At the Circus: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden, Margaret Dumont, Nat Pendleton, Fritz Feld, James Burke, Jerry Maren, Barnett Parker, Leonard Smith, Edward Buzzell, William H. Terhune, Mervyn LeRoy, Irving Brecher: Amazon.ca: Video

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Hollywood's golden year of 1939 found the Marx Brothers At the Circus, up to their usual mischief if not their usual standards. It's a lesser effort but still a rollicking good time, casting Groucho, Chico, and Harpo as the would-be saviors of a financially troubled circus. Of course, Groucho gets the lion's share of zingers as crackpot lawyer J. Cheever Loophole (especially when sparring with his quintessential straight-lady, Margaret Dumont), and Irving Brecher's zippy dialogue (with a last-minute polish by Ben Hecht) is custom fit to the Marxes' vaudeville roots. This was the Marxes' third movie for MGM, and the studio's insistence on sappy romantic subplots and a wimpy romantic lead (Kenny Baker) occasionally stalls the manic momentum. Fortunately there's ample compensation, including Groucho's signature performance of "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady," penned by Wizard of Oz songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Despite the racial stereotypes that populate Harpo's jazzy interlude, At the Circus is a three-ring showcase of fun. --Jeff Shannon

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars "Here is Captain Spaulding, exploring the Amazon.", May 31 2004

By

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: At the Circus (VHS Tape)

AT THE CIRCUS is an improvement upon their previous movie (the regrettable ROOM SERVICE) but still a step below the heights they had previously enjoyed at Paramount and MGM. The biggest factor dragging this film down is the annoying and obtrusive romantic subplot. Yes, I know that many Marx Brothers' films suffered from this, but it's particularly annoying here. After having watched this, I'll never complain about the romance in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA again.

While the non-Marx sequences drag and drive me crazy, the Brothers themselves have some fairly decent material to work from here. The sequence with them in the too-small room trying to trick a circus midget into handing over some evidence recalls some of their earlier strong comedic set pieces. Chico and Harpo also raise some laughs when they try to search a strongman's room without waking him up.

On the other hand, I felt that Groucho was a bit shortchanged. His one-liners weren't quite as funny and sharp as some of the material from other films, though he makes the best of it. Oh, and what was up with his hair? Was he wearing a wig or something? Whatever was going on with those follicles, I found it distracting.

The movie brightens considerably once standard foil Margaret Dumont appears a little past the halfway point. What slightly shocked me at first was that her character initially doesn't know who Groucho is, which, although I hadn't realized it until that moment, is very unusual. Still, her charming outrage is always welcome, and I think I noticed that Groucho himself seemed to get a little more lively and funny once she showed up.

I can't say that AT THE CIRCUS is a particularly great film, but it certainly has its moments, and it isn't a waste of time. Even substandard Marx Brothers is usually worth it. And any movie that fires Margaret Dumont out of a canon can't be all bad. But please don't judge the Brothers on just this film. If you're only going to watch one Marx Brothers film, don't make it this one.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny,very funny, Dec 30 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: At the Circus (VHS Tape)

The title basiclly describes the whole movie. It`s not Duck Soup, or A Day At The Races, but it`s funny anyway. I enjoyed watching this movie very much, mostly for it`s musical numbers, and for it`s once in a while hilarious momensts.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Hey, I liked it!, Dec 26 2003

By

Josh P. - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Circus (VHS Tape)

I didn't see nothing wrong with this film. Anything that is Marx Brothers to me, I know there is going to be laugh after laugh. There are plenty of hilarious gags in this film. The writing isn't too bad. It actually makes some sense. Forget what major film buffs may say. This is one of those "just-for-laughs" films. Though it's true when they were working for Louis B. Mayer, he wouldn't let the trio try out some of their gags and jokes, so that the critics could decide what worked best, but don't let that stop you from watching this. The trio help a circus owner stay in business by taking it to his aunt played by the very funny Margaret Dumont. It's terrible that she only entered more than halfway through the film. It;s worth the wait though. The grand finale circus scene is incredible with a chase by a gorilla, Margaret Dumon't character fired out of a cannon and joining a whole group swinging like trapeze artists. It'll bowl you over.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 22 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 26 reviews 3.2 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars No Clownin' Around
An above average Marx Brothers film...not in the likes of their best works like "A Day At The Races", "Duck Soup" or "A Night At The Opera"... Read more

Published on Oct 5 2003 by Shyblader

3.0 out of 5 stars For Marx Brothers Fans only.....
I'll watch anything with the Marx Brothers in it. That's why I'll hold on to this video. It's not the best, but it has redeeming qualities. Read more

Published on July 14 2002