At the Circus

Director: Edward Buzzell, Edward N. Buzzell Edward Buzzell

Overview

A distinct letdown from their previous MGM films, the Marx Bros.' At the Circus nonetheless contains intermittent moments of high hilarity. When Jeff Wilson (Kenny Baker) is in danger of losing his circus to crooked creditor Carter (James Burke), Jeff's faithful roustabout Antonio (Chico Marx) enlists the aid of seedy attorney J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho Marx). Despite the best efforts of Loophole, Antonio and general hanger-on Punchy (Harpo Marx), Jeff is robbed of the circus payroll by two flies in the ointment, Goliath the Strong Man (Nat Pendleton) and Little Professor Atom (Jerry Marenghi, later known as Jerry Maren). Also in on the plot to wrest control of the circus is aerialist Peerless Pauline (Eve Arden), with whom Loophole has a cozy tete-a-tete while walking on the ceiling (no kidding!) In a last-ditch effort to raise the necessary funds, Loophole romances Jeff's wealthy aunt Mrs. Dukesbury (Margaret Dumont). The finale takes place at a fancy society party at the Dukesbury mansion, with Punchy and Antonio hijacking the scheduled entertainment and replacing it with a full-fledged circus performance. Weighed down by an excess of plot and a surfeit of misfire gags, not to mention one of sappiest romantic subplots in film history (involving sappy tenor Kenny Baker and sappier ingenue Florence Rice), At the Circus still keeps audiences happy with Groucho's rendition of the deathless "Lydia the Tatooed Lady" (by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg) and the zany denoument, wherein pompous conductor Fritz Feld and his orchestra are set adrift in the middle of the ocean and the magnificent Margaret Dumont is shot out of a cannon. Best gag: When Eve Arden stuffs the circus payroll into her blouse, Groucho turns to the camera and whispers "There must be some way of getting that money back without offending the Hays Office."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/14/2020
UPC:	0883929716418
Original Release:	1939
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	7,423

Special Features

Vintage Short Dog Daze and Classic Cartoon Jitterbug Follies; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kenny Baker	Jeff Wilson
Florence Rice	Julie Randall
Eve Arden	Peerless Pauline
Groucho Marx	Attorney Loophole,Antonio,Punchy
Margaret Dumont	Mrs. Dukesbury
Nat Pendleton	Goliath
Fritz Feld	Jardinet
James Burke	John Carter
Jerry Marenghi	Little Professor Atom
Barnett Parker	Whitcomb
Marx Brothers	Actor,Actor
Willie Best	Actor
Harold Arlen	Composer
Franz Waxman	Composer

Technical Credits

Irving Brecher

Edward Buzzell	Director,Director
Mervyn LeRoy	Producer
Irving Brecher	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Many film comedy historians point to At the Circus as the moment when the legendary Marx Brothers began their cinematic decline. While it's undeniably true that Circus is in no way in the same class as such earlier Marx-ian triumphs as Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera, it's a mistake to think that it's not worth a glance. For one thing, Circus is the film that introduced Groucho's immortal performance of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," and that by itself makes Circus worthwhile. It also features a very funny finale sequence, as well as such delights as Harpo and Chico searching the bed of a circus strongman while the strongman lies sleeping in it, and a memorable gag involving Eve Arden secreting some money about her person. But it's also true that there are some stretches that don't work nearly so well; when the Brothers are involved in them, they keep them from falling flat from the sheer force of their talent and determination. But when the trio is absent -- and especially if the love story is center stage -- things get very sticky indeed. There's also a segment that should have been a classic Harpo musical interlude that is upended by the inclusion of a chorus singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." So Circus is a hit-and-miss affair, but one that farcical comedy lovers should definitely sample.