The Circus (film)

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The Circus
Original US poster
Directed by	Charles Chaplin
Produced by	Charles Chaplin
Written by	Charles Chaplin
Starring	Charles Chaplin Al Ernest Garcia Merna Kennedy Henry Bergman
Release date(s)	January 6, 1928
Running time	70 min
Country	United States
Language	Silent film English intertitles
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Circus is a 1928 silent film which finds Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character being chased by a police officer at a circus. The ringmaster thinks his antics are hysterical, and hires him, but finds that The Tramp can't be funny on purpose, so the ringmaster makes him a janitor who always happens to be in the ring when things start happening. It stars Chaplin, Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy, Harry Crocker, George Davis and Henry Bergman.

The movie was written by Chaplin and Joseph Plunkett (prologue, uncredited) and directed by Chaplin. It became the 7th highest grossing silent film in cinema history taking in more than $3.8 million dollars in 1928.

The production of the film was the most difficult experience in Chaplin's career. Numerous problems and delays occurred (including a studio fire), and the filming was interrupted for almost a year by both Chaplin's bitter divorce from his second wife Lita Grey and claims of back taxes by the Internal Revenue Service.

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the short-lived Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy Picture (both for Charlie Chaplin), but the Academy took Chaplin out of the running for competitive awards by giving him a Special Award "For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus," and no longer lists his nominations for Best Actor or Comedy Direction in their official list of nominees, although most unofficial lists of nominations do include him.

In 1970, Chaplin reissued the film with a new musical score.

[edit] Cast

Charles Chaplin - A Tramp
Al Ernest Garcia - The Circus Proprietor and Ring Master
Merna Kennedy - His Stepdaughter, A Circus Rider
Henry Bergman - An Old Clown
Harry Crocker - Rex, A Tight Rope Walker/Disgruntled Property Man/Clown
George Davis - A Magician
Tiny Sandford - The Head Property Man (as Stanley J. Sandford)
John Rand - An Assistant Property Man/Clown
Steve Murphy - A Pickpocket

[edit] External links

v • d • e Charlie Chaplin filmography

Keystone Studios (1914)	Making a Living • Kid Auto Races at Venice • Mabel's Strange Predicament • Between Showers • A Film Johnnie • Tango Tangles • His Favourite Pastime • Cruel, Cruel Love • The Star Boarder • Mabel at the Wheel • Twenty Minutes of Love • Caught in a Cabaret • Caught in the Rain • A Busy Day • The Fatal Mallet • Her Friend the Bandit • Mabel's Busy Day • Mabel's Married Life • Laughing Gas • The Face on the Bar Room Floor • Recreation • The Masquerader • His New Profession • The Rounders • The Property Man • The New Janitor • Those Love Pangs • Dough and Dynamite • Gentlemen of Nerve • His Musical Career • His Trysting Place • Tillie's Punctured Romance • Getting Acquainted • His Prehistoric Past

Essanay Studios (1915-1918)	His New Job • A Night Out • The Champion • In the Park • A Jitney Elopement • The Tramp • By the Sea • His Regeneration (uncredited) • Work • A Woman • The Bank • Shanghaied • A Night in the Show • Burlesque on Carmen • Police • Triple Trouble

Mutual Film Corp (1916-1917)	The Floorwalker • The Fireman • The Vagabond • One A.M. • The Count • The Pawnshop • Behind the Screen • The Rink • Easy Street • The Cure • The Immigrant • The Adventurer

First National (1918-1923)	A Dog's Life • The Bond • Shoulder Arms • Sunnyside • A Day's Pleasure • The Professor • The Kid • The Idle Class • Pay Day • The Pilgrim

United Artists (1923-1952)	A Woman of Paris • The Gold Rush • The Circus • City Lights • Modern Times • The Great Dictator • Monsieur Verdoux • Limelight

Later productions	A King in New York • The Chaplin Revue • A Countess from Hong Kong • The Freak • The Nut • Souls For Sale • A Woman of the Sea • Show People • Chaplin

Stock company	Edna Purviance • Eric Campbell • Albert Austin • Henry Bergman

The Circus (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Cast

[edit] External links

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