It’s 1938. Eight-year-old Bobby Bill Klamm is almost blind and bullied, not only by his “friend” Bucky but also by his own father. Nothing Bobby Bill does seems to please Clarence Klamm, especially the boy’s efforts to become a magician.Bobby Bill’s mother, Beulah, tells him his father’s belligerence results from a chronic illness, but the excuse doesn’t help. Despite a few moments when father and son seem to find common ground, Bobby Bill’s relationship with his dad deteriorates, even as his proficiency as a magician grows. In spite of his visual handicap, Bobby Bill becomes a young performer, thanks in large part to his friendship with Harry Otto, a professional magician and owner of a magic shop. Bythe time Bob – the name he eventually matures into – leaves home for college, his hatred for his father has become as deep as his love of magic. Their final confrontation before Bob’s departure is so intense, it puts Clarence in the hospital.Bob’s trials are just beginning when he escapes his childhood home. He attempts to move away from magic a bit and into other areas of entertainment that promise a better living. An attempt to study broadcasting to work in live radio fails because his blindness won’t let him read spot announcements. There seems to be nothing available for a blind man with an ambition to become an entertainer. After struggling against a despair that causes him to toy with suicide, Bob turns to creating and acting in plays for the campus radio station because he can rehearse his lines. Once out of college and in the real world, however, he finds opportunities to practice his craft quite limited. Finally, he settles on writing for an advertising agency where he meets smart, humorous fellow writer Berniece Ryno. Their relationship, rocky at first but then abetted by the challenges and fast pace of advertising in the early years of the industry, culminates in a marriage proposal.
Clarence’s negative reaction to Bob’s plan to marry Berniece – he thinks his son will be unable to keep Berniece happy – makes the father and son’s estrangement complete. Bob and Berniece marry and have children, all without the participation of Bob’s parents. It begins to look as if there will never be a reconciliation. But, almost too late, the opportunity for mending the torn relationship does arise, and, through the magic of memory, love and forgiveness, Bob and his father see what they have been blind to for so long. As Clarence lies dying, reconciliation comes.
Philip Klein – Director/Producer and Co-Writer of Fly Like a Bumblebee
Growing up in the family carnival business, Philip Klein was thrust into the world of entertainment as a young boy. A graduate of the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Klein was raised on a steady diet of magic, clowning and entertainment.
His first film, a black and white comedy short called Easy Business, is a tribute to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. That won acclaim with the Kansas Film Festival’s Ozzie Award and the MoKan Film Festival’s top honors. The inspiration for Easy Business came while Klein was performing a comedy and magic act for the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Clown College’s 20th Anniversary Special on NBC (hosted by Dick Van Dyke). He bumped into Stan Laurel’s widow backstage, and the idea for “Easy Business” came to him. When Klein decided to tackle the weighty issue of eminent domain abuse in his second film – a hard hitting, feature length documentary titled “Begging for Billionaires” – it was a dramatic departure from his earlier work.
Currently, Philip runs his magic shop while developing film projects through his company Limelight Cinema Group.
Christopher Ryan – Co-Writer of Fly Like a Bumblebee
Christopher Ryan is the author of three produced screenplays. The films made from those screenplays have garnered three Telly awards, and one has received awards from the Beverly Hills Film Festival. Christopher is currently at work on a historical screenplay about the abolitionist John Brown and a mystery novel.
Daniel Polsfuss – Co-Writer of Fly Like a Bumblebee
Daniel is the Writer/Director/Editor of two short films and two documentaries. Daniel and Philip first worked together on a re-edit of “Easy Business” and later worked together on “Begging for Billionaires” where he edited this project as well as did some camera work. Daniel’s early career was as an editor and post-producer of TV commercials for Minneapolis Ad Agencies. Later he moved on to directing and editing music videos for FlyteTyme music producers Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Monte Moir. Daniel has recently collaborated with live music and performing artists such as the Margolis/Brown Adaptors, composer – Mary Ellen Childs and Russ King – Miss Richfield 1981.
