At the Circus (1939)

Director:

Edward Buzzell

Writer:

Irving Brecher (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

NOT SUITABLE FOR GENERAL EXHIBITION (Australian one-sheet poster)

Plot:

The Marx Brothers try to help the owner of a circus recover some stolen funds before he finds himself out of a job.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Money | Aunt | Marx Brothers | Lawyer

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Attorney J. Cheever Loophole
Chico Marx	...	Antonio
Harpo Marx	...	'Punchy'
Kenny Baker	...	Jeff Wilson
Florence Rice	...	Julie Randall
Eve Arden	...	Peerless Pauline
Margaret Dumont	...	Mrs. Susanna Dukesbury
Nat Pendleton	...	Goliath
Fritz Feld	...	Jardinet
James Burke	...	John Carter
Jerry Maren	...	Little Professor Atom (as Jerry Marenghi)
Barnett Parker	...	Whitcomb
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon	...	Telegraph Clerk (uncredited)
Willie Best	...	Redcap (uncredited)
John Binns	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Henry Blair	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Frank Darien	...	Telegrapher (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	'Swingali' Singer / Dancer with White Cap and Checkered Shirt (uncredited)
Betsy Gay	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Charles Gemora	...	Gibraltar the Gorilla (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson	...	Boy at Circus (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Club Car Train Passenger (uncredited)
Buck Mack	...	Checkers Player (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Governor - Party Guest (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Captain (uncredited)
Frank Orth	...	Chef in Diner (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Ringmaster (uncredited)
Lillian Randolph	...	Black Woman in 'Swingali' Number (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Fred Walburn	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Robert Winkler	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Buzzell

Writing credits
Irving Brecher		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mervyn LeRoy	....	producer

Cinematography by
Leonard Smith		(director of photography) (as Leonard M. Smith)

Film Editing by
William H. Terhune		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Dolly Tree		(costumes: women)
Valles		(costumes: men)

Production Management
Charles Stallings	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandy Roth	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Stan Rogers	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
G.A. Burns	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Music Department
Harold Arlen	....	music by
George Bassman	....	music arranger: vocal and orchestral arrangements
Murray Cutter	....	music arranger: vocal and orchestral arrangements
Ken Darby	....	music arranger: vocal and orchestral arrangements
E.Y. Harburg	....	lyrics by
Franz Waxman	....	musical direction

Other crew
Bobby Connolly	....	dance direction
A.J. Cantu	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
S.L. Cronin	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Buster Keaton	....	gag consultant (uncredited)
Anna Merkel	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (presents)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (video)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (4 film collection)

Other Companies

• The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus  circus performers (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"The Marx Brothers at the Circus" - USA (promotional title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #5616)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Groucho Marx was fond of recounting how the original owner of the "gorilla skin" used in he film was so incensed when the stunt man wearing it poked ventilation holes in it with an ice pick that he took his suit and walked off the picture, forcing the producers to hastily rent an orangutan skin as a replacement. For this reason, Groucho claimed, the gorilla gets bigger and smaller from shot to shot. The man in the gorilla suit is in fact Charles Gemora, well know movie sculptor and gorilla artist, wearing his own custom made suit.

Goofs:

Continuity: Multiple different-sized actors, in noticeably different gorilla costumes, were used to play Gibraltar the gorilla.

Quotes:

Peerless Pauline:I've waited so long to find someone like you.
J. Cheever Loophole:Oh, someone *like* me, I'm not good enough for you, eh?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

My Melancholy Baby

Too Much Music in This Nearing-The-End MB Film

I love the Marx Brothers, but that doesn't mean all their films are gems. By the end of the 1930s, their best pictures were all behind them. Although still entertaining, they slipped a bit in quality. This is one example, except I would still rate it as "decent" (hence, the '5' rating).

One thing for sure: the comedy was a lot better than the music, although that was usually the case in most of their movies....but more so here. Even though I got my share of laughs, most the gags in this movie come in 5-10-minute "bits" and many of them go on too long. I still Chico provides the best humor among the boys. Except for "Lydia, The Tattooed Lady," the songs in here are weak and there are too many of them.

Silly, but still fun to watch, generally-speaking. I just skip through most of the songs.