Circus of Fear
{{short description|1966 film by Werner Jacobs, John Llewellyn Moxey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Circus of Fear
| image = Circus of Fear FilmPoster.jpeg
| caption = DVD cover
| director = John Llewellyn Moxey
| writer = Harry Alan Towers (as "Peter Welbeck")
| based_on = {{based on|Again the Three Just Men |Edgar Wallace}}{{Citation needed|date=November 2022|reason=Wallace's name does not appear anywhere in the on-screen credits}}
| producer = Harry Alan Towers
| starring = Christopher Lee
Leo Genn
Anthony Newlands
Heinz Drache
Eddi Arent
Klaus Kinski
Margaret Lee
Suzy Kendall
Cecil Parker
Victor Maddern
Maurice Kaufmann
| narrator =
| cinematography = Ernest Steward
| editing = John Trumper
| music = Johnny Douglas
| studio = Circus Films
Proudweeks
| distributor = Warner-Pathé Distributors (UK)
Constantin Film (W. Germany)
American International Pictures (US)
| released = {{Film date|1966|04|29|W. Germany|1967|11||UK|df=y}}
| runtime = 90 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
West Germany
| language = English
| budget =
}}
Circus of Fear ({{langx|de|Das Rätsel des silbernen Dreieck}} / Mystery of the Silver Triangle); also Scotland Yard auf heißer Spur, also Circus of Terror; US title Psycho-Circus) is a 1966 Anglo-German international co-production thriller film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and starring Christopher Lee, Suzy Kendall, Leo Genn and Cecil Parker.{{Cite web |title=Circus of Fear |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150026281 |access-date=24 June 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/106847/Circus-of-Fear/overview |title=New York Times: Circus of Fear |access-date=2008-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012100434/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/106847/Circus-of-Fear/overview |archive-date=12 October 2012 |url-status=dead |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |author=Sandra Brennan |df=dmy-all}} Werner Jacobs directed the version released in West Germany. It was written by Harry Alan Towers based on the 1928 novel Again the Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace.{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6a7a5056|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712172848/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6a7a5056|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-12|title=Circus of Fear|work=BFI}}{{cite web|url=http://networkonair.com/shop/1777-edgar-wallace-presents-circus-of-fear-5027626391348.html|title=Network ON AIR > Edgar Wallace Presents: Circus of Fear|work=networkonair.com|access-date=17 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228035928/http://networkonair.com/shop/1777-edgar-wallace-presents-circus-of-fear-5027626391348.html|archive-date=28 February 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/circus_of_fear/|title=Circus of Fear|date=1 January 1966|work=rottentomatoes.com}}{{Citation needed|date=November 2022|reason=None of the three listed citations make this claim, which does not seem to be supported by any authoritative source I can find. See Talk page for more discussion.}}
Plot
The film is set in London, mainly in the East End and docklands. When an armoured car is robbed, in a daring daylight raid co-ordinated on Tower Bridge, one of the guards is shot and killed by Mason. The gang escape on the river. Part of the gang escape northwards on the M1 motorway. The police catch up and force them off the road, killing one man. Meanwhile Mason dumps his car in a lake and takes a suitcase full of money to nearby buildings. An unseen knife-thrower kills Mason as he turns to leave.
We are introduced to the characters of Barberini's Circus, including Drago, who wears a full mask to hide his fire damaged face. Manfred arrives at the circus seeking employment. It is revealed that Mr Big (the midget) is blackmailing Drago. An unseen person unlocks the lion and it almost kills one of the circus girls. The police are led to the circus but also require to investigate a body found with a knife next to it. The police interview the girl who was attacked by the lion and soon after is herself murdered by a thrown knife. The police interview the circus knife-thrower. Drago confesses to his niece that he found a suitcase of money and hid it. Manfred is the next victim of the knife-thrower who this time also sets a fire.
A police manhunt causes Drago to fall to his death and the suitcase of money is retrieved. However, detective Elliot (Leo Genn) decides this is not the killer. His examination of all the clues leads to a final denouement in front of the assembled suspects during a knife-throwing act.
