Leave 'Em Laughing

Apr 29, 1981

1h 38m

★ 8.0

Overview

Real-life clown Jack Thum, along with his devoted wife, Shirlee, cared for dozens of homeless children — 37 of them over the years — in the Chicago area, all of whom come back to visit when they discover he's terminally ill.

Genres

Drama

TV Movie

Production Companies

Julian Fowles Productions

Charles Fries Productions

Leave 'Em Laughing Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Jack Thum

Mickey Rooney

Shirlee Thum

Anne Jackson

Dr. Arthur Abrams

Allen Garfield

Jetter

Elisha Cook Jr.

Tom

Michael LeClair

Smiley Jenkins

William Windom

Roland Green

Red Buttons

Gina

Carol Ann Susi

McClain

Bruce French

Ralph

De'voreaux White

Alice

Adrienne Kingman

1st Nurse

Jan Stratton

The movie's plot is based on the true story of a group of young computer hackers from Hannover, Germany. In the late 1980s the orphaned Karl Koch invests his heritage in a flat and a home computer. At first he dials up to bulletin boards to discuss conspiracy theories inspired by his favorite novel, R.A. Wilson's "Illuminatus", but soon he and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers. Pepe, one of Karl's rather criminal acquaintances senses that there is money in computer cracking - he travels to east Berlin and tries to contact the KGB.

4.9

Griffin and Phoenix

Feb 27, 1976

Griffin has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of quietly facing his death, he decides to have fun in the time remaining. At a college class on death, he meets Phoenix, who has terminal leukemia.

6.1

The Hero

Jun 9, 2017

Lee, a former Western film icon, is living a comfortable existence lending his golden voice to advertisements and smoking weed. After receiving a lifetime achievement award and unexpected news, Lee reexamines his past, while a chance meeting with a sardonic comic has him looking to the future.

5.5

Light of Day

Feb 6, 1987

Cleveland siblings rise with a rock band while coping with personal problems.

6.0

The Glass House

Sep 14, 2001

When Ruby and Rhett's parents are killed in a car accident, their carefree teenage lives are suddenly shattered. Moving to an incredible house in Malibu with the Glasses', old friends of the family, seems to be the beginning of a new life for them.

4.7

She's Got No Name

Jun 14, 2025

A bizarre case caused thousands of waves. There are different opinions on the truth. When the whole story of the case was gradually restored like pieces of a puzzle, people realized that the truth was not that important anymore.

2.0

The Beautiful Chauffeur

Jan 1, 1970

The film is about the life story of Fatma, a poor girl who lost her family in an accident, when she comes to Istanbul. Fatma comes to Istanbul from Tehran after the death of her family. His goal is to find his uncle here and inherit his father's inheritance from him. Although Fatma finds her uncle, she cannot inherit her father and is forced to work as a maid in this house. His uncle's son Ali and Fatma fall in love with each other and decide to get married. Ali's family sends him to their factory in Iran to prevent this marriage. He also kicks Fatma out of the house.

5.8

Sequoia

Mar 9, 2014

A young man meets a 23-year-old cancer patient on the way to the park and disrupts her plan to commit suicide.

6.0

Off the Record

Jan 21, 1939

After a socially conscience reporter adopts a slum orphan after she causes his brother's gang to go to prison.

6.3

The Fishbowl

May 26, 2023

As her cancer spreads, Noelia's ultimate decision is to return to her native Vieques, Puerto Rico, and claim her freedom to decide her own fate. She reunites with her friends and family, who are still dealing with the contamination of the U.S. Navy after 60 years of military practices.

6.7

Marvin's Room

Dec 18, 1996

A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.

7.7

Slumdog Millionaire

Nov 12, 2008

A teenager reflects on his life after being accused of cheating on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?".

6.1

Lullaby

Jun 13, 2014

Estranged from his family, Jonathan (Hedlund) discovers his father has decided to take himself off life support in forty-eight hours’ time. During this intensely condensed period, a lifetime of drama plays out. Robert (Jenkins) fights a zero sum game to reclaim all that his illness stole from his family. A debate rages on patients’ rights and what it truly means to be free. Jonathan reconciles with his father, reconnects with his mother (Archer), sister (Brown-Findlay), and his love (Adams) and reclaims his voice through two unlikely catalysts – a young, wise-beyond-her-years patient (Barden) and a no-nonsense nurse (Hudson). Through this intensely life affirming prism, an unexpected and powerful journey of love, laughter, and forgiveness unfolds.

0.0

Birthday Girl

Dec 22, 2002

A woman decides to celebrate her recovery from leukaemia by throwing a party. But before the big night, she discovers that the illness has returned. She decides to postpone telling everyone until the aprty is over, but during the evening she discovers that she is not the only one with a secret.

5.9

In the Land of Women

Apr 20, 2007

After a bad breakup with his girlfriend leaves him heartbroken, Carter Webb moves to Michigan to take care of his ailing grandmother. Once there, he gets mixed up in the lives of the mother and daughters who live across the street.

7.0

Lottery

Jan 22, 2017

Philipp wishes to give his terminally ill father Walter one last treat. To coax him out of his hospital bed he tells a white lie: Philipp pretends that his father has won the lottery.

5.3

Abesalom and Eteri

Dec 31, 1966

Prince Abesalom runs into an orphaned Eteri while hunting, falls for her and brings the woman to his palace as his fiancé. The Prince’s aid Murman loses his self-control at Eteri’s beauty and gives her a spelled necklace as a wedding gift. Eteri contracts a mysterious disease that only Murman is capable to heal.

0.0

Deserted at the Altar

Dec 1, 1922

Anna Moore, a poor orphaned country girl, and her little brother, Tommy, live with hypocritical Squire Simpson, who conspires with his son to acquire the inheritance due the girl.

4.7

Chasing Yesterday

May 3, 1935

An elderly bachelor, feeling nostalgic for his youth, seeks out his late sweetheart's teenage daughter, now an orphan forced to attend a strict boarding school.

0.0

First, You Cry

Nov 8, 1978

The story of television news correspondent Betty Rollin and her battle with breast cancer, and how her subsequent mastectomy changed her marriage, her philosophy and her entire life.