A Thousand Clowns is a 1965 film which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. The movie was adapted by Herb Gardner from his 1962 play, and directed by Fred Coe. Gardner based the Murray Burns character on his friend, Jean Shepherd, who is said not to have appreciated the gesture.
Unemployed television writer Murray Burns (Jason Robards), l...
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A Thousand Clowns is a 1965 film which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. The movie was adapted by Herb Gardner from his 1962 play, and directed by Fred Coe. Gardner based the Murray Burns character on his friend, Jean Shepherd, who is said not to have appreciated the gesture.
Unemployed television writer Murray Burns (Jason Robards), lives in a cluttered New York City one-bedroom apartment with his 12-year-old nephew, Nick (Barry Gordon). Murray has been unemployed for five months after walking out on his previous job, writing jokes for a children's television show called "Chuckles the Chipmunk". Nick, the illegitimate son of Murray's sister, was left with Murray seven years earlier.
When Nick writes a school assignment on the benefits of unemployment insurance, his school sends social workers to investigate his living conditions. Confronted by investigators for the Child...
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