Psycho-Circus (1966) Circus of Fear (original title)

Directors:

Werner Jacobs
John Llewellyn Moxey

Writers:

Harry Alan Towers
Edgar Wallace (novel)

Release Date:

May 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

The most horrifying syndicate of evil in history!

Plot:

A circus becomes the location for stolen loot and murder. |

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Murder | Motor Boat | Fire | Man Hunt

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Gregor
Leo Genn	...	Insp. Elliott
Anthony Newlands	...	Barberini
Heinz Drache	...	Carl
Eddi Arent	...	Eddie
Klaus Kinski	...	Manfred Hart
Margaret Lee	...	Gina
Suzy Kendall	...	Natasha
Cecil Parker	...	Sir John
Victor Maddern	...	Mason
Maurice Kaufmann	...	Mario
Lawrence James	...	Manley
Tom Bowman	...	Jackson
Skip Martin	...	Mr. Big
Nosher Powell	...	Red (as Fred Powell)
Gordon Petrie	...	Coloured Man
Henry B. Longhurst	...	Hotel porter
Dennis Blakely	...	Armoured van guard
George Fisher	...	Fourth man
Peter Brace	...	Speedboat man
Roy Scammell	...	Speedboat man
Geoff Silk	...	Security man
Keith Peacock	...	Security man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alfred Vohrer	...	Edgar Wallace (archive sound: German version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Werner Jacobs		(german version)
John Llewellyn Moxey		(english language version) (as John Moxey)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Harry Alan Towers		(as Peter Welbeck)
Edgar Wallace		novel "The Three Just Man"

Produced by
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Johnny Douglas

Cinematography by
Ernest Steward

Film Editing by
John Trumper

Art Direction by
Frank White

Makeup Department
Anne Box	....	hair stylist
Frank Turner	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Manley	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Barrie Melrose	....	assistant director

Art Department
George Lack	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John Brommage	....	sound
Ken Cameron	....	sound
John Colville	....	sound editor

Stunts
Jack Silk	....	stunt driver
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Karl Bayer	....	still photographer
Dudley Lovell	....	camera operator
John von Kotze	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Guerin	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
John Colville	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Johnny Douglas	....	conductor

Other crew
Eve Wilson	....	continuity (as Eve Willson)

Production Companies

• Circus Films
• Proudweeks

Distributors

• Warner-Pathé Distributors (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sovereign Films (1967) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinema Club (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kabel 1 (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sat.1 (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Circus of Fear" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Circus Films

Trivia:

Though shot in color, the film was released in Germany only in black-and-white. The main reason was the close relationship of Rialto Film, the Production Company of the German Edgar Wallace Series, and Constantin Film, this film's German distributor and co-producer. Rialto Film wanted to promote a production of their own as the "first Edgar Wallace Film in Color". This film was to be The Hunchback of Soho (1966), released in Germany only a couple of months after "Circus of Fear". The original colour version of the film was released in Germany for the first time ever on DVD in 2006, though in edited form.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: About five minutes into the movie, when the police are chasing the van, the shadow of the camera is visible on the front of the van.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Circus of Horrors (1960)

Whodunnit ? Whodunnwhat ? Who to ? And Who's He ?

Christopher Lee in "Circus Of Fear". It's got to be a horror movie, right ? Well, no. "Circus Of Fear" is a pretty classic-style whodunnit full of red herrings and characters with skeletons in their cupboards.

It starts with a very dramatic and almost silent armoured car heist which goes terribly wrong when a security guard is shot and killed. The gang escape and divide up the loot, saving one share for their boss who only communicates with them via the phone and who none of them have ever seen. The action soon moves to the winter quarters of Barberini's circus - which appears to be somewhere in Berkshire! There is a quite surreal shot of a line of elephants and camels moving down a suburban street. The rest of the film takes place here, its anglo-German cast perfectly capturing the international flavour of the circus. And it is here that the murder mystery element of the film really takes off. Leo Genn is 'Gentleman Jim' Elliott, the police inspector investigating the heist. Though it seems most of the circus folk are keeping an eye on each other. Christopher Lee makes a startling appearance as Gregor, the lion tamer, who wears a black hood at all times to hide the horrible scars he received when he was attacked by a lion. The film was written and produced by Harry Alan Towers, for whom Lee made the series of Fu Manchu pictures, and directed by John Moxey, for whom he had made the 1959 occult chiller "City Of The Dead". There are pleasures to be had from cameo appearances by the likes of Cecil Parker as Elliott's superior and Klaus Kinski who gets to lurk menacingly as a member of the gang. It's not long before more bodies start piling up. But who is the killer ? Is it Barberini, the circus owner with financial troubles ? Mario, the jealous knife-thrower ? Maybe it's Mr. Big, the blackmailer ? Or Karl, the ringmaster with an unhealthy interest in Gina, Mario's girlfriend ? Or maybe it's Gregor, whose brother is in jail for murder ? I've seen the film. I know the truth. The killer is..Aaaarghh!