O Palhaço

Tim Considine was truly outstanding playing the son of a down and out physical comedy performer. Red is the king of vices, he's a drunk, undependable who gambles away any money he makes down to his sons treasured pocket watch. Considine is the adult encouraging, sometimes chastising his dad. Into the story comes the long list mother and her next husband. Of course they want Dink (Considine) to live with them. At the same time Red's character gets an offer of a 1 hour weekly TV show "The Clown" The story line isn't new, other writers have taken on divided parentage fighting for custody. What sets The Clown apart is the individual preformacers.

I only watched about fifteen minutes of this and just exited out. I really thought Red Skelton would be enjoyable in what was to be a dramatic role. I thought it would like watching the likes of Robin Williams or Jerry Lewis - actors known for comedy but are surprisingly good at drama. But no. Sadly, Skelton played it all for laughs, and it failed. The scene where his son is reviving him at the bar was slapstick, as was the scene where he is getting undressed for bed. When he wakes up in the morning with his head stuck in the footboard, that was it for me. Enough already, I was expecting a drama.

Dodo Delwyn (Red Skelton) is a drunken struggling clown. He works with his adoring young son Dink. For the former Ziegfeld star, his best days are well behind him. He can't even hold onto a carnival ride job.

It's the classic veteran comedian playing a washed-up performer. Red is doing the serious well. The big turn is when he becomes the receiver. Quite frankly, I didn't know what that meant. It's a good turn. As for the other big reveal, it's a little convenient. I wonder if it would be better for her trying to track them down deliberately. Charles Bronson has an early minor role. It's good that it doesn't get overly-sentimental, but the last bit goes overboard. It doesn't need to go so far.

As dramatic actor Red Skelton reached the height of his career with this remake of The Champ. It's not pugilism that this film deals with rather another grueling profession show business. Skelton being the son of a man who was a druggist and former circus clown was the perfect choice to play The Clown.

The Clown has Skelton as a former top comedian and star of Ziegfeld Follies having let bad habits get the better of him. He travels with his young son Tim Considine and it's Considine sometimes you would think was the grownup in the relationship.

If you've seen Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper in The Champ then you know exactly how this one comes out. Skelton reaches down no doubt into some of the experience of both his childhood and early years in show business though in his case that blends quite a bit as he started young. He gets down in the depths and drags up a dramatic performance that he never did before or since. I think once was enough for Red Skelton who thought of himself as a clown who great fortune smiled on. In the case of his character Dodo Dolwyn he took quite a few knocks and fortune eventually smiled on him, but too late.

Jane Greer and Philip Ober are fine as Skelton's former wife and her new husband. But the scenes with Skelton and Considine are special.

A must for Red Skelton fans.

Red Skelton plays Dodo Delwyn, a clown who has seen better days (and years...). He has a problem keeping jobs because of his drinking and he also has a big problem with gambling away the little money he does make when he works. This wouldn't be so bad if he was on his own, but he has a young son Dink (Tim Considine) tagging along with him. Add in the fact that Dink's mother suddenly appears and wants him back so she can give him a better life (she has married well..) and the fact that Dodo can't make any kind of life for a young boy and you see where this plot is headed. Dink is (miraculously, considering his record..) offered a TV show of his own to host. The year before (1951) Red has also started his own "Red Skelton Show" so this wasn't a stretch for Red. Will Dodo be able to handle a TV show? Will he and his son have the "big times" they dream of (A yellow convertible and a real house of their own..)? Essentially a remake of "The Champ" with a clown in the boxer's role. Red Skelton, along with Charlie Chaplin, is a master of pathos, and he is here at his best.