简介： IrememberseeingthisfilmasaladonafamilyoutinginManhattan,toppedoffbymyinsistencethatwehavedinneratJackDempsey'sRestaurantinManhattan.Toobadtheoldchampwasn'ttherethatdayoritwouldhavebeenaperfectSunday. SeeingitnowonaformattedVHStheawesomenessofthespectacleduringthescenesofthecircusfiresandthecapsizedshipintheharborisreallylost.It'squiteaneyefulandshouldonlybesceneintheaters. Andthefilmwouldberevived,butwehaveasubduedJohnWaynehereandit'snotforthebetter. ThiswasoriginallytobeaFrankCaprafilmandCaprabowedoutaftercreativedifferenceswiththeDukeandsomeoftheDuke'spersonalentourage.ReadtheCapraautobiographytofindoutexactlywhattheywere,buttheyweren'tfullyfixedinthefinalproductbydirectorHenryHathawaywholaterpilotedtheDuketohisOscarinTrueGrit. JohnWaynewasaguywhowasusuallyverycarefultogivethepublictheDuketheyexpected.Evenwhenhestretchedhisabilitiesitwasdonewithafirmdirectorialhand. We'reaskedtoaccepttheDukeasamanwhohadanadulterousaffairhere.HealsodoesnotthrowonepunchinthisentirefilmorfireaweaponinotherthanitbeingpartofhisWildWestShow.ThepeoplewenttoseeJohnWayne,buttheydidn'tgettheirmoney'sworth. PitybecauseitwouldhavebeengreattoseeJohnWaynewithRitaHayworthinagreatfilm.Thatcouldn'thavehappenedwhentheywereyoungerbecauseofRita'scontractwithColumbiapicturesandWayne'spersonalboycottingofthatstudiobecauseofhisdislikeforHarryCohn.ThatstoryIwon'tgointo. RitaHayworthwhodoesn'tenterintothefilmuntilalmosthalfwaythroughisfineasWayne'slostlove.SheandClaudiaCardinalelookedjustfineintightsastrapezeartists.LloydNolanasWayne'ssidekickisalwaysgood. RichardConteisHayworth'sbrother-in-lawandCardinale'suncle.Thisfineactoriswastedhereinapartthateitherwasbadlywrittenorleftonthecuttingroomfloor. JohnSmithwasaWayneprotégéofsorts,WaynegavehimanearlybreakinTheHighandtheMightywhichheproduced.SmithwentontostarintheLaramieTVseriesandoncompletionofthathewascastoppositeCardinale,probablyatWayne'sinsistence.Irememberalwayswonderingwhathappenedtohimbecauseheleftshowbusinessshortlyafterwards.ThenbackintheNinetiesIreadhehaddiedofcirrhosisoftheliver.Iguessyoucanfillintheblanks. AtthetimeCircusWorldcameout,therewasontelevisionaprimetimeseriescalledInternationalShowtime.ItwasonFridaysat8pm.anditwassetinadifferentcityinEuropeeveryweek.HostedbyDonAmecheitfeaturedtheverybestcircusactsintheworld.SodidCircusWorld,butitcertainlywasnoincentiveforpeopletocomeouttoseethiswhentheycouldseethesamethingathome.AlsoParamountre-releasedCecilB.DeMille'sTheGreatestShowonEarthtoabriskboxofficebusinessatthesametimeCircusWorldcameout. SoforallthesereasonsCircusWorldfloppedandbankruptedproducerSamuelBronstein.Neverthelessifyou'reacircusfanyouwillenjoyseeingthis.Butit'snottheDukehisfanshavecometoexpect.
