Original subtitles

A DAY lN THE LlFE OF A CLOWN

lt is a strange enterprise to make respectable people laugh. Moliere.

Montmartre.

Twenty to midnight.

Why don't we leave the fair and go to the circus?

A carousel turning. A carousel that's not turning.

The circus with its acrobats, music and clowns.

One more evening, Maiss and Beby have moved and entertained

an audience of small and older kids.

One more evening, Maiss sheds his sequinned suit

and Beby stretches his knotted old muscles.

One more evening,

with gestures familiar from thousands of repetitions,

they rub their skin to remove the white greasepaint, oxblood,

blue, black, the indispensable creators of a clown's mystery.

A clown's skin is tough, you can rub hard.

Beby says the bottle music went down well this evening.

Maiss agrees. They start again.

lt's like leaving a factory.

Evening, doorman.

lt's almost like clocking off.

At home, Madame Beby is darning socks

while waiting for her husband.

Clowns can only wear socks with holes when they're in the ring.

Oh dear, you're frozen! Hurry up there's something nice for you.

Evening, darling.

Yes, it is cold.

Spaghetti? Again? l've been eating it forthe past 50 years!

Couldn't you spice up the menu a little? Oh, dear!

Actually l like spaghetti, but we shouldn't let her see we're happy.

You have to keep women on a tight leash.

Did you know that in China, which is where spaghetti comes from,

they eat it with chopsticks?

l'd love to see Beby try that.

Now let's go to bed.

We'll clear up tomorrow.

Good evening, old friends!

Good evening Medrano, the famous Boum-Boum who,

according to Jules Claretie, saved a dying child with his mere presence.

Good evening, Mistinguett. Prejean.

Good evening you others, all the other circus friends,

almost all passed away now.

Good evening, my good old Jules.

Before going to sleep, a quick look at the books we love.

THE ClRCUS TRAlL

The one about our house, whether it's canvas,

wood or stone.

THE ClRCUS TRAlL With friendship from Serge

THE ClRCUS AND THE MUSlC HALL

To Antonet and Beby, with admiration and friendship from Renebon

And that one, above all, about clowns,

dedicated to Beby l'Admirable.

To Aristodemo Frediani, known as Beby L'Admirable,

whose nickname is a symbol of the clown's art

lsn't it wonderful to have a surname like that?

Here's the souvenir chest.

Pele-mele, Jean Rigaux, Georgius.

Raymond Cordy.

Raymond Cordy again.

Dalio, the fire chief.

Margaritis driving this magnificent torpedo.

Rastelli, the greatest juggler,

and Antonet, the greatest clown around, with Grock, his pupil.

Antonet, who was Beby's friend and partnerfor such a long time.

Not always a friend, as Antonet could be very unpleasant,

but Beby forgave him when Antonet fell ill.

That's him, on the right, some months before he died.

And in the middle, a few days before he died.

When Antonet died, Maiss picked up the baton.

Here's the house in Castres

where Mum and Dad Frediani died, surrounded by all their offspring.

Here's Willy's circus, a long time ago.

And the new Cirque de Paris, forgotten now.

Papa Frediani was the best ringmaster.

Here's Beby in Berlin, outside the Cafe Konig, it's gone, now, too.

Atoken of admiration from across the Atlantic.

Negus.

Gentleman.

Police officer.

20th century dandy.

And acrobat riders. At the time when the three Frediani

did a number so dangerous nobody's ever done it since,

and which cost Beby 17 leg fractures.

Beby at the age of 18 when he was an acrobat.

''My Beby, how we change'', the photo seems to say.

Yes, how we change. Ah, yes.

Sleep arrives.

But before we go to sleep, my dog and l, good Christians that we are,

always say a little prayer

because in the circus, animals and clowns have the same god.

Dear God,

let me be able to make young and old laugh for long time yet.

Let me perform in the ring for many more years.

lt means as much to me as spaghetti does.

Amen.

Come on, Swing, bedtime. And sleep.

Good evening, son. Your mum's asleep next door.

Women, as l've always said, need keeping on a short leash.

Now we'll let them sleep.

But the night is so short. Morning already.

Rise and shine, doggy.

Yes, Beby, it's morning.

Look at your alarm clock, my friend, it's time.

Just look at Beby's magnificent electrical appliance,

which combines comfort and aesthetics by using invisible buttons.

And there's his guardian angel with a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Too hot, in fact.

Poor Madame Beby, in trouble again.

The post. Look.

Swing is very interested in his master's mail.

My glasses.

''Dear Sir, l'm writing to ask how to become a clown.

''l'm 8 and a half and l'm sick of school.''

Beby has received many thousands ofletters like this.

Good morning, Madame! What a lovely morning!

- Good morning, sir. - Oh, damn, l've forgotten my hat.

Luckily our guardian angel is watching.

Quick service!

Nevertoo late to be polite.

Beby's in a cheerful mood. As the apartment is too small,

Beby has installed a bath tub across the road.

