Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) User Reviews

Great songs employed to only modest effect in an otherwise forgettable musical

[movieman-200 · 7/10 · 15 June 2005]

Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) is one of the last musicals to emerge from MGM's illustrious stable. It stars Doris Day as Kitty Wonder, a performer in her father's circus. Pop Wonder (the irrepressible Jimmy Durante) is the proprietor of one of the greatest acts in circus history – Jumbo; a gargantuan elephant. He's also engaged to the sad -eyed spinster and fortune teller, Lulu (Martha Raye). Together, they front line a troupe of jolly nomads who pitch the idea of circus life as the greatest of all traveling trades. But a fly in this cotton candy surfaces with the arrival of Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd).

Unbeknownst to Kitty and company, Sam is a spy for a rival traveling show owned by the unscrupulous John Noble (Dean Jagger). Sam sets himself up as a rigger in Pop's show and observes the inner workings of his operation, all the while with one eye firmly zeroed in on Kitty for himself. Perhaps sensing his less than honorable intentions, Kitty's initial reception to John is cool and aloof. However, after he rescues her from a near fatal accident, she falls into his arms quite willingly, and thereafter is bitterly disillusioned when Sam lays the ground work for Noble Enterprises to steal Pop's circus out from underneath him.

Based on the rollicking Broadway smash, director Charles Walters opens the play up with great panache, adding depth, scope and heart to what was in essence a flashy spectacle minus substance on the stage. The numbers, particularly "This Can't Be Love", "Little Girl Blue" and "Why Can't I?" are engaging diversions unto themselves, seamlessly blended into the dramatic milieu. Although Stephen Boyd does look a tad uncomfortable in the role of Sam, he proves to be in very good voice with the charming, "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." Yes, the film is hopelessly hokey by today's standards – but that's primarily its charm. The final musical number too is a bit flat when compared to the rest of the score – but staged by veteran choreographer, Busby Berkeley in a way that almost distracts one from the absence of magic.

Warner's DVD is a treat. The anamorphic picture sparkles with renewed vigor. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Blacks are deep, rich and solid. Whites are very clean. Contrast and shadow levels are bang on. There are only trace elements of age related artifacts for an image that is quite smooth and engaging throughout. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 but lacks in bass tonality, often sounding thin and just a tad strident. The musical sequences fair much better sonically than the dialogue. Extras include a few shorts, including a Tom and Jerry oddity.

Final thoughts: it may not be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but "Billy Rose's Jumbo is a respectable sideshow of glamorous big top entertainment. The acting is solid; the score, supreme. If only the box office receipts of its day had managed to match the considerable effort put forth by the studio, there might have been more good-natured entertainment from MGM in the years that followed.

About 10 Years Too Late in Adaptation

[maughancannes-2 · 6/10 · 14 December 2002]

The MGM musical circus had left Culver City a few years earlier by the time the studio decided to film this 1930s stage extravaganza. The result is bright and competent enough (and it retains most of the wonderful Rodgers & Hart songs), but ten years earlier the Arthur Freed Unit would have sharpened up the book, included a lot more dancing and had a superior leading man (Stephen Boyd is a disaster in this movie). Doris Day sings the standards very well, and - stealing the film - Jimmy Durante (who gives a glorious rendition of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World") and Martha Raye are memorable in support.

Doris Day is deceived in the romance department once again!

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 23 October 2005]

The usual circus fun: a determinedly old-fashioned big-top opus with animals, parades, high-wire attractions, songs by Rodgers & Hart. Doris Day manages a struggling traveling circus in the early 1900s, while pop Jimmy Durante gambles away their earnings and show-performer Martha Raye halfheartedly attempts to get Durante down the aisle. Ever-earnest Stephen Boyd shows up in need of a job, and quickly gets Day's heart racing, before it's revealed he's the son of their chief rival--and what he's really after is star-attraction Jumbo the Elephant! Good-looking hokum, if your tastes run to squeaky-clean backlot romps. Too bad the scenarists skimp on any colorful glimpses of the eccentric carny lifestyle (what drives these people so hard anyway?). In the 1960s, Doris Day mainly concentrated on her series of popular bedroom comedies; this effort (her last musical) broke up her routine and she's delightful as always. The piqued direction is by Charles Walters, who has his work bolstered a bit by Busby Berkeley, overseeing the circus sequences. **1/2 from ****

The most beautiful circus in the world.

