Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages,
welcome to the most extravagant extravaganza
the human eye can behold!
Welcome the stars
of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth!
Move up! Up!
Up! Move!
In the big top! Come on!
- You all right? - Yeah. I just landed funny on my heel.
Get that damn bull before we're driven out of town.
Don't forget the bull hook.
Jacob? Some of the boys saw her heading for town.
I'll help you, kid. Come on.
Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.
Excuse me, ma'am.
This yours?
Yeah, we'll take care of it, Officer. Don't you worry. Thank you.
My cabbage! You pay for those, eh?
I'm sorry, sir.
I'll get out of here in two minutes.
Oh, they just love booze.
One whiff of this, and she ain't thinking about corn anymore!
Did you see that?
Got this from Wade and Grady. Bastards been holding out on me.
- Hey, mister! To pay? - I will. I will!
Kills me, wasting it on a goddamn pachyderm.
Oh! This damn leg of mine.
Is she following?
Yeah, she's following. - Uh-huh. Good.
Evening.
- You okay? - I'm fine. I have a sore wrist.
A bruised heel. I'll be fine.
But I think August could use a drink.
Maybe you should take him out, Jacob. Get him to relax a bit.
Did you catch that bull?
Yeah, I got her back in her car eventually.
Good.
August?
August!
August! Don't!
- August! August! - Stop!
August! She was good! She was good. She came back on her own.
She just needs more time. She wasn't ready yet. Hey!
Stop it!
Stay down, kid. I mean it!
We need to get a lot of whiskey.
I don't understand why a man like that
wants to be around animals in the first place.
He shouldn't have the right if you ask me.
Marlena!
Did Marlena send you?
No.
She doesn't want to see me.
She won't talk to me.
She won't forgive me this time.
Maybe you can talk to her.
I know there is no excuse for what I did.
- Is she all right, Rosie? - She could use some whiskey.
Yeah, yeah. Here, take all I've got.
Take it.
Will you tell her? Marlena?
Tell her what?
I saw the bull rear up and run away with her, and I lost my mind.
That's no excuse. I know that.
I've spent all that money on that bull.
I need to pay the workmen. I have debts to pay.
I need to sell tickets.
And that bull is useless.
If I lose Marlena, you understand, I'll lose all of this.
What were you planning on doing with that bull hook?
Jacob?
Are you sure that's not too much? She might get drunk.
She weighs four tons. She just gets sleepy.
She can barely move as it is.
She'll be fine.
I don't know what to do, Camel.
He'll kill her next time.
There's nothing you can do. A man like that.
He throws men off a moving train so he don't have to pay.
You think he thinks twice about killing one of God's innocent creatures?
- Can you pass me the other rag? - Mmm?
- It's under your foot. - Oh...
Lift your leg. Lift your leg.
I want you to read these out loud to Rosie.
Might help if he said "please."
Say...
- What does that mean? - Just try it.
Now the next one.
The only really authentic miracle is success.
Washes away all sins.
Don't you think? Just the thought of it makes all things right.
Anyway, to Rosie,
our big, fat, beautiful
bull's-eye of a star attraction.
- I need to get some more champagne. - Let me get it.
No. Sit! My party.
It's good seeing him like this.
Looks like it's gonna be standing room only from now on.
You know how many star acts we've had that packed them in?
How much money we've made and lost, and made and lost?
Silver Star paid for our new stateroom, and look what happened to him.
Why do you stay with him?
I was born a passenger.
They found me wrapped in a newspaper under a seat on the Baltimore and Ohio.
I was just three days old.
I grew up in foster homes.
I'd always daydream about who my parents were.
When I was five, for an entire year,
I pretended my mom was an Appaloosa mare.
I did.
And that I was a filly,
and that I was just dreaming that I was a girl.
And that one day I'd wake up, and I'd run home.
One thing was for sure, I was a lot safer in those stables
than I ever was in those homes.
And then the circus came to town.
