The Barker

Fairground of love (Original Title: The Barker ) is an American Filmmelodrama from 1928 with Milton Sills and Betty Compson, directed by George Fitzmaurice. How many films from the period of transition from silent films to talkies contains The Barker both individual lines of dialogue and intertitles.

Action

Nifty Miller is the most famous circus barker far and wide. However, for his son Chris, he wants a better life and wants the boy studied law. During the summer holidays Chris comes to visit his father. Nifty ended meanwhile his relationship with Carrie, an exotic dancer. This seeks revenge and paid Lou, a colleague for to seduce Chris. Lou really in love at the end in Chris. When they want to get married, Nifty sees its ambitious plans for his son as a failure. Embittered, he succumbs to alcohol. A few years later he learns that Lou Chris has made ​​to complete his studies. Overjoyed Nifty again finds a job as a crier.

Background

Milton Sills, a popular comedian in the silent movie, was among the prominent so-called victims of the talkies. His popularity waned with the advent of the new medium decreases rapidly and in 1930 he turns his last film to rapidly thereafter completely forgotten. For Betty Compson, whose career was then rapidly dwindling, the nomination for Best Actress came as a surprise. On the movie posters her name is only in third place and significantly smaller than the reading of Sills and Dorothy Mackaill. The success of The Barker helped her to gain a brief comeback as one of the first stars of the newly formed film company RKO Pictures, but already in 1931 it was already limited back to supporting roles. The film was remade in 1933 with Clara Bow under the title Hoop -La and 1945 with Betty Grable as Diamond Horseshoe. The plot inspierte Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu 1934 kowazuya to his patrol Haha o.

Awards

Fairground of love received at the Academy Awards 1930 ( April), a nomination in the category

  • Best Actress ( Betty Compson )
1928 in film Screenplay First National Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. 2nd Academy Awards
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