[movibuf1962 · 5 September 2003]

For all its merits, "Jumbo" was not a perfect entity as it was released upon the last rung of film musicals, and by the 60's only adaptations of Broadway shows like "West Side Story" and "The Sound Of Music" were being released. As a result a lot of folks have dismissed this one, but I find it to be one of the best exhibitions of a specialized art form- namely, the circus. Populated with many real circus headliners, its musical portions are quite stylish and joyful- especially "Circus On Parade," the equestrian-flavored "This Can't Be Love," and the gorgeous opening number "Over and Over Again-" which shows off 2nd unit man Busby Berkely's visual flourish. (Note, in particular, the final pullback shot which shows all of the acts rehearsing en masse at the same time.) Ms. Day, already a top box office star due to her romantic comedies with Rock Hudson, is gorgeous in the film and her voice can only be described as velvety. Listen especially to her solos "My Romance," "Little Girl Blue," and most impressive, a nighttime duet between Day and Martha Raye in a wagon caravan entitled "Why Can't I?" Portions of the film are directed too slowly and leading man Stephen Boyd is wooden (I would have preferred Harve Presnell or even Howard Keel), but circus owner Jimmy Durante is marvelous in every scene he's in- especially where he's trying to hide an elephant!! The finale, with the cast dressed for a double wedding and dancing to "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" is truly lovely. If you've never seen a circus you could watch this and be satisfied that you spent an evening under the big top.

Durante's Great Love Song Moment

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 28 September 2006]

JUMBO is a very curious musical film to me for several reasons. It was one of the first musical films I ever saw. I watched it in the auditorium of my public school in Queens in the 1963 - not in a movie house. I suppose it was shown because it deals with a circus theme. Secondly, it is based on a musical by Rogers and Hart that was made in the middle of the 1930s, starring Jimmy Durante. In fact, the movie kept one of Durante's classic moments of stage comedy. He is trying to lure the elephant off the circus grounds, and is moving very quietly followed by Jumbo, and is being nonchalant while doing this. Then a guard stops them, yelling, "Where are you going with that elephant?!" Looking haughty and insulted, Durante stretches to his full height, and asks, " ELEPHANT? WHAT ELEPHANT?!"

The original Broadway show was a real extravaganza, due to it's circus setting - produced by the legendary showman Billy Rose. If you are not old enough to recall Rose, you may remember that James Caan played him in the movie FUNNY LADY (the sequel to FUNNY GIRL, that starred Barbara Streisand as Rose's wife Fanny Brice).

The real Jumbo was the elephant who is associated with P.T. Barnum's circus in the 19th Century. That Jumbo was originally a star of the London Zoo, very popular with children in England who were allowed to ride his back. Barnum bought him in 1882, and he was the last great star in the impresario's career. Unfortunately Jumbo got killed in Canada in 1885 in a tragic railroad yard collision.

Here Jumbo is the star attraction at a circus that is run by Durante, Martha Raye, and Doris Day. But the circus has attracted the attention of Dean Jagger (in one of his villainous roles). Jagger wants to get control of the small circus and Jumbo, and slowly does just that. To confuse the matter, Stephen Boyd plays a trapeze walker who romances Day. Boyd turns out to be Jagger's son, and something of a spy on the competition. The romance between Boyd and Day adds to the tension of the film.

The music is first rate, particularly the introductory "Over and Over Again", and the number which is the sweetest moment in Durante's movie career - when he is marrying Martha Raye, he sings "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World" to her. It is an adorable moment, as these two plain people glow with affection for each other. Well worth catching the film for that reason alone.

Forgettable and Cute Musical

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 1 June 2013]

In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the traveling The Wonder Circus has the greatest attraction the elephant Jumbo and is full of debts. The owner, Anthony 'Pop' Wonder (Jimmy Durante), works as a clown but is a gambler addicted in dice games and usually loses the box office gambling. He has been deceiving the clairvoyant Lulu (Martha Raye) for many years promising to marry her. His daughter, Kitty Wonder (Doris Day), is the trick rider and tries to negotiate with creditors and the circus performers to keep the business going on. John Noble (Dean Jagger), who owns a famous Noble Circus, wants to buy Jumbo and The Wonder Circus, but Pop refuses his offers.

