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The Smallest Show On Earth [1957]


RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £18.09 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

An amiable knock-off of the Ealing comedy style, The Smallest Show on Earth starts with aspiring novelist Bill Travers and his "nice gel" wife Virginia McKenna inheriting a cinema from a hitherto unknown uncle and discovering that it isn't the sumptuous modern Grand, which specialises in those "smash 'em in the face, knock 'em over the waterfront" pictures, but the decrepit Bijou, known locally as "the fleapit". The initial plan, set up by lawyer Leslie Phillips, is to sell off the cinema to the owner of the Grand so he can knock it down to make a car park, but our heroes are put off by the arrogant bullying of the rival manager (Francis De Wolff) and succumb to the inept charms of the crazed, aged staff--drunken projectionist Peter Sellers, doddery commissionaire Bernard Miles and dotty ticket lady Margaret Rutherford (who joined the team as a piano accompanist).

In the 1950s, there was a run of gentle British comedies in which outmoded and broken-down local institutions (steam trains, tugboats, vintage cars) were saved by collections of committed eccentrics who despised the new-fangled bus services or soulless council bureaucracies and were willing to resort to a little larceny (in this case, arson). The Smallest Show slots in perfectly with the cycle, getting laughs from the Bijou's already outmoded programme of scratchy Westerns and desert dramas (which increase ice cream sales) and sentiment over the staff's midnight screenings of silent movies that remind them of better days. It's likeable rather than hilarious, with Sellers and Miles buried under crepe hair and fake wrinkles competing to out-dodder each other and losing the picture to the inimitable Rutherford, who doesn't have to fake her eccentricity. Pin-up, June Cunningham, is the glamorous usherette and Sid James plays her annoyed Dad.

On the DVD: The Smallest Show on Earth is presented in a decent print, but with no extras. The film is also available as part of the four-disc Peter Sellers Collection. --Kim Newman


ABSOLUTE GEM OF A MOVIE - AND NOT EDITED AT ALL!
Review date: 2008-01-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

Don't be deterred from buying this wonderful DVD by the aforementioned question of running time. ALL Region 2 versions of movies - that is, any disc using the PAL television system - will seem to be shorter than the running time given in film-books and databases. The latter usually take the original cinema screening time, but the PAL system has to play the programme slightly faster thereby cutting the playback time by about 3 minutes in every hour. The Region 1 (NTSC) system more closely approximates to the theatrical run time but even that is not exact. Check up on the specifications of the two systems for a fuller explanation, but rest assured that if a movie on a PAL disc seems to be about 4 minutes shorter than stated elsewhere that does not mean it has been cut or edited. It's merely an anomaly of the technology. Hope that helps.



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Reviews


WHY THE CUTS ? (CHECK THE TIMING!)
Review date: 2007-08-30 Rating: 10 out of 10

Not a review, really. Just a question. Why, on most of the DVDs available, have we lost 3 - 4 minutes from this gem of a film ? Is there something in it that is offensive ? Has some wannabe editor or director decided that they can do better ? To hack any decent film that lasts only 80 minutes is bad enough, but to lacerate this priceless little gem with scissors is nothing short of criminal. And impertinent.
CHECK THE TIMING BEFORE YOU ORDER. You'll be glad you did.
(But also, read Mr Bishton's review "Absolute gem of a movie - and not edited at all". He's probably right, in which case I eat humble pie ... but if he isn't - at least you have been warned ....)

A shame about the cuts, get the full version!
Review date: 2007-01-22 Rating: 2 out of 10

There is no doubt that this is one of the most charming English films of the 1950s. Sadly this version listed as 77 minutes is actually 73 minutes, the original version being 81 minutes. The changes that this origonally delightful film has been subject to, are quite unnecessary, the editing only detracts from the enjoyment of the film. Take my advice and get an unedited version. You will like it so much more.

A True British Comedy Classic
Review date: 2006-02-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

This 1957 classic ranks next to my all-time favourite classic British comedies. Husband and wife team, Bill Travers, and Virginia McKenna inherit a run-down cinema along with its staff, Margaret Rutherford, and the excellent Peter Sellers as the elderly projectionist. Their inheritance pays off, but cathces the shady intentions of their rival (Francis De Wolff- better known as the shape-changing robot, Jedikiah, in two episodes of, "The Tomorrow People").

The film must be seen. Grab the chance while you can. Very highly recommended.

The Smallest Show On Earth
Review date: 2006-01-09 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a well crafted film, boasting teriffic atmosphere and a cracking cast. The story involves a young couple inheriting a small, run-down provincial cinema and going into competition with a nearby mega-cinema in the hope of attracting an offer from the larger cinema to purchase the business (which the inheriting couple didn't really want). The plot when discovered by their haphazard staff causes much upset and a series of upsetting (comedic) events then follows. Excellent performances are given by amongst others: Margaret Rutherford; Peter Sellers and Leslie Philips

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Peter Sellers
Virginia McKenna
Bernard Miles
Bill Travers
Margaret Rutherford

Creators:
Virginia McKenna (Primary Contributor)
Bill Travers (Primary Contributor)
Douglas Slocombe (Cinematographer)
Frank Launder (Producer)
Leslie Gilliat (Producer)
Michael Relph (Producer)
Sidney Gilliat (Producer)
John Eldridge (Writer)
William Rose (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Momentum Pictures
Manufacturer: Momentum Pictures
EAN: 5060021175847
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2002-07-08
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 77 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1957
Language: English (Original Language)

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