Review of A Thousand Clowns (1965) by Ben L — 18 Sep 2016

A Thousand Clowns is the story of a care-free man who is raising his nephew, but faces the risk of the child being taken away. It's a lighthearted film that shows a sweet relationship between the uncle and his nephew.

I love their interactions, and therefore it was easy to root for them to stay together. The movie takes a hard left turn after the first act, though. There's this romantic relationship that crops up out of nowhere, and the kid literally disappears until the final act of the movie.

When we return to the status quo, and we are once again focused in on their loving bond, I was back on board. Jason Robards is great in the lead role. Somehow I understood why he was so reluctant to get a job, when ordinarily I would have a hard time connecting with a character who was that frustratingly stubborn.

The final scene is a tour de force from Robards as you can feel the internal struggle of his nature and his desire to hold onto his nephew. I really enjoyed Barry Gordon as the kid, too. He was fun-loving and yet wise beyond his years, and Gordon made this combination feel authentic.

I struggled a little with Barbara Harris as the "psychologist." She was written weakly, her behavior was illogical, and frankly her performance was a bit grating instead of endearing. A Thousand Clowns is a film that was adapted from a Broadway play, and it feels like it.

There are a few scenes around the city, but most of the film is very contained. Honestly, I wonder if I would enjoy it more on stage. As a film I found it decent, but because the focus seemed to shift away from the Uncle-Nephew relationship for a long time I didn't love it.