Book and Author Research:
A list of related films and internet resources
related to Water for Elephants
Film Sources
Billy Roses’s Jumbo-1962 film starring Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, and Martha Raye. According to imdb.com, “A Debt-ridden circus is saved by a well-meaning but inept publicity man Pop Wonder (Jimmy Durante). Pop and Kitty Wonder are the owners of the Wonder Circus and because of Pop's addiction to gambling they are constantly in debt and the creditors are very close to foreclosing on them. Their main attraction is Jumbo, the elephant and it seems that their competitor, John Noble wants Jumbo and is luring away all of their acts leaving them with virtually nothing. Then all of a sudden a mysterious man named Sam Rawlins joins them as a wire walker and Kitty is taken with him, what they don't know is that he's Noble's son.”
Carnivale-an original series from HBO available on DVD. According to Amazon.com, it’s “ A sweeping epic that is both challenging and highly accessible, this one-hour HBO drama series focuses on the primordial conflict of good vs. evil, as played out against a pair of vivid and unusual backdrops: a traveling carnival working the American Dustbowl circuit, and an evangelical ministry in California .”
The Circus-1928 film starring Charlie Chaplin. According to Combustible Celluoid.com, “Accused of theft, Chaplin's Tramp is chased into a circus and unintentionally becomes the show's biggest hit. He also falls for the ringmaster's stepdaughter (Merna Kennedy), an equestrienne. The trick comes when the ringmaster (Allan Garcia) decides to keep Charlie on as a prop master, but without letting him know that he's actually the star of the show. Eventually he discovers his stardom and must appear "funny" on purpose. But when a new tightrope walker (Harry Crocker) joins the show and the girl falls in love with him, a heartbroken Charlie finds that he can't make the audience laugh anymore.”
Circus World-1964 film starring John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale, and Rita Hayworth. According to imdb.com, “Circus owner Matt Masters is beset by disasters as he attempts a European tour of his circus. At the same time, he is caught in an emotional bind between his adopted daughter and her mother.”
The Greatest Show on Earth-Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 film stars Betty Hutton, Charlton Heston, and Dorothy Lamour. Its tagline is “The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!” According to imdb.com, “The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are set against a background of circus spectacle . To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground. Subplots involve the secret past of Buttons the Clown and the efforts of racketeers to move in on the game concessions.”
Surviving the Dust Bowl (PBS Documentary)-According to PBS.org, “"Surviving the Dust Bowl" is the remarkable story of the determined people who clung to their homes and way of life, enduring drought, dust, disease--even death--for nearly a decade. Less well-known than those who sought refuge in California, typified by the Joad family in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," the Dust Bowlers who stayed overcame an almost unbelievable series of calamities and disasters.”
Internet Sources
Circus History:
http://newdeal.feri.org/library/r_3k_ho.htm
“Photo Gallery”: This site contains images of the WPA Federal Theatre Project Circus in NY during1935-6. You can click on “enlarged image” to see the pictures in greater detail.
http://www.circushistory.org/links.htm
This is an extensive list of links provided by the Circus Historical Society.
The Great Depression:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/index.html
This site has links to pages about important people and events from this era including FDR, the WPA, etc.
http://www.amatecon.com/gd/gdtimeline.html
Click on this link to access a timeline for the Great Depression.
Aging and Memory:
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain/aging/how_aging_affects_memory.html
The AARP site has information about how aging affects memory.
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/NRTA/memoryloss_revamp.pdf
This site contains a pdf file viewers can download of a ten page article about aging and memory and memory loss.
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/psych431_nbb421/student2003/pr62/Aging.html This Cornell site is a bit academic and includes scientific detail, but it also includes links to a memory test and information on improving memory and cognition. |
