Side Show (film)
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| Side Show (1931) | |
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| Directed by | Roy Del Ruth |
| Written by | Arthur Caesar, William K. Wells based on the story by Ray Enright. |
| Starring | Winnie Lightner Charles Butterworth Evalyn Knapp Donald Cook Guy Kibbee |
| Cinematography | Devereaux Jennings |
| Editing by | James Gibbon |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | September 19, 1931 |
| Running time | 66 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Side Show is a 1931 all-talking musical comedy film starring Winnie Lightner and Charles Butterworth and released by Warner Bros.
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[edit] Production
The film was originally intended to be released, in the United States, early in 1931, but was shelved due to public apathy towards musicals. Despite waiting a number of months, the public proved obstinate and the Warner Bros. reluctantly released the film in September of 1931 after removing all the music except for one song which was sung by Winnie Lightner. The film was released outside the United States (since there was no backlash against musicals outside the United States) as a full musical comedy early in 1931.
[edit] Film
Winnie Lightner stars as Pat, one of several members of a travelling carnival troupe managed by the eternally besotted Colonel Goody (Guy Kibbee). A jill-of-all-trades, Pat does everything from high-diving to hula-dancing, with time left over for a romance with meek-and-mild Sidney (Charles Butterworth), a man incapable of uttering an intelligent remark. There are moments of melodrama and pathos -- especially when Pat tries to save her younger sister Irene (Evelyn Knapp) from a lecherous carney barker -- but comedy predominates throughout, culminating in a slapstick Big Top finale.
[edit] Trivia
The director of the film, Roy Del Ruth, would later end up falling in love with Winnie Lightner. They were married in 1948.
[edit] Songs
Only one song was left in the movie in the print released in the United States. The song was called "What Do You Think of Me Now?" and was sung by Winnie Lighter.
[edit] Preservation
Only the cut print released in 1931 in the United States seems to have survived. The complete film was released intact in countries outside the United States where a backlash against musicals never occurred. It is unknown whether a copy of this full version still exists.
