The Day the Clown Cried (clown concentration camp film) to be screened?

[Terry Torpid]

I'm sure many CaBbers are familiar with legend of the notoriously ill-conceived Jerry Lewis film about a clown who gets sent to a concentration camp and ends up leading kids into the gas chamber. Deemed so bad it was abandoned, never to be seen again, attaining a near mythical status in the meantime. Well, supposedly a roadblock has been lifted, and they're finally showing it (possibly).

https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2024/01/05/jerry-lewis/

One of cinema's most sought-after films is set to be screened in public for the first time.

Comedian Jerry Lewis's controversial holocaust film The Day the Clown Cried, shot in 1972 but never released due to myriad issues with the production, has never been made available in any form, leading the project to reach mythical status in the global film community.

Several years before he died in 2017, a copy was given to the Library of Congress in the US with an agreement it could not be screened in any capacity until this year, though it has since been reported that it may be a rough version.

No details have been announced however, film archivists told New York Post the screening would be held at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Centre, Virginia in June of 2024.

Okay, it's not a complete version, and it's going into wide release. It'll be screened to a select crowd of film buffs in some storage facility, and I can only find this one vague article from a site I've never heard of, so wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing falls through. But maybe it'll find its way out in future. It sounds like a fascinating disaster.

[Dex Sawash]

If you turn sound down and play ICP's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers it is like really trippy

[BlodwynPig]

5 bags of popcorn and a little baby hitler statuette.

[Pink Gregory]

5 bags of popcorn and a little baby hitler statuette.

hey guys

[dissolute ocelot]

It'd be funny if it was just Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful with Lewis's face crudely edited in on top, Ricky Gervais style.

Or if it was a musical. Maybe Bob Hope played Hitler. Is Dyanne Thorne in it at all?

[Ferris]

I think this has been on the books/wikipedia article for a while, I was familiar with it anyway.

It'll either a) not happen, or b) happen but it'll be for a small cadre of celebs and wealthy industry insiders, and unless you're one of them it'll remain an unseen mystery. Sort of like the inside of the Groucho club or Epstein's island.

I mean, people have seen it. Harry Shearer saw a rough cut in the '80s I think. It exists and I assumed it would always get leaked/released eventually so was waiting on that. Maybe this is the catalyst though, Tarantino and co coming out of the screening and publicly saying "oh it's not that bad actually" and convincing Louis' relatives to put out a DVD.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I'm sure many CaBbers are familiar with legend of the notoriously ill-conceived Jerry Lewis film about a clown who gets sent to a concentration camp and ends up leading kids into the gas chamber.

I have to say I'd never heard about that last bit before!

[Terry Torpid]

I have to say I'd never heard about that last bit before!

It's the most notorious bit. Apparently he takes on a sort of reluctant pied piper role, trying to entertain them as he knows they're facing certain death. He leads them into the "showers", but he's so remorseful he stays with them till the end.

[Terry Torpid]

Okay, it's not a complete version, and it's going into wide release.

Typo: I meant not going into wide release.

I've found the script online. I'd heard how it ended, but reading the actual words is astounding. It's unimaginably dreadful.

INT. CHILDRENS' HUT - DAY

    ANGLE to the door, where Helmut stands wearing an enormous
    grin.  The children are about the barren room in little
    groups.  When they see Helmut, they leap up and run to him,
    clinging to him as he closes the door behind him and moves
    into the room.

                  CHILDREN
        Doork, Doork, you came back.  You
        came back.  We thought you'd left
        us.  Don't leave us, Doork.

    The children continue to ad lib expressions of mingled fear
    and delight at his return.  Helmut goes among them, patting
    their heads comfortingly.

                  HELMUT
        There.  There.  It's all right. It's
        all right.  Everything is going to
        be all right.

    When the youngsters are calmed, Helmut holds up his hands
    for silence.

                  HELMUT
        Now I want everyone to put on a big
        smile and sit down, because we're
        going to have more fun than we've
        ever had.

    Slowly, still unconvinced that they have nothing to fear,
    the children sit on the floor.

                  HELMUT
        Good.  We'll start by seeing that we
        all have our names on our heads.

