Marion Davies and Clark Gable star in Polly of the Circus from 1932.
Davies plays Polly, a star trapeze artist with the circus. When the circus enters a small town, she is infuriated that her costume is covered with a skirt on all of the posters because the place is "conservative."
She visits the local minister, John Harley (Gable) and accuses him of ordering the change, but he says he didn't. And, intrigued, he visits the circus that night to see her perform.
Polly falls from the trapeze and suffers an injury. I'm not sure what it was - I assume it was her back, though I never saw her get any treatment. She was brought to the minister's house because it's nearby. She's told she will have to rest for up to several months. That's fine with her because she's falling for the minister.
In fact, they fall for one another and marry, to the chagrin of Hartley's uncle (C. Aubrey Smith), a higher up in the church who can't accept that John married a circus performer. John leaves his job in that parish, but finds he has been pretty much blacklisted. Polly decides on a course of action so he can be re-enstated.
I just saw "Mank" and I will admit I hated the portrayal of Marion Davies by Amanda Seyfried, though she received raves. She had a very exaggerated New York accent and, to me, projected none of the class Marion Davies did in her performances.
Davies is absolutely lovely here, funny, warm, and likeable. Gable in an early role is very sincere and pleasant.
There is some dazzling trapeze work.
Ray Milland has a walk-on.
Enjoyable.
Davies plays Polly, a star trapeze artist with the circus. When the circus enters a small town, she is infuriated that her costume is covered with a skirt on all of the posters because the place is "conservative."
She visits the local minister, John Harley (Gable) and accuses him of ordering the change, but he says he didn't. And, intrigued, he visits the circus that night to see her perform.
Polly falls from the trapeze and suffers an injury. I'm not sure what it was - I assume it was her back, though I never saw her get any treatment. She was brought to the minister's house because it's nearby. She's told she will have to rest for up to several months. That's fine with her because she's falling for the minister.
In fact, they fall for one another and marry, to the chagrin of Hartley's uncle (C. Aubrey Smith), a higher up in the church who can't accept that John married a circus performer. John leaves his job in that parish, but finds he has been pretty much blacklisted. Polly decides on a course of action so he can be re-enstated.
I just saw "Mank" and I will admit I hated the portrayal of Marion Davies by Amanda Seyfried, though she received raves. She had a very exaggerated New York accent and, to me, projected none of the class Marion Davies did in her performances.
Davies is absolutely lovely here, funny, warm, and likeable. Gable in an early role is very sincere and pleasant.
There is some dazzling trapeze work.
Ray Milland has a walk-on.
Enjoyable.