AT THE CIRCUS

I first encountered the Marx Brothers' 1939 film AT THE CIRCUS on late night television many years ago. It was one of my earliest exposures to this classic comedy team and I loved it. I've since seen it several more times over the years, along with many other Marx Brothers films and, having watched it again recently, I find that it's a good but far from great Marx Brothers film.

Die hard Marx fans are well aware of the vast gulf that separates the early films the team made at Paramount Studios and their later efforts produced at MGM (with far bigger budgets and lavish production values). Put simply, the Paramount Marxes showcase a trio of anarchists, intent on destroying society through jokes and pratfalls while the MGM Marxes are merely funny guys who try to help people using unorthodox ways and means. DUCK SOUP (1933) is not only their masterpiece, it also ranks as one of the greatest comedies ever made while AT THE CIRCUS is simply a funny movie, a nice way to pass the time on a cold, grey winter afternoon.

In AT THE CIRCUS, the brothers come to the aid of a young circus owner (Kenny Baker) and his lovely fiance (Florence Rice). The couple is about to lose the circus to a bad guy (James Burke) and his evil henchmen, a strong man (Nat Pendleton), a midget (Jerry Maren) and a ceiling-walker stunt performer (Eve Arden). Chico sends for ace attorney J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho), to help the desperate couple and all three brothers are soon mixed up in a case of missing money. Loophole enlists a society matron (Margaret Dumont), to throw a benefit for the circus. She thinks her guests will enjoy an orchestral performance but Loophole literally brings the circus to her estate for a madcap finale.

All of the hallmarks of an MGM Marx Brothers' film are on display here. There's the young lovers and their sappy love songs, Chico demonstrates his amazing skills at the keyboard, Harpo performs for an audience comprised entirely of African-American men, women and children (as he did in AT THE RACES (1937)), Groucho and Chico exchange comic banter early in the film and Groucho insults Dumont repeatedly (which she appears to enjoy). Set pieces include the brothers in a tiny train car questioning a midget suspect, Groucho and Eve Arden walking on the ceiling (Arden completely disappears from the film after this sequence) and of course the flying trapeze finale. 

But the greatest thing about AT THE CIRCUS is Groucho's performance of the song, "Lydia the Tattooed Lady". It's far and away the high point of what is otherwise a pretty formulaic, routine comedy outing. 

Recommended for Marx fans and any one interested in becoming one. But if you're new to the Marx Brothers, start your viewing with DUCK SOUP.