Beschreibung

eine Hommage an das Lichtspieltheater...

Ein junges Ehepaar erbt ein Kino - und dessen kauziges Personal.

Die Zeiten in denen man in leisen Szenen hinter sich den Projektor rattern hörte gehen zu Ende. Unweigerlich verdrängt die digitale Revolution auch im Kino die analoge Gemütlichkeit. Was die neue Sachlichkeit im Laufe der Zeit mit den Kinogebäuden anstellte vollzieht sich nun in voller Nüchternheit auch in der Projektionstechnik.

Auch schon lang passé:

Die "let's all go to the lobby"-Unterbrechung in der Mitte des Films, das Bauchladen-Girl mit dem Eis oder Popcorn, auch Dia-Werbung erscheint inzwischen anachronistisch und in welchem Kino steht heute noch ein Klavier für die Stummfilm-Begleitung? Und doch sind es diese Details die jene Gemütlichkeit erzeugen, und zwar nicht die eines Kinos, sondern des guten alten Lichtspielhauses.

Zátopek schwelgt einen Abend im britischen Kino der Nachkriegszeit, und welche Namen würden sich besser dazu eignen als die Personifizierung der englischen Unterhaltung: Margaret Rutherford und Peter Sellers.
Wir zeigen: „The Smallest Show On Earth“, eine vergnüglich-melancholische Hommage an die Lichtspieltheater vergangener Tage.

Travers and McKenna play Matt and John, a poor young couple (they were married in real life) with a longing to visit exotic places like Samarkand. One day, Matt inherits a cinema from his great-uncle. When they go to look over their new property, they first mistake the modern Grand for it. They are soon disillusioned to learn that the movie theatre they actually own is the old decrepit Bijou (nicknamed the "flea pit"), which is located right next to the railway. Along with the theatre come three longtime employees: Mrs. Fazackalee (Rutherford), the cashier and bookkeeper, Mr. Quill (Sellers), the projectionist, and Old Tom (Miles) the janitor, doorkeeper and usher.

Robin (Phillips), their solicitor, informs them that the Grand's owner, Mr. Hardcastle (De Wolff), had offered to buy the Bijou from Matt's great-uncle for five thousand pounds in order to construct a car park for his nearby cinema. When they see their competitor however, he only offers them five hundred, thinking they have no choice but to accept.

Instead, on Robin's advice, they pretend to want to reopen the Bijou in order to force Hardcastle to raise his offer. At first, they seem to be succeeding, but then Old Tom inadvertently lets slip their overheard plan and Hardcastle refuses to budge. They decide to carry on with their bluff and go through with the opening. After a few mishaps, the business flourishes, especially after Matt hires the curvaceous Marlene Hogg (Cunningham) to sell ice creams and other treats at the interval.

Hardcastle counters by slipping a bottle of whisky into the next shipment of film reels for Quill, who has a drinking problem. He eventually succumbs to the temptation (while parched actors crawl across a desert on the screen), leaving Matt to try unsuccessfully to substitute for him; they are forced to refund the customers' money. Matt and Jean are ready to give up (with Old Tom eavesdropping again) only to wake up the next morning to find that the Grand has burned down. Hardcastle is forced to pay ten thousand pounds and keep the three relics on as employees in order to stay in business while his theatre is being rebuilt.

Just as Matt and Jean are leaving on the train, Old Tom tells Matt that "It were the only way, weren't it?", implying he committed arson. Alarmed, they decide to write him a letter asking him to clarify his remark, but sent a postcard instead...from Samarkand. (Quelle: Wikipedia)

Regie:Basil Dearden

Link zum Profil:The Smallest Show on Earth

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