When the mysterious Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd) asks for a job in the Wonder Circus, Kitty refuses and tells that they do not want adventurer working in their circus. But he proves to be an excellent aerialist and handy man and Pop hires him since they lost many performers due to the lack of payment. Soon Kitty falls in love with Sam, but he has a secret agenda and she does not know.

"Billy Rose's Jumbo" is a forgettable and cute musical based on a 1935 Broadway show. The silly plot is a predictable romance entwined with many songs and performances by circus performers and entertains. The work of the stunts and the edition is wonderful. Unfortunately the songs in the DVD released by Warner in Brazil do not have subtitles in a absolute lack of respect from Warner to the Brazilian costumers. Shame on you Warner! My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Mais Querida do Mundo" ("The Dearest in the World")

Sawdust, Spangles and Dreams.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 16 May 2011]

Billy Rose's Jumbo is based on a play of the same name produced by Billy Rose. The play was adapted from the book written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the screenplay here is written by Sidney Sheldon. Music is scored by George Stoll, with songs written by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart. It's directed by Charles Walters, with Busby Berkeley on second unit duties, and stars Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Stephen Boyd, Martha Raye and Dean Jagger. William H. Daniels photographs and it's a Panavision/Metrocolor production out of MGM.

The Pop Wonder Circus is suffering desperate financial problems, with rival Noble Circus circling like a vulture ready to strip it of its greatest assets. Then one day a stranger walks in and joins them as a wire walker and things start to pick up. But as romance blossoms and problems begin to ease, shocking news brings great disruption to the equilibrium.

It's the sort of musical production that can be picked apart to reveal many problems. Problems in length, quality of song execution and certain casting issues, they are there and undeniably stop the film being great. However, if one is just after a breezy piece of fluff, in the company of a delightful leading lady, then it's a film that does its job. Structured as a series of songs and circus routines, there is little room for an intelligent plot, it's a basic boy/girl romance played out whilst some bad guy lurks in the background threatening to drive a wedge between the lovers. Still, the foot tappers keep it charming, the production value is top notch and the Metrocolor used is very pleasing. While the actual circus performers are truly great at their art (wire walkers a favourite over here).

So, as shallow as a puddle in terms of story and character depth, but even tho it should have had better care and attention afforded it, it remains above average and of appeal to musical fans. 6.5/10

Misguided....and BIG!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 22 March 2016]

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.

The Circus Is On Parade

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 9 February 2009]

Doris Day's final musical role was in Jumbo which finally came to the screen almost 30 years after it played at the legendary Hippodrome Theater for 233 performances in 1935. Henceforth all of Doris's films would be screen comedies in which she may have sung a ditty or two in the film or over the title credits. But Jumbo was her last true musical.

Jumbo was directed by Charles Walters an old hand at musicals, his best known probably being High Society. But Walters had an even older hand working with him in Busby Berkeley. His touch is obvious as the second unit director in some of the musical numbers. Jumbo marked Berkeley farewell screen credit.

The plot is little changed from the 1935 show. Jimmy Durante who was repeating his role from the original Broadway cast is Pop Wonder a kindly circus owner who owes everyone in a 20 mile radius because of his gambling problem. He's the despair of his daughter Doris Day and Martha Raye who does a crystal ball act on the sideshow who Durante's been carrying a long term courtship of.

His show is in desperate straights with acts quitting him left and right, Doris is fulfilling several acts and jobs on the show, from high wire work to clown. One day handsome and muscular Stephen Boyd comes looking for a job. He seems like the answer to a prayer, but it turns out he's the son of rival circus owner Dean Jagger and doing a little espionage for the old man.

Durante's show has one real asset, the legendary circus elephant Jumbo whom as we know was the real life main attraction of Barnum&Bailey's real life circus in the 19th century. It's that which Jagger means to have.

Of course the boy/girl thing as usual gets in the way with Day and Boyd. Their romance is played out under the big top to the strains of one of Rodgers&Hart's best scores. Made even better by the addition of This Can't Be Love from The Boys From Syracuse.

So many good songs by Rodgers and Hart you hardly know where to begin. Doris gets to sing My Romance, This Can't Be Love, and one of the most plaintive ballads of heartbreak ever written, Little Girl Blue. Stephen Boyd if he wasn't dubbed, had a nice singing voice and does a good job on The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, with an obbligato done by Jimmy Durante.

