''The Big Circus'' is a 1959 film starring

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

as a circus owner struggling with financial trouble and a murderous unknown saboteur. It was produced and cowritten by

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

, later known for a series of big-budget

disaster film A disaster film or disaster movie is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include natural disasters, accidents, military/ terrorist attacks or global catastrophes s ...

Plot

After splitting from his partnership with the Borman Brothers, Hank Whirling needs money to keep his Whirling Circus operational now that it must compete with the Bormans. He receives a bank loan but only on the condition he take along accountant Randy Sherman and publicist Helen Harrison to help the circus turn a profit. Hank's top act is the Colino trapeze troupe, featuring Zach Colino, his wife Maria and newcomer Tommy Gordon. The circus also features ringmaster Hans and clown Skeeter. Unknown to Hank, his sister Jeannie wishes to be a trapeze artist and has been secretly training with the Colino act. At a press party, a lion is let loose, terrifying the VIPs in attendance until Hank captures it with the help of Colino. Helen accuses him of staging the incident for publicity. They soon discover that the cage had been deliberately opened by an animal trainer named Slade, who is found, captured and eventually jailed. When Skeeter is drunk and unable to perform his act, Randy substitutes, making numerous mistakes that actually made the act funnier. Helen and Randy are infuriated by Whirling's refusal to accept their help. Hank believes that he is a good publicist and does not need Helen. After Randy fires 40 roustabouts and replaces them with a machine for raising the tent, Hank argues with him. The machine is sabotaged and sets a pile of hay on fire, but Hank prevents the tent from burning. Hank, Helen and Randy wonder if a saboteur, perhaps hired by the Bormans, is among the crew. When the first section of the circus train derails, Maria Colino is killed, leaving her husband heartbroken and unable to perform. Attendance suffers because of recent foul weather, and the books are looking grim with the headline act unavailable. Hank conceives a bold scheme. He will scrap the existing route, perform one show in Buffalo, and then slip into New York City three weeks before the Bormans' circus, stealing the audience from his rival. But he must create a major publicity splash. Helen proposes a stunt last performed in the 19th century: a walk across the gorge at

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...

on a tightrope. As Zach has lost his confidence after his wife's death, Hank goads him into performing the stunt by calling him a coward. Zach plans to kill Hank after walking the tightrope, but after completing the walk, Zach realizes that Hank had been trying to help him and they reconcile. With the bank about to foreclose on his circus, Hank approaches television star

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

to seek publicity. Allen purchases the rights to broadcast the opening-night performance in New York for enough money to pay the show's line of credit and enable it to survive. Detectives come looking for Tommy and inform the show's management that he is an escaped lunatic. Hank realizes that Tommy is the saboteur. Jeannie's debut with the Colino act nearly ends in disaster when Tommy deliberately misses catching her, but she manages to grasp a rope. While fleeing from Zach, Tommy falls to his death. With the circus now profitable and the saboteur dead, Hank and Helen realize that they are in love. They kiss passionately.

Cast

as Henry Jasper "Hank" Whirling *

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1957 film '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his acting work ...

as Randy Sherman *

Rhonda Fleming Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamoro ...

as Helen Harrison * Kathryn Grant as Jeannie Whirling *

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

as Hans Hagenfeld *

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

as Zach Colino *

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

as Skeeter * David Nelson as Tommy Gordon *

Adele Mara Adele Mara (born Adelaida Delgado; April 28, 1923 – May 7, 2010) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Early years Mara was born in Highland P ...

as Maria 'Mama' Colino * Howard McNear as Mr. Lomax * Charles Watts as Jonathan Nelson *

as himself (cameo)

Production

Irwin Allen announced the film in 1957. He intended to produce and direct the film for

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

and planned to have parts for 40 stars, in a similar manner to how he had produced and directed ''

The Story of Mankind ''The Story of Mankind'' is a book written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon. It was published in 1921. In 1922, it was awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children ...

''. The project would eventually be undertaken by Allied Artists. Filming began in January 1959 at the MGM studios. Allen was interested in making "an exciting colorful show—something the public can't see on television." Famed circus performer

Barbette Barbettes are several types of gun emplacement in terrestrial fortifications or on naval ships. In recent naval usage, a barbette is a protective circular armour support for a heavy gun turret. This evolved from earlier forms of gun protectio ...

served on the film as a consultant.

Comic book adaptation

A comic book adaptation of the film,

Dell Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies. Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...

Four Color ''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', was an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic ...

#1036, was released in August 1959.

References

External links