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At the Circus Overview:

At the Circus (1939) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Edward Buzzell and produced by Mervyn LeRoy.

SYNOPSIS

The Marx Brothers save a mortgaged circus by convincing a Newport socialite to buy it for one show only. It may be past prime time for Marx films, but it's tough to beat a rousing rendition of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady."

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

At the Circus BlogHub Articles:

Watching 1939: At the Circus (1939)

on Jul 25, 2019 From Comet Over Hollywood

In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, th... Read full article

AT THE CIRCUS BLOGATHON: Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)

on Nov 13, 2016 From Caftan Woman

Critica Retro and Serendipitous Anachronisms are hosting the At the Circus Blogathon running from November 11 to 13. Click HERE for all the fun and excitement under the big top! Lt. Macy: "How did the snake get in here?" Holt: "How did the ape get out of the cage?" Questions, questions, so ma... Read full article

AT THE CIRCUS BLOGATHON: Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)

By Caftan Woman on Nov 13, 2016 From Caftan Woman

Critica Retro and Serendipitous Anachronisms are hosting the At the Circus Blogathon running from November 11 to 13. Click HERE for all the fun and excitement under the big top! Lt. Macy: "How did the snake get in here?" Holt: "How did the ape get out of the cage?" Questions, questions, so m... Read full article

At The Circus – Blogathon

By Summer Reeves on Nov 12, 2016 From Serendipitous Anachronisms

At The Circus – Blogathon 12 Saturday Nov 2016 Posted by Summer Reeves in Cinema ≈ 21 Comments While it has been a shocking week for many in the U.S. and around the world, we hope you find a happy blogathon a welcome relief ... Read full article

At the Circus! Blogathon

By Lê on Aug 23, 2016 From Critica Retro

At the Circus! Blogathon Respeitável público! 2016 é um ano de grandes conquistas para esta blogueira que vos escreve. Comecei a escrever posts bilíngues e me orgulhei de ter criado os infográficos deste artigo sobre Alberto Cavalcanti. E agora é hora de dar mais um grande passo. Lad... Read full article

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At the Circus Quotes:

Antonio Pirelli: You know what I say. Whenever you got business trouble the best thing to do is to get a lawyer. Then you got more trouble, but at least you got a lawyer.
Antonio Pirelli: If you please, Mistah Carter?
John Carter: What do you want?
Antonio Pirelli: Can I have a month off next August?
John Carter: What for?
Antonio Pirelli: Well, you see, my lawyer, he got-a me a divorce, and one month every year I win the custody of my wife's parents.
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At the Circus Facts
For Groucho Marx's performance of the song 'Lydia, the Tattooed Lady,' additional lyrics were written by lyricist E.Y. Harburg exclusively for screenings of the film for Allied servicemen in European war zones. The special lyrics included the line 'When she stands the world grows littler; When she sits, she sits on Hitler.' The version of the song featuring the special lyrics was filmed, and included in prints of 'At the Circus' distributed in Great Britain and France. The version of the song containing the special lyrics was greeted with marked enthusiasm during screenings in those countries.
Originally entitled "A Day at the Circus" it was to be the third in the Brothers' "Day/Night" series after A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races
Buster Keaton worked on the film as a gag man. His career was on the downside and he was forced to work for scale. His complex and sometimes belabored gags (recalled in the book 'Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo') did not work well with the Marx Brothers' brand of humor, and was a source of friction between the comedian and the group. When Groucho called Keaton on the inappropriateness of his gags for the Marx Brothers, Keaton responded, "I'm only doing what Mr. Mayer asked me to do. You guys don't need help."
Lana Turner was considered for the role that eventually went to Florence Rice.
The Marx Brothers had been out of favor at MGM since the sudden 1936 death of their producer and benefactor Irving Thalberg during the production of A Day at the Races. So in the middle of the production ofAt the Circus, longtime Thalberg rival Louis B. Mayer removed songwriters Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg from the Marx Brothers film and reassigned them to the 'prestige' MGM production The Wizard of Oz.
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