While it's hard to imagine, spectacular Circus films are often some of the dullest pictures. I would say that about "The Greatest Show on Earth" (despite its Oscar) and "Circus World"...and I would certainly say that about "Billy Rose's Jumbo". Now I am not saying any of these films are bad, they aren't, but they are awfully colorful but empty...sort of like giant balls of cotton candy!
"Billy Rose's Jumbo" is about a circus that is constantly one step away from insolvency. Trying to keep it afloat are Kitty Wonder (Doris Day) and her father 'Pop' Wonder. In between running from creditors and solving little problems as they come up, Kitty also takes time for romance with a handsome rogue, Sam (Stephen Boyd). All of which is set to music...lots and lots of music. The music is actually one of the biggest problem with the picture as there are just too many songs and the plot takes a back seat to a lot of mostly pleasant but VERY forgettable songs. "The Most Beautiful Girl" is one exception....it's more timeless and enjoyable than most but still not enough. So what you end up with, apart from MANY songs is a giant confection of colors and pageantry...but not a whole lot else. It's not a bad film by any stretch but it's also rather tedious and forgettable as well. I say tedious because the film just never seems to know when to end...and ending it sooner would have made for a better film.
If you do want to see a circus film, you might do better with a comedy such as Chaplin's "The Circus", Martin & Lewis' "3 Ring Circus" or Joe E. Brown's "The Circus Clown". It seems that humor somehow works better than music and pageantry.
"Billy Rose's Jumbo" is about a circus that is constantly one step away from insolvency. Trying to keep it afloat are Kitty Wonder (Doris Day) and her father 'Pop' Wonder. In between running from creditors and solving little problems as they come up, Kitty also takes time for romance with a handsome rogue, Sam (Stephen Boyd). All of which is set to music...lots and lots of music. The music is actually one of the biggest problem with the picture as there are just too many songs and the plot takes a back seat to a lot of mostly pleasant but VERY forgettable songs. "The Most Beautiful Girl" is one exception....it's more timeless and enjoyable than most but still not enough. So what you end up with, apart from MANY songs is a giant confection of colors and pageantry...but not a whole lot else. It's not a bad film by any stretch but it's also rather tedious and forgettable as well. I say tedious because the film just never seems to know when to end...and ending it sooner would have made for a better film.
If you do want to see a circus film, you might do better with a comedy such as Chaplin's "The Circus", Martin & Lewis' "3 Ring Circus" or Joe E. Brown's "The Circus Clown". It seems that humor somehow works better than music and pageantry.