{"id":19059,"date":"2011-08-03T09:30:08","date_gmt":"2011-08-03T16:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19059"},"modified":"2020-12-21T22:55:51","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T05:55:51","slug":"at-the-circus-1939","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19059","title":{"rendered":"At the Circus (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There must be some way of getting that money, without getting in trouble with the Hays Office!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Poster-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-19060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Poster-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Poster.jpg 491w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWith the help of two dubious but well-meaning assistants (Chico and Harpo Marx), a lawyer (Groucho Marx) tries to secure enough evidence to indict the thieves (Nat Pendleton and Jerry Maren) who have stolen $10,000 from a struggling circus owner (Kenny Baker).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amateur Sleuths<\/li>\n<li>Carnivals and Circuses<\/li>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Eve Arden Films<\/li>\n<li>Marx Brothers Films<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\n<em>At the Circus<\/em> was made during the tail end of the Marx Brothers&#8217; successful run of collaboratively anarchic comedies, and is clearly one of their lesser efforts. It&#8217;s too bad the team were apparently denied the opportunity to preview their interactions before a live audience, since I suspect this would have given them the opportunity to fine-tune their schtick. As it is, the gags and dialogue throughout are pretty much hit-and-miss. I&#8217;m not at all a fan of the entire &#8220;midget scene&#8221;, for instance, which comes across as simply an un-P.C., one-note gag. However, Groucho is given numerous opportunities to shine, as he sings the iconic ditty &#8220;Lydia the Tattooed Lady&#8221;, interacts with the always-welcome Dumont (given a small but pivotal supporting role), and tries to get Eve Arden to drop a wallet of stolen money while walking upside down on the ceiling (a scenario which is, at the very least, novel). Harpo&#8217;s solo is lovely, but placed smack dab in the middle of a questionable musical revue involving African American stable hands. Meanwhile, all the supporting storyline scenes (between Baker and Florence Rice, playing his long-suffering fiancee) pretty much grind things to a halt. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Groucho singing &#8220;Lydia the Tattooed Lady&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Lydia.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Lydia.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Lydia.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Lydia-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Lydia-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Groucho&#8217;s interactions with Dumont<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Dumont.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Dumont.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Dumont.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Dumont-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Dumont-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Eve Arden demonstrating ceiling walking to Groucho<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Shoes.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Shoes.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Shoes.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Shoes-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/At-the-Circus-Shoes-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; this one is only must-see for Marx Brothers fans. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0031060\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1939\/11\/17\/archives\/the-screen-marxes-well-under-their-top-in-at-the-circus-at-the.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/41533\/tcm-greatest-classic-films-collection-marx-brothers-a-day-at-the-races-a-night-in-casablanca-room-service-at-the-circus\/\">DVD Talk Review (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/67744\/at-the-circus#articles-reviews?articleId=87357\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There must be some way of getting that money, without getting in trouble with the Hays Office!&#8221; Synopsis: With the help of two dubious but well-meaning assistants (Chico and Harpo Marx), a lawyer (Groucho Marx) tries to secure enough evidence to indict the thieves (Nat Pendleton and Jerry Maren) who have stolen $10,000 from a struggling circus owner (Kenny Baker). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Amateur Sleuths Carnivals and Circuses Comedy Eve Arden Films Marx Brothers Films Musicals Review: At&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19059\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19059"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58958,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19059\/revisions\/58958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}