European Nights (1959)

Having mentioned European Nights, a 1959 proto Mondo in yesterday's post, I thought that we might as well look at the US trailer for it today.  Basically a chronicle of various popular nightclub acts from across Europe, there is a Mondo-like emphasis upon the weird and slightly sleazy.  The acts range from French comics, through circus trapeze artists, belly dancers, magicians and Paris strippers to British rockers.  All the sorts of things you couldn't see on TV in the fifties, in other words.  Like those rock and roll movies which were popular at around the same time, European Nights allowed audiences to see acts that they would never have the opportunity to see live.  Clearly a popular format, it was quickly followed by the similar World by Night movies, which took the concept global, showcasing acts from across the world.

I've found that it is possible to buy a download of the US version of the film, so I might be able to talk about it in more detail at a later date.  But until then, I'll leave you with an excerpt highlighting magician Channing Pollock: