Richard Tauber stars as Canio in this adaptation of Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. Filmed at Elstree Studios by Trafalgar Films in black and white and British Chemicolour.

You can read a chronology of the film's production traced through newspapers and magazines here:
https://www.webrarian.co.uk/2020/09/r...

Its trade world premiere was in London on 11 December 1936. At its public world premiere in Vienna on 14 January 1937 as Der Bajazzo, it was shown simultaneously in four cinemas with Tauber appearing in person at each cinema. The UK public premiere was at the Carlton Cinema, Haymarket, on 18 March 1937. Its US premiere, as A Clown Must Laugh was on 11 October 1938.

Tauber's costume is that worn by Enrico Caruso for the production at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1913. It was specially loaned by the British Museum.

Cast:
Canio Salvatini, head of the troupe ... Richard Tauber
Nedda Salvatini, married to Canio but in love with Silvio ... Steffi Duna (sung by Angela Parselles)
Trina ... Diana Napier
Tonio, the fool ... Arthur Margetson (sung by Robert Easton)
Silvio, in love with Nedda ... Esmond Knight
Beppe, a comic trouper .. Jerry Verno
Leone ... Gordon James
Coachman ... Ivan Wilmot
Coachbuilder ... John Traynor
Officers ... Daley Cooper, Jnr., Ambrose Day, Harry Milton, Roy Findlay, Joe Roncoroni

Director: Karl Grune

Libretto: Ruggero Leoncavallo (original Italian libretto)

Story adaptation and dialogue: Monckton Hoffe, Roger Burford

Lyrics: John Drinkwater

Dialogue supervisors: Leon M. Lion, Rosse Thompson

Writers: Bertolt Brecht (uncredited), Fritz Kortner (uncredited)

Music: Ruggero Leoncavallo, arranged by Hans Eisler

Conductor: Albert Coates, assisted by Boyd Neel

Choreography: Wendy Toye

Cinematography: Otto Kanturek

Camera: Alfred Black

Art direction: Oscar Friedrich Werndorff

Film editor: Walter Stokvis

Production manager: Fritz Brunn

Sound engineer: Bert Ross