Page 4 May 1981
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LIGHTS! CAMERA! JUGGLE!... By Dave Heine Portland, OR I
first learned the basics of three-ball juggling 12 years ago
watching a film called "The Juggler" starring Kirk
Douglas. Although Kirk does many variations with three balls, it was
his cascade that set me on the right track. Below I will
briefly describe the four and five star films listed above. If you
have seen any films not on this list, please write to me and
give as much information as possible about the
juggling scene and film. Thanks, Dave Heine - Portland, OR The
following is a list of movies in which there are juggling
scenes. I have listed them chronological/y. The checks following
each entry represents my own judgment of the quality of the juggling
scene in the film. Five checks is the top rating. 2.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 (3 checks)
3.
Sally of the Sawdust 1925 (5 checks)
4. The Circus (Charlie Chaplin) 1928 (5 checks)
5.
The Old-Fashioned Way 1934 (5 checks) 6.
Charlie Chan At the Circus 1936 (2 checks)
7.
Marx Bros. at the Circus 1939 (3 checks)
8.
Casablanca 1942 (3 checks)
9.
Arabian Nights 1942 (5 checks)
10.
And the Angels Sing 1944 (2 checks) 11.
My Gal Sings 1945 (2 checks)
12.
Sensations of 1945 (2 checks)
13.
Children of Paradise 1945 (3 checks)
14. Greatest Show on Earth 1952 (5 checks)
15.
The Juggler 1953 (5 checks) 16. Man on a Tightrope 1953 (4 checks)
17.
Siren of Bagdad 1953 (4 checks)
18.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy 1955 (3 checks)
19.
King of Kings 1961 (3 checks)
20.
Jumbo 1962 (3 checks) 21.
Circus World 1964 (4 checks)
22.
Our Man Flint 1966 (4 checks)
23. Murders in the Rue Morgue 1971 (3 checks)
24.
Edvard Munch 1976 (3 checks)
25.
The Buddy Holly Story 1976 (2 checks) 26.
Futureworld 1976 (3 checks)
27. Fantastic Animation Festival 1977 (4 checks)
28.
Americathon 1977 (3 checks)
29.
Animal House 1977 (3 checks)
30.
Hair 1978 (3 checks) 31. The Great Wallendas 1978 (3 checks) 32.
Les Miserables 1979 (1 check) 33. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh 1979 (3 checks) 34.
The Special Olympics 1980 (2 checks) 35.
The Tin Drum 1980 (2 checks) 36.
The Jerk 1980 (4 checks)
37.
Brubaker 1980 (2 checks)
38.
Airplane 1980 (3 checks)
39.
More Wild, Wild West 1980 (2 checks)
40.
Xanadu 1980 (4 checks)
41.
When the Circus Came To Town 1981 (3 checks) (Two
late entries) Whatever Happened to Baby Jane 1962 (3 checks)
The
Flame and the Arrow 1950 (3 checks)
The
Pool Shark This film is
important mainly because it is the
oldest film I know of with a juggling scene in it. W.C. Fields does
four pool balls in a fountain pattern for a few seconds. Bobby May
told me he recalls an earlier film with a juggling scene, but can't
recall it. Sally
of the Sawdust Although not as
good of a juggling scene as that in "The Old Fashioned Way,"
it is still very good. W.C. Fields does many three ball comedy tricks
and cigar box moves in a circus side-show. The scene to look for is
very close to the beginning of the film. The Old Fashioned Way This has what is probably the finest juggling scene in any movie. You will probably get a chance to see the film at an IJA convention, as it is usually shown there. The
scene to look for is near the end of the film, when W.C. Fields does
excellent tricks with three and four balls, a stick and cigar boxes.
The juggling scene and entire film are classics and shouldn't be
missed!
What to look for on late-night TV The
Circus This underrated Charlie
Chaplin masterpiece has the famous tramp cascading a salami, cheese and
roll! Arabian
Nights The juggling scene is the
only reason to see this turkey! This scene, however, is one of the best
in films. "The Three Swifts" pass flaming torches in dazzling
color near the beginning of the film. The
Greatest Show on Earth Juggling scenes are scattered
throughout the film, but the most important is near the center of the
film where a woman juggler floor bounces five balls on a pedestal in a
reverse cascade pattern. The
Juggler This is one of Kirk Douglas's finest performances. He
juggles here and there throughout the film, but the best scene is near
the end of the movie. Some fine statements about juggling are made in
the film and his tricks with three balls are done with great
showmanship. This film would be a good one for IJA conventions. Man
on a Tightrope Juggling scenes are scattered throughout this film.
Two people pass clubs, a knife thrower juggles knives, clowns cascade
three balls and do devil sticks. Siren
of Bagdad The juggling scene of two men passing flaming torches
comes at the beginning of this film. Lucky for us, because this film is
lousy! Circus
World John Wayne is in this one,
but doesn't juggle. Instead, watch for a group of club passers at the
beginning of the film doing a nice "shooting gallery" trick. Our
Man Flint James Coburn, the hero of the film, walks past a group of
jugglers who are practicing near a futuristic city. One of the
jugglers is doing a diabolo. Fantastic
Animation Festival The last entry
in this collection of award-winning short cartoons shows a character
reverse cascading three oranges while doing three others on one foot! (Top
that, Rastelli!) The
Tin Drum This Oscar-winning
German film shows a juggler dressed in a sailor's suit doing patterns
with three clubs. The
Jerk Steve Martin has a good
comedy scene near the middle of the film juggling three kittens. Xanadu Near the end of the film are a lot of jugglers in mime makeup passing clubs. |