Leila Hyams

A down-on-his luck newspaperman finds himself the center of an experiment being conducted by two daffy millionaires--to see if someone can spend $1000 a minute, every minute, for 12 solid hours. If he can do it, he gets $10,000. If he can't do it, he gets nothing. —frankfob2@yahoo.com

An English valet brought to the American west assimilates into the American way of life. While visiting Paris in 1908, upper class Lord Burnstead loses his butler playing poker. Egbert and Effie Floud bring Ruggles back to Red Gap, Washington. Effie wants to take advantage of Ruggles' upper class background to influence Egbert's hick lifestyle. However, Egbert is more interested in partying and he takes Ruggles to the local 'beer bust'. When word gets out that "Colonel Ruggles is staying with his close friends" in the local paper, the butler becomes a town celebrity. After befriending Mrs. Judson, a widow who he impresses with his culinary skills, Ruggles decides to strike out on his own and open a restaurant. His transition from servant to independent man will depend on its success. —Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca> 1908. Married couple Egbert and Effie Floud are among the nouveau riche in the small but booming town of Red Gap, Washington. Egbert is a self-made millionaire in local resources and ranching, while Effie comes about her money through her mother, 'Ma' Pettingill, who struck oil. Egbert is a good old boy who likes to hang out and drink with his equally down home friends - rich or poor - which is much like Ma, while Effie, who wears the pants in the family, wants to be seen as socially and financially important, with all the trappings. The Flouds live in Ma's mansion, with Effie's equally snobbish sister and brother-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Bellknap-Jackson, who flaunt their wealth and self-importance. While vacationing in Paris, the Flouds meet British Lord, the Earl of Burnstead, and his manservant, Ruggles, who comes from a long line of gentlemen's gentlemen. In a drunken stupor, the Flouds "win" Ruggles in a poker game against the Earl. By the sober light of the next day, Egbert has no intention of collecting on the bet, while Effie has every intention of doing so, seeing the addition of Ruggles to their Red Gap lives, specifically as Egbert's manservant, as elevating their social standing. Egbert sees the addition of Ruggles to their lives solely as another drinking buddy with who to hang out. Beyond Ruggles being a fish out of water in Red Gap, he faces the struggle of whether Egbert or Effie is his ultimate master. Complications ensue when before Effie can make the official social announcement of Ruggles being Egbert's new manservant, the newspaper reports that he is actually the Floud's important house guest, British Colonel Marmaduke Ruggles, this misunderstanding based partly on Egbert referring to him in public colloquially and in friendship as colonel. Regardless, Ruggles may get a different perspective on life residing in the frontier of the proverbial land of the free. —Huggo An English gentleman loses his stuffy manservant, Ruggles, in a poker game with an unmannered cowboy and his wife. Ruggles accompanies his new employers to the tiny, wild town of Red Gap, Washington. Rich, rowdy Egbert Floud introduces Ruggles as "Colonel" Ruggles, and the town ladies are quite taken by the sophisticated servant in disguise as he enamors them with fictitious stories of battles gone by. Ruggles proves his newfound patriotism in one of the best scenes of the film, his recitation of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in the Silver Dollar Saloon. The dream of freedom leads him to open his own restaurant, where one of his first customers is the nobleman who has come to reclaim his former servant. —Fiona Kelleghan <fkelleghan@aol.com>

A circus' beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra agrees to marry Hans the leader of side-show performers, but Hans' deformed friends discover that she is only marrying him for his inheritance. So they seek revenge. Circus trapeze artist Cleopatra takes an interest in Hans, a midget who works in the circus sideshow, but she is only interested in the money he will be inheriting; she's involved in an affair with another circus performer, Hercules. Hans's fiancée does her best to convince him that he is being used but to no avail. At their wedding party, a drunken Cleopatra tells the sideshow freaks just what she thinks of them. Together, the freaks decide to make her one of their own. —garykmcd A traveling circus has a wide variety of acts, including a number of sideshow curiosities based on some unusual physical attributes. They include midgets, limbless people, pinheads, conjoined twins, a bearded lady, and a half man/half woman. There are many interpersonal interactions between the entire troupe--generally amiable, but there are some who treat the curiosities as mere freaks. However, there are a few romantic relationships between the "normal" troupe members and the curiosities. One exception is the budding romantic relationship between Hans, a midget, and trapeze performer Cleopatra. Hans is unaware that Cleopatra only fosters that relationship because of the expensive gifts he lavishes on her; she is actually carrying on with muscle man Hercules, physically the antithesis of Hans. Fellow midget Frieda, who was once engaged to Hans and still loves him, believes that Cleopatra's interest in Hans is solely to make fun. But Frieda inadvertently provides Cleopatra with some information which changes Cleopatra's resolve instead to marry Hans. Hans' fellow sideshow curiosities do anything necessary to protect their dignity and that of one of their own. —Huggo Of all the men in the world, statuesque, flaxen-haired trapeze artist Cleopatra sets her mind on seducing the sideshow little man, Hans, for his enviable ancestral inheritance. As a result--bent on running off with her clandestine lover, the circus' strongman, Hercules--the duplicitous performer finally manages to marry the unsuspecting love-smitten man; however, it will take a brief ceremonial rite among friends on the couple's wedding night to show Cleopatra's true colors. But, pretty soon--in the ashes of a feigned romance--the loyal band of outcasts shall delightfully turn the tables on the scheming rival, who was never meant to be one of their own. In the end, will the wronged Hans get his sweet revenge? —Nick Riganas Beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra sets her sights on fellow circus performer Hans; but she is only interested in his inheritance and, with her lover Hercules--the circus' strongman--she plans to kill Hans for it. But unknown to Cleopatra and Hercules, the other circus performers discover their plans and prepare to do whatever they must to protect their friend. —charmardee-smith