The Smallest Show on Earth (1957). Photofest.
The Smallest Show on Earth (1957). Photofest.
The Smallest Show on Earth
(Basil Dearden, UK 1957, 80 min., 16mm)
Cute young couple Matt and Jean are struggling financially as Matt tries to make it as a writer. They believe their problems have been solved when they are told that Matt’s uncle has willed his movie theater to them. When they arrive, however, they discover the theater, nicknamed “The Flea Pit,” is run-down and operated by three aged employees that seem to have been there since it opened. The projectionist in particular, played by Peter Sellers, presents himself as a nuisance as his drinking interferes with his job. The couple come up with a plan to sell the theater to the competitor across the street, but must reopen the theater when their bluff is exposed. A charming portrait of British eccentricity, this film doubles as an oblique look into their cinematic history.