Laugh, Clown, Laugh
1
Spring comes early in the
Italian hills. Peasant
hearts are light - and
the voice of the travelling
circus is heard in the
land -
2
"Some poor family with too
many babes abandoned
her - for the Saints to
take care of."
3
"You mean for us to
care for! Give her to
the orphanage - women
bring bad luck!"
4
"No, Simon, what the Saints
have sent, sinners can't
refuse. I'm going to keep
her!"
5
"Cock-a-doodle-do!"
6
"Simon, haven't you a
kiss for .... Simonetta?"
7
"Simonetta? You've named
her after me?"
8
So Simonetta became a
child of the road ....
wandering light-hearted
through youth's sunny
years.
9
"She is a feather for
grace, Tito - that
little one!"
10
"But she looks too young!
Fix her hair - make her
a woman!"
11
"Simon, did you hear him?
Simonetta is to join our
act!"
12
"A rose! That's what you
need - a rose in your
hair!"
13
Near the circus grounds
were the gardens of
Count Luigi Ravelli ....
where roses grew.
14
"That barbed wire was
not intended for your
pretty little legs."
15
"I wanted a rose ....
for my hair."
16
"There, Lucretia, you
have a rival!"
17
"My friends, here is a
new rose I found in
my garden -"
18
"What a lovely child of
Nature you are!"
19
"What an alluring woman
you could be!"
20
"Luigi!"
21
"Send that peasant away!"
22
"If Simonetta's coming
in our act ... I'm leaving
it! Women bring bad
luck!"
23
"I've made you what you
are, Tito! Try and get
along without me!"
24
"Why, Simonetta! You're
not a child any more!"
25
"You're .... a woman!"
26
"Call him back, Simonetta ....
Call Simon back! I need him!"
27
In the pattern of human
life there are many strange
threads. Three years later ....
in the office of a famous
neurologist in Rome.
28
"Count Ravelli, your spells
of uncontrollable laughter
are due to a life of
self-indulgence."
29
"Your emotions have ruled
you so long you have lost
control. You've lived too
well - perhaps loved too
many."
30
"Signor Beppi is here
for his appointment,
Doctor."
31
"If you ever fall in love
sincerely - with a woman
of the right kind - -
I think your trouble will
disappear."
32
"Don't do that, Doctor!
I'm ticklish!"
33
"Signor Beppi, as I said
before, it's very difficult
for me to help you if
you won't tell me more
about yourself."
34
"I believe you're suffering
from some sort of
suppression .... perhaps a
hopeless love."
35
"When your hopelessness
is gone - - you will be
well."
36
"Lose no time in winning
the lady, my friend."
37
"You don't understand,
Doctor - I can't tell her!
It wouldn't be right!"
38
"When these crying spells
come on .... I'm afraid of
losing my mind."
39
"My friend, you must have
diversion. You've got to
find something to make
you laugh."
40
"There's the fellow who
will make you laugh!"
41
"He's making all Rome
laugh! He's a tonic
for a tired world!"
42
"He'll make you
laugh, too."
43
"Flik can never make
me laugh!"
44
"Because I am .... Flik!"
45
"I wasn't laughing at
you when you came
in - - laughter is my
affliction."
46
"You mean - you can't
help laughing any more
than I can help - -
crying?"
47
"Don't worry .... we can do
a great deal for him .... at
least you can."
48
"Make him go out more -
walk with him, talk with
him, laugh with him!"
49
"You know - I think
you'd be good for me."
50
"And I've been thinking -
you'd be good for me."
51
"Shall we try - -
curing each other?"
52
"I've found a new friend,
Simonetta .... and a
lucky one. He's always
laughing."
53
So the two men helped
each other .... without
realizing how much
Simonetta helped them
both.
54
"I envy you your gentle
manners, Count Ravelli."
55*
"It didn't take me long,
Tito, to find out how
much I needed you."
56*
"I need you, too, Simon.
I want you back with me."
57*
"We'll call ourselves -
Flik - and - and - Flok!!
That's it! Flik and Flok!"
58*
It was a season of triumph
for Flik and Flok, and on
the eve of their last
performance ....
59
"Don't be foolish, little
one - - he's very
rich -"
60
"You were born to
wear them -"
61
"Would you sacrifice
these .... for a clown?"
62
"I could never leave
Tito! Never!"
63
"Come, come, now!
No tears!"
64
"Cock-a-doodle-do!"
65
"Nothing will ever part
us, Tito .... will it?"
66
"I'm a mouse!"
67
"I'm a swallow!"
68
"I'm a monkey!"
69
"I'm a giant!"
70
"You're - a - lover!"
71
"You're in love with
Simonetta - I always
knew it!"
72
"They're real!"
73
"Why do you think Luigi
gave such a present to
Simonetta?"
74
"Tito, it's time someone
awakened you to the
truth."
75
"He stopped laughing -
and you stopped crying
- for the same woman!"
76
"You don't suppose he's
giving her real pearls
for nothing!"
77
"Swells like him don't
marry tight-rope
walkers."
78
"Mother of Mercy! What
is this man trying to
make me believe?"
79
"Get hold of yourself,
Tito! We must go on
again!"
80
"You're cured, aren't
you? You've stopped
laughing?"
81
"But you're grinning at
the way you fooled
me with friendship,
aren't you?"
82
"You can fish in the
gutter with your pearls
... but not for Simonetta!"
83
"You can buy nothing
here!"
84
"You're the type that
stops at nothing in
pursuit of women!"
85
"It crops out after all,
you low clown! You've
a clown's brain! All
you see is dirt!"
86
"You see - - I love
Simonetta, too."
87
"If she loves you, Tito -
I'll not stand in your
way."
88
"You must ask her first,
Luigi. If she loves you -
she'll never know of
my love."
89
"Count Ravelli, I can't
accept these!"
90
"Won't you try to forgive
me, Simonetta?"
91
"Simonetta, I love you ....
heart and soul. I love
you!"
92
"Ladies and gentlemen!
The great Flik will now
do his DEATH-DEFYING
SLIDE!"
93
"You belong to them!
They must have their
fun!"
94
"Laugh, clown, laugh ....
even though your heart
is breaking!"
95
So Luigi and Simonetta
were betrothed - and
went to spend the weeks
before the wedding with
Luigi's family.
96
"Are you very happy,
dearest?"
97
"Oh, Luigi, I could be so
happy, if only Tito were
not - alone."
98
"Luigi, can't we have
him near us? He's
so helpless -"
99
"Of course, dear! We
need him, too. He
seems almost part
of us."
100
"Tito, I've got a wonderful
new idea for our act!"
101
"I'm afraid I can't go on
with the act, Simon.
My heart's not in it."
102
"That's no way to talk,
old clown. The world
needs you - - needs
laughter!"
103
"We'll rehearse tonight?"
104
"We're going to have
the greatest season
of our lives."
105
"Cock-a-doodle-do!"
106
"I couldn't stay away
from you any longer,
Tito!"
107
"Everything to remind
you of me!"
108
"The last time I wore
this .... I caught your
tears in it."
109
"Tito - you love me."
110
"I didn't know you
cared - like that."
111
"You love me! That's
what you were always
trying to say .... and
couldn't!"
112
"Tell me you forgive me!
Say you want me to be
your wife!"
113
"I love you, Tito!
I love you!"
114
"Mother of Mercy, I swear
to you .... I love Tito!
I love him!"
115
"Now do you believe me?"
116
"If all my dreams were
like this - - I would
sleep forever."
117
"It isn't a dream, Tito -
it's real! I'm going to
tell Luigi - now!"
118
"And then Lake Como -
you and I!"
119
"Blessed Mother - forgive
her! She lied!"
120
"She kissed me - when
all the time her soul was
crying Luigi - Luigi!"
121
"My hat and cloak!"
122
"He's Flik! I'll bet
you he's Flik!"
123
"What are you made
up for? It's only a
rehearsal!"
124
"I - I - forgot - I -
I - was thinking about
something else."
125
"Why don't you laugh?
Why don't you be Flik?"
126
"Look at that long face!
That's not Flik!"
127
"We've got to find the
old Flik again .... the
funniest fellow in the
world."
128
"Laugh, clown .... laugh!
Why don't you laugh?"
129
"Yes! Why don't you
laugh? Simonetta's
going to marry you!"
130
"Simonetta loves you?"
131
"Then you should be
the happiest man in
the world!"
132
"Foot lights! Clear the
stage! Ring up the
curtain! Let the
comedy begin!"
133
"Music! Why don't
you start?"
134
"Announce me, Flok!
Announce me!"
135
"What's the matter? Why
don't you announce me?"
136
"The great Flik will now
do his DEATH -"
137
"- his DEATH-DEFYING
SLIDE!"
138
"Get a doctor! Get a
doctor quick!"
139
"Why should I .... spoil
her youth .... with my
tears?"
140
"I'm .... an .... old man -"
141
"Isn't it funny .... I missed
that trick .... after all
these years."
142
"Tell Luigi .... to be good ....
to her."
143
"The comedy .... is ....
ended!"
144
"That's Flik on the
floor."
145
"He's playing that
he's dead."
The End
* = reconstructed title
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