Circus
About Circus
American circus performer Marion Dixon escapes a lynch mob with her Black baby, Jimmy, and a German agent, Franz von Kneishitz, who blackmails her. She reaches Moscow. Circus director Ivan Martynov builds a new act around her. Kneishitz tries to expose Jimmy and take him. The Soviet audience, including Red Army men, turns on Kneishitz. Marion and Martynov stay together. At the May Day parade, people of different Soviet nationalities sing a lullaby to Jimmy.
Cast & crew
More about Circus
Grigori Aleksandrov directed, with Isidor Simkov also credited. The story began as the music-hall piece Under the Circus Dome by Ilf, Petrov, and Valentin Kataev. Ilf and Petrov left for America, objected to the film's direction, and refused a credit. Isaac Babel continued the script. Isaak Dunayevsky wrote the music, including "Song of the Motherland." Vladimir Nilsen, Boris Aretskiy, and Boris Petrov photographed it. Mosfilm released it on May 23, 1936. Lyubov Orlova, Aleksandrov's wife, plays Marion. James Lloydovich Patterson plays Jimmy.
Themes
Making
Ilf and Petrov's names were kept off the credits at their demand. Babel finished the writing.
Look
Vladimir Nilsen, Boris Aretskiy, and Boris Petrov photographed the circus acts and the May Day parade.
Music
Isaak Dunayevsky wrote the score. "Song of the Motherland" is the march that outlasted the film.
Preservation
A copy is on Wikimedia Commons.
Notes
- Sergei Stolyarov plays Martynov. Pavel Massalsky plays von Kneishitz. Vladimir Volodin plays Ludvig. Solomon Mikhoels sings in the lullaby.
- Song of the Motherland" (Shiroka strana moya rodnaya) carries the ISWC code T-926.406.620-8.
- Aleksandrov described the picture as an eccentric comedy.
- A copy is on Wikimedia Commons.
Scenes
- Kneishitz tries to show Jimmy to the circus crowd and the crowd turns on him.
- The May Day parade ends with a lullaby sung to the child.
Influenced by
- Under the Circus Dome (Ilf, Petrov, and Kataev)
