Polly of the Circus (1932)

Director:

Alfred Santell

Writers:

Laurence E. Johnson (dialogue)
Margaret Mayo (play)

Release Date:

27 February 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

When Polly Fisher, a circus aerialist, is hurt while performing, she is taken to the house of a nearby minister...

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Religion | Accident | Alcoholic | Bible

Cast

Marion Davies	...	Polly Fisher
Clark Gable	...	Reverend John Hartley
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Reverend James Northcott
Raymond Hatton	...	Downey, Harley's Servant
David Landau	...	Beef
Ruth Selwyn	...	Mitzi
Maude Eburne	...	Mrs. Jennings
'Little Billy' Rhodes	...	Half-Pint (as Little Billy)
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Eric Alvarez (as Guinn Williams)
Clark Marshall	...	Don Alvarez
Lillian Elliott	...	Mrs. McNamara

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Trivia:

The original play opened in New York on 23 December 1907

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985) (TV)

Marion Davies' worst talkie.....

is not her fault. The script is second-rate and although she and Clark Gable try hard to inject some life into this film, they can't do it. Lots of possibilities for snappy lines as in other Davies vehicles ("Cain and Mabel," "Ever Since Eve," "Page Miss Glory," etc.) but the scripters settle on the dull and boring aspects of Davies (a circus star) trying to become a goody-two-shoes to please Gable (a minister). Even supporting stars like C. Aubrey Smith and Maude Eburne don't get much to do. Watch for a young Ray Milland in the church scenes. One compensation: Davies looks great!