She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter

The story begins inside a local movie theater, showcasing a marquee advertising a double feature of films from 1936. The theater sign also promotes a midnight show and highlights the affordable ticket price of 15 cents for 15 features. The audience, which includes cartoon animals, takes their seats, beginning the movie-going experience with some audiences changing seats repeatedly, setting a lively and unpredictable tone.

The film opens with a parody newsreel called 'Goofy-Tone News' produced by a fictional company parodying Warner Bros. The newsreel covers exaggerated stories, such as the US shipbuilding race and a new huge ocean liner, along with humorous visuals like the ship covering part of the Atlantic Ocean. The presenter 'Dole Promise' struggles to recall his own name, adding to the comedic tone.

A humorous news segment reports that the United States has built the longest ocean liner, capable of minimal movement between London and New York City, emphasizing the parody aspect. This segment demonstrates the exaggerated and satirical style of the newsreel, blending absurdity with fictional achievements.

Heddie Camphor interviews Little Oscar, an insect, who expresses a desire to stay lost forever. The segment humorously showcases the interview's playful absurdity, with Oscar speaking in a high-pitched voice as he's translated for the audience, fitting the comedic tone of the film.

The audience is shown trying to settle in, with a late arrival struggling to find a proper seat, only to find his view obstructed at every turn. Meanwhile, a hippo leaves his seat, pressing through the crowd while asking for pardon, highlighting the chaotic and humorous atmosphere in the theater.

Another parody newsreel, Nit-Wit News, reports on the effects of a mad dog's bite in Boondoggle, Missouri. The townspeople behave like dogs, and the mayor fights a real dog over a bone. Mrs. Ben Astorville, a socialite, is depicted as a pampered dog, further emphasizing the humorous and exaggerated style of the segment.

The newsreels conclude with the reporter being bitten by an affected townsperson, providing a humorous ending to the parody news segments. In the theater, the audience reacts with some amusement and continued engagement as the stories unfold.

The host, Leopold Stokowski, leads a sing-along featuring the song 'She Was an Acrobat's Daughter.' Lyrics appear on screen alongside illustrations, encouraging the audience to sing together. A humorous sign among the lyrics adds a gag about spitting on the floor, blending entertainment with comedy.

The main film starts with a parody of the MGM Leo the Lion logo, featuring a rooster that crows instead of roaring, as a nod to British Pathé. This playful intro sets the tone for the parody film, blending familiar motifs with humorous twists.

The parody feature 'The Petrified Florist' begins, starring characters that parody classic film archetypes like Bette Davis and Leslie Howard. The film features long, humorous credits with exaggerated character roles and a storyline involving hitchhiking and encounters at a desert inn.

During the film, a donkey audience member starts loudly advertising food items, disrupting the scene and causing the audience to remove him. This gag adds to the chaotic, comedic atmosphere of the projection context.

In the parody film, Howard and Davis characters arrive at a desert inn where Howard attempts to recite 'Mary Had a Little Lamb,' but his delivery is mangled, adding to the humorous parody and absurdity of the film.

An unruly baby goose seated next to its father causes disturbances by asking questions and demanding water, annoying other viewers. When the father protests, he is punched, culminating in a chaotic scene that reflects the film's slapstick comedy.

A baby goose's father leaves to tend to the disruptive child, who stumbles upon the movie projector. The child speeds up and rewinds the film, causing the characters to speak too fast or in reverse, resulting in comic chaos on screen.

The film ends with the child trapped inside the projector, entangled in film reels and emitting garbled speech as the reels spool around him. The chaotic ending underscores the film’s humor and chaos, tying together the parody and slapstick elements.