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Released February 18, 1941
Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)
Hal Roach Studios
86 min. (Feature Film)

Millionaire Drogo Gaines jilts his golddigging bride at the altar by pretending to be insane, and when she sees through his scam, gets revenge by having him committed to a sanitarium. Gaines meets up with fellow patient Col. Carroway, a harmless eccentric committed by his family. Gaines and Carroway escape and hook up with a travelling carnival owned by Penguin Moore (Carole Landis). Drogo and Penguin are infatuated, and with Carroway's "help," Drogo is passed off to Penguin as a the world's greatest lion tamer. The carnival's financial condition leaves a lot to be desired, and finds itself evicted by the Sheriffs of several towns. But the Colonel's conspiring lands them on millionaire Harry Whitman's estate, with a plan to bring Drogo and Penguin together, and save the carnival.

Shemp Howard appears in a small role as Moe Parker, a wild animal exhibitor who sells his lions to the carnival.

Comedy relief is handled by Patsy Kelly, Penguin's best friend and the reluctant object of the carnival's mute Indian barker's (George Stone) affections. Willie Best also comes on board about halfway thru the film as a carnival handyman, who runs afoul of some loose lions. Musical interludes are provided by the gospel/folk group The Charioteers, with lyrics by Hoagy Carmichael.

Originally planned as one of Hal Roach's "streamliner" features (~ 45 minutes), ROAD SHOW wound up with a running time of 86 minutes, and Roach went so far as to cast his daughter Margaret in a supporting role as the carnival's vocalist, who sings with The Charioteers.

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Avg. Rating: [7.50/10]
 
ROAD SHOW on IMDb

Adolphe Menjou
Col. Carleton Carroway

Carole Landis
Penguin Moore

John Hubbard
Drogo Gaines

Charles Butterworth
Harry Whitman

The Charioteers
Themselves

Shemp Howard
Moe Parker

Lane Chandler
State trooper

Florence Bates
Mrs. Newton

Edward Norris
Ed Newton

Polly Ann Young
Helen Newton

Paul Stanton
Dr. Thorndyke

Tommy Mack
Clem Prouty

Ted Stanhope
Stanhope the butler

James Dime
Orville

Eddie Fetherston
Sidesow barker

Richard Cramer
Roustabout

Mike Lally
Roustabout

Ralph T. Brooks
Roustabout

Jack Raymond
Townsman in brawl

Harry Wilson
Townsman in brawl

Sam Lufkin
Townsman in brawl

Ray Cooke
Townsman in brawl

Stanley Blystone
Townsman in brawl

Maurice Cass
Sanitarium inmate

Edmund Mortimer
Sanitarium inmate

Johnny Arthur
Sanitarium inmate

Helen Dickson
Woman at carnival

Bess Flowers
Woman at carnival

Florence Wix
Agnes' mother, wedding guest

Larry Steers
Wedding usher

Broderick O'Farrell
Wedding guest

Yolande Donlan
Drogo's nurse

Inna Gest
Desk nurse


Hal Roach
Producer

Hal Roach
Director

Arnold Belgard
Screenplay

Mickell Novack
Screenplay

Harry Langdon
Screenplay

Bert Jordan
Film Editor

Norbert Brodine
Director of Photography

Charles D. Hall
Art Director

W. L. Stevens
Set Decoration

William Randall
Sound Recording

Hoagy Carmichael
Original Music

George Stoll
Original Music

Arthur Schutt
Associate Music Composer

Kay Nelson
Wardrobe

Roy Seawright
Effects Photographer

Bernard Carr
Assistant Director

Gordon Douglas
Associate Director

Hal Roach Jr.
Associate Director


















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