Bobby Bumps at the Circus
About Bobby Bumps at the Circus
A circus man tells Bobby that if he will carry water for an elephant, he can have a ticket. Bobby fills bucket after bucket. The elephant never seems full, because the manager swaps in a new elephant each time Bobby goes back for water. Fido catches the switch. Bobby throws the water on the manager and goes home. Pa is trying to balance the books and will not take him to the show. Bobby and Fido "balance" the books themselves, Pa chases them into the tent, and they land in the act. The manager offers a cartoon salary of $6,000 a week and hands over a week's pay in advance. Pa decides the cash will about balance the books.
Cast & crew
More about Bobby Bumps at the Circus
Earl Hurd animated and directed it at Bray. The Bray Animation Project and IMDb both give 11 November 1916 as the U.S. release. IMDb lists the running time as 6 minutes. The copyright card again cites the Bray-Hurd patents of 11 August 1914 and 15 December 1914.
Themes
Making
IMDb lists Bobby Bumps Queers the Choir as the short that followed this one. Hurd was still on Bray's 1916 Paramount schedule, with Starts a Lodge dated 28 September on the Bray Animation Project list and this circus short dated 11 November.
Preservation
A 16mm print has been transferred and the intertitles are transcribed on Wikisource. The short is not a lost title.
Notes
- The water gag depends on a lineup of elephants, not one very thirsty one. A title says, "He's been switchin' elephants on us!
- Pa's excuse is bookkeeping: "I can't do a thing, son, till I get all those books balanced.
- The $6,000-a-week offer is an intertitle, not a studio payroll figure. Another title shows a $500 advance.
- Fido is the one who spots the elephant swap.
- The closing card is Bray Studios Inc.
Scenes
- Bobby keeps hauling water while the manager rotates elephants behind his back.
- He empties a bucket on the manager.
- Pa, mid-chase, watches the manager pay for the act and calls the money enough to balance the books.
Quotes
Boy, if you will carry some water for this elephant I'll give you a ticket to the circus.
I'll give you $6000 a week for that act. Here's a week's salary in advance.