And there they were, these six gorgeous black Friesians
with red tassels hanging down their manes.
So beautiful.
And August was right out front.
And as soon as he looked at me, I knew I'd never live with strangers again.
So we got married.
And where did I end up?
Living on a train. It's the only real home I've ever known.
And you know, I'm a star attraction.
Out there,
I got nothing just like everybody else.
You're a beautiful woman. You deserve a beautiful life.
That's all there is to it.
Where were you when I was 17, huh?
Let's dance.
This is a raid!
Raid!
Marlena! Marlena!
Jacob!
Hey! Hold it right there!
This way!
- You all right? - That was really close.
I ripped my stockings.
They were silk, too.
Who cares?
I don't know how we're going to find our way back,
especially if we don't find August.
We should probably go look for him, right?
Don't follow me.
I told myself, let her go.
She'll tell August that I got lost in the crowd.
It's the best thing for her.
It's the best thing for everybody.
I just couldn't do it.
Rosie...
I convinced myself I had to stay to protect Rosie.
To protect Marlena. Because August couldn't be trusted.
When the truth was
maybe I was the man who couldn't be trusted.
Hey. Hey.
Something's wrong with Camel. Come on.
Hey, kid. How nice to see you.
Hey, Camel.
- What's wrong? - I don't know.
I woke up this morning, and my feet was all floppy.
I just can't feel them right.
And it's not just that, though. There's other stuff, too.
- Like down there? Man stuff? - Yeah.
What's wrong with him, Doc?
It's jake leg. I've seen it before.
No such thing, is there, Doc?
Manufacturer started putting this plasticizer in this
to get around regulations that
Jamaican ginger extract not be sold as booze.
You're not supposed to drink this stuff, you know?
What the hell am I supposed to drink to stop the shakes?
It's Prohibition.
I ain't no Astor.
It's okay, Camel. Tomorrow's payday. We'll get you some moonshine.
Don't lie to the man. If we were getting paid,
Blackie wouldn't have red-lighted nine men.
That can't be true.
Nine men disappear between Goshen and Weehawken?
And we didn't make no stops.
Is he gonna get better?
Earl or Blackie see Camel like this, it's over.
We need to get him out of sight, Jacob.
All right.
Jacob, in a week, he's not gonna be able to move his legs at all.
Listen. He told me he has a son in Reading.
We play there in three weeks. Three weeks. That's all he needs.
Blackie and his men don't patrol performer cars.
- Good morning. - Hey.
- Do you mind if I sit? - Not at all.
Can we speak privately later?
Why? Is something the matter?
I just wanted to apologize about what happened last night.
That's silly, Jacob. Why would you apologize?
You weren't even there.
I explained to August what happened as best I could remember it.
Champagne just overwhelms my senses.
I remember there was a crowd, and people were pushing.
And I was running, and I fell and tore my stockings.
Morning, children!
That was quite an adventure we had last night.
Thanks, Pauley.
Glad I didn't have to bail you out of jail. How'd you get home?
- I took the ferry. - Brilliant and cheap.
Good man.
I slept like a baby after last night.
- Thank you, my darling! - August, please, we're in public.
What? Nothing to be ashamed of.
Man and wife reuniting in their marriage bed?
It's a sacred act.
My Marlena has forgiven me.
All's well with the world again.
Now, in a circle.
Beautiful, Jacob.
You know, I was really worried about you two last night.
If anything had happened to Marlena,
if anyone had harmed her or as much as touched her,
I hate to think of it.
Now let's bring her back in.
If August knew anything about that night, you'd never know it.
All he seemed to care about was Rosie,
and God love her, she played her part to a T.
We all did.
Everything went back to how it was before. At least, that's how it looked.
But nothing was the same. August was right again.
Everything is an illusion.
Come on!
With straw house sell-outs,
August promised the men he'd finally pay them with increases,
once his debts were covered.
Success had made a new man out of August, they all said.
But I watched him, and I knew it was just a matter of time.
