The Magnificent Showman (1964)
(Circus World)
Country: US/SP
Technical: Technicolor/2.20:1 135m
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Rita Hayworth, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan
Synopsis:
A wild west showman founders as he sets foot on his European tour and instead joins a competitor's outfit in order to be able to scout talent for his own circus as he visits the cities en route. At the same time he means to track down a former love and mother of the girl he has brought up to womanhood, a fact he has trouble coming to terms with.
Review:
A quintessential role for Wayne and another Hathaway vehicle along the lines of North to Alaska. The screenplay follows the sub-Hawksian route of charting the mutual support and professional dedication of a bunch of fellas and catalytic female, but has a family unit-forging agenda on board. Consequently it does not know when to concentrate on the standard circus trimmings and when to get emotional over Rita Hayworth. There is a shipwreck at the beginning and a fire at the end but the cinemagoer may have felt shortchanged. For a Bronston production the (mostly Spanish) locations are under-exploited and values no more than satisfactory, though it was shot on 70mm.
(Circus World)
Country: US/SP
Technical: Technicolor/2.20:1 135m
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Rita Hayworth, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan
Synopsis:
A wild west showman founders as he sets foot on his European tour and instead joins a competitor's outfit in order to be able to scout talent for his own circus as he visits the cities en route. At the same time he means to track down a former love and mother of the girl he has brought up to womanhood, a fact he has trouble coming to terms with.
Review:
A quintessential role for Wayne and another Hathaway vehicle along the lines of North to Alaska. The screenplay follows the sub-Hawksian route of charting the mutual support and professional dedication of a bunch of fellas and catalytic female, but has a family unit-forging agenda on board. Consequently it does not know when to concentrate on the standard circus trimmings and when to get emotional over Rita Hayworth. There is a shipwreck at the beginning and a fire at the end but the cinemagoer may have felt shortchanged. For a Bronston production the (mostly Spanish) locations are under-exploited and values no more than satisfactory, though it was shot on 70mm.
(Circus World)
Country: US/SP
Technical: Technicolor/2.20:1 135m
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Rita Hayworth, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan
Synopsis:
A wild west showman founders as he sets foot on his European tour and instead joins a competitor's outfit in order to be able to scout talent for his own circus as he visits the cities en route. At the same time he means to track down a former love and mother of the girl he has brought up to womanhood, a fact he has trouble coming to terms with.
Review:
A quintessential role for Wayne and another Hathaway vehicle along the lines of North to Alaska. The screenplay follows the sub-Hawksian route of charting the mutual support and professional dedication of a bunch of fellas and catalytic female, but has a family unit-forging agenda on board. Consequently it does not know when to concentrate on the standard circus trimmings and when to get emotional over Rita Hayworth. There is a shipwreck at the beginning and a fire at the end but the cinemagoer may have felt shortchanged. For a Bronston production the (mostly Spanish) locations are under-exploited and values no more than satisfactory, though it was shot on 70mm.