Okay, no rational person would call this a very good movie--the casting decisions were questionable, the plot hard to believe and it sure was schmaltzy, but still, somehow, the film was entertaining. However, I should point out that the film's very respectable score (nearly 8.0) is to be taken with a grain of salt. It seems that a few years ago, a group of, well...I have no idea who or why, but it seem s a group of folks deliberately flooded IMDb with TONS of scores of 10 for every Marion Davies film (they also did this with Gloria Swanson and William Haines). It's obvious something is amiss because even her worst films (and all actors/actresses have bad films) have ridiculously high scores. For example, in one Davies' biggest flops ("Cain and Mabel") 60% of its ratings are 10! As a comparison, the great "Gone With the Wind" has only 38% of its scores that high! Now I am NOT saying Davies was a bad actress--she did some lovely films (such as "Show People"). But, was not a great actress--despite all her ridiculously high scores.
"Polly of the Circus" is, in many ways, a bad film. But, Davies and her co-star, Clark Gable, give it their best. This good acting combined with some lovely cinematography that really made Davies look her best (thanks to the insistence of her lover, William Randolph Hearst). But how can a film receive gobs and gobs of 10s with a plot like this one?! Polly is a circus performer and the citizens of a very straight-laced town are a bit scandalized by these circus folk and their 'circusy' ways. So, when Polly is injured in a fall from the trapeze, the folks begin to talk when the local young minister (an oddly cast Clark Gable) takes her in and nurses her back to health. When the two fall in love, everyone talks and they won't accept their marriage. What happens next is very soapy and silly but because the actors tried their best, it somehow kind of worked...kind of. But, when you think about it (and I advise you NOT to think when you watch the movie), it all comes off as silly and contrived--especially the ending. Not a terrible film, but certainly one that the two stars later regretted having made.
"Polly of the Circus" is, in many ways, a bad film. But, Davies and her co-star, Clark Gable, give it their best. This good acting combined with some lovely cinematography that really made Davies look her best (thanks to the insistence of her lover, William Randolph Hearst). But how can a film receive gobs and gobs of 10s with a plot like this one?! Polly is a circus performer and the citizens of a very straight-laced town are a bit scandalized by these circus folk and their 'circusy' ways. So, when Polly is injured in a fall from the trapeze, the folks begin to talk when the local young minister (an oddly cast Clark Gable) takes her in and nurses her back to health. When the two fall in love, everyone talks and they won't accept their marriage. What happens next is very soapy and silly but because the actors tried their best, it somehow kind of worked...kind of. But, when you think about it (and I advise you NOT to think when you watch the movie), it all comes off as silly and contrived--especially the ending. Not a terrible film, but certainly one that the two stars later regretted having made.