Trapeze (1956)

TrapezeThe best thing about being a trapeze artist is you're safe when the circus elephants stampede below.But, as this drama demonstrates, there are plenty more dangers under the big top.Aspirant high wire aerialist Tino Orsini (Tony Curtis) heads off in search of an injured trapeze legend Mike Ribble (Burt Lancaster) so that Mike can teach him the deadly triple-somersault routine that nearly ruined him.But Tino is not the only performer interested in Mike's attention as an attractive tumbler (Gina Lollobrigida) joins the ranks and drives a jealous wedge between Tino and his mentor.Needles to say, this love triangle begins to affect their precarious performance.Despite its capable male leads, exciting backdrop and array of aerial feats, this sluggish melodrama never gets off the ground thanks to its lacklustre script and amoral leading lady.Furthermore, I always thought injured circus performers were fed to the clowns.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

I expected more from a circus flick with top-flight stars like Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, and Gina Lollabrigida.The fact that a love triangle plays out on the trapeze is mildly interesting, but the story deteriorates into a standard power struggle over the girl between intense, crippled Lancaster and pretty-boy Curtis.Sexy Lollabrigida is memorable mostly for her exaggerated hourglass figure and garish orange lipstick.The movie gives too much ear-time to the braying of elephants and too much screen time to a dull dwarf. (Who cares if he DID grow an inch!?)Definitely deserving of praise are a few exhilarating trapeze scenes that generate true suspense. They aren't substantial enough to recommend this, however.

Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, and Gina Lollbrigida star in "Trapeze," which depicts the life of trapeze artists in a circus. Tony Curtis wants to be a great trapeze artist and thinks he's ready for it, except for one thing, the triple somersault. And, he needs Burt Lancaster to teach him. But, Burt has quit the spotlight since he tried the triple and fell. But, when he sees Tony and what he can do, he thinks Tony can do a triple. But, he won't tell him so, at first. Enter Gina. She has a wire act of her own, and she want to get in on the main attraction. And, of course, love enters the picture.This may have a why should I care? feel to it, as it may not interest some people at all. But for those who will be watching for the stars, the rewards are many. This is a more personal and realistic (of course how should I know) story and treatment of what goes on beyond the high wire act than Cecil B. DeMille's "The Greatest Show on Earth." We are allowed to see beyond the glamorous lifestyle and see them as people who are trying to express themselves while existing here on this earth. This has a deep respect for its subject matter and its characters and shows how they have to work together in order for the act to work, and not just because of the obvious physical risks involved but because they are supposed to be a team and not looking out only for themselves.Plus, Lancaster apparently had some experience in this and performed most of his stunts, and, after Tony and Gina practiced a lot, they did as much as they could. So you do get the real thing and some really good and sincere performances.If you want less DeMille-like glitz and more substance, then this is the circus for you.

In Trapeze Burt Lancaster finally realized an ambition to return to his roots as a circus acrobat and do a film under the big top. When he and Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida are soaring through the air, Trapeze is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately on the ground it's firmly fixed to mediocrity with a very melodramatic triangle subplot.Lancaster plays a once promising aerial artist who perfected the triple somersault in the air. But doing it once too often shattered his career along with his leg. Lancaster now works as a rigger for Thomas Gomez's circus.But one day when young Tony Curtis, a would be Trapeze artist comes to the circus seeking out Lancaster, Burt recognizes the talent that is there after some initial misgivings. He agrees to become Curtis's catcher and teach him the tricks of Trapeze trade. What complicates things is goldigging Gina Lollobrigida a jack of all the circus trades who desperately wants to get to America. She's an old girl friend of Lancaster, but sees in Curtis her meal ticket. He's after all the one with the talent and the young reflexes. Lancaster's wise to her, but she does get the old hormones going in Burt.Seeing Lancaster doing his own trapeze stunts is quite a marvel, but in fact it was his old trade. I'm sure being the producer of Trapeze helped because if this had been a studio production the bean counters in the front office would have been going out of their minds at seeing their big star risking life and limb.Katy Jurado has a nice if somewhat undefined role as a bareback rider who also has an old time yen for Burt. Thomas Gomez is quite the schemer as the owner who naturally wants to keep the act intact and working for him and not going to a bigger show. That bigger show is Ringling Brothers,Barnum&Bailey circus in America and Minor Watson plays the real life John Ringling North.Unfortunately for Trapeze, Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show On Earth set an impossible standard for circus pictures. Maybe if it had concentrated on the aerial and left the romance alone, Trapeze would be better thought of today.Next year Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis teamed for Sweet Smell of Success. Now that's the film the two will be better remembered by far.