Regular readers probably already know that my favorite movie which does not feature a Great Adventure is 1965’s “A Thousand Clowns.” It’s the heartbreaking and hilarious story of Murray Burns, as played brilliantly by the great Jason Robards. Murray’s an unemployed comedy writer, struggling to come to terms with his responsibilities as an adult, not least of which is the nephew his sister abandoned in his apartment as a baby, and child services’ imminent repossession of said nephew. Anyone who’s ever wondered how to hold onto wonder and irreverence without letting go of adulthood will be profoundly moved by the film.
Unfortunately, it’s never been released on DVD, and has been out of print on VHS for many years. For a while, it was available for streaming on Netflix, but it looks like it isn’t anymore. I’m told it pops up regularly on the classic movie channels, so if you’ve got a Tivo, tell it to watch out.
If you live somewhere near Brookline, Mass, though, you’ve got a special chance to see it Monday night as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Coolidge Corner Theater. Even better is that the screening will be hosted by two men almost as charming and irreverent as Murray himself — Tom & Ray Magliozzi, aka Click & Clack the Tappet brothers, the host of NPR’s Car Talk. Apparently it’s their favorite movie too. You can find more information here.