“Clowns Welcome!”
How is it that Bill Murray’s directorial debut is all but forgotten? It’s time to give his “clowns robbing a bank” comedy its just due!
Also, I’ll share one of his best performances – in a film where he doesn’t even get a credit! Let’s start with Bill Murray the clown…
First, let’s see the trailer:
Bill Murray stars with Geena Davis and Randy Quaid in this neglected cult classic. First, here is the plot: a man dressed as a clown enters a bank and tries to rob it.
Bank Guard: What the Hell kind of clown are you?
Grimm: The crying on the inside kind, I guess.
All they have to do now is make it out of the city and to the airport. And in a hilarious mini-version of “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, NOTHING goes right!
Things keep going wrong as they attempt to make their getaway….like when they board a city bus.
[getting on a bus]
Phyllis: What’s that smell?
Grimm: Used wine.
Randy Quaid keeps falling apart, and it’s only Geena Davis and her quick wit that keeps them going – like when they finally see the airport…
Loomis: Is that our plane?
Phyllis: No, if it were our plane, it would be crashing.
When original director Jonathan Demme became unavailable, writer Howard Franklin and producer Bill Murray couldn’t agree on who would be a good director for the project. So they decided to do the job themselves.
Among the great moments are lines like this:
[Johnny holds a gun to Grimm's back]
Johnny: This ain’t my dick in your back!
Grimm: That’s a relief.
And of course, the movie opens with a classic line as well…
“Clowns Welcome!”
The great moments begin at the very beginning of the film, with Murray sauntering down the street – dressed as a clown – and spied by a street barker yelling outside a strip club across the street…
Street Barker: “Nude women! Nude women!”
Bill Murray saunters by in the clown outfit…
Street Barker: “Clowns Welcome! Clowns welcome!”
Clowns Welcome, Indeed!
Check out this neglected classic!
More Neglected Murray!
And here’s a classic Bill Murray performance – that he isn’t even credited for! Look closely at this movie poster….
Tootsie
“Tootsie” is the classic comedy about an unemployed actor with a reputation for being difficult who disguises himself as a woman to get a role in a soap opera.
From that simple description comes one of the best movies ever made – a brilliant comedy that looks at social issues, female empowerment, and of course, how tough it is to get a job as an Actor.
And Bill Murray has a substantial role – but you wouldn’t know it from the poster!
Dustin Hoffman is Michael Dorsey, and intense Actor who pretends to be a woman to get a job on a daytime soap. From there it spirals out of control in all the best ways, and Dustin Hoffman turns in another brilliant performance as an Actor who just wants to ACT. He shares an apartment with Jeff, a playwright with some unique views on theater…
An Uncredited Bill Murray!
Jeff the Writer is played beautifully by Bill Murray, who didn’t take a credit in the film because he didn’t want people to think it was just another of his populist comedies of the time – so imagine that, he DIDN’T TAKE A CREDIT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE MOVIE!
CLASS ACT!
Here’s Bill Murray ad-libbing one night at a party, discussing why he writes plays:
Jeff: “I don’t like it when people come up to me after my plays and say, “I really dug your message, man.” Or, “I really dug your play, man, I cried.” You know. I like it when people come up to me the next day, or a week later, and they say, “I saw your play. What happened?”
“THAT IS ONE NUTTY HOSPITAL!”
Murray has one of the last lines int he movie, and it’s a classic…”Toosie” is one of the greatest comedies ever made, and Bill Murray’s hilariously deadpan performance is one reason…so try out this double bill!