I've seen stills of the technically off Broadway production of the original cast in 1935. With all the circus acts, no conventional Broadway Theater could have possibly housed this show. The Hippodrome which was located on Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street has been gone since before World War II, Jumbo was the last show of any kind done there. I wish I could have seen it live.

My guess is that producer Billy Rose drove a hard bargain in getting just compensation for the screen rights. It's why Jumbo took so long to come to the screen. Fortunately it made it there just as musicals were being phased out. I'm sure Rose's name in the title was another bit of vanity for him to get the show to the screen.

Despite what I consider an almost surreal ending, Jumbo still delights musical and circus fans of all ages and will continue to do so. You can never go wrong with a musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Fair musical

[HenryHextonEsq · 6/10 · 24 June 2000]

"Billy Rose's Jumbo" was a late entry in the Musical genre. The music from Rodgers and Hart was generally excellent, but much of the rest of the film left a lot to be desired. Indeed the song, "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" is sublime, but would you get the feeling it would befit a better movie. Most of the other songs aren't as memorable, but they are still above average. It was pretty enjoyable, but with a certain lack of depth or character. Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye though, are very good in comic roles, especially the veteran Durante. There are good comic parts in the film, but sadly not enough. Stephen Boyd was reasonable as was Doris Day, but she was miscast it seems, as she was nearing forty. Her portrayal just didn't ring true. As a warm, lightweight entertainment it works, but has little more to offer. Rating:- *** (out of *****)

Still good, Doris Day, so cute there

[Gunnar_Runar_Ingibjargarson · 5/10 · 17 June 2008]

Jumbo is a mighty talented elephant. It's also the ideal word to describe this big-time big-top extravaganza bursting with laughter and love song and dance circus stunts and star power.Radiant Doris Day sings beloved Rodgers and Hart tunes and does her own horseback riding tricks in a dazzle-dazzle musical based on Billy Rose's stage spectacular and featuring circus sequences directed by Busby Berkeley. The story revolves around a circus owner (Jimmy Durante star of the 1935 Broadway original) with only two real attractions: his daughter (day) and popular pachyderm Jumbo. Three-ring pandemonium breaks out when a handsome rival (Stephen Boyd) infiltrates the circus and father daughter and Dad's wisecracking fiancé e (Martha Raye) are suddenly at risk of losing the greatest show on earth

Delightful!

[joandaniels · 10/10 · 24 October 2002]

This is a wonderfully entertaining film. Day and Durante never disappoint and turn in their usual fine performances. Martha Raye is a delight! Stephen Boyd is magnificent! Who knew he could sing and dance so well?! He was a wonderfully versatile actor who could switch from Messala to Sam Rawlins in a heartbeat. One of my favorites - completely wonderful!

Why not enjoy movies instead of knit-picking them!

[joe-m-milner · 7/10 · 24 February 2007]

I think we are all aware of the difficulty in making a movie that would please everyone. That is why you can watch a given movie or not watch it. Jumbo may not be the greatest movie ever made, but it does have a lot of bright and entertaining moments. And I will settle for a 38 year old Doris Day over many of todays stars. Movies are made to entertain. I never watch Citizen Kane or It's a Wonderful life. I do not like them and not for any particular reason. It must be sad to be a person that watches a movie to find it's mistakes. One of the few mistakes I noticed in a good movie was in Jesse James (1939). When Jesse climbs aboard the train he is wearing high leather boots. The next scene shows a silhouette running on top of the train with pants flapping and wearing sneakers. But I still enjoy Jesse James and the goof is an added hi lite. Loosen up all you would be critics. Could you do better?? Joe Milner. London Ontario Ca.

If you love Doris and you love the 1950's musicals, you will love JUMBO

[cougarblue-696-806128 · 5/10 · 9 December 2018]

From 1962 comes another circus picture, with its share of bad dudes, amazing costuming, and a disaster of two. This film seems to fit in with the musicals of the 40's and 50's, after the war America was euphoric to have our boys home but by the 1960's we began to see message musicals like West Side Story dealing with problems below the surface. You bought or viewed this film because you love musicals the story isn't important. There is the ner' do well Jimmy Durante who blows the circus revenues on crooked crap games causing Day to pull out the storms to keep the motley assembly together, with bill collectors in chase. Stephan Boyd is oddly the pick to be her love interest. He vocals aren't his but dubbed. It all works out in the end, lovers marry, scoundrels fess up and get second chances. But then again you didn't watch this film for the story.