Cast
- Christopher Lee as Gregor
- Leo Genn as Elliott
- Anthony Newlands as Barberini
- Heinz Drache as Carl
- Eddi Arent as Eddie
- Klaus Kinski as Manfred Hart
- Margaret Lee as Gina
- Suzy Kendall as Natasha
- Cecil Parker as Sir John
- Victor Maddern as Mason
- Maurice Kaufmann as Mario
- Lawrence James as Manley
- Tom Bowman as Jackson
- Skip Martin as Mr. Big
- Nosher Powell as Red
- Gordon Petrie as man
- Henry B. Longhurst as hotel porter
- Dennis Blakely as Armoured van guard
- George Fisher as fourth man
- Peter Brace as speedboat man
- Roy Scammell as speedboat man
- Geoff Silk as security man
- Keith Peacock as security man
- John Carradine as narrator
Production
Finance came in part from Anglo-Amalgamated.{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-moguls-nat-cohen-part-three-1962-68/|date=21 January 2025|access-date=21 January 2025|title=Forgotten British Moguls: Nat Cohen – Part Three (1962-68)}} It was shot at Hammer Film's Bray Studios in Berkshire and on location around London.The film was partially shot at Billy Smart's Circus.{{cite book |last1=Weaver |first1=Tom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tMBYAIrVGNgC&q=circus+of+fear+edgar+wallace&pg=PA261 |title=Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks |date=27 October 2004 |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |isbn=9780786420704}} Filming took place from 6 December 1965 to 15 Januay 1966 during which time it was known as Man Without a Face.
The film was co-produced by the leading German distributor Constantin Film, which was at the same time releasing Rialto Film's long-running series of Wallace adaptations in Germany. Heinz Drache, Eddi Arent and Klaus Kinski were regular performers in that series and were added to this production to appeal to German audiences.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
After the film was released Lee wrote a friend:
I have not dared to go and see this film either in public or in private and I prefer to forget that I was ever involved in it. All I can say is that we did not have a bad story at the time that we made the film, but due to completely chaotic production, disinterested direction and a totally inadequate cast seemingly made up of about 110 nationalities, we found ourselves landed with an imperial egg. It is the same old sad story... lack of preparation and lack of an authoritative hand at the helm.
Release
The film premiered in Germany on 29 April 1966 and in the UK in November 1967.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmportal.de/film/circus-of-fear_b9e5b2a557ed4cfc960f9abe636d7a6f|title=Filmportal: Circus of Fear|access-date=7 February 2017}}
The film was bought for AIP who cut the running time to under an hour and released it in the USA as Psycho Circus. The film was also simultaneously released on television in the full length version.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/CinefantastiqueVol03No1Fall1973/page/n12/mode/1up?|magazine=Cinefantastique|date=Fall 1973|page=12|title=Christopher Lee|first1=James Robert|last1=Parish|first2=Michael R.|last2=Pitts}}
Reception
Lee reported that despite his own misgivings about the film "it received more than adequate notices in the trade press (I gave a most ‘sympathetic performance’) and that the public is going to see it in large numbers. God knows why.”{{cite book|page=160|url=https://archive.org/details/christopherleefi0000john/page/160/mode/1up?|title= The Christopher Lee filmography : all theatrical releases, 1948-2003|last=Johnson|first= Tom|year=2004}}
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A stolid thriller incorporating every cliché known to circus settings. Acting, script and direction are all equally flaccid."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1967 |title=Circus of Fear |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305827976 |journal=The Monthly Film Bulletin |volume=34 |issue=396 |pages=173 |id={{ProQuest|1305827976}} |via=ProQuest}}
The Radio Times wrote, "Christopher Lee wears a black woolly hood for nearly all of his scenes in this lame whodunnit, with minor horrific overtones...but the stalwart efforts of the cast including Klaus Kinski and Suzy Kendall act as a welcome safety net for the shaky plot" ;{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/film/k4v2t/circus-of-fear|title=Circus of Fear|author=Alan Jones|work=RadioTimes}} while Britmovie called it "fairly suspenseful."{{cite web|url=http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/Circus-of-Fear_1966|title=Circus of Fear|work=britmovie.co.uk|access-date=17 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920231657/http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/Circus-of-Fear_1966|archive-date=20 September 2015|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0060865|title=Circus of Fear}}
- {{TCMDb title|87324|Circus of Fear}}
- [https://letterboxd.com/film/circus-of-fear/ Circus of Fear] at Letterbox DVD
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVLXQn_hJg Joe Dante on Circus of Fear] at Trailers from Hell
{{John Llewellyn Moxey}}
{{Edgar Wallace}}
{{Harry Alan Towers}}
Category:1960s crime thriller films
Category:1960s mystery thriller films
Category:British crime thriller films
Category:British mystery thriller films
Category:German mystery thriller films
Category:1960s English-language films
Category:English-language German films
Category:Films based on works by Edgar Wallace
Category:Films directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
Category:Films scored by Johnny Douglas (conductor)
Category:Constantin Film films