The Big Circus *** (1959, Victor Mature, Red Buttons, Rhonda Fleming, Kathryn Grant, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Gilbert Roland, David Nelson, Adele Mara, Steve Allen) – Classic Movie Review 10,573

The 1959 American drama film The Big Circus stars Victor Mature as a circus owner battling financial trouble and a murderous saboteur. The colourful cast includes Vincent Price as the ringmaster, Peter Lorre as the clown, and Rhonda Fleming.

Director Joseph M Newman’s 1959 adventure film The Big Circus in an exciting big-top drama with a stock plot based on a story by the producer Irwin Allen about a tough circus boss called Hank Whirling (Victor Mature) facing bankruptcy, personal problems with his performers and a rival who turns his lions loose on him.

An entertaining script is smartly directed by Newman with plenty of thrills and intrigue packed in, and the colourful cast is special, particularly Vincent Price as the ringmaster Hans Hagenfeld and Peter Lorre as the clown Skeeter, but also Rhonda Fleming as Helen Harrison, Kathryn Grant, Gilbert Roland, Red Buttons, David Nelson, Adele Mara and TV and radio personality Steve Allen in a cameo as himself.

The climactic wire-walk over Nagara Falls is edge-of-the-seat tension.

Also in the cast are Howard McNear, Charles Watts, Fay Alexander, Steve Carruthers, George Cisar, Chester Hayes, Michael Jeffers, Kenner G Kemp, Carl M Leviness, J Edward McKinley, James Nolan, Marion Ross, Bernard Sell, and Charles Sherlock.

The screenplay is by Irwin Allen, Charles Bennett and Irving Wallace.

Filming began in January 1959 at the MGM studios, on a fairly lavish $2 million budget, and it was released on 5 July 1959 by Allied Artists Pictures. It earned $2.7 million at the North America box office.

Irwin Allen said he wanted to make ‘an exciting, colourful show – something the public can’t see on television.’ Allen was later known for his series of big-budget disaster films in the 1970s. He was nicknamed The Master of Disaster thanks to The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). He was married to the actress Jayne Meadows.

Circus performer Barbette was a consultant.

It is similar to the 1952 Best Picture Oscar-winning film The Greatest Show on Earth.

The Big Circus is directed by Joseph M Newman, runs 109 minutes, is made by Irwin Allen Productions and Saratoga-Vic Mature Productions, is released by Allied Artists Pictures (US) and Associated British-Pathé (UK), is written by Irwin Allen, Charles Bennett and Irving Wallace, based on a story by Irwin Allen, is shot by Winton Hoch in Technicolor and CinemaScope, is produced by Irwin Allen, and is scored by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter.

The cast are Victor Mature as Hank Whirling, Red Buttons as Randy Sherman, Rhonda Fleming as Helen Harrison, Kathryn Grant as Jeannie Whirling, Vincent Price as Hans Hagenfeld, Gilbert Roland as Zach Colino, Peter Lorre as Skeeter, David Nelson as Tommy Gordon, Adele Mara as Maria ‘Mama’ Colino, Howard McNear as Mr Lomax, Charles Watts as Jonathan Nelson, Steve Allen as himself, Howard McNear, Charles Watts, Fay Alexander, Steve Carruthers, George Cisar, Chester Hayes, Michael Jeffers, Kenner G Kemp, Carl M Leviness, J Edward McKinley, James Nolan, Marion Ross, Bernard Sell, and Charles Sherlock.

Steve Allen was the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, the first late-night TV talk show.

Vincent Price and Peter Lorre both previously acted in Irwin Allen’s 1957 movie The Story of Mankind.

Irwin Allen and Vincent Mature reunited for the 1966 TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,573

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