Doris and Martha's Big Moment

[gregorybnyc · 6 May 2004]

I saw this as a teenager, and fell in love. Doris Day was one of the most popular and yet one of the most underrated movie stars of her generation. Her reputation hasn't survived into our modern era as other film icons of the time, including Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine and Elizabeth Taylor.

She was an excellent singer, actress, film personality, and she shines in this less-than-perfect screen adaptation of Billy Rose's Broadway extravaganza. Doris was 38 when she made this film, and she looks a tad too old. But she had one of Hollywood's greatest bodies and looks sensational in the many period costumes. She sings this glorious Rodgers and Hart score magnificently, particularly "My Romance," and "Little Girl Blue." The highlight in the movie is the "Why Can't I" duet between Doris and Martha Raye. Raye, a wonderful singer in her own right, and Doris simply shine in this small scene, harmonizing beautifully.

Jimmy Durante is also superb as her charming scamp of a father and head of the family circus. His asides to Jumbo, the elephant are wonderfully comic. Stephen Boyd has been criticized, but I think he's the classic leading man here and doesn't spoil any scene he's in.

This JUMBO was the end of the classic movie musical era, and you can hear it wheezing a bit. But anachronistic as it is, you have Busby Berkeley overseeing the musical numbers, and you would be hard-pressed to find two hours as heart-warmingly delightful as this movie is. Brava to Doris Day--long may she be remembered for the class act she was.

Durante and Raye are great, but everything else is atrocious

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 6/10 · 27 December 2015]

This film was a bit of a disaster at the box office...and rightfully so. It demonstrated that even a top star like Doris Day has to make wise career choices...and this was Day's last musical.

There are some good things here. There's never a reason not to revel in the antics of the beloved Jimmy Durante, here playing the owner of the circus. And not far behind is his girlfriend -- Martha Raye, playing a circus performer. Durante and Raye are simply classic here. And, you will see some awfully good circus performers here.

But beyond those things, this film is fluff...the kind of clean-minded fluff that is so typical of Doris Day. But this is so sweet that it's almost sickening...because circuses just weren't this clean heartwarming. And, if you think about it carefully, these circus people are cheats who who bilk local vendors out of deserved pay for their products. But that is quickly brushed aside here.

Doris Day is just too pristine here. If you like that, she's good, but it's so unrealistic. She does have a couple of great songs -- "This Can't Be Love" and "My Romance".

Stephen Boyd does well here as the son of a rival circus who is secretly plotting to buy the circus from under Durante and Day...but feels darned guilty about it. His main song is "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World", though he is simply lip-sinking. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much chemistry between Boyd and Day; not sure that it's the fault of either one...it just didn't quite work.

I can't say that I'm happy to see one of my very favorite character actors -- Dean Jagger -- as the bad guy here (the rival circus owner and Boyd's father). Although at least they give him the excuse of wanting to give the public the most wonderful circus experience that they will never be able to forget.

If there is one thing I'll give top notch credit to here, it's the doubles that are used for the various stars, including Doris Day and Jimmy Durant on the high wire and trapeze , etc. Well done and quite convincing.

This film has its moments, but the moments are too far apart to make an interesting whole. And the ending is atrocious and pretty much ruins whatever was good about the movie..

A big-budgeted circus-locale musical with wonderful dances , hilarious shows and charming songs

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 3 April 2022]

A pleasantly fun musical , Doris Day's last , dealing with a debt-ridden circus that travels throughout the country showing its colorful spectacle . It deals with Kitty : Doris Day and Pop : Jimmy Durante, they are the owners of the Wonder Circus , but there's a rivalry with another circus , and creditors are very close to foreclosing , as a spy goes undercover into the bankrupted circus to attempt to take it . The wonderful songs of Richard Rodgers and Hart ! . Jump for Joy it's Jumbo!

