(1964)
3
Craig Butler
There's as much schmaltz and soap as there is sawdust in Circus World, a film that was unfavorably compared to The Greatest Show on Earth when originally released. In fact, World is almost as entertaining as Show, even if it lacks the same degree of visual splendor that Cecil B. De Mille brought to the latter. If director Henry Hathaway is not quite De Mille's equal, he still knows his way around an epic, and World is filled with spectacular moments, especially when viewed on the big screen. Hathaway lavished a great deal of care and attention of the two most notable sequences, the capsizing of the ship and the tent fire, and the results are breathtaking. He also handles his cast well. John Wayne's performance reveals no new depths, but he's effective and does what is called for, and Rita Hayworth turns in a moving and well modulated performance; her "reunion" scene after she has "washed her face" is especially good. The script never rises above the level of soap opera, but it provides a very workable frame upon which to hang the spectacle, and the production values are impressive. As usual, Dimitri Tiomkin's exciting score helps to effectively intensify the theatrics.
cast-crew for Circus World on AllMovie
Circus World (1964)
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