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