Beby has some big friends around here,

and one big friend is very useful.

Don't forget Swing. And now the magical moment.

This is the moment Beby enjoys most.

All clean, fresh and set to go.

Ah, isn't nature lovely? Life's such a pleasure!

My god! A pretty girl.

We'll turn on our charm. lt's working, it really is!

Careful, Beby, you're going to make a fool of yourself!

Luckily, the guardian angel is on the lookout.

And Beby's back on the right path,

if slightly embarrassed.

Ah! Watch out, his tailor often comes to this cafe.

That lamp post ought to watch where it's going, eh?

lt doesn't matter.

The tailor's not here, is he?

Let's go in.

Morning all! How is everyone

Morning, boss.

Have you any ciggies? Don't make it obvious, eh?

Sorry!

Yes, an Alexander, the usual, with plenty of cream.

Here, l'll show you something great, watch closely.

See that?

Even better.

Even better.

There you are!

Don't you think Beby could have made a great career in the cavalry?

When we want to laugh and see clowns we go to the circus.

But Maiss and Beby sit outside a cafe.

The street circus is as funny as ours, they think,

they can pick up ideas.

A street trader's selling l don't know what at 25 francs a pound.

Nothing unusual.

A man walking along inattentively, reading a book,

falls down just in front ofher.

Now, that could be an idea. Let's see.

Some men love animals.

What a lovely sweet expression!

Change of scene.

ls she a student? A dancer? Post office employee?

Whatever she is, what a lovely pullover.

This young man seems really at home in the street,

and he's a true connoisseur.

Nothing like a feel to find out. The innocent man pays.

The law of the circus is respected. Yes! That's how it's done.

No slap forthe one who deserves it.

But the street can be tough, too.

That bread won't be there long.

lt's time.

Some people go to the circus to have fun, others go there to work.

Maiss says this street's called ''Street of Martyrs''

because of the clowns who've always walked down it.

That anti-theft device is one of Beby's ideas.

You can't take away the carwithout taking away the lamp post,

and vice versa.

Don't forget Swing.

Clocking in.

Evening, doorman.

Any post? A Hollywood contract, maybe?

Maiss isn't like other clowns.

A clown is usually an old acrobat,

the son of a clown who was an old acrobat,

the son of a clown as well.

But Maiss is totally different.

Once there was a dancer at the Toulon opera.

One evening in 1905, the opera burnt down

and the dancer was injured by the falling set.

They called in the duty doctor to look after her,

and the doctorwas called Maiss. He thought the dancerwas pretty.

He asked her marry him as he was treating her leg.

And the result?

The result's right there, powdering his face.

Good evening, Madame Moon.

Yourfriend Pierrot's come to see you.

Awhiteface clown is a Pierrot, isn't that the same thing?

We mixed them up in our dreams when we were children.

Every evening, white greasepaint, oxblood, blue and black

coverthe skin of Maiss-Pierrot.

Miss Maiss is herfather's official dresser.

To punish her, say: ''No circus for you tonight!''

So we're agreed then, rue Lepic, the street trader,

the falling man. You've got it, eh?

Ourtwo stooges rehearse this afternoon's jokes one last time.

The elegant Maiss in his glittering suit.

The heavy, awkward Beby.

The juggler, the acrobatic dancer,

the clowns, the smell of the horses...

The music.

Backstage at the circus, there's nowhere else like it.

Over... to them.

Beby, what were you doing earlier? l saw you up rue Lepic.

l was with that woman who's out there selling stuff

all 5 seasons of the year. - There are 4 seasons!

- l said ''5 seasons''. - Come on! lt's 4 seasons!

- Spring, summer, autumn, winter. - So what about the off season?

- The off season! - l was just passing...

- Yes? - ...when a woman...

selling stuff on the street...

- Yes, l've got it. And? - ...25 francs a pound!

- Plus 10% ... - What?

- ...it's 35 francs! - Oh, yes?

Suddenly a man walked past. He heard that and fell stone deaf.

- Deaf? lncredible! - Dead! Then we called the midwife.

- What? - The midwife came.

- Yes? - The doctor came

and he said death was the result of passing away.

Well, a woman came up and said:

''Oh! My husband is dead! My husband is dead!

''My husband is dead!''

- And? - And?

He's stone deaf. So l ask the woman:

- ''Do you know this man?'' - ''Yes, Sir, he's my husband.

''Well, my husband, as he's English, you know,

''he heard her shouting '25 francs a pound!'''

What? Yes.

''He thought the pound had fallen to 25 francs, my poor husband.

''So he dropped dead.''

Madame's poor husband!

To make a slap funny, its victim must be an innocent bystander.

lt's an old law that Bergson explained to us.

lt's an old tradition we also respect in the circus.

Goodbye, Beby,

and thanks for all the slaps you've been given in your life as a clown.

The 24 hours are up.

Ten to midnight.

A carousel that isn't turning,

and a carousel that turns no more.