The Clown Haters are at it Again

Winooski, Vermont, is a small town in the middle of the state known for its picturesque waterfalls and boutique shopping center in an old converted woolen mill. It also was gaining ground for its annual “Cinema Clowns Film Festival,” held each November at the city’s Community Hall. But it looks like the clown haters will see to it that the Festival is canceled this year.

According to Reuters, one Julie Crandall, a citizen of Winooski and the founder of RSMG (Racial Slurs Must Go) has put the town on notice that some of their proposed films are highly objectionable, and if they are not pulled from the Festival RSMG is going to file a civil suit against the town. Ms. Crandall lists the following films as objectionable on the grounds of “hateful racial epithets contained in the film:”

The Dentist, starring W.C. Fields. In this classic Mack Sennett short Fields essays the role of a crotchety dentist -- who at one point tells a patient “The doctor down the street treated a fellow for yellow jaundice for nine years, then found out he was a Jap . . . “  

This is admittedly a crude line, but it fits the whole pattern of this slapstick gem -- earlier in the film when the nurse informs Fields that a patient screaming in agony out in the foyer is waiting to see him, he brusquely replies “Ah, the hell with her!”

Duck Soup, starring the Marx Brothers. This film features half a dozen classic slapstick routines that originated in clown alley, such as the mirror scene and the lemonade stand battle between Harpo and Edgar Kennedy. Groucho was never more brilliant than in this zany political satire, but he is given one unfortunate line that goes: “And that’s how little darkies were born.”

In theatrical showings no one ever hears this line because of the wave of continuous laughter that washes over it. But that doesn’t stop Ms. Crandall from wanting the whole film banned for that one miscue.

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, directed by Preston Sturges. This slapstick comedy pokes fun at America’s patriotic mania during World War Two. A daring satire at the time, the censors made Sturges edit out much of the pungent dialogue he was famous for -- but they didn’t catch the line uttered by William Demarest, who started out in showbiz as a waterboy for the Hagenback Wallace Circus, where he tells someone who has just done him a favor: “That’s mighty white of you, brother!!”

I’m not sure how this fits the description of a racial slur, but admittedly it is an unfortunate quote of American vernacular from the 40’s. Because of this one little misstep, Ms. Crandall is determined to deny the public the fun of watching this beautiful American comedy, which has one of the strangest ending gags in cinematic history.    

Daniel Jenkins, who has run the Winooski “Cinema Clowns Film Festival” for the past five years says he’s now afraid to run any films, for fear of offending some special interest group that will sue the city. He says: “Much as I hate to say it, it looks like clowning is just too politically incorrect to show to the public anymore.”

I’m giving the last word to Julie Crandall -- not because I want to, but because the below outrageous statement is the icing on the cake -- a cake that ought to be thrown in her face. She is quoted as saying: “We are also looking into the German films of the clown Grock, who was suspected of having ties with the Nazis.”

I think Stymie and Our Gang better watch out!