A Thousand Clowns

About A Thousand Clowns

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 to have not appreciated the gesture.

Unemployed television writer, Murray Burns, lives in a cluttered New York City one-bedroom apartment with his twelve-year old nephew, Nick. Murray has been unemployed for five months after walking out on his previous job, writing jokes for a pathetic comedian who hosts a children's television show. Nick was abandoned by Murray's sister seven years earlier, and now attends a school for gifted children.