Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Ben Hecht (play) and
Charles MacArthur (play) ...

Release Date:

21 December 1962 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Jump for joy it's jumbo!

Plot:

A Debt-ridden circus is saved by an well-meaning but inept publicity man Pop Wonder.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Debt | Gambling | Carnival | Circus Elephant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 nominations

Cast

Doris Day	...	Kitty Wonder
Stephen Boyd	...	Sam Rawlins
Jimmy Durante	...	Anthony ('Pop') Wonder
Martha Raye	...	Lulu
Dean Jagger	...	John Noble
Joseph Waring	...	Harry
Lynn Wood	...	Tina
Charles Watts	...	Ellis
James Chandler	...	Parsons
Robert Burton	...	Madison
Wilson Wood	...	Hank
Norman Leavitt	...	Eddie
Grady Sutton	...	Driver
Ron Henon	...	Circus Performer
The Carlisles	...	Circus Performers

Also Known As:

Jumbo (International: English title) (informal short title)

Runtime:

123 min | 127 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | UK:U

Company:

Arwin Productions

Trivia:

In 1959 this was announced as a Debbie Reynolds vehicle.

Goofs:

Continuity: Jumbo is alternately using his front feet/back feet between shots when he is dancing on the circus pedestal.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)

Soundtrack:

Circus On Parade

Doris and Durante are a better match than Doris and Stephen Boyd!

The usual circus fun: a determinedly old-fashioned big-top opus with animals, parades, high-wire attractions, songs by Rodgers & Hart. Doris Day is the owner of a struggling carnival; Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye are her cohorts, and Stephen Boyd is the money-man. Yes, it's hokum, but it looks wonderful (especially the storm scene under the tent during a performance). If you like squeaky-clean backlot romps, it's a favorable couple of hours. Too bad, though, the scenarists skimp on any colorful glimpses of the eccentric carny lifestyle (what drives these people so hard anyway?). And why is Doris matched up with impossibly earnest Stephen Boyd? She has much more going on with Jimmy Durante! In the 1960s, Day mainly concentrated on her popular bedroom comedies, but this one broke her routine up a bit and she's delightful as always. The piqued direction is by Charles Walters, who has his work bolstered a bit by Busby Berkeley, overseeing the circus sequences. **1/2 from ****