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The Big Circus ()

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A circus owner tries to keep his financially troubled circus on the road, despite the efforts of a murderous saboteur who has decided that the show must not go on.
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Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Henry Jasper 'Hank' Whirling
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Randy Sherman
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Helen Harrison
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Jeannie Whirling
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Hans Hagenfeld
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Zach Colino
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Skeeter
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Tommy Gordon
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Maria 'Mama' Colino
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Mr. Lomax
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Jonathan T. Nelson
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Steve Allen
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Albright ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Trapeze Artist (uncredited)
Audrey Allen ...
Dancer (uncredited)
Don Ames ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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James Bacon - Reporter (uncredited)
Walter Bacon ...
Onlooker at Niagara Falls (uncredited)
Harry Baum ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
Brandon Beach ...
Board Member (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth ...
Jules Borman - Rival Circus Owner (uncredited)
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Board Member (uncredited)
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Bill - Reporter (uncredited)
Diane Davis ...
Circus Perfomer (uncredited)
Anne Dore ...
Circus Perfomer (uncredited)
Dan Dowling ...
Reporter (uncredited)
Richard Elmore ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
Don Forbes ...
Interviewer at Niagra Falls (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson ...
Board Member (uncredited)
Marv Goux ...
Circus Patron (uncredited)
Bhupesh Guha ...
Circus Worker (uncredited)
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Board Member (uncredited)
Eden Hartford ...
Circus Perfomer (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Photographer (uncredited)
Valley Keene ...
Roman rider (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ...
Circus Concessionaire (uncredited) (voice)
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Onlooker at Niagara Falls (uncredited)
Perk Lazelle ...
Board Member (uncredited)
Vera Lee ...
Circus Perfomer (uncredited)
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Bank Board Member (uncredited)
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Circus Perfomer (uncredited)
Gene Mendez ...
Trapeze Artist (uncredited)
Jim Michael ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Tony Regan ...
Onlooker at Niagara Falls (uncredited)
John Rice ...
Onlooker at Niagara Falls (uncredited)
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Jim Slade - Circus Saboteur (uncredited)
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(uncredited)
Patti Saunders ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
Barry Seltzer ...
Small Boy on Steps of Bank (uncredited)
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Jack - Photographer (uncredited)
Edythe Udane ...
Dancer (uncredited)
John Wald ...
John Wald - Commentator at Niagara Falls (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Yerkes ...
Circus Performer (uncredited)

Directed by

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Joseph M. Newman

Written by

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Irwin Allen ... (screenplay by) &
Charles Bennett ... (screenplay by) and
Irving Wallace ... (screenplay by)
 
Irwin Allen ... (story by)

Produced by

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Irwin Allen ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Paul Sawtell
Bert Shefter

Cinematography by

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Winton C. Hoch ... director of photography (as Winton Hoch)

Editing by

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Adrienne Fazan

Editorial Department

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Morgan Padelford ... color consultant: Technicolor

Art Direction by

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Albert S. D'Agostino ... (as Albert D'Agostino)

Set Decoration by

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Robert Priestley

Costume Design by

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Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department

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Sydney Guilaroff ... hairdresser
William Tuttle ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Lowell J. Farrell ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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William McGarry ... assistant director

Art Department

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Burt Dreyer ... construction supervisor
Maurice Zuberano ... production illustrator
Frank Wesselhoff ... painter (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Conrad Kahn ... sound
Franklin Milton ... recording supervisor
Bert Schoenfeld ... sound effects editor
Finn Ulback ... sound effects editor

Visual Effects by

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Robert R. Hoag ... optical effects

Stunts

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Fred Carson ... stunt coordinator (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited)
Gene Mendez ... stunt double: Gilbert Roland (uncredited)

Music Department

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Audrey Granville ... music editor (as Audray Granville)
Paul Sawtell ... conductor
Bert Shefter ... conductor
Sidney Cutner ... composer: additional music (uncredited)
Roy Webb ... composer: additional music (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Irva Mae Ross ... script supervisor (as Irva Ross)

Additional Crew

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Barbette ... choreographer
Jimmie Wood ... technical advisor
Fay Alexander ... technical advisor (uncredited)
Del Graham ... technical advisor (uncredited)
Mel Koontz ... animal trainer (uncredited)
Bob Yerkes ... technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

After splitting with his longtime business partner, Hank Whirling is about to take his big top circus on tour. He manages to get a loan and some investment money but has to take on one of their employees, Randy Sherman, to keep an eye on the finances. Sherman immediately hires a new press agent, Helen Harrison, over Hank's objections. After a series of accidents, they soon realize that they have a saboteur in the company. With financial problems increasing, Whirling looks to take the the show to New York City before his former partner Jules Borman can get his circus there. He realizes that he'll need a lot of publicity and trapeze and high wire artist Zach Colino agrees to walk the wire across Niagara Falls. After the circus train is sabotaged - killing Zach's wife and several others - they race to Niagara Falls to complete the high wire act but Zach may not be up it. The saboteur working for Borman bides his time and is planning another death. Written by garykmcd

Plot Keywords
Taglines YOU are part of THE BIGGEST SHOW IN THE WORLD! The most exciting behind-the-scenes drama of the Big Top ever told! YOU catapult through the air on a flying trapeze! YOU face the snarling fangs of the King of Beasts! YOU...walk a swaying tight-rope across thundering Niagara! YOU are a human bullet...blasted out of a mighty canon! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Le cirque fantastique (France)
  • El gran circo (Spain)
  • Sensation på circus (Sweden)
  • Panik im Zirkus (Austria)
  • Большой цирк (Soviet Union, Russian title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 109 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $2,000,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia Final film of veteran character actor Dick Rich--he worked exclusively on television until his retirement in 1961. See more »
Goofs In the climactic trapeze act near the end, Zach and Jeannie are repeatedly shown standing on the opposite side of the stationary platform in long shots from where they're standing in close-ups. See more »
Movie Connections Referenced in Episode #9.34 (1959). See more »
Soundtracks The Big Circus See more »
Quotes Hans Hagenfeld: [First Lines] Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages! We give you a spectacle of unparoled beauty, Whirling's World Famous Parade of the Nations!
See more »
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