Shh! Children.
The circus is nothing without its traditions. It's a family.
And like any family, when a new member is born,
its arrival has to be greeted with celebration and with gratitude.
Now I know we've all been kind of busy lately
with sold-out performances. Thank the gods!
Shh!
But right now, I want to take this moment before today's show
to gather together.
We close our eyes
and we thank
whoever's up there that sends desperate men running for the rails.
Because it was a lucky day when Jacob Jankowski jumped our train.
It is because of his discovery that we have the greatest star attraction
in the Benzini Brothers' history!
Shh! And so,
to officially welcome him into our family,
we open our eyes,
and we give him the traditional Benzini Brothers baptism!
Congratulations, Jacob.
Will you bring Rosie to my tent after this?
And don't tell anyone, okay?
Where do you want her?
Oh, if you could stake her right there, that would be great.
I'm planning a little surprise for August.
I've never seen the company so happy before.
Maybe we will give Ringling Brothers a run for their money.
Do you need anything else?
No, thank you.
Um, actually...
- Thank you. - Sorry.
So, what's this?
Oh, this is for you. Surprise! Congratulations, darling.
Thank you, my darling.
Jacob, where are you going?
It's your thing.
No, please join us. Come.
- Marlena. - Of course.
To August, a genuine miracle man for making a star attraction out of me.
Many thanks.
Many thanks to both of you.
And forgive me for arriving too soon and spoiling the surprise.
I could go back out.
Give you more time.
Or better yet, I could yell "Raid!" And clear the place out.
In fact, it gave me an idea for the show.
A new act.
This is the story.
A first dance. Two characters.
A young awkward man, hopelessly in love with a woman beyond his reach,
who teases his affections.
Hmm?
We start with a romantic melody that sweeps them onto the dance floor.
He wraps his arms around her.
Come on. Please, indulge me. I'm inspired.
The audience will love it!
Yes.
Now, they look into each other's eyes.
- August... - Look at him!
She touches his cheek.
And gently runs her hand down his neck,
playing with his hair.
Never leaving his eyes. Never leaving his eyes.
Making him believe she's his.
He slides his hand lower
and lower, below her waist.
But she slaps his wrist
as if to protect her honor against this rude Lothario.
That's it!
The audience will eat it up. They love the illusion.
They'll never guess you have no honor to protect.
August. Please.
It's funny how things pan out.
I've always known the kind of woman you really are.
Sitting in front of your dress shop,
watching the parade.
Those little-girl-lost eyes.
This beautiful, almost translucent skin. Well, translucent to me.
I could always see straight through you.
I'm sorry to say that you're really a very common type, darling.
Marlena, we should go.
Is that the plan?
- You're leaving me for him? - No.
- You must be special. No? - August, please.
If he doesn't mean anything to you, tell me to fire him.
Fire him.
Tell me to unleash Blackie and his men
to teach him a lesson not to touch my things.
Marlena. Marlena, it's all right.
Jacob, just go.
Ooh. Dissention in the ranks!
Betrayal trumps lust!
That's what sells tickets, kids!
August, look at me. Look.
I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here.
- Do you want to leave me? - No.
But I'm your wife. I'm not one of your things.
Prove it.
Look at me!
Nothing is going on. Nothing. Do you hear me?
I'll never leave you.
Of course, an innocent woman wouldn't have to get on her knees.
But you can't help it, can you?
Just force of habit for a woman like you.
Boss!
The rubes.
Walk away now,
or this will get a lot worse a lot faster!
I got him! Okay? I got him.
The only thing keeping you alive right now are those rubes.
August hates witnesses.
Oh, jeez, kid, what did you do?
I'm not leaving her with him.
Get in! Shut the door! - I have to find her!
You go after her, and August can have you shot,
and nobody can stop him.
Look, you just got fired. Makes you a trespasser.
Jacob.
Are you all right?
The girls overheard August giving Blackie the order.
They're coming after you as soon as we start to move.
