A series of circus acts (fast, furious and funny gags) leads to the trapeze act and the sing-a-long begins with "The Man On The Trapeze".A series of circus acts (fast, furious and funny gags) leads to the trapeze act and the sing-a-long begins with "The Man On The Trapeze".A series of circus acts (fast, furious and funny gags) leads to the trapeze act and the sing-a-long begins with "The Man On The Trapeze".
- Directors
- Writers
- Star
Photos
Arnold Stang
- Blackie
- (voice)
- Directors
- Izzy Sparber
- Thomas Johnson(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe sign the seal holds up refers to James Petrillo, the leader of the American Federation of Musicians. His name was a byword for better deals for musical performers.
Featured review
At the circus
The circus is a very familiar setting in animation and was well before 'The Circus Comes to Clown' was produced and released. That doesn't matter as it is always a pleasure to see a setting that has a good deal of nostalgia value. It has to be said though that for me it is a setting that has in animation been depicted very variably, some are colourful and lots of fun and others feel very predictable and tired with not enough done with the circus atmosphere.
Famous Studios' first 1940s Screen Song cartoon 'The Circus Comes to Clown' belongs in the former category. The studio's Screen Song series running from 1947 to 1951 (ending with 'Sing Again of Michigan') was pretty inconsistent with some hits, some misses and some in betweens. 'The Circus Comes to Clown' has its flaws but on the whole is one of the series' hits and among the better efforts. Not a great cartoon but for the series it's pretty good.
Admittedly, the story is pretty predictable and thin on the ground, as well as a little lacking in energy at the start.
Characterisation is also on the flimsy side, not much fleshed out. These though are not uncommon with Famous Studios.
Much is done right though and the best aspects of 'The Circus Comes to Clown' are great. Gags-wise, it is eventful with more gags than the usual Screen Song cartoon and agreed come thick and fast. While there is not much that is hilarious, they are actually amusing and don't feel stale. While the story is thin, there is a lot of energy throughout and the atmosphere of the circus is both affectionate and exciting. The animals may not have fleshed out personalities, but they at least have some kind of personality and don't irritate, especially the racy ewes.
The animation and music fare the best. Especially the music, which was consistently of a high standard throughout the studio's run even in lesser efforts. The orchestration has a lot of energy and there are some truly luscious sounds throughout. "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" is very catchy and doesn't get annoying, will admit to singing along. The animation was not as consistent for the studio overall, with the quality declining when the studio did but throughout the 40s to mid-50s it was a strength. As one can tell, to me it was one of the compensations here, nice colours and the attention to detail in the backgrounds was admirable (also fitting the gags and the song arrangements beautifully).
Summing up, not mind blowing but nicely done. 7/10
Famous Studios' first 1940s Screen Song cartoon 'The Circus Comes to Clown' belongs in the former category. The studio's Screen Song series running from 1947 to 1951 (ending with 'Sing Again of Michigan') was pretty inconsistent with some hits, some misses and some in betweens. 'The Circus Comes to Clown' has its flaws but on the whole is one of the series' hits and among the better efforts. Not a great cartoon but for the series it's pretty good.
Admittedly, the story is pretty predictable and thin on the ground, as well as a little lacking in energy at the start.
Characterisation is also on the flimsy side, not much fleshed out. These though are not uncommon with Famous Studios.
Much is done right though and the best aspects of 'The Circus Comes to Clown' are great. Gags-wise, it is eventful with more gags than the usual Screen Song cartoon and agreed come thick and fast. While there is not much that is hilarious, they are actually amusing and don't feel stale. While the story is thin, there is a lot of energy throughout and the atmosphere of the circus is both affectionate and exciting. The animals may not have fleshed out personalities, but they at least have some kind of personality and don't irritate, especially the racy ewes.
The animation and music fare the best. Especially the music, which was consistently of a high standard throughout the studio's run even in lesser efforts. The orchestration has a lot of energy and there are some truly luscious sounds throughout. "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" is very catchy and doesn't get annoying, will admit to singing along. The animation was not as consistent for the studio overall, with the quality declining when the studio did but throughout the 40s to mid-50s it was a strength. As one can tell, to me it was one of the compensations here, nice colours and the attention to detail in the backgrounds was admirable (also fitting the gags and the song arrangements beautifully).
Summing up, not mind blowing but nicely done. 7/10
helpful•70
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jan 8, 2021
Details
- Runtime7 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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