A big budget musical that all but flopped at box office, being based on the 1935 musical of Bily Rose's Jumbo that ran for 233 performances . Failing extremely , despite William Daniels' brilliant cinematography , a Sidney Sheldon script from a Charles MacArthur and Ben Hetch story , Richard Rodgers and Hart songs and a cast that should have known better. The musical numbers are attractively staged with a catching combination of enjoyable dances , emotive songs and extraordinary participation by musical expert Busby Berkeley who made some of Hollywood's most invigorating musical spectacles. Stars Doris Day and Stephen Boyd on the top their successful carriers , though a bit later on , Boyd would follow a sucessive fall . Nice , too, see old-timers , the sympathetic couple , Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye in action again, even if one wishes the storyline gave them more into which to sink their teeth .

The motion picture lavishly produced by Joe Pasternak was professionally directed by Charles Walters, supported by second unit director, the great Busby Berkeley, and this one marked the end of his long and hit career . This Billy's Rose's Jumbo is pretty well , though it has some flaws, gaps and failures . Veteran filmmaker Charles Walters was a Hollywood craftsman , a good expert on Musical and Comedies , such as : "Good news , Easter parade , The Barkleys of Broadway, Summer Stock, Texas Carnival, The belle of New York, Three guys called Mike , Torch Sing , Lili, Easy to love ,The glass slipper , The Tender trap, High Society, Please don't eat the Daisies, Dangerous when wet, The unsinkable Molly Brown" , among others . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . The picture will appeal to Doris Day and Stephen Boyd fans .

A trunkful of personality

[shrine-2 · 7/10 · 15 June 2000]

Doris Day may have been the biggest box-office star at the time, but the hot lights looked like they were taking their toll on her in the 1962 "Jumbo." She seemed more than a bit worn out, especially next to the unbelievably bronzed Stephen Boyd. But there's enough to keep you occupied, even if the material feels dated: the incomparable Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye, and the star--an elephant that matches them for style and show-business savvy. I just wish they did more with the Rodgers and Hart songs--"My Romance" should take off. Here it peters out, and so does your excitement! Bummer!

Could have been---

[ronfernandezsf · 3/10 · 21 January 2021]

This could have been a good movie but sinks rather than stay afloat. Some of it is OK with some nice circus acts and that great elephant some ok songs. But it suffers from being a little too long and a couple of strong scenes. One is on the Merry go round with Day and Boyd doing The Most Beautiful girl in the World. Here they are on the circus lot and not one person is in the background doing any kind of work or just walking around. Very strange and eerie. Looks like they're in a ghost town instead of a big circus area and ground. The worse is the surreal type ending that becomes a fantasy that doesn't work at all!! Forget the las 15 minutes. Doesn't make a bit of sense. JUMBO was a flop and I could see why. Too bad because Day is her usual top notch self giving her all. Too bad everything else fails her!!!

2 hours of sheer pleasure

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 18 October 2013]

Billy Rose's Jumbo may have a few slow parts and Stephen Boyd's wooden performance as said already. The energy and colour as well as the songs and performances make up for that in a huge way though. The story may be silly and not the most focused, but it is very charming and warm-hearted as well that you don't care so much when the film makes a big and successful effort to entertain regardless. Throughout the film looks beautiful with lots of colour. The songs, especially The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Over and Over Again and My Romance are wonderful, while the script is full of snappy lines("what elephant" is a classic and it is very easy to see why), the choreography has a lot of energy and charisma and the stunts although difficult are made to look easy, a tell-tale sign of the commitment and professionalism of those involved. For favourite scenes, the rousing opening and the hilarious scene where Jimmy Durante tries to hide the elephant are personal picks. Aside from Boyd the performances are very good. Doris Day shows a wisdom, warmth, sassy comic timing and an ability also to be dramatically heartfelt, and in terms of her singing she can't be faulted. My Romance is just sublime. Jimmy Durante is hilarious and has a lot of effortless charm, and Martha Raye matches him every step of the way. Jumbo steals all the scenes he appears in too. Billy Rose's Jumbo is solidly directed with a relatively light touch. In conclusion, a pleasure to watch and recommended for Rodgers/Hart and Doris Day fans. 9/10 Bethany Cox

circus musical

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 26 August 2023]

Anthony 'Pop' Wonder (Jimmy Durante) runs his Wonder Circus which is struggling to pay the bills. His gambling doesn't help. His daughter Kitty Wonder (Doris Day) is performing and organizing. Pop hires Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd) despite Kitty's reservations. It turns out that Sam is the son of rival John Noble who is looking to buy up Wonder Circus. Jumbo is the Wonders' beloved elephant.

