Berserk

In "Berserk!" also known by its English title "Circus of Blood", Crawford plays Monica Rivers the owner and mistress of ceremonies of a travelling circus. She is a woman hardened by the school of hard knocks common in circus life where beneath the fun and the bright costumes there exists a hard and cold existence. Monica rules the circus with a firm hand and always with an eye on increasing her profit margin on the acts she has perform at the circus. When a series of fatal accidents begin occuring during the performances Monica sees that behind these tragedies is a way to increase publicity for the circus. The rest of the circus performers become very scared with what is going on among them when it is revealed that the fall suffered by Gasper the Great from the tightrope was no accident and that his line had actually been cut. Monica comes into direct conflict with her business manager/sometime lover Dorando (Michael Gough) over how to handle the investigation into the "accidents". When he wants out from the circus Monica refuses and Dorando also finds himself jealous of Monica's attraction to much younger replacement Trapeze artist Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin) who has turned up at the circus looking for work, replaces the deceased Gasper in the show and worms his way into Monica's affections. Shortly Dorando is also found murdered in the Big Top further scaring the circus performers, in particular the brassy Matilda (Diana Dors), who is one half of an act where she is sawn in half. She blames Monica for the murders but before she can prove anything she too dies while performing. To complicate matters for Monica her unruly young daughter Angela suddenly turns up at the circus having left her school. She joins the knife throwing act. Monica's romance with Frank however runs into rough seas when he begins blackmailing her for a share of the circus profits and then he too finds a stray knife in his back while he is performing on the high wire. After an investigation by Scotland Yards Superintendant Brooks (Robert Hardy) it is revealed that Angela is the murderer and has long harboured an insane hatred of her mother after years of neglect. To get her total attention Angela has been "removing" those that take up her mothers time. Finally losing the last of her sanity Angela attempts to kill Monica however she herself is struck down by lightening outside the Big Top and dies in the rain.

Vintage melodrama perhaps but "Berserk!", has a whole series of talented British performers to create interest in a fairly ordinary story. Michael Gough as Monica's tired business associate has a wonderful rapport with Joan Crawford and his few scenes in the first part of the story are very well acted. Diana Dors, just starting to move out of her earlier glamour girl roles that often hid the fact that she was a very fine actress is excellent as the cheap, tarty circus performer who meets a grisly end under a cutting saw. Judy Geeson in her first film role is effective as the young daughter who is finally revealed as the villianess of the piece. Her innocent playing of her part is well enough done to create the right suspense when all is revealed at the end. Joan Crawford of course is the focal point of "Berserk!". In the first of her two Herman Cohen British based movies, Joan has often been accused of having no judgement in excepting this low budget feature. However as she said in a number of interviews, she quote, "wanted to remain a working actress, not just an ex performer plugging softdrinks (Pepsi)" unquote. In the absense of any better roles being offered to her "Berserk!" at least kept her in the limelight. The rich colour and great circus atmosphere of the film is well done and although not totally exciting there were far worse films made in that decade both before and after "Berserk!". Joan certainly looks the part of a glamourous ringmistress.Even in such a low budget production long after her great years of stardom Joan still showed that she was a true star in the old meaning of the word by insisting that famed costume designer Edith Head be especially hired to create her sensational two piece leotard outfit that she wears throughout the picture.

While far from the best horror circus thriller you will see "Berserk!" is not the total mess that alot of people make it out to be. I enjoy it for the lively later day Joan Crawford performance is contains but also because of the fact that no matter how cheap the production was Joan tackled it with the same commitment and seriousness that she did her great productions from earlier decades. "Berserk!", is a good little mystery to spend 90 minutes with. Enjoy