    The children begin to lower their heads so Helmut can check
    to see if their names are still there.

                  HELMUT
            (as he moves among
            them)
        Yes, yes.  There's Fritz, Maria,
        Sadie, Inga, Josef, Nathan, Helga,
        Willie...

    The little girl with the rag doll holds up the doll for Helmut
    to see.

                  HELMUT
        Ah, yes, Frederika!  Good.  I see
        all of your names.

    This is almost too much for Helmut, but he manages to control
    himself by turning away for a beat.  Then he turns back to
    the children, his big smile back in place.

                  HELMUT
        Now... on with the show.  Just watch
        this.

                                  CUT TO:

    PAN SHOT - CHILDREN

    Their little faces are troubled, worried.

                              DISSOLVE TO:

    PAN SHOT - CHILDREN

    It is a half hour later, and now the children are laughing
    at something Helmut is doing o.s.  The CAMERA PULLS BACK to --

    MED. SHOT - THE GROUP

    Helmut is walking an imaginary tightrope.  Every few steps
    he almost loses his balance, but with comical gyrations he
    manages to complete the walk.  He bows deeply to the children --
    and falls flat on his face.  The youngsters laugh, applaud
    and squeal delightedly.

    TWO SHOT - HELMUT, WILLIE

    Helmut is lying on the floor near the boy.  He looks up at
    the tot and grins.

                  WILLIE
        Doork!  Doork... you're great !

    Helmut grabs Willie and holds him close while he fights back
    his tears.  Willie plants a big kiss on his cheek.  Helmut
    scrambles to his feet, the CAMERA PULLING BACK to --

    WIDER ANGLE

    SHOOTING PAST Helmut to the door as it opens, revealing the
    Sergeant, his face expressionless.  Helmut reacts.

                  SERGEANT
            (to Helmut)
        It's time.

                  HELMUT
        Just a few more minutes?

    The sergeant shakes his head.

                  HELMUT
        I'll bring them.

    The children are watching him, puzzled.

                  CHILDREN
        What's the matter, Doork?  Where are
        we going?  You come with us this
        time.  Where're they taking us.

                  HELMUT
            (trying to think what
            to say)
        They... they want us to move to
        another building... where we'll have
        more room... to play.
            (a beat)
        Tell you what.  Let's make it a big
        circus parade.  Everybody get in a
        line behind...

    He picks up Willie and stands him near the door.

                  HELMUT
            (continuing)
        ... behind Willie here.

    The children scramble up and begin forming a line behind the
    very proud Willie.  Helmut looks around for the boy with the
    harmonica.

                  HELMUT
        Now, where's our band?  The harmonica?

    He sees the boy and goes to him.  Helmut pantomimes playing
    the harmonica and points to himself.  The boy smiles widely,
    fishes the harmonica out of his pocket and holds it up.

                  HELMUT
        There we are?  Everybody ready? 
        Here we go.

    Helmut takes his place at the head of the line, like the
    Pied Piper, leads the youngsters out the door, playing a
    crude sort of circus parade music.  The little children giggle
    excitedly as they troupe out.  The older ones seem less
    certain, but as long as Helmut is with them, they feel secure.

                                  CUT TO:

    EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY

    As the procession of youngsters emerges from the barracks
    with Helmut dancing along at its head.  The Sergeant and the
    other two Guards stand watching in disbelief as the line
    turns and moves along toward the first of the windowless
    buildings.

    MED. SHOT - SERGEANT, GUARDS

    They look at each other incredulously.  What they are seeing
    surpasses their imagination.

    FULL SHOT - HELMUT, CHILDREN

    SHOOTING from a HIGH ANGLE as the procession moves toward
    the CAMERA.  Helmut looks back at his charges from time to
    time, smiling and waving and always puffing away on the
    harmonica.  The children smile back, some timidly and some a
    bit fearfully, but all smile.

    PAN SHOT - PARADE

    CAMERA PANS in on the children as they march behind Helmut. 
    We see some of them strutting, their little arms swinging
    freely.  Some of the little ones have to skip to keep up
    with the others.  They are all smiling.

    CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT

    With each step, Helmut looks about, his eyes searching heaven,
    praying for the miracle that will save the children... the
    sudden blast of thunder, the striking down of the guards.

    CLOSE SHOT - SERGEANT, GUARDS

    As they follow the parade warily, almost as if expecting a
    trick.  They wear scowls worn into their faces by long use.

    MED. SHOT - BUILDING - HELMUT'S POV

    Its steel door gapes open.  Through the open doorway we can
    see a bare room in which what appears to be shower heads
    jutting from the wall.  A single ceiling light gives the
    room a stark appearance.  The CAMERA PULLS BACK and UP as
    the procession comes up toward the building.

    CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT

    Despair fills his eyes as he realizes that there is to be no
    miracle.  He looks ahead into the room, his courage fails
    him and he stops so abruptly that the children behind him
    run into his legs.  He turns and looks at them, then back to
    the door.

    WIDER ANGLE

    Almost reluctantly, Helmut stands aside.  He tries to smile,
    but the result is almost grotesque.  He tries to speak, but
    no words come.  The Sergeant and the guard drift up toward
    him, scowling.  Gently, Helmut tousles the hair of little
    Willie and steers him through the door into the room.  The
    other children follow him hesitantly.  Helmut puts the
    harmonica to his lips and begins playing again.

    ANOTHER ANGLE - TAKING IN SERGEANT AND GUARDS

                  FIRST GUARD
        Their clothes!  They've got to
        undress.

    The sergeant starts to move toward the line of children, the
    Sergeant grabs his arm and stops him.

                  SERGEANT
        Leave them alone.

    MED. SHOT - HELMUT, CHILDREN

    SHOOTING over Helmut's shoulder down at the children as they
    file past him.  Each one hesitates a beat before him and
    looks up at him.

    Their faces are wondering, but trusting.  They smile
    tentatively.  Only the little girl with the doll hangs back,
    waiting for something rather than fearful of entering.  When
    all of the other children have gone in, she goes up to Helmut
    and wordlessly holds out her hand in a silent request to
    enter with him.  In her eyes is the absolute certainty that
    he will.

    CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT - LITTLE GIRL'S POV

    He looks down at her hand for a long beat.

    MED. SHOT - HELMUT, LITTLE GIRL

    The little girl waits for Helmut, but he doesn't take her
    hand.  Shyly, she begins to withdraw it.  Suddenly, Helmut
    reaches out and grabs her hand, clutching it desperately as
    he needs her innocence to control the panic that is tearing
    at him.  Holding on to her to steady himself, they walk
    together into the room, the CAMERA PANNING with them.

                                  CUT TO:

    INT. CHAMBER - DAY

    ANGLE to the door as Helmut and little girl enter.  Suddenly,
    the door slams shut behind them.  Helmut whirls to it
    instinctively, as if to shove it open or cry out for help,
    but he does neither.

    CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT

    His face is pressed against the steel door.  He fights the
    panic within him.  Then, he quickly wipes his eyes and turns
    back towards the children.  Slowly he takes three chunks of
    stale bread from his coat pocket and begins juggling them,
    at the same time waggling his head from side to side, slowly
    at first, then more gaily.  From deep inside him comes a
    tiny, tiny laugh.  The CAMERA PULLS BACK SLOWLY to reveal
    the children in the f.g.  Suddenly, Helmut tosses the pieces
    of bread high, high into the air and stretches out his arms
    to encompass all the children.  As they gather around him,
    they take up his soft laugh, timidly at first, then more
    assuredly until the chamber resounds with gentle laughter.

                                  CUT TO:

    IF ANOTHER MAN'S CHILD IS THREATENED AND YOU MOVE NOT TO
    PROTECT IT, THE CHILDREN OF ALL MEN ARE IN JEOPARDY AND YOU
    STAND AS GUILTY AS THOSE WHO THREATEN.

    JOHN F. O'BRIEN

                                  FADE OUT

    THE END

I mentioned the Pied Piper earlier, and I'm astonished they actually use that name in the script. Fucking hell.

