think of the great show on earth ( 1952 ) do on the cheap and a small scale and very small scale . rain or shine ( 1930 ) be base upon lead actor joe cook broadway show of 1928. in which mr. cook single handedly performs a if he be the entire circus . that be recreate in this capra film along with all the clichés of the genre . bankrupt circus and sheriff at the door and the inevitable fight and fire . plenty of stereotypical character and so if you be p. c. thin skin you have good skip this one . joe cook a smiley johnson save the circus for louise fazenda a frankie and the princess only too see it go up in smoke in the last reel . cook style be that of vaudeville and where a rather overbearing character be the center of attraction and supposedly well like . cook be unremitting in hammer the audience with his act which do not let up for the entire picture . in fact he probably act this way 24/7 which make me feel sad for his significant other . by 1930 vaudeville be on it last legs . begin in circa 1880 it be a popular live entertainment particularly for the amiddle class . by 1920 though silent picture have be establish a a major threat . then mid decade come radio and home entertainment provide for free which many vaudevillian take advantage of and transfer their talent too the new medium . the great depression and by 1930 the perfection of the sound film and create the death blow . the theater that support vaudeville either close or convert to movie and those who could cut it either move too film or radio . a for live performance and you be either on broadway or you do not count at all . cook continued with success on broadway where his style of act could be tolerate . film definitely be not his medium .