You have to get off this train right now.
Go.
If we don't get too far, there's a hotel in Salem.
- But don't stay longer than the night. - Just come with me.
What?
You think there's nothing out there for you, but there is.
You just can't see it.
Jacob, you don't understand. I can't. He'll find me.
Marlena, there's a better kind of life that's meant for you.
Whether that life is with me or not, or whether you love me or not,
it doesn't matter.
But it's got to be now.
How long have I been asleep?
We can't stay here, Jacob. We have to keep moving.
Hey, don't worry. We'll get the first bus out of here.
We'll make our way to Ithaca. I'll call my dean, take my finals.
We do whatever job we can until my license comes in,
and then we go to Ringling.
Ringling's a tough act to break into.
- You can't just walk through the door. - No, no, no.
Not if we offer ourselves as a team.
You as a performer, me as a vet. That's a pretty sweet deal, right?
You think they'll take it?
No! No! No!
Someone's coming.
Easy, up. Come on.
Mind yourself.
Get that branch.
Get back on. Come on. We're losing time.
Come on.
Walter.
Camel?
Ladies and gentlemen!
Step this way! Just follow the sound of my voice! Don't be shy!
Plenty of time before the big show starts in the big top!
Jacob. It's okay. I don't have much time.
Where's Walter? Where's Walter and Camel?
When we jumped the train last night, August went crazy.
He had Blackie red-lighting men all night.
Wade and Grady hit soft ground, and they found Walter and Camel.
They had hit the rocks.
They didn't make it.
Wade and Grady are gonna take August down.
I don't know how, but you have to get out of here.
I'll stay hidden until the matinee starts.
Then I'll make my way to town. There's got to be a church or something.
There is.
You do the Spec, but when the show starts, come and meet me.
August won't know you're gone until the second act.
- So we'll get a head start. - I have to go.
Marlena, just promise me you'll come.
Or I'll come back for you. I swear it.
I'll be there.
I love you.
Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages,
welcome the stars
of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth!
Something's wrong.
Everybody to the big top! Come on.
Where's it coming from?
Barbara, take Queenie!
The cats are loose!
Get them!
Daddy!
Move! Move! No!
Marlena!
Rosie...
Rosie!
The official report said August had been trampled to death.
Blackie was never seen again after Wade and Grady dragged him out of that tent.
And no one was charged with letting the animals out of those cages.
To the police, it could have been anyone.
Benzini Brothers was officially belly up, property of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Shows on the road would get the scent soon enough
and come to pick off our bones.
I wouldn't leave Rosie to that.
I wasn't gonna let anybody touch her with that hook again.
So like I planned, I took my finals.
And with my degree, our animals, and Marlena 's act,
Ringling got themselves a sweet deal.
A sweet deal.
Our first son was born that season. Walter.
He spent the first seven years of his life with Ringling.
That's why I cannot
understand how he could forget to show up today.
There was a circus in town!
By the time our third son came, we'd had enough. Rosie was tired.
Luckily, the vet at the Albany Zoo dropped dead, so I got the job.
We bought some property so we could keep the horses, Rosie,
and then five kids.
Oh, before you know it, the kids are borrowing the car and moving out.
So then it was just Rosie and us.
When Rosie passed on,
Marlena cried for days.
We owed Rosie our whole lives.
And Marlena?
My Marlena died in her bed.
Still beautiful, though.
We had a lot of years, though.
I don't know how I did it, but I managed to give her everything I promised.
And, boy, that was the life!
Boy, I'm telling you!
Are you hiring me?
I don't know. What about your health?
There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just old.
Work is the best thing for age.
A man like me ought to be working the ticket wicket,
not some kid ringed up like a sideshow act.
And if you don't think I'm carrying my weight, you can call the home.
I won't argue.
You won't be sorry.
Yeah, we'll get you in the record books.
"Oldest man that ever ran away with the circus."
I'm not running away.
I'm coming home.
English - US - SDH