She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter

The story unfolds primarily within the lively and often chaotic environment of a local movie theater, which is humorously depicted through a series of satirical signs and advertisements. The marquee boldly promotes a double feature titled “36 Hours to Kill with His Brother’s Wife,” both films dating back to 1936, suggesting a nostalgic or parodying tone. Alongside this, a sign for the midnight show advertises a total of 15 features for just 15 cents, humorously including “rejected shorts”, hinting at the low-budget or comedic nature of the show.

Once inside, the audience comprises a variety of cartoon animals, creating a whimsical but lively scene. The members of this audience are quite restless, frequently standing up and changing seats, resulting in a comically exaggerated display of constant repositioning as each tries to find the best viewing spot.

The movie begins with a parody newsreel titled “Goofy-Tone News,” produced as a clever spoof of actual industry staples like Warner Bros. and Movietone News. The host, a character named Dole Promise (leads to a humorous struggle with memory, as the character forgets his own name), reports on exaggerated events such as the United States engaging in a shipbuilding race and constructing an enormous ocean liner so vast that it appears to cover part of the Atlantic Ocean, yet its actual movement is minimal. This segment continues with humorous interviews, including one with an insect called Long-Lost Oscar, voiced in a high-pitched tone, expressing his preference for remaining lost.

Throughout the newsreel, the focus shifts to the theater audience through a series of comedic moments: a latecomer tries to find a seat but faces strange viewing angles; a hippo has to leave his seat, politely squeezing past others, which results in a series of minor frustrations among viewers.

The next segment, Nit-Wit News, features Lew Lehr as Who Dehr, delivering a bizarre story from Boondoggle, Missouri. Here, the effects of a mad dog’s bite cause townspeople to behave like dogs—the mayor fighting with a dog over a bone, and a socialite resembling a pampered dog with a butler. The segment reaches its height when Dehr himself gets bitten, adding to the absurdity.

Following the news, the film shows a lively sing-along led by a character called Leopold Stokowski (playing the “fertilizer” — a pun on the Wurlitzer organ), with lyrics displayed on screen. The audience humorously sings about “She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter,” while a comical sign among the lyrics humorously advises, > “please do not spit on the floor.”

The main feature begins with a playful parody of the MGM Leo the Lion logo, replaced by a rooster crowing instead of a roar—this nods to the British Pathé logo. The film being shown is a parody of The Petrified Forest, titled The Petrified Florist, starring Bette Davis as Bette Savis and Leslie Howard as Lester Coward. The story opens with Lester attempting to hitchhike, reading a book, only to be interrupted by a lively donkey audience member who loudly promotes various food items, quickly earning his ejection from the theater.

On screen, Howard’s character reaches a desert inn, attempting to impress a waitress named Davis, played by Bette Davis. When he tries to recite poetry, he mangles the well-known nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” much to the audience’s amusement. Meanwhile, in the theater, a young goose and his father are seated together. The baby goose incessantly asks questions — about the movie, water, or wanting to see a cartoon — which annoy the other viewers. When the father protests, he gets punched in the face. The persistent child then sneaks into the projection room, where he begins to toy with the movie projector.

This reckless act causes chaos: the film speeds up, making the characters speak too rapidly, then rewinds, reversing their interaction. Realizing the trouble, the little goose gets caught in the machinery, ending with a frantic struggle as reels spill around him, and he furiously attempts to free himself while garbled film dialogue blares in the background.

Overall, the movie is a wild combination of parody, slapstick humor, and satirical commentary on entertainment, combining animated caricatures and live-action parody elements to create a distinctive comedic experience. The blend of witty visual gags, humorous performances, and playful critique of the movie industry offers a long-lasting, entertaining, and uniquely satirical look at cinema and its surrounding culture.

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:15