[Oosp]

"And I thought clown college sucked"

[JesusAndYourBush]

I see a flaw. Is he wearing the clown outfit through the whole film? Surely they wouldn't let him keep the outfit, but without the outfit he's just some guy.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

without the outfit he's just some guy.

He's just some guy who can pull lots of funny faces though, even in a death camp.

[Sonny_Jim]

I'm always curious as to the circumstances Harry Shearer managed to get a view of this film, because at the time it might have been available I don't think he was at all famous?  Depends when he saw it I suppose but all I've ever seen him say about it was that it was terrible

[Pink Gregory]

He's just some guy who can pull lots of funny faces though, even in a death camp.

*especially* in a death camp

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

He's just some guy who can pull lots of funny faces though, even in a death camp.

Indeed.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Indeed.

That's McCartney on the Beatles' little-known visit to the border of Israel.

[George White]

Wasn't it made unauthorised without the writers' consent? So that's another potential barrier.

[Petey Pate]

I'm always curious as to the circumstances Harry Shearer managed to get a view of this film, because at the time it might have been available I don't think he was at all famous?  Depends when he saw it I suppose but all I've ever seen him say about it was that it was terrible

I've seen some speculate that Shearer didn't actually see it, though I'm not sure what his motivation for lying about it would be. The film was definitely not conceived as a comedy yet Shearer's comments suggest that it was.

[Terry Torpid]

Wasn't it made unauthorised without the writers' consent? So that's another potential barrier.

Yes, it's a complicated situation, because two writers did a first draft which Lewis then rewrote, and the original writers didn't get their full fee, so they refused to allow him to release it.

[daf]

The extract from the end - I can see what he was aiming for, and doesn't seem in bad taste - I mean, it's not pro-Nazi or anything!

The bits about hoping god would do a last minute rescue worked well, but I suppose might be hard to convey on film (without a clunking voice-over), so maybe the end result isn't quite as clear as the script.

Sounds fine though - no worse than any of his other films anyway!

[Oosp]

Clowncentration Camp

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Sondercomiccando

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I've seen some speculate that Shearer didn't actually see it, though I'm not sure what his motivation for lying about it would be. The film was definitely not conceived as a comedy yet Shearer's comments suggest that it was.

It does seem like an odd thing to lie about, so we should probably take Shearer's word for it. As for the tone of the film, while it's definitely not supposed to be a comedy, Shearer claims that it's inadvertently funny at times.

It's also worth noting that in later years Lewis admitted he wasn't proud of the film and felt he'd made a mistake.

[madhair60]

Clowncentration Camp

Dachlaun

[BlodwynPig]

Ausch-wits, the hilarious new Radio 4 panel quiz hosted by Paul Merton

[extraordinary walnuts]

IF ANOTHER MAN'S CHILD IS THREATENED AND YOU MOVE NOT TO
    PROTECT IT, THE CHILDREN OF ALL MEN ARE IN JEOPARDY AND YOU
    STAND AS GUILTY AS THOSE WHO THREATEN
    JK ROWLING

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Yellow-triangle-patch Adams


See also, clown killed in gas chamber:

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Should it not be 'clowne'?

[13 schoolyards]

There were a couple of versions of the script floating around the internet a decade or so ago (which I grabbed for some godforsaken reason) - this is the ending of the version marked "final", where it seems Lewis decided the juggling bit from the earlier version was maybe a bit too much.

EXT.  PRISON - DAY

As the procession of youngsters emerge from the hut, with Helmut dancing and skipping at the head of the parade, the sergeant and the two other guards stand watching in disbelief as the line turns and moves along toward the first of the windowless buildings.

MED SHOT - SGT - GUARDS

They look at each other incredulously.  What they are watching is really beyond their comprehension.

FULL SHOT - HELMUT - THE CHILDREN

Low level shot of the entire group marching to and past CAMERA.

FULL SHOT - HELMUT - THE CHILDREN

HIGH SHOT - HELMUT - THE CHILDREN - THE CAMP

Helmut and the children march in a brisk fasion, Helmut looking back over his charges, smiles and waves at them, and they wave and some smile back, others just belong to the procession.

PAN SHOT - HELMUT AND THE CHILDREN

We PAN Helmut and the children, Helmut keeps playing his harmonica, some of the children strut happily, their little arms swinging freely, some of the little ones have to skip to keep up with the others.  They are all smiling now ...

CLOSE - HELMUT

With each step he takes, he looks about, his eyes searching heaven.  We see a man praying for a miracle that will save the children ...

HELMUT - CLOSE

His walk seems to retard slowly, as he realizes there is to be no miracle ... he comes face to face with the guards ... three men who's faces show lines and premature age because of the role they play in this exercise ... alongside of them is the Sgt.

ANOTHER ANGLE - THE SGT. AND THE GUARDS

THE SGT. NODS HIS HEAD FOR ONE OF THE GUARDS TO OPEN THE HUGE OMINOUS DOOR.  THE GUARD STROLLS OVER AND THROUGH THE CHILDREN TILL HE FACES HELMUT DEAD ON ...

GUARD
(indicating for Helmut to step inside so he
can open what we know is only A DOOR ...)

CLOSE - HELMUT AND THE GUARD

The door swings open L to R of Camera, just clearing the Camera, we push in to conceal the room, Helmut steps back into the close shot, placing himself in the L of the doorway ...






LOWER ANGLE SHOOTING UP AT HELMUT

We hold Helmut in a waist figure, just allowing the little heads of the children to pass through the shot as Helmut pats their little heads, assuring them its alright, one by one, each child moves into the doorway, a little reluctantly, but they all finally enter, Helmut all but tells them (with his eyes) this has to be ... as the last child enters, Helmut starts to take one step away ... he is looking back at the doorway, and his first step is jolted slightly by something that prohibits his getting any further ... as we tilt down ...


HELMUT'S POV

The little girl with the doll looks at him soulfully, and almost as thought she feels what's happening ... His eyes meet hers, as she extends her hand for him to take so they could go in together ... Helmut just glares frighteningly at her outstretched hand ...


CLOSE - THE SGT

Were it not for fear of being noticed ... he looks like man who's throat is constricting and he wants to swallow hard!


THE GUARDS

They even turn away, gracefully, their discomfort is only exceeded by their inability to cope with what they feel ...


HELMUT'S P.O.V.

The little girl sees Helmut isn't taking her hand, so she slowly drops it, adjusts her little doll, and starts into the doorway.


TWO SHOT - HELMUT AND THE LITTLE GIRL

She gets only as far as the threshold, as Helmut stops her, takes her hand, looks back at the Sgt and the Guards, and smiles a smile he hasn't exposed possibly his lifetime ... and he enters the doorway and into the room with her!




WIDER SHOT - AS WE PULL BACK

To reveal the door closing just as Helmut clears the archway with the little girl, we are far enough back in Camera position to see where we are, as the door swings full and SLAMS (with the sound of a 1000 pound sheet of steel dropping onto the floor of any tunnel) ... as the guards move in quickly and drop the bolt bar and snug the door tightly ...

We are still moving our Camera back in a Camera Right crab direction, keeping the door in the Camera L. side until we are moving around towards the back of this windowless building, once we make the turn we hear O.S. the tune of Helmut's little harmonica, and as it hits a sour note, the chuckles of the children are heard ... and then the shocking sound of the loud HISS! permeates the air, and the children's laughter begins to trickle down and out ... as does the sound of the tiny harmonica, desperately trying to finish it's turn ... but it too, stops, and all that is heard is the HISS!  subsiding ... until ... absolute silence.

HIGH SHOT - HOLDING THE CORNER OF THE WINDOWLESS BUILDING

And our Camera comes to a full stop and settles as we roll the following words over this last shot (FREEZE):



"IF ANOTHER MAN'S CHILD IS THREATENED,
AND YOU MOVE NOT TO PROTECT IT,
THE CHILDREN OF ALL MEN ARE
 IN JEOPARDY, AND YOU STAND AS
 GUILTY AS THOSE WHO THREATEN"

JOHN F. O'BRIEN



- FADE OUT -

[madhair60]

"but hitler... i am pagliacci!!"