The Smell of the Grease Paint is a Stranger mission featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Story[]
When entering the saloon of the Van Horn Trading Post, the protagonist encounters Miss Marjorie and a strong simpleton named Bertram, the leader of a traveling sideshow and one half of the talent, respectively. Bertram loses his temper with the bartender for taking a bottle of alcohol away from him. He begins choking the bartender before attempting to fight the protagonist. After a few good punches, Bertram apologizes. Miss Marjorie mentions that the other half of her act - Magnifico - has been missing. She needs help finding him, to save the highlight of her show.
Magnifico can be found southwest of the outpost, sitting at a campfire in the woods. When he realizes that Miss Marjorie has sent the protagonist to find him, he disappears in a cloud of smoke. This begins a chase where the player must follow the clouds of smoke to catch Magnifico. He attempts hiding in trees before fleeing across the railroad tracks and running right into the arms of Bertram and Miss Marjorie. The three of them then ride off for their next show, in Saint Denis, with an invitation to Arthur to visit them there.
The protagonist heads to the Theatre Râleur and tells the ticket-taker that he was asked by Miss Marjorie to attend the show, after helping her in Van Horn. The ticket-taker tells the protagonist that he will inform her of their arrival, and to come see him after the show.
After being introduced to the stage, Miss Marjorie greets the audience while cracking a whip. She introduces Bertram to the stage and states that he’s a simpleton, but a very strong one. She asks a volunteer to step up to the stage, to test Bertram's strength. A male volunteer comes up and punches Bertram twice in the stomach. which angers Bertram, causing him to attack the average-sized fellow. Marjorie is finally able to stop Bertram, but the man angrily confronts her, causing Bertram to effortlessly pick the man up.
Suddenly, Magnifico appears on stage, assuring the audience that he can control Bertram, ordering him to drop the helpless man. Magnifico then launches into his act, performing magic for the audience. He makes a chicken appear out of thin air, vanish, and then reappear, only this time on a plate, fully-cooked.
He then causes Miss Marjorie to have a “wardrobe malfunction” by making her top disappear, enraging her. She cracks her whip at Magnifico as he states that he only wanted to give them a show.. He then storms off stage, with Marjorie and Bertram soon following. After the show, the protagonist can return to the ticket-taker and collect some money and a letter from Miss Marjorie.
Walkthrough[]
Availability: Chapter 2 onward.
Miss Marjorie, the stranger who will give you this mission, is engaged in an argument with her friend Bertram inside the Van Horn saloon. When the opening cutscene ends, defeat Bertram in a fist fight. Block each of his anacks and follow up with extended counters to make short work of him. Afterwards, head to the highlighted area lo the southwest of Van Horn to find Magnifico camping in the woods. As soon as he escapes. chase after him until you reach the river. If you lose sight of him due to the smoke. consult your radar. Cross the river and search the three colored smoke clouds. then resume the chase. When he disappears again, look for him in the nearby tree. Run after him one last lime, following the blips on your radar, until a cutscene is triggered. If you head to the Saint Denis theatre after this. you will have a chance to watch a live performance of Miss Marjorie and her troupe. After the show. speak to the ticket taker to receive a toner from Miss Marjorie and the cut of the proceeds you were promised.
Glitches[]
- When Miss Marjorie appears once the player has stopped Magnifico, Magnifico may become invisible. His model can be seen standing to the right next to the wagon. However, it will not do anything and the cutscene will continue with the invisible model.
- If the player has a temporary horse, both it and the player's current horse will appear when the player completes part II.
Video Walkthrough[]
Trivia[]
- A cut mission in Red Dead Redemption was to feature a giant and a dwarf. Marston was going to get the giant and the dwarf to meet, as the two were alone and needed company. However, upon later meeting. their friendship hasn't gone as planned, and Marston would have been faced with the choice of killing the giant or not. This mission is considered to be a modified version of that cut mission.
- There is a different bartender during the first encounter who is never seen again. According to Josie Dawson, she had taken the day off during this part of the mission.
- This title is a wordswapped parody of the title of the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.
- At the last part of chasing Magnifico where the train appears to halt the player’s pursuit of Magnifico; if the player focuses on the train they will notice that it has unique cars with bunkbeds inside, these cars do not appear anywhere else in the game.
- The chase sequence appears to borrow some aspects from Red Dead Revolver's Freak Show; In both scenarios, the player must chase a character that is constantly teleporting himself to different spots to confuse the protagonist.
Gallery[]
Trophies/Achievements[]
Completing this Stranger mission strand is associated with these trophies/achievements:
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WESTERN STRANGER
30
 Bronze
 Complete 10 Stranger mission strands.
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100
Gold
 Attain 100% Completion.
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