Berserk! (Berserk)

Ladies and gentlemen!

And now the only act of its kind performing without a net.

The most death defying tight wire act,

Gaspar the Great!

Hand me tonight's receipts, Dorando.

Your hands are trembling.

Monica, how can you sit there so calmly

and check box office receipts after that horrible catastrophe?

How can you be so cold-blooded?

Realistic is the word.

It's a good thing I took control when it happened.

If I depended on you, we would have had a panic on our hands.

Yes, it's a good thing you're inhuman.

We're running a circus, not a charm school.

And most important, people have to be entertained.

- Yes, yes. "The show must go on." - Always.

No matter what the cost?

Mmm. Like in a war.

Troops are expendable.

Privates and generals alike. Expendable.

Are you aiming that at me?

You think you can do without me?

Not yet.

What if I insist?

I'm fed up. All you have to do is buy me out.

I'm not ready for you to leave.

You know very well I can't afford to buy you out.

You'll just have to wait.

I want out now.

I'm leaving.

Oh, you miserable, gutless adding machine!

What are you trying to do? Ruin my circus?

And you have the nerve to want to...

Come in!

- Miss Rivers? - Yes.

I'm Detective Sergeant Hutchins.

This is Detective Constable Bradford.

How can I help you, gentlemen?

Well, first I must tell you that none of Gaspar's equipment

must be moved or touched until it's been checked by our experts.

Of course.

Now just a few questions.

Who built the apparatus that was used in the high-wire act?

Gaspar himself had the units hand-constructed.

- Did anyone else handle it? - Yes, our labour crew.

He always checked it personally, though.

If you like, I can give you the names of the helpers.

Well, we shall need more than that.

Please have all your performers and workers assembled

at ten o'clock tomorrow morning for routine questioning.

Yes, yes, of course.

You understand this investigation might take a few days?

And until then, nobody is to leave the circus.

Nobody.

Good night.

Good night.

Well, Dorando, you heard the law.

Nobody leaves.

That'll keep you from deserting me while I still need you.

You always win, don't you, Monica?

If you had a brain in your head, you'd see that you win, too.

What do you mean?

Well, so far we've had a bad season.

And now with the accident, the splash publicity,

it's going to be great for the box office.

People have a morbid curiosity about death.

Especially a violent one.

That's why I'm sure that we'll be jam-packed tomorrow night,

with people hoping they'll see a repeat performance of death.

It really excites you.

I haven't seen you in such high spirits since we started the tour.

Poor Dorando.

Why are you always so depressed?

What can I do to cheer you up?

You know what? I just may let you tuck me in tonight.

But first, there are a few things you have to attend to.

I want you to get photographs of Gaspar

and send them to all the newspapers. It'll dress up the story.

Then I want you to wire all the agents in London, Paris and Berlin.

Get a top act to replace him.

But that will take me most of the night.

So what's the difference? I'm a light sleeper.

I've got a great equestrian act for you, Miss Rivers: The Gorraras.

The last time they performed,

two of their horses dropped dead in the ring of old age.

What about the Fabulous Glen?

He's still the best trick cyclist in the business.

When he's sober, which isn't often.

Look, don't waste my time with these broken down has-beens.

Some of them are as old as my elephants and twice as wrinkled.

I want something fresh. A new face with an exciting act.

I'd like to talk to you, Miss Rivers.

- What about? - My act.

- Frank Hawkins is the name. - I never heard of you.

Well, I'm new in this part of the world.

But I overheard you tell them

that you wanted something fresh and exciting.

- And you, of course, fill the bill? - I certainly do.

Don't you have an agent?

I do better handling myself.

You see, Bruno, we have a double daredevil.

Agent and artist all rolled into one.

After you've seen my act, you'll agree with me.

I must say you certainly are the shy type. What do you do?

- High wire act. - That's a bit of luck.

You know, of course, what happened to our last one, Gaspar the Great.

I caught his act last night. Saw him hanging around.

Leave the comedy to Bruno and the rest of the clowns.

I haven't time for your grisly jokes.

Just give me the details of your act.

- High-wire. Sixty feet up over a... - I know, over a safety net.

No, not quite.

Why don't you see the act for yourself?

One performance. You can make up your mind.

And if I like it? How much?

I'll leave the money up to you.

See my act tonight, and if I'm not worth top money,

well, this place is loaded with exits.

On those terms, you got a deal.

Mr Hawkins!

You're a bit jumpy, aren't you, Mr Hawkins?

I don't like being touched. Especially by a stranger.

Well, we won't be strangers for long. My name is Harrison Liston.

I specialise in the representation of circus acts and novelties.

I don't care what you do.

We haven't met, but I know you, Mr Hawkins.

- What the hell do you want? - I want to help you.

I listened to you selling yourself just now.

Wonderful, quite wonderful. Up to a point.

And then you kill your case by leaving the money up to Monica Rivers.

I handle my own affairs. Now, why don't you mind your own business?

You need me in other ways.

After all, you're a foreigner in this country.

I can, er... smooth over some bothersome details for you.

Look, I don't want anything from you,

so why don't you leave me alone?

As I said, I can smooth over some bothersome details

Like, er... getting you a labour permit.

After all, you wouldn't want the authorities to know

about what happened in Canada, would you, Mr Hawkins?

It might make getting that labour permit a bit difficult.

All right. All right!

Don't ever come near me again.

And now, it is my special privilege

to give you that daredevil of the high wire,

The Magnificent Hawkins!

Ladies and gentlemen,

you are about to see the only act of its kind

in the entire world.

The Magnificent Hawkins performs without a net

sixty feet above the steel bayonets

and wearing a blindfold.

He defies death with every step.

I now call your attention to the arena directly under the wire.

Ladies and gentlemen,

in his walk of death,

The Magnificent Hawkins!

Here's your contract.

Thank you, Mr Dorando.

You'll find everything in that agreement to your satisfaction.

You should, with that salary.

It's the biggest bite any performer has ever taken out of this circus.

You're older than I am, Mr Dorando,

but I'm sure you'll agree in this world you only get what you deserve.

No more, no less.

You can keep your little gems of wisdom to yourself.

What about my private caravan?

- Miss Rivers promised me that I... - I don't care what Miss Rivers promised.

On business deals, my decision is final.

Besides, we don't happen to have an extra caravan.

Unless of course you'd like me to give up mine.

No, thanks. It's not nearly comfortable enough.

Thank you for letting me keep it.

Next season, if you're still with us, and continue to draw,

we'll think about your private caravan.

Maybe I won't have to wait that long.

That's, er, Hawkins. I-N-S. Frank Hawkins.

Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Don't get carried away, son.

I've painted many names on these caravans,

and I've painted many out.

And I've yet to come across a name that could outlive the paint.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

we give you the world's greatest elephant act.

And now, Jody, the wonder elephant,

weighing over five tons,

will walk over six girls lying on the floor of the arena.

Sure beats eating in the canteen.

We ought to do it more often.

I'm crazy about you, Monica.

- I'm fond of you, Frank. - No more?

Why should there be more?

You're still a stranger to me.

Actually, I know very little about you.

You... well, you don't talk about your past.

That's because I'm only interested in the future.

Our future.

Ha-ha. Not so fast, Frank.

I like you, but I don't want this to mushroom.

Why not? What are you scared of?