Under the Big Top

Marjorie Main owns a nearly broke circus, a legacy of her husband that she's determined to keep going. When her newly orphaned niece burns down the place -- by accident -- Miss Main is ready to get her a beating...until she realizes that the insurance will allow her a second chance at the big time. By the time the niece has grown in Ann Nagel, the circus is a success, in no small part due to the fact that Miss Nagel does her trapeze act without a net and blindfolded. Miss Main guards her like a vicious hawk, and doesn't take kindly to Miss Nagel falling in love with her fellow trapeze artist, Grant Withers.

This Monogram picture was directed by Karl Brown, and as an old cameraman himself, he knew all the tricks of how to switch in a stunt performer for the actor without it showing; the trapeze work looks like the performers are doing some very dangerous stunts, and Miss Main has a good role.... and so does Miss Nagel. For Monogram it's a lavish production, and there's little that is wrong with it, that a few more minutes for better character exposition would have taken care of. Since the copy I saw ran six minutes less than the listed time, I like to think that it used that time well. Even without it, it's a very good movie.