* The Unknown (1927)
* London After Midnight (1927)
* The Big City (1928)
* West of Zanzibar (1928)
* Where East Is East (1929)
* The Thirteenth Chair (1929)

1930s|

* Outside the Law (1930)
* Dracula (1931)
* Iron Man (1931)
* Freaks (1932)
* Fast Workers (1933)
* Mark of the Vampire (1935)
* The Devil-Doll (1936)
* Miracles for Sale (1939)

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