At the Circus (1939)

Often Sighted as the Beginning of the End for the Marx Brothers this is Nevertheless a Delightful Romp as the Film is Filled with Outrageousness as Expected and Enough Groucho Isms to Tickle the Rib. Sure it has some Awful Sappy Musical Numbers, the ones Performed by the Non-Brothers, but that seemed to be a Curse of the Marxes as well as Many other Golden Age Film Comedians. The Studios Insisted on MUSICAL Comedies.But Revisiting At the Circus One is Struck that the Film is Literally Filled with Laughs from one Scene to Another. It is quite Broad with its One Liners, Puns, Slapstick and Frolic. It may not be the Best Marx Brothers Movie but it is far from the Worst and Holds its Own. The Brothers give it Their All and the Result is a Fun Film that gets a lot of Grief but is Underrated mostly because the Marx Brothers are so Exalted. This One is just Another Day at Work for Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, and they Certainly Earn their Money.If You are New to the Marx Brothers, Suffice to say that it is best to View Their Movies in Chronological Order for best Results and Understanding of Their Appeal.

Standing in for Zeppo, "Wilson Wonder Circus" manager Kenny Baker (as Jeffrey "Jeff" Wilson) hopes to save his big-top business - with help from The Marx Brothers. Sneaky lawyer Groucho (as J. Cheever Loophole) plus roustabouts Chico (as Antonio "Tony" Pirelli) and Harpo (as Punchy) accomplish the task, with the expected madness. "At the Circus" has acquired the unwelcome reputation as a film where The Marx Brothers showed obvious decline. But for much of the film, there is little to complain about - the criticism leveled at the musical romance subplot is old; it's part of the fabric, compliments the brothers, and was actually quite good for the time. Groucho, Chico and Harpo are in great form for the outstanding first half, with classics "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" and "Three on a Midget" highlights. There are some tired spots, however.******** At the Circus (10/20/39) Edward Buzzell ~ Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kenny Baker

I have been vocal before about my love for The Marx Brothers, but while I liked At the Circus on the whole it is also a little disappointing and lacks the exuberance evident in an outing like A Night at the Opera and Duck Soup.My main problem with At the Circus is a similar problem to that I had with A Day at the Races- too many musical interludes. Don't get me wrong I like musical interludes but not when there are too many and cause the film to drag, which was the problem here. Some of them are nice and memorable, but others feel like filler and serve no real purpose. My next problem is to do with this somewhat, the exuberance is missing, not entirely but it is missing and consequently the film becomes rather sluggish. And the story isn't really anything special and seems restricted.However, it is striking visually, the incidental scoring is very nice and the dialogue is humorous and quotable. Also the gags are great, the end scene is quite violent but it is good enough, but acquitting themselves even better are Groucho's elephantine flirtations with Margaret Dumont(in another sterling supporting performance!) and his charming rendition of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady". The trio are still splendid, even if some of the humour is less playful than usual, and their personalities come through loud and clear.All in all, it is good and very entertaining, but I don't think it is the Marx Brothers' best. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The Marx Brothers try to save annoying rich-boy Kenny Baker's circus in this disappointing comedy. After the creative holding action of "Room Service," the Brothers began their creative decline in their first MGM film after the death of famed producer Irving Thalberg. I doubt this film would have been made had Thalberg been alive. Thalberg understood one essential thing about the Marx Brothers: They were masters of destruction, and, for that matter, deconstruction. Who wants to see them save a circus? We want to see them to destroy a circus, the same way they destroyed the opera. Now MGM was doing to the Marx Brothers what they had done to the Little Rascals. When Hal Roach produced the Little Rascals, they were children dealing with the concerns of children. When MGM started producing the series, they dealt with more adult concerns, and were always having to figure out a way to save the farm. That's what's happening here. Now the Marx Brothers, instead of being comic anarchists, have to save things throughout the rest of their MGM career, whether it be the circus, the gold mine or the department store. Granted, the Marx Brothers saved the sanitarium in "At The Races," but they deconstructed the pomposity of medicine in the process."At The Circus" is probably my least favorite Marx Brothers film -- discounting, of course, the sad abominations of "Love Happy" and "The Story of Mankind." I blame most of my dislike on Kenny Baker, whom I find to be the most annoying straight lead of the Marx Brothers films, especially when he's singing "Two Blind Loves." Granted, Tony Martin's "Tenement Symphony" in "The Big Store" is ear-grating, but not at least Martin is more personable.As would be expected, there are some amusing moments. Groucho gets to sing his signature number "Lydia The Tattooed Lady," and his scenes with Margaret Dumont still resonant, but much of the interplay between the Brothers themselves fails to click. The scene with Chico refusing to allow Groucho on the train is but a pale shadow of the swordfish scene in "Horsefeathers." The cigar scene with the midget and the scene with Chico and Harpo searching Goliath's room also amuse, but there is little else. The big circus finale is forced and too reliant on trick shots.Okay, Okay, I know I am being a little hard on this film, but, to me, it represents the beginning of the end of the Marx Brothers.