When the Familia cinema in Valognes screened the latest film by Max Linder, the “king of comics”

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In the Valognes Journal dated January 28, 1928, Familia cinema of Valognes (Manche) announced, for the Sunday January 29the projection of film The King of the Circusdirected and co-written by Max Linder in 1924 and which was the last film in which this author-actor played.

In addition to the poster, an article, not signed other than by “press release”, promoted this film, which had already won a immense and deserved success upon its release, and specified that the show was accompanied by a symphony orchestra.

Max Linder, the “king of comics” who inspired Charlot to Chaplin

It must be said that The King of the Circus was a silent film, like the hundred previous feature films directed by this “king of comics” who inspired Charlie Chaplin to play the character Tramp at the very beginning of the 20th century.

The article from Valognes Journal announced the Familia show: “The film presented by the Aubert establishments company is one of the last that the sympathetic artist shot before his death. There are some very amusing and very new ideas in this work in which the American influence is, fortunately, tempered by a European background. Making people laugh is an art, and Max Linder was a master in this delicate art: Max acrobat or grappling with three thousand fleas let loose on the stands of the circus, Max lion tamer… The King of the circus against the King of the desert will provoke long bursts of laughter. But never, at any moment, do we fall into crude comedy. We can say that with The King of the Circuswe have, in a very French genre, an outstanding comedy film that everyone will want to see. »

At a time when the Le Trianon de Valognes cinema is showing the latest Walt Disney film, Mufasa: the Roi lion, the movie The King of the Circus reserves a difference in size between the lions at the very heart of these two films.

The film press recently summarized the synopsis of this 1924 film: “A young man from a good family, played by Max Linder, who lives with his father in a hotel, spends most of his time partying, despite his father’s opposition. One day, he goes to the circus, where he is captivated by a young acrobat, played by Vilma Banky, whom he meets a few days later. It’s decided, he’s going to become a circus artist, especially since, like Max’s father, the young woman’s father, also a circus artist, doesn’t see himself letting his daughter’s hand be anyone…

He then tries acrobatics, which will cause a series of memorable incidents in the hotel. Then he has an unfortunate idea: he buys a flea circus, which will also trigger problems, before becoming a tamer, thanks to a stratagem. This stratagem in question consists, it’s a classic, of putting a clown friend in a lion’s skin, except that Max’s rival in love has made a last minute change without warning the overconfident tamer… In short, you You’ll understand, he’s a real lion! »

Restored from fragments

“This film gives us a comedy without downtime full of health, visual gags, particularly successful physical comedy and good humor. » We thought this film was lost forever, but it was reconstructed and restored from found fragmentsunder the title Max, tamer for love.

When this film was screened in Valognes in 1928, Max Linder, undermined by depressionhad been dead since October 1925, having ended his life at the age of 41, at the same time involving his wife in his action. Sad end for “the king of comics”, as presented by the Valognes Journal.

From our correspondent Catherine CHAUMET

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