Trapeze *** (1956, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, Katy Jurado, Thomas Gomez, Sidney James) – Classic Movie Review 5709

The alluring stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida, the exciting trapeze stunts and the tasty circus atmosphere are the main attractions in the 1956 film Trapeze.

‘It happens there in mid-air…in all its fire, flesh and fury!’ Other than the obvious attractions of the star cast and the displays of trapeze stunts, the best thing about the movie is that the circus atmosphere is so tasty and pungent in Trapeze, director Carol Reed’s high-flying 1956 film drama of love, betrayal and aerial acrobatics.

As expected, the movie is propelled by compellingly muscular star performances from Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis as Mike Ribble and Tino Orsini, who spar spiritedly over the exotic, flirtatious Italian beauty Lola (Gina Lollobrigida), as the three exciting members of the high-wire trio.

Ribble is a crippled circus acrobat, a great trapeze artist before his accident as the only the sixth person to complete a triple somersault. Orsini joins the circus and convinces Ribble to teach him the triple (‘You’ll never throw a triple! You know why? ‘Cause ya’ drink too much! ‘), but manipulative tumbler Lola also wants in on the act, and a love triangle ensues.

Maybe the movie has not much to recommend it on the ground, but it is great up on the flying trapeze, and you can just smell the sawdust. Lollobrigida is seen in her glorious prime, making her debut in American films, though Trapeze was filmed entirely in Paris so she didn’t have far to travel from her native Italy.

Away from his usual territory, Reed directs with considerable flair and panache, breathing life and vitality into a hackneyed, rags and bones storyline. James R Webb and Liam O’Brien’s slightly struggling screenplay is based on the book The Killing Frost by Max Catto. Ben Hecht and Wolf Mankowitz also worked uncredited on the screenplay.

Lancaster won the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1956 and Carol Reed won the Bronze Berlin Bear for the Audience Poll. Lollobrigida won the Best Actress – International award at the Bambi Awards in 1958.

Incongruously, Sidney James appears as Harry the Snake Charmer, despite a lifetime phobia of snakes. He was so desperate for money to pay off his gambling debts that he felt he had no choice but to appear.

It is shot in CinemaScope by cinematographer Robert Krasker in garish De Luxe colour at the Paris Cirque d’Hiver, as well as at the nearby Billancourt studios. The character of Bouglione (played by Thomas Gomez) is loosely based on the Cirque d’Hiver’s proprietor Joseph Bouglione.

It was costly at $4,000,000, but became the third highest grossing film of 1956, earning $15.5 million in the US.

Curtis recalled: ‘Some of the aerial stunts were so dangerous, even the doubles had doubles.’ They were so dangerous that Lollobrigida’s stuntwoman suffered a broken back from a 40ft fall while filming and died. Lancaster’s friend Willy Krause, stepped in as Lollobrigida’s stunt double.

The 41-year-old ex-circus acrobat Lancaster did all but one of his trapeze stunts. Technical adviser Eddie Ward, from the Ringling Brothers Circus, was hesitant about Lancaster performing the the climactic triple somersault, so he doubled for Lancaster during the first weeks of shooting. Lancaster’s friend, stuntman Nick Cravat, was finally hired to perform the triple somersault stunt.

Also in the cast are Katy Jurado as Rosa, Thomas Gomez as Bouglione, Johnny Puleo as Max, Minor Watson as John Ringling North, Gérard Landry as Chikki, Jean-Pierre Kérien as Otto, Sid James as Harry the Snake Charmer, Gamil Ratib as Stefan, Gabrielle Fontan and Pierre Tabard.

Screenwriter Daniel Fuchs sued the production in July 1957 for infringement of copyright over a story he wrote a story for Collier’s magazine in 1940 entitled The Daring Young Man. An undisclosed out-of-court settlement ended the two-year litigation.

[Spoiler alert] The novel’s gay twist has vanished, in which Orsini is executed for murdering a woman who left him for Ribble, but the real killer proves to be Ribble who desired Orsini.

Trapeze is directed by Carol Reed, runs 106 minutes, is made by Susan and Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, is released by United Artists, is written by James R Webb (screenplay) and Liam O’Brien (adaptation), based on the book The Killing Frost by Max Catto, is shot in CinemaScope and De Luxe colour by Robert Krasker, is produced by James Hill, is scored by Malcolm Arnold and is designed by Rino Mondellini.

Gina Lollobrigida in Trapeze (1956).

Gina Lollobrigida celebrated her 90th birthday on 4 July 2017. ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the World’ was born on 4 July 1927 in Subiaco, Italy. She died in Rome on 16 January 2023, at the age of 95.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5709

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