The production is big. It has Durante and Doris Day. They are doing some song and dance. There is plenty of circus acts. There is a reasonable romance and a bit of light drama. It's all rather light weight. Nothing is too daring in this musical. The music is fine but nothing great. It got an Oscar nomination for Best Score. It's slightly above average at best.

Don't buy a ticket for this show

[rose_lily · 1/10 · 18 February 2014]

This may have been a stage hit in 1935, but by 1962, it was a stale offering. Cecil B. DeMille had already done everything in his ancient bag of tricks to kill off the circus theme for good ten years earlier with his antique, sentimental extravaganza "The Greatest Show on Earth" in 1952. Jumbo did nothing to revive MGM's glory as the producers of great musical entertainment.

I couldn't sit through this entire movie. Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, and Martha Raye----what a trio. Durante and Raye can only be taken in by small portions at a time and an entire movie with them in it is just too much to digest without discomfort. Stephen Boyd is in the cast but the less said about this wooden, uninteresting actor, the better.

This movie is a real stinker. And this implies no offense to the title performer, the enormous elephant Jumbo and his toilet habits.

Colorful, Entertaining, Good Songs, Wonderful Cast

[getreel-54732 · 8/10 · 11 September 2017]

Doris Day never ceases to amaze me. Wonderful actress with a great voice. And I LOVE Stephen Boyd. Was there ever a more handsome, sexy actor who could really act and had such a wide range?? And Martha Ray surprised me... I didn't know she could sing.

This is a feel-good film, a feast for the eyes, with wonderful songs, and great circus acts to boot. And there is actually a plot here too.

I would like to watch this film again, and recommend it to any fan of musicals, or anyone who loves the circus.

In the "Glad we saw it once" bucket

[VetteRanger · 7/10 · 9 February 2023]

We love Doris Day. She's always bright and fresh and one of the best female voices ever to grace the screen. That continues even into her quite mature years on her TV series. So we were interested in this Doris Day vehicle we'd never seen before.

She was great in her part, and Jimmy Durante was funny, but Jimmy Durante can get old in a hurry. Stephen Boyd, who doesn't sing, was an odd choice for the romantic male lead, and I found him unconvincing in the role even though he provided a "good looking guy". There wasn't nearly enough screen time in the relationship building to sell their romance.

A couple of the songs are standards (The Most Beautiful Girl in the World), but most of them are instantly forgettable. And sadly, the closing clown sequence, tacked on for some reason, was unnecessary and boring. Maybe you'd like it better ... I tend to want my clowns in very small doses. LOL

If you've never seen it and you're a fan of musicals, scratch that itch as a completist. We did. But unlike top musicals that we watch every few years, once was enough for Jumbo.

A shameful combination of two great talents

[HotToastyRag · 2/10 · 3 February 2018]

It's so very sad to see two great and beautiful talents, Doris Day and Stephen Boyd, thrown together in an empirically terrible movie. After she showed she could act in a drama in Midnight Lace, and after he showed his wonderful presence in Ben-Hur, they joined forces in a movie about an elephant in a circus. Yes, you read that correctly. And no, it's not as absurd as it sounds; it's more. At one point, they both dress up as clowns and wind up in embarrassingly sexual positions during the dance number.

Stephen's so incredibly handsome-and talented, let's not forget that-and he's forced to act in Billy Roses's Jumbo? His singing voice was dubbed-although James Joyce was such an excellent match it's nearly impossible to tell-so it's not as though he wanted to surprise audiences by showing he could sing. I don't know why he and Doris didn't just walk off the set one day and never return.

The two famous songs from the film are "My Romance" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", but while they're pretty songs, you're better off just listening to the soundtrack rather than watch this ridiculous movie all the way through. If you do, you'll probably get an uncontrollable fit of the giggles, and not because of the humor in the film. It'll be the type of laughter one gets in the midst of Chinese water torture when one realizes how funny it is that the noise will never end. Trust me, by the time Stephen Boyd sings, "The most beautiful star in the world isn't Juno, isn't Venus, but between us. . ." you'll double up in laughter finishing up the rhyme in your own way.