The Barker (1928)
(George Fitzmaurice, US 1928, 80 min., 35mm)
Milton Sills stars with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as a father and son in this carnival drama. Nifty Miller (Sills), the greatest carnival barker in the world, sends his son, Chris (Fairbanks), to law school in the hope that the boy will find a more settled and prosperous life professionally than in that of the sideshow. During one of his summer vacations, Chris finds work with the carnival, but when carnival girl Lou (Dorothy Mackaill) is paid to seduce Chris, Nifty quits the carnival and turns to drink. A touching story of paternal love and heartbreak is played out against the midway with accurate portrayals of the wandering life.
Restored by The Museum of Modern Art and UCLA Film & Television Archive with support from the Celeste Bartos Fund for Film Preservation.