Os Saltimbancos Trapalhões ("The Bumbling Bouncy Players") is a 1981 Brazilian comedy film directed by J.B. Tanko. It is the twentieth film by the famous comedy group "The Tramps", and based on a play by musician Chico Buarque, itself adapted from an Italian play based on the fairy tale '"The Bremen Town Musicians". The film became the group's biggest box office success and is also the only film of the group that was mentioned in the list of the 100 best Brazilian films, by the critic association Abracinne.
This time, the Tramps (Didi, Dedé Santana, Mussum and Zacarias) get a job in a circus, where they accidentally and quickly become the biggest attraction. However, they don't know this, and are exploited by the greedy circus owner, the Baron. Meanwhile, Didi (Renato Aragão) falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the circus owner, the ballerina Karina, who in turn is in love with Frank, the acrobat. They suffer the enmity of the evil magician Satan and the lion tamer Tigress, who is in love with Frank. When Satan kidnaps Frank, Karina believes she has been abandoned, and decides to flee the circus along with the Tramps.
The film provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: The Baron loves Karina, but will make sure she doesn't marry Frank.
- Bad Boss: The Baron tricks the Tramps into working to him for a pittance, when in fact they are the big attraction of the circus.
- Bittersweet Ending: The circus owner agrees to pay the Tramps as they deserve, but Didi is devastated to find out that Karina is going to marry Frank.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: The Tramps can be complete idiots, but that makes them excellent clowns.
- Chekhov's Skill: Didi tries to practice hypnotism in front of a mirror before the big number with Satan and ends up accidentally hypnotizing himself. Later, when the number occurs, Didi accidentally ends up hypnotizing Satan.
- Circus Episode: For the Tramp movies. Much of the plot takes place in the circus.
- Did Not Get the Girl: As usual in the Tramp movies, Didi ends up alone, with his love interest married to another man.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Tigress is in love with Frank, who in turn is in love with Katina. She hates Karina for it and tries everything to separate the couple.
- Homage: The plot is based on a play by Chico Buarque, but is also clearly inspired by The Circus: in both cases, the protagonist accidentally ends up becoming the most popular attraction in the circus and falls in love with the ballet dancer, who is the daughter of his boss.
- Just Friends: Karina considers Didi her best friend and never realizes that his feelings for her are romantic. In the end, she even invites him to be best man at her wedding, leaving him devastated.
- Love at First Sight: Karina and Frank.
- Love Triangle: Didi is in love with Karina, who is in love with Frank. Tigress is in love with Frank, and Satan seems to be interested in Tigress.
- Romantic False Lead: Didi for Karina and Frank.
- Running Gag: Every day, Mussum asks Zacarias what they're going to have for lunch, and gets annoyed when he finds out it will be noodles again.
