Just a Clown: A messy, charming circus relic

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you enjoy early cinema history or just like watching old silent shorts that move at the speed of a snail, you’ll dig this. If you need pacing, modern editing, or anything that doesn't look like it was filmed in someone's backyard in 1920, you should probably skip it. It’s short, it’s weird, and it’s very much a product of its time. 🤡

The whole thing hinges on this clown, Frank Moser, being a total hero. The circus setting feels strangely dusty, like you can smell the hay and old sawdust through the screen. There’s this one moment where the lion actually looks… well, bored. It’s supposed to be a high-stakes life-or-death situation, but the cat looks like it’s waiting for a nap.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Barnstormers, where everything feels just a little bit too staged. Not that I expected realism here, but the way the performer just kind of swoons after the rescue is almost funny. It’s incredibly predictable, but that’s kind of the point, right?

Small observations from the front row

• The makeup on the clown is truly unsettling.
• I’m pretty sure the lion was just following a piece of raw meat behind the camera.
• The way they frame the tent makes it look like it might collapse at any second.

It’s not trying to be a deep dive into the human condition like The Eternal Magdalene. It just wants to show a guy in oversized shoes doing something brave. Sometimes that’s enough. Other times, it just makes you realize how far movies have come since then.

The pacing is a total mess, but in a way that feels honest. It doesn't overstay its welcome, which is the best thing I can say about it. You can almost see the director, Paul Terry, figuring out the shots as they went along. It’s messy, it’s short, and honestly? I’ve seen worse.