Man on a Tightrope Page #3

of your family with you

in this circus.

Yes, sir.

My wife and

my daughter.

Your second wife.

Yes, sir.

My first wife died.

She was the mother

of my child, Tereza.

You and your family form

a little clique within

the circus.

I don't know

what you mean, sir.

You have private meetings,

late at night.

Of course.

We get together.

That's the way with

all families, isn't it?

Your circus appears to be

very cosmopolitan in

its personnel.

"Cosmopolitan"?

International.

You have many

foreigners on your rolls.

French woman, for instance,

who calls herself La Duchesse.

She's not French, sir.

She's certainly no duchess.

Years ago, she

married a sword-swallower,

who called himself The Duke.

And when he died,

she went a little

wrong up here.

In a performance in Malacek,

she produced a French flag

and waved it.

That was only in honor

of the memory of her husband.

I confiscated the flag

and burned it.

You have a Chinese.

Yes, sir.

Does he give adherence to

the Chinese people's

democratic republic,

or is he one of the lackeys

of the defeated fascist

regime?

I don't think he knows

what he is, sir. He's

a juggler.

You see, sir,

circus people aren't

like other people.

The only nationality we have,

the only religion we have

is the circus.

We have no politics.

We have no home,

the circus.

Two weeks ago

you were ordered by

the Ministerium of Propaganda

to make certain changes

in your performance as

a clown.

Yes, sir.

We made those changes.

That was in the act where

the other clown kicks me

27 times.

Did you continue to do

as you had been ordered?

Well, to tell

the truth, sir...

Answer my question.

No, sir. I didn't.

You went back to doing it

just as you had done before.

Yes, sir.

Why?

Well, the way the

propaganda officials

wanted me to clown,

it just wasn't funny.

The people didn't laugh.

And what do you do?

Well, I just stand there.

I flinch on each kick,

but my expression

never changes.

And this is

considered amusing?

The audience thinks so.

Can you show us?

You mean here?

Yes.

Now?

Mmm-hmm.

You have to imagine it

in the clown makeup

and costume.

See, he's trying

to make me furious,

so that I'll turn

around and kick him,

but he can't do it.

And then finally,

he's so tired

that he can't lift

his foot to kick

me again.

And then I do turn around...

(KISSING)... and I

give him a big kiss.

The propaganda people

said that in this act,

Jaromir,

that's the other clown,

should represent

Wall Street imperialism.

Silk hat, spats,

diamond studs and all that.

And I was to be

an American negro worker.

And we were

told to eliminate

the kiss at the finish.

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