The Greatest Show on Earth Page #5

Until we meet another day

Only a rose to whisper

Blushing as roses do

III bring along

a smile or a song for anyone

Only a rose for you

A Stephen Fo'ster album.

A South American album!

Exotic firebird's

from the fore'st's of the Amazon,

a blaze of breathtaking beauty.

A very 'special 'surpri'se

for children of all age's,

our gue'st 'star for tonight,

Hopalong Ca's'sidy!

That's him! Sure, it's Hoppy!

A Chri'stma's album.

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one-horse open sleigh

Your hair i's too red,

your leg's are too thin,

you have lip's like a cat.

Youre no good.

You give me too much trouble.

Flattery roll's right off me.

But you make a fire here.

Well, 'simmer down, General,

before you melt your medal's.

What could be more fitting

for the Chri'stma's album

than Adeste Fideles?

The performance ends,

but the drama never stops.

In the grey, drizzly morning,

the first section of the circus train

pulls into the railroad yard,

long before the city is awake.

But the animals are awake

and looking for their breakfast.

Then comes the unloading.

Two hundred tons of living power.

Sixty carloads of equipment.

Wheels rolling, gears grinding.

A circus is gigantic power

and unceasing movement.

It is a restless giant,

unlimbering its muscles

after the long night ride

before moving in to capture a new city.

Up from the railroad yards

with their faithful escort

of early-rising young fans

whove been waiting since daybreak

to follow these living tanks

as they lumber and sway

to the circus grounds,

where the stakes are being driven

that will anchor the big top

against the beating

of its constant adversaries,

wind and rain.

An army is at work,

an army the audience never sees.

An army that must be moved

from city to city, fed and housed,

a thousand strong, hardworking men,

moving like a finely-geared machine,

with one purpose,

to roll the show.

The all-important baling ring

clangs into place.

Bales of fireproof canvas,

are hauled out, unwrapped, rolled out,

stretched, laid on the ground,

where it lies like the skin

of a mighty dismembered giant,

waiting for some magician

to bring it together and give it life,

waiting until, one by one,

the giants ribs rise into place

and are firmly fastened in the earth.

Boys line up for the punt games,

a chance for a free ticket.

The disciplined army never loses

a moment nor wastes a motion.

The boss canvas man makes fast

the canvas to the baling ring.

The lives of all depend on it.

Each of the hundreds of roustabouts

has his place and his job,

a responsible job, for one mistake,

one bit of carelessness,

could cost a life.

The giants skin is stretched out

until it lies smooth and moulded,

like the bowl of a great coliseum.

But eyes watching for trouble

have noticed a little tear

that must be patched

before the searching fingers of the wind

can rip it into a disaster,

before the giant can stand up

and stretch

over his feast of colour and laughter.

Now the giant comes to life.

Slowly, the tons and tons

of his canvas body

rise and swell into the air.

He starts growing to his full,

majestic height

as he catches his first deep breath.

The strong baling rings

slipping along the great poles,

until at last they reach to the flags

flying from the peak.

And as the big top rises in each town,

new risks are taken.

Caution is thrown to the winds

in this battle for the centre ring.

...55, 56, 57, 58,

I warned her not to do Jenny's act

on that rigging.

Yeah.

I wa's there the night Jenny got killed.

...75, 76, 77,

- Paying for the hay all in 'silver?

- That's how we get paid.

Holly's 'spinning like a weathervane

in a Kan'sa's twi'ster.

- Swingover's?

- Yeah.

Her rope i'snt rigged for that.

Tell the ringma'ster

to whi'stle in The Zoppe's.

- Fa'st.

- Right.

...107, 108, 109,

Come on.

- What are they doing, Grandma?

- I dont know.

Like a fi'sh on a line!

The red rope!

Hey, you!

You! Are you crazy?

Hauling me down in front of everybody!

Everybody laughing at me!

I wa's going for a record!

What's the matter, are you jealou's?

Cant you 'stand to 'see me

work in the air anymore?

You cant do that trick on a pull-up rope.

- I wa's doing it, wa'snt I?

- Get out of the way.

A hurricane of hazardou's hor'seman'ship

di'splayed by the riding Zoppe's!

Why didnt you put her over your knee

and 'spank her?

That would get 'some laugh's, too.

Havent you got enough clown's,

you got to make a comic out of her?

- She wa's trying to break a record.

- Shed have broken more than a record.

You 'sure 'saved her a bu'ster.

You better tell her, Brad,

or 'shell never forgive you.

Alberto Zoppe and Cucciola,

world's 'smalle'st bareback rider!

I would buy you 'spring violet's

from the little old lady

in the Place de IOpera

and crpe's 'suzette's.

You never eaten them?

Pari's i's a honeymoon city, chrie,

full of enchantment.

On a night like thi's,

the Seine i's deep and my'steriou's,

like a woman's eye's.

The light's in it are like jewel's.

Did you know, chrie, in your eye's

there are light's like 'stardu'st?

No, but keep going.

You are beautiful and exciting,

like wine.

You know women are like wine?

Some are like 'sweet Sauterne's,

'some are warm like Burgundy, 'some...

Which one wa's Angel?

- Angel?

- Angel.

Angel wa's like cognac,

all fire in a gla's's.

But you...

You are like champagne.

Sparkling, tantalizing.

You make a man's head 'spin.

- Youve got a terrific line.

- A line? What i's that?

Well, I mean, youve 'said all thi's before

to too many girl's.

Well, never to one like you.

Oh, I have wandered a little.

But how el'se could I appreciate

what I have found now?

Id better go.

When we are up in the air,

I fall more and more in love.

- You, too, no?

- No.

A girl may 'say no,

but the woman in her mean's ye's.

- Do not be afraid of me.

- Im ju'st 'scared of my'self.

It i's not of your'self.

It i's love that frighten's you.

Feel. My heart beat's fa'st like your's.

- That's the magic of it. You love me.

- No. I mean, I dont know.

Let me go! Seba'stian!

Never try to take anything

from an elephant.

Seba'stian, do 'something!

A lion, III fight for you. A tiger.

But a redheaded wildcat

with an elephant, no.

You make thi's two-tailed jacka's's

put me down!

Did he tell you about Pari's

in the 'spring?

It's none of your bu'sine's's what he told...

Did he 'say you were like cognac,

all fire in the gla's's?

No. He 'said I wa's like champagne.

I made hi's head 'spin.

Yeah, only youll be the one

that wake's up with a hangover.

You take care of your love life,

and III take care of mine.

No, lve got four working here.

That's all.

Well, if youve got an elephant mi's'sing,

go find her.

Joe, 'send into town.

They had a Republican convention

there tonight.

Hold it. Here's your mi's'sing Jumbo.

It's okay.

Come on, move it up, Ruth.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes