At the Circus (1939)

The Marx Brothers try to help the owner of a circus recover some stolen funds before he finds himself out of a job.

Director:

Edward Buzzell

Writer:

Irving Brecher (screen play)

Stars:

Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Groucho Marx	...	Attorney Loophole
Chico Marx	...	Antonio
Harpo Marx	...	'Punchy'
Kenny Baker	...	Jeff Wilson
Florence Rice	...	Julie Randall
Eve Arden	...	Peerless Pauline
Margaret Dumont	...	Mrs. Dukesbury
Nat Pendleton	...	Goliath
Fritz Feld	...	Jardinet
James Burke	...	John Carter
Jerry Maren	...	Little Professor Atom (as Jerry Marenghi)
Barnett Parker	...	Whitcomb

Storyline

Jeff Wilson, the owner of a small circus, owes his partner Carter $10000. Before Jeff can pay, Carter lets his accomplices steal the money, so he can take over the circus. Antonio Pirelli and Punchy, who work at the circus, together with lawyer Loophole try to find the thief and get the money back.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | song | circus midget | deception | damsel in distress | 

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Taglines:

NOT SUITABLE FOR GENERAL EXHIBITION (Australian one-sheet poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was first telecast in Chicago Wednesday 20 February 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2) ,followed by Seattle 22 February 1957 on KING (Channel 5), by New York City 4 March 1957 on WCBS (Channel 2), by Philadelphia 15 March 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), by New Haven CT 22 March 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), by Portland OR 26 March 1957 on KGW (Channel 8), by Altoona PA 30 March 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), and by Hartford CT 17 May 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18); its first television showing in San Francisco occurred 26 April 1958 on KGO (Channel 7); but its first Los Angeles telecast did not take place until 27 January 1959 on KTTV (Channel 11).

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Goofs

When Jeff first gets on the train, his badge keeps changing position on his coat.

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Quotes

Mrs. Suzanna Dukesbury: We must have regard for certain conventions.
J. Cheever Loophole: One guy isn't enough. She's gotta have a convention.

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Connections

Featured in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Big Parade of Hits for 1940 (1940)

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Soundtracks

Step Up and Take a Bow
(1939) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Performed by Florence Rice (dubbed by Evelyn Jurs) and an unidentified circus horse
Reprised at the end by Kenny Baker

User Reviews

well, there IS a noticeable difference between their Paramount movies and their MGM movies

The Marx Brothers burst onto the scene in the 1929 comedy "The Cocoanuts". Over the next few years they starred in some of the all-time classics, namely "Horse Feathers" and "Duck Soup".

Then something happened. I don't know the reason, but they left Paramount (which financed the aforementioned movies) and moved to MGM. By that point, MGM was well established as the domain of happy-go-lucky musicals, and it showed in the Marx Brothers' movies. Far from the biting satire of their earlier movies, these newer movies tended to show them performing antics in various settings: opera, horse racing, and now the circus. "At the Circus" is funny, but it's no "Duck Soup".

Ignoring all that, there's plenty of laughs to be had here (and quite a few hot babes). Enjoyable in that respect. Jerry Maren (Atom) is best known as one of the Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz" and died only last year, making him not only the last surviving speaking cast member from TWoO, but the last surviving cast member from a Marx Brothers movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Day at the Circus

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1