Rain or Shine (1930)

[6]

Frank Capra directs this tale of a struggling circus troupe trying to put on a show in Everytown, America, before the money dries up and the performers go their separate ways. Joe Cook plays the circus manager, a very Groucho Marx-esque personality who talks quick to outwit his prey and who can perform some pretty nifty juggling and balancing acts. Joan Peers plays the owner of the circus, one she inherited from her late father. Cook has eyes for Peers, but Peers doesn’t return the favor. After Cook embarrasses her at a social function, she fires him ahead of the big show. The film ends in catastrophe, with the crowd rioting and the circus being burned to the ground.

Rain or Shine is an odd movie. One might call the central relationship between Cook and Peers unfinished or malformed, but I actually like that it isn’t neatly resolved or cloyingly predictable. One might also call Cook’s character annoying or confusing. You can rarely tell when he’s acting or being genuine, and whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy. But I again found this refreshing. Even the ending — which I told you ends in catastrophe — turns absurdly comic. So if you’re looking for a story that ties up its narrative ends and fits to a familiar mold, this ain’t it.

The film is more of a ‘day in the life’ movie. We see the circus traveling through the rain at night, putting on a parade in the morning, and drumming up attention among the townfolk. When the big show arrives, Capra uses creative angles to get us close to the performers. The stuntwork and comedy routines are among the film’s best moments. Cook also has some great comedic exchanges with the town’s feed store owner, whom he owes $240. Cook talks circles around the man, confusing him so much, he ends up investing in the circus and losing more money than he knows.

Rain or Shine is disjointed and arguably aimless, and those are usually bad things. But dammit, I wasn’t bored. And sometimes that counts for a lot.