THE BIG CIRCUS
US, 1959, 109 minutes, Colour.
Victor Mature, Red Buttons, Rhonda Fleming, Kathryn Grant, Vincent Price, Gilbert Roland, Peter Lorre, David Nelson, Adele Mara.
Directed by Joseph M. Newman.
The Big Circus is a big and booming circus action film. It focuses on circuses in the 1950s with the deals made by the various circuses to collaborate or to undermine each other. This film has many circus acts – but also has a range of villains who could be a potential saboteur.
Victor Mature plays the owner of the circus. Emerging in the 1940s as a popular star, he was at home in such epics as The Robe and Demetrius and the Gladiators. At this time he made The Bandit of Zhobe in England – and was soon to give up his career, not being really interested in films.
The film has a strong supporting cast with potential villains like Peter Lorre and Vincent Price. There is romantic interest from Rhonda Fleming.
The film was written by Irwin Allen, the writer and director of a number of action films including, at this time, the risible Story of Mankind. However, during the 1970s he had great success with The Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno.
I. Was this an entertaining film? the circus atmosphere and the acts? The melodramatic aspect of the plot? The human interest with the variety of characters? Which was the most important in this film? Why?
2. How did the plot use its crises? The urgency of the need for money? The subplots and characters? Did it seem real?
3. What was the impression of the circus world? Were the people in it happy? Did they enjoy their work and their skill? Their relationships among themselves? Were these too melodramatic or ordinary? Their response to audience applause? Their need for audiences?
4. How strongly did the film show the need for money as the basis for such an entertainment? The need for good relationship with the press? Press agents, parties? The need for publicity and television?
5. Was Hank Whirling an interesting personality? Likeable? Why? His energy and drive and imitative? His pushing people around? His desperation to keep the circus going? His dedication? His showmanship? Is this the kind of parson needed to run a circus?
6. How did he contrast with Sherman? Sherman was timid, seemingly unimaginative, preoccupied with money? The importance of Sherman’s taking the place of the clown? How was he representative of the audience, needing to be convinced about the value of the circus? Was he a sympathetic character? Why? Why was Jeanie in love with him? Would they be happy over after?
7. Was Helen Morrison an interesting heroine? Was she right in her attitudes about her job? In relation to Whirling? Her clever manoeuvring of the press? Her proposal of the stunt about Niagara Falls? Would she and Whirling would be happy over after?
8. How important for the story and its communication of the circus was its focus on the Colinos? Zac as a sympathetic character? Skilful? His relationship to his wife, especially in her death? The reason for his taking on the
walk over Niagara Falls? Was he courageous? Whirling's taunting of him to do the job? His understanding of the truth? How did the stunt changed him as a character? (Were you surprised to find who was the real villain? The danger for Jeanie? the fact that she was involved in the trapeze work?)
9. Vincent Price's character as the seeming villain? How did the film lead into thinking he was the villain? Were we tricked? Why? Did we suspect the real villain? Why?
10. How enjoyable was Skeeter the clown? A Peter Lorre character? What incidents were most enjoyable in the film? About the circus, acts? dealing with the circus: the rain, the train incident, the Niagara Falls incident?
11. Was the finale exciting? With the almost success and then the subway strike? Gathering the children to be an audience? The showmanship? Locking the bank man in the cage? the revelation of the murderer? Was this all too melodramatic or suitable for this film?
12. Why are circus films or films like this always enjoyable?
