Themes: All Washed Up, Alcoholism, Miscarriage of Justice
Main Cast: Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, Tom Kenny, Blake Clark, Adam Sandler, Robin Williams, Florence Henderson
Release Year: 1992
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This black comedy chronicles the fall of one of the world's most unlovable clowns as he plies his trade and tries to survive in Palukaville a town where everyone is more or less a Bozo. Shakes loves women and more than that, he loves his booze. Like many of his painted peers, ol' Shakes likes to hang out at The Twisted Balloon, the favorite local pub where he hoists a few, beats up on mimes (the lowest caste in Palukaville) and causes trouble with his girl friend Judy, a woman who cannot say the letter "L." Because the slovenly Shakes can't seem to make it to birthday parties sober and on time, he is fired from his booking agency, causing him to go on a big drinking binge. Later, Shakes awakens and learns that Binky, a lousy TV-clown, is framing him for beating up Shake's former boss with a juggling pin. Now poor Shakes must clear his name. He must also rescue "Juwee" who has been kidnapped by the nefarious Binky, and he must come to grips with his alcohol problem (perhaps the film could be therefore titled "Clown and Sober?"). Keep an eye peeled for cameos by Robin Williams, as a mime instructor, and Florence Henderson as one of Shake's illicit sexual conquests. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Kathy Griffin - Lucy; Paul Dooley - Owen Cheese; Bruce Baum - Ty the Rodeo Clown; Jack Gallagher - Officer Crony; Paul Kozlowski - HoHo the Clown; Jeremy S. Kramer - Detective Boar; LaWanda Page - Female Clown Barfly; Greg Travis - Randi the Rodeo Clown; Tom Villard - Dirthead in Car; Martin Charles Warner - Male Clown Barfly; Steve Bean - Beaten Mime in Park; Eliza Coyle - Enthusiastic Mime; Gerald F. Edelstein - 2nd Party Dad; Scott Herriott - Floor Director; Melissa Hurley - Producer at Bigtime Cartoon Circus; Tim Kazurinsky - 1st Party Dad; Sidney Lassick - Peppy the Clown; Joel Murray - Milkman; Bob Nickman - Gas Station Owner; Shane Ricci - Obnoxious Kid at Party; Johnny Silver - Clown Tailor; Cary Smith - Mom at Party; Danielle Spencer - Boots the Clown; Tony V. - Broken Saddle Bouncer; Donald Paul Pemrick; Tom Scott; Paige Gosney - Billy
Credit
Christopher B. Neely - Art Director, Melissa Cobb - Associate Producer, Steven Reich - Associate Producer, Melissa Hurley - Choreography, Bobcat Goldthwait - Director, J. Kathleen Gibson - Editor, Tom Scott - Composer (Music Score), Pamela Woodbridge - Production Designer, Bobby Bukowski - Cinematographer, Elliot Davis - Cinematographer, Michael Bennett - Producer, Paul Colichman - Producer, Miles A. Copeland III - Producer, Barry Krost - Producer, Harold Welb - Producer, Ann Luly-Goldthwait - Producer, Tim Trella - Stunts, Bobcat Goldthwait - Screenwriter
The movie is a dark comedy about a birthday-party clown (Goldthwait) in the grip of depression and alcoholism. Different communities of clowns, mimes and other performers are depicted as clannish, rivalrous subcultures obsessed with precedence and status. This was Goldthwait’s bitter satire of the dysfunctional standup comedy circuit he knew as a performer.[citation needed]
Critical and audience reaction to the movie was decidedly mixed: Leonard Maltin gave it his lowest rating, while the Boston Globe called it “the Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies.”[citation needed]
In an interview with Conan O’Brien, Goldthwait revealed that no less than Martin Scorsese had defended the movie from detractors. When a film critic derided the movie in order to make a point about good and bad movies, Scorsese revealed, "I like Shakes the Clown. Haven't you heard? It's the Citizen Kane of Alcoholic Clown Movies!."[1]
