The Circus Queen Murder (1933)

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The Circus Queen Murder (1933)
Topic Started: Oct 17 2008, 11:02 AM (304 Views)
Chandu	Oct 17 2008, 11:02 AM Post #1
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large Posts: 10,276 Group: Members Member #297 Joined: October 19, 2007	I watched a double feature last night and the first one was The Circus Queen Murder, made in 1933 and starring Adolphe Menjou as a celebrated New York City District Attorney, who travels to the country to “get away from it all.” As we’ve all seen over the years, this never works. This was the second film he played this role in. A low budget circus is visiting the town he chooses to lose himself in, where a love triangle is discovered involving the circus queen and death threats are sent to all the circus performers, warning them to not perform. To make matters worse for him, he’s recognized and his fame makes him the natural to get things straightened out over at the circus. The plot is pretty mundane. A murder does occur, but the guilty party is the obvious person and no effort is made to conceal their identity, although there are a couple of twists and turns. Our hero is on top of the situation from the moment he takes over to the time the perpetrator pays for his/her deeds in the end. An interesting gimmick in the film is a group of cannibals traveling with the circus, in relation to a missing corpus delicti, when Menjou declares, “It's a well known fact that cannibals differ from the rest of us in their dietary customs.” Greta Nissen plays the circus queen and I’m not familiar with her, nor anyone else in the cast, but I’ve never seen Adolphe Menjou turn in a less than superb performance, regardless of the vehicle he appears in. I first saw him in a TV adaptation of Poe’s Gold Bug, in the early ‘50’s and I was hooked. I was impressed with his performance in that, and everything else I’ve seen him in since. This film is no exception. 1 and a half Black Crows out of 5
	Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...


Greypilgrim	Oct 17 2008, 01:27 PM Post #2
"Zarkov to Flash Gordon....Come in Flash!" Posts: 8,932 Group: Members Member #171 Joined: February 4, 2007	I saw the film as well and was charmed by Adolfe Menjou's "take charge" attitude in the role of Thatcher Colt. He always played a suave, flamboyant man of "airs" who could steal the scene from the star by just being in it with them--even if he didn't say a word. I wonder how he would've done as Nick Charles or Philo Vance, or even as Sherlock Holmes. The movie was rather pedestrian and, of course, once you saw Dwight Frye on the screen, any mystery of "whodunit?" was gone. Again Frye plays the over-the-top part of a psychotic which leads me to believe that he is actually Tony Perkins' real father and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Wow!! Imagine Frye as Norman Bates!! Greta Nisson had a good career going during the silent era, but as it says in her bio, the sound films were not good to her because of her heavy Norwegian accent. You can find more about her here : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0632895/bio I found The Circus Queen Murder an enjoyable distraction when there is nothing else left to watch. I give it 3 Dots--don't like Black Crows--out of five.



shelbyvinje	Oct 19 2008, 06:03 PM Post #3
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 420 Group: Members Member #470 Joined: June 3, 2008	I am shocked. Usually people disagree with my opinions but someone agreed! I too liked Menjou's "take-charge" persona portrayed in the movie -- a difference from the quiet, sneay Charlie Chan style. I also enjoyed the movie. More so because it's a guilty pleasure than anything spectacular. The film transfer was beautiful and thankfully I recorded it off Turner on DVD at the 70 minute speed (movie was less than 70 minutes) to ensure the best digital picture quality. God bless Turner for not censoring the film, too.



panzer the great & terrible	Oct 20 2008, 08:35 AM Post #4
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,354 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Does anybody know what happened to Dwight Frye? He was in every other movie and then he was gone.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 20 2008, 09:40 AM Post #5
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,178 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	I read somewhere that Frye had a drinking problem. He was the scene stealer in Dracula IMO.
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


Chandu	Oct 20 2008, 12:21 PM Post #6
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large Posts: 10,276 Group: Members Member #297 Joined: October 19, 2007	He died in 1943. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Frye
	Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...


kirgo2	Oct 20 2008, 02:40 PM Post #7
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 217 Group: Members Member #287 Joined: October 4, 2007	Here's another link for Dwight Frye info... http://www.missinglinkclassichorror.co.uk/dwight.htm



black hangman	Oct 20 2008, 07:45 PM Post #8
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 43 Group: Members Member #96 Joined: April 13, 2006	I enjoyed the movie, but not as much as the 1932 NIGHT CLUB LADY. That one had a more solid and believable storyline. That one was also advance scheduled for TCM, but, like many of the advance scheduled Columbia's, it disappeared--probably for lack of good elements to work from. CQM was found and restored a few years ago and was screened at a festival celebrating Columbia's